Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
The warm scent of soy, grilled fish, and aburi filled the intimate space of Kozue.
It was a minimalist, modern sushi shop tucked away in the heart of the city.
The focus here was on craftsmanship. Japanese chefs worked behind an open counter, their razor-sharp knives slicing through glistening cuts of tuna and salmon with professional ease.
Bea loved this place.
She shifted on the plush leather stool, hypnotized by the way the chef carefully pressed a piece of sea bream over a delicate mound of rice, then seared it with a blowtorch, blistering the edges and rendering the fat. It was culinary ASMR.
Across from her, Georgina reclined against the counter. “Alright, spill.”
“Spill what?”
Georgina sighed, as though Bea were being unnecessarily difficult. “You’ve been in a daze all week. What’s got you so smitten? Is it Gage?”
Bea started to explain, but the words got stuck somewhere between her diaphragm and her mouth. “We had dinner,” she said finally.
Georgina sat up higher on her stool. “Dinner? Where?”
“In…Bora Bora.”
Silence.
“Excuse me?” Georgina choked on nothing. Actually choked. Her glass stilled mid-swish, sake rippling to the edge. “You’re telling me that on your first date…he flew you to another country?”
Bea nodded, half embarrassed, though she didn’t quite know why.
“Mother of everything,” Georgie stage-whispered, nearly combusting. “I mean, it’s Gage, so of course he could do something that ridiculous but…” Her tone moved from awed to calculating. “He never has.”
Bea’s fingers fidgeted in her lap. Could something that flawless really have been the first time? It had felt so perfect. The kind of thing that was easier if you’d done it before.
“Are you sure he hasn’t? Maybe he just didn’t tell you about it.”
“Please. I’d know,” she said. “He would have used the family jet, which is managed by his mother. And his mother would have told my mother.”
Oh man.
He’d used the family plane.
And his mother knew.
“Our monthly dinner is next week.” Georgina was practically rubbing her hands together gleefully. “I’ll have so much to talk to him about.”
Bea covered her face briefly and groaned. “Please, don’t.”
“Don’t worry, he won’t tell me anything. All the details I get will be from you, believe me,” Georgina said, smirking. “But it’ll be fun to poke the bear.”
Bea tucked her hands under her thighs. “Is this how men do it here? Make an opening move that feels like a finale?”
“Yes and no,” Georgina replied. “It depends on so many things. Like the guy. And how serious he is. And how far he’s willing to go.”
“It was a lot,” Bea admitted quietly.
Georgina snorted. “A lot? It was an international first date. How did I not know about this?”
“He picked me up while you were out,” Bea said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
“And you didn’t think to text me before it happened?”
Bea’s shrug was sheepish. “I didn’t know where we were going.”
The air thickened between them, heavy with intrigue. “And? Did he kiss you?”
A flush crept up Bea’s neck.
That kiss. She could still feel it. She’d replayed it more times than she cared to admit, dissecting the way he’d pulled back just enough when she’d pushed, only to keep her close. The way he had looked at her afterward, like he was going to enjoy the process of her surrender.
“He totally did.” Georgina’s voice snapped her back to reality.
Bea winced. “Could you keep it down?”
At that moment the chef slid two trays of nigiri onto the counter with the kind of reverence that bordered on ritual. Smoke curled upward, fragrant and fleeting, the scent whispering of char and salt. He gave a nod of respect before stepping back.
“Mmmm,” Georgina hummed, attention diverted. “Now we’re talking.”
They ate in silence, eyes closing in unison, savoring the buttery, umami-rich morsels. For a while, conversation was entirely forgotten.
Georgina finally set down her chopsticks, sighing with satisfaction. “This whole thing with Gage doesn’t feel casual, does it?”
Bea’s chopsticks hung midair. “Maybe it’s not what you think.”
Georgie raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly do you think I think?”
That she could keep up with him. That she was enough.
Instead she said, “That it’s gonna go somewhere.”
Georgina tapped her finger thoughtfully on the table. “And you don’t think it is?”
“I don’t know.” She bit the inside of her cheek for a moment. “Could it?”
Georgina’s eyes sharpened, as if registering the uncertainty in Bea’s voice. “You’re worried because he’s Gage King.”
“Of course I am.” A frown tugged at Bea’s lips. “How do I begin to fit into his world?”
“I don’t think it’s the kind of thing that comes with a manual. You work it out while it’s happening.”
Bea resisted the urge to laugh in despair. That was the kind of logic people used before trying parkour for the first time. And how did that usually end? With a mouthful of pavement.
“Like you said, it’s a lot. He comes with a lot. I get it.” Georgina’s voice dropped to something more conspiratorial. “I guess if you wanted to test the waters without plunging straight into the Arctic…there is an alternative.”
“What alternative?”
“There’s always Rafael.”
“Mr. Shark,” Bea said dryly.
Georgina chuckled, resting her chin in her hand. “Funny thing, though.”
“What?”
“He was asking about you today.” She popped a piece of sushi into her mouth.
Bea braced herself. “Hopefully nothing inappropriate.”
“Well, it is Rafael, so…define inappropriate.”
Bea shot her a flat look.
Georgina mimicked Rafael’s tone, lazy and loaded with meaning. “Tell me the truth, Georgie. Is he keeping her entertained?”
Bea’s stomach clenched. “That’s so—” She cut herself off, shaking her head. “Why does he care?”
Georgie tilted her head, a knowing glint in her eye. “That’s the real question, isn’t it?”
Bea rubbed her forehead. “There should be a warning in the St. Ives brochure: ‘Not for women with no experience dealing with men who excel at power games.’”
“I think it’s implied in the tuition fees.”
Bea sighed. “They should make it clearer. Maybe list it under ‘hazard pay.’” She shook her head. “It’s like one minute life is normal, and the next…”
“You’re a big, juicy steak dangling in front of a pack of wolves?” Georgina finished wryly.
“That wasn’t exactly where I was going with that.”
Georgina tipped her glass toward Bea in a mock toast. “Cheers to being the most desired virgin at St. Ives.”
Bea sputtered, nearly sending a splash of tea back into her cup. “Georgie.”
“What?” She was having way too much fun. “It’s true. The King and the Shark, both circling? I mean, come on. It’s legendary.”
“This isn’t funny.” Bea tried to glare, but couldn’t quite commit.
Georgie grinned, her eyes gleaming. “Oh, it’s hilarious.”
Bea stuck her tongue out at her, and Georgie cackled. “But seriously, between the King and the Shark…I’ll take my chances with the one at least pretending to be human.”
“Pick your predator, Bea. It looks like either way you’re getting eaten.”