Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
ELENA
Elena held up her phone and walked around the room, ensuring she captured the full impact of the grand suite in all its glory. Never in her life had she stayed somewhere so exclusive, she was almost afraid to touch anything.
‘Take a look at the bed,’ she said, zooming out so her sisters could see the queen-sized frame. ‘Four-poster, with matching gold headboard.’
‘Do you think it’s real?’ Sofia asked. ‘It looks so luxurious.’
‘All that pattern’s making my eyes hurt,’ Luisa chipped in.
It was true the room was the polar opposite of minimalism.
The colour palette was varying shades of champagne, with accents of deep gold and dark walnut.
The carpet was one pattern, the wallpaper and furniture another design entirely.
The suite footprint was larger than their entire downstairs, and the townhouse wasn’t exactly small.
‘And Hugh paid for the whole thing?’ Sofia asked, as Elena showed them the glass chandelier dangling above the bed.
‘His way of thanking me for being his plus-one.’ Hugh’s husband, James, was away at a conference, so he’d asked Elena to accompany him to an annual charity event he was on the trustee board for.
It wasn’t a difficult decision, accepting an invite to a Roaring Twenties dinner dance in one of London’s most expensive hotels.
‘Hugh has an appointment first thing tomorrow, so he’s not able to stay overnight himself, but he wanted me to have the full hotel experience. ’
‘Let’s see your dress.’ Luisa’s face was squashed next to Sofia’s on the screen.
Elena stood in front of the standalone gilded mirror, angling her phone until she was in view. ‘Can you see?’
‘Oh, Elena, you look beautiful!’ Sofia looked a little emotional as Elena swished from side to side, making the fringing on her flapper dress swing out.
Had she known the room’s décor in advance she might not have opted for the champagne colour, she was in danger of disappearing into the wallpaper.
The dress was classic twenties design, with a sheer neckline, leading down to a beaded bodice and trimmed with so much fringing she felt like a helicopter about to take off when she twirled around.
With matching glittery headband, dangly earrings and gold T-bar shoes, she felt suitably glammed-up for a night out.
The outfit had felt like overkill in her bedroom at home, but in such palatial surroundings it hit the mark. Or at least, she hoped it did. Hugh was hiring a vintage tuxedo, so she needed to raise her style game.
Her phone pinged with a message. Hugh must have arrived, but her excitement faded as she read the message. ‘Oh, you’re kidding me.’
Sofia looked concerned. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘Hugh’s been called to the hospital to deal with an emergency, one of his patients has been sectioned. He’s not able to come to the event.’
‘Oh, what rotten luck.’ Sofia looked crushed.
‘Can’t you fly solo?’ Luisa jostled with Sofia for prime position. ‘You stand a better chance of pulling if you’re on your own.’
‘Believe me, I’d rather go solo, but he’s sending a replacement date.’ It was hard not to spit as she said the word. ‘Daniel bloody Jackson.’
Luisa pulled a face. ‘Who?’
Sofia nudged Luisa. ‘The man she shares an office building with.’
‘Oh, shit! You mean, the hot suit?’ Luisa burst out laughing, which quickly resulted in a coughing fit. ‘Priceless.’
Sofia rubbed Luisa’s back. ‘He’s really not so bad, Elena. He was very kind to me when I met him. Maybe away from work he’s a different person, more relaxed, and less …’
There were several words Elena could have inserted into the pause. She opted for … ‘Difficult?’
‘Exactly.’ Sofia nodded. ‘A social event in a nice hotel might bring out his charming side.’
‘Or, he might still be a boring suit and expect you to use the correct fork at dinner, refrain from consuming any alcohol, and be tucked up in bed by nine p.m.’ Luisa thumped her chest, trying to clear her airways. ‘I’d ditch him, if I were you, and take your chances elsewhere.’
It was tempting, especially after their recent encounters.
Tensions were at an all-time high. She wasn’t sure what radiated between them that caused her skin to prickle and her pulse to thud—it was either acute sexual chemistry, or a bad allergic reaction.
Both were highly dangerous and likely to result in a hospital admittance.
Her phone pinged again. ‘Damn it, he’s here. I suppose it’s too late to fake a migraine?’
Luisa’s firm, ‘No!’ collided with Sofia’s, ‘Yes!’
Sofia glared at Luisa. ‘She can’t leave him waiting, it would be rude.’
Luisa poked her tongue out. ‘She owes the man nothing. Her date was with Hugh the hot gay therapist, she has every right to bail. Ditch the suit, I say. He’s a lost cause.’
‘Nonsense, he’s not that bad, and if nothing else, it might make your working life a bit easier. What have you got to lose?’ Sofia’s hand covered Luisa’s mouth when she attempted to interrupt. ‘Smile, be positive, and enjoy the evening.’
Elena sighed. ‘Fat chance. But yes, okay, I’ll try.’ She glanced at her mum’s bangle-watch on her wrist. ‘I’d better go, the event has started.’
‘Keep an open mind,’ Sofia urged.
‘And keep your pepper spray close,’ Luisa added.
Rolling her eyes, Elena blew kisses to her sisters. ‘Have a good evening, the pair of you. Enjoy Bridgerton.’
Elena exited the bedroom and headed for the lifts, the heels of her shoes sinking into the plush carpet.
How on earth had this happened? What crime from her uneventful life was so scandalous that she deserved an evening with Daniel-the-Jerk-Jackson?
She pressed the button for the lift and watched in awe as two glass doors slid open without so much as a whisper. She stepped inside, nodding a hello to an older couple dressed in vintage clothing and clearly attending the same event.
As the lift descended, she reminded herself she’d promised to start calling her nemeses by his given name.
This concession wasn’t down to a sudden shift in her opinion of him, but more an acknowledgment that he wasn’t quite the demon she’d first thought, and maybe …
just maybe … she’d been too harsh in her judgement of him.
The man had issues. He had a bad hip injury, a complex relationship with his brother-cum-son, and serious anxiety. She needed to cut him some slack.
That didn’t stop him from being a suit. He just wasn’t a jerk.
The hotel was filled with arriving guests.
The mass of bodies, chatter, and music made searching for her date troublesome.
Immaculately dressed staff carried trays of canapés and champagne flutes, and doormen dressed in gold and green livery lifted their hats as guests were shown through to the banqueting hall.
A tap on her shoulder made her startle.
‘Sorry I’ve kept you waiting,’ he said, as she turned to face her companion for the evening. ‘I didn’t get Hugh’s message until I was leaving work.’
‘I imagine it took Hugh some persuading to get you here,’ she said, with a wry smile. ‘You’ve probably spent the last hour trying to come up with an excuse not to attend.’
‘Champagne?’ he said, snatching two flutes from a passing tray and handing her one.
Nice dodge. Her assessment was obviously correct.
He tried for a smile. ‘Might as well make the most of a free night out. You look beautiful, by the way, that’s a stunning dress.’
She accepted the offer of champagne. ‘Thank you.’
‘I didn’t have time to collect Hugh’s suit. This was the best I could do at short notice.’
He was wearing one of his dark grey work suits.
However, the addition of a purple silk handkerchief poking out of his top pocket matching his tie, and a fitted waistcoat over a dark purple shirt, lifted his look from boring office to Tom Ford model.
She’d be lying if she didn’t acknowledge that he looked good. Too good.
She sipped her champagne, the bubbles tickling her red lips.
She wouldn’t have worn Fever Red lipstick of she’d know who her date was.
With Hugh it would have been a fun part of her outfit and in-keeping with the whole flapper look: false eyelashes, beauty spot, and kohl-flicked eyes.
But with Danny it felt dangerous, as though she was waving a red flag at an enraged bull.
The way his eyes kept dipping to her mouth confirmed her theory, especially when he swallowed awkwardly and knocked back another mouthful of champagne.
‘Is my company that awful?’
He frowned. ‘Why would you say that?’
‘You drank that champagne in less than five minutes. I guess inebriation is one way of getting through the evening.’
‘I’m nervous.’ He rubbed his forehead. ‘I thought alcohol might help.’
His admission surprised her. ‘Why are you nervous?’
He gestured to the inner doors. ‘Shall we head through?’
Another dodge.
Puzzled, she followed him. ‘You really didn’t want to come tonight, did you? How did Hugh persuade you? Bribery? Guilt? You owed him a favour?’
‘All three. But it was Connor’s ultimatum that swung it.’
She raised an eyebrow. ‘Which was?’
‘If I didn’t come, our deal was off.’
‘What deal?’
‘He’ll only start dating again if I do.’
She stopped dead. Of all the things she imagined he might say, that wasn’t one of them. Intrigued, she took his arm and they headed into the noisy banqueting hall. ‘And why don’t you date?’
‘Women scare me.’
‘Pathetic.’
‘I don’t see you with a partner.’