Normally, I took time to get ready when I met friends and family, but today, I opted to wear black jeans with a simple cotton shirt and my favorite black Chanel Chambon flats. Any woman could choose to wear dire looking apparel and use one Chanel accent in her outfit; it instantly made you look effortlessly chic. Finishing the look with a silk scarf, I was set to leave. We had agreed to meet at The Connaught in Mayfair to savor some tea as we divulged in their miniature elaborately and beautifully handcrafted cakes.
After a quick cab ride and barely any wait time until Allie’s arrival, we were seated in a quiet corner before she randomly requested a bottle of French Rosè to be immediately served.
Once the waiter had left to do her bidding, I gave her a raised brow. “Stressful day, I take it?”
She rolled her eyes. “Mothers, sometimes I loathe them.” She tapped on her phone as if she was sending a very loaded message. “She truly believes I should do more priming to attract myself a decent man to marry instead of living the mad cluster-fuck that my so-called petty life is all about.” She was apoplectic, obviously enraged at her mother’s not so mild of a suggestion. “Of course, my normal reaction was to defend myself. She was being such a bugger, and she should know better than to reprimand me on how to live my life. I like my life mighty fine, thank you very much.”
Putting her cell phone on vibrate, she then gave me her undivided attention. “Enough about my mother and our disastrous lunch date. How are things? How is Ashton?” She made a knowing look, as if Ashton was such a romantic and the perfect man for me, before saying, “He’s missing you mad and is here to take you away from me, isn’t he?”
Well … She wasn’t far off.
“He was actually asking when you would be available to see him. I remember him complaining about how your schedule’s been hectic and how grandly disappointed he was that he couldn’t get onto your social roster. I suppose he felt left out.” This was true. He had mentioned as much the second week he was here.
“How could I? I was dashing calls since I was actually out of the country and didn’t want my parents to ever find out that—” she paused, blushing as though she was in the hot seat before shyly biting her bottom lip.
“I think I’ve found the one,” she whispered, like it was top secret. “I’ve never felt this sort of connection with a man. Ava, it’s disrupting my concentration quite a bit, and I couldn’t help but to keep going. I’m majorly frightened, and yet, I couldn’t grasp the thought of not ever seeing where this would end.”
Blinking, I frowned at her. “Is he—” I started, but she interjected.
“No, not him.” She meant the lover she had introduced to me last. “I just had no idea,” she wondered out loud, batting her long, sooty lashes for full effect. “I mean, I’m not one to spend the rest of my days absorbing every bit of news in the media—that’s just not like me … so, when I met him, I didn’t immediately recognize him until later on … when everything clicked.”
Bloody Hell, she better not say it was Craig Chambers, or I’d chop his balls off and feed them to the pigeons.
While Allie took forever to disclose the name, I became a little agitated. However, even though I was dying to ask her who it was again, there was something about her … maybe it was the way she had this whimsical look on her that made me decide to let her process things as she went along.
“Swear you won’t judge me, Ava?” she asked, pleading.
My frown deepened even further. Who was the bloody man, for fuck’s sake?
“Of course. As long as the man isn’t a convicted felon, then I promise to support you, even though I might be dying from holding my opinions to myself.”
Releasing a strained breath, she said, “It’s Sebastian Black.”
“Oh.” I paused, stilling. “Fuck.”
“My point precisely.”
Sebastian Black. Billionaire extraordinaire. The man was a living, breathing sex pistol with legs, but his mother had been involved in an illicit, scandalous affair with William Davenport, Allie’s father. Not only that, but Sebastian Black was also famous for marrying one of England’s top super models, though the couple were legally separated. Some said their tumultuous relationship had begun when Mr. Black allegedly cheated on her.
“Okay, I’m beyond shocked—not appalled—that it’s him, but what I find more disconcerting is the fact that, a little over five minutes ago, you said, ‘he’s the one?’ Holy insanity, Allie, you cannot be serious about him! Shagging him ‘cause you fancied the bloke is one thing. It’s clearly another when you’re spouting words like ‘he’s the one!’ The man is still unmistakably married, and as beautiful and lovely as you are, he might be looking for something fleeting and temporary. Seducing yourself into believing that he might actually take it seriously will only put you in such a heartbreaking position.”
Allie wasn’t the type to blurt out such nonsense like “he’s the one,” or anything remotely close to that. I had to clearly steer her away from where she wanted to navigate—into dangerous waters, waters she hadn’t been in before. Falling in love with this man would cripple her, and I didn’t want her to be in the same position I was. She deserved a man who could give her everything, not the other way around.
“I apologize if I sound harsh, but I don’t want your first experience of falling in love to be like this. I’m a lost cause, but you,” I said as I reached out to give her hand a squeeze, “you’re heart is without malice. Don’t give it to a man who might not treasure it. It’s too precious to be taken for granted.”
She made a sad look, causing my heart to ache just a tad. “He’s not the man the media has painted him to be. Yes, he’s complex and brilliant, but he’s more than that. Underneath, he’s actually a passionate man I could connect with on so many levels. But, of course, we’ve never discussed the affair our parents had nor did he want to talk about his estranged wife. And I guess, if I’m honest with myself, I’m not too ready to open those particular subjects just yet.” She regretfully sighed before giving me a brave face. “But you’re right; I shouldn’t take this seriously. He never did give me promises of the future or anything. I’m probably one of many. I best keep that in mind.”