Beneath This Man (This Man Trilogy), Page 31

  ‘Just one dress?’ he asks unhappily. ‘Another five dresses and you’ve got a deal.’

  I’m pleasantly surprised by this. ‘Two.’ I counter, anyway.

  ‘Five.’ he tosses back at me. ‘This wasn’t part of the deal.’

  No it wasn’t, but I don’t care how old he is anymore, and I’ve done this meeting in the middle scenario before. I’ve learnt that while I maneuver, Jesse sticks exactly where he started.

  I narrow my eyes on him. ‘I don’t care how old you are. Keep your silly little age secret.’

  ‘Okay, but it’s still five.’ he says acceptingly. I suspect he was never going to keep his end of the deal, anyway. ‘I’ve got to make a phone call.’ He drops a kiss on my lips. ‘You go and pick five dresses. Zoe has my card. My pin is one, nine, seven, four.’

  I recoil. ‘I can’t believe you’ve just told me your pin number.’

  ‘No secrets, remember?’

  No secrets? Is he kidding me? He strolls off, and I have a sudden, delighted moment of comprehension. I do a quick mental calculation. ‘You are thirty seven,’ I shout to his back. He stops. ‘Your pin number. You were born in seventy four.’ I can’t help the triumph in my voice. I’ve totally rumbled him. Men are so predictable. ‘You didn’t lie at all, did you?’

  He slowly turns and flashes me his signature smile, reserved only for me, before blowing me a kiss and leaving me to go and pick my five dresses.

  I walk out of the personal shopping area and find Jesse waiting for me. It didn’t take me long to select my five favourite dresses.

  I hand him his card and plant a kiss on his cheek. ‘Thank you.’ I’m not sure whether I’m most grateful for the dresses or for his slip up in revealing that he is actually thirty seven. Either way, I’m a very happy girl.

  ‘You are more than welcome,’ He takes my bags from me. ‘Do I get another show?’ He raises his eyebrows.

  ‘Of course,’ I can’t deny him for how reasonable he’s being. ‘But you don’t get to see the gown.’

  ‘Which one did you pick?’ he asks curiously. He liked all of them, but he didn’t see the gown that is safely out of view in a suit bag.

  ‘You’ll find out later.’ I inhale him into me as he nestles his face in my neck. ‘So, my man really is knocking on forty.’ I rib.

  He pulls away and rolls his eyes before taking my hand and leading me through the store. ‘Does it bother you?’ he asks casually, but I know he’s worried that it does.

  It didn’t bother me before and it doesn’t bother me now. ‘Not at all, why does it bother you, though?’

  ‘Ava, do you remember one of the very first things you said to me?’ He looks down at me.

  How could I forget? And I still don’t know where it came from. ‘Why did you lie?’

  He shrugs. ‘Because you wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t a problem.’

  I smile. ‘It doesn’t bother me in the slightest how old you are. Is that a grey hair?’ I ask dead pan as we board the Egyptian escalators.

  He stands on the step below and turns around to face me. We’re pretty much at eye level. ‘Do you think you’re funny?’ he asks. He didn’t appreciate that referral. I shouldn’t tease him when he clearly has an issue.

  I can’t keep a straight face and when he dips and tips me over his shoulder, I suppress a squeal. He can’t behave like this in Harrods! I correct myself. Jesse has no regard for public opinion on his behaviour. He’ll pick me up, ravish me, or even be blood boiling mad with me wherever he pleases. He doesn’t give a toss and, quite frankly, neither do I.

  He carries me out of the store and on to Knightsbridge, setting me on my feet outside where I straighten my dress, take his offered hand and we start walking back towards the car. I don’t even tick him off. It’s fast becoming an everyday occurrence for him to hoof me about, whether it’s in private or in public.

  ‘We’ll grab some lunch at The Manor.’ he says as he puts my bags in the boot and then me in the car. He slides in beside me and gives me my smile before slipping his glasses on. ‘Enjoying your day so far?’

  I was, until he reminded me about our need to go to The Manor. I’ve got to endure a whole night there too. ‘Absolutely.’ I can’t complain, though, as long as I’m with him.

  ‘Me too. Put your belt on.’ He starts the car and roars into the lunchtime traffic, cranking up the stereo and letting his window down so the whole of Knightsbridge gets a little listen of The Stereophonics, Dakota.

  Chapter 19

  Jesse skids to a halt outside The Manor where John is waiting for us on the steps. There are only a few cars, mine included. I forgot it was here.

  ‘Come on. I want to get done and get home so I can have a few hours of you all to myself.’ He grasps my hand and leads on.

  ‘Take me home now then.’ I grumble, earning myself a mild scowl.

  ‘I’m ignoring you.’ he mutters.

  ‘Ava,’ John nods as we pass, and then follows us in.

  ‘Is everything okay?’ Jesse asks as he leads me to the bar. It’s empty, except for the staff flying around in a fluster. He sits me down on a barstool and takes one opposite me, resting my hand in his lap. I spot Mario polishing the optics.

  ‘S’all good,’ John rumbles. ‘Caterers are in the kitchen and the band will be here at five to set up. Sarah has it all under control.’ He waves Mario over, and I bristle at the mention of her name.

  ‘Great, where is she?’ Jesse asks.

  ‘She’s in your office sorting out the gift bags.’

  Gift bags? What would you put in a gift bag for a party at a sex club? Oh God, I don’t even want to know.

  Mario approaches and swings his tea towel over his shoulder. His warm smile makes me return one automatically. He is the sweetest man.

  ‘Do you want a drink?’ Jesse squeezes my hand in his lap.

  ‘Just some water, please.’

  ‘Make that two, Mario,’ He turns back to me. ‘What would you like to eat?’

  Well, that’s easy. ‘Steak,’ I say all wide eyed and enthusiastically. That was the best steak I’ve ever had.

  He smiles. ‘Mario, tell Pete we’ll have the steak twice with new potatoes and salad, both medium. We’ll eat at the bar.’

  ‘Of course, Mr Ward.’ Mario chirps happily, placing two bottles of water and a glass on the bar.

  ‘Are you happy to stay here while I go and check on a few things?’ Jesse asks as he drops my hand in his lap and takes a bottle, pouring some water into my glass.

  I arch an eyebrow at him. ‘Are you going to have Mario guard me?’

  ‘No,’ he says slowly, flicking a cautious eye at me. I hear John’s low rumbling laugh. ‘There’s no need now, is there?’

  ‘I suppose not,’ I shrug and look around the bar. ‘Where is everyone?’

  He stands and places my hand in my own lap. ‘We close during the day on anniversary night. There’s a lot to get ready.’ He kisses my forehead and picks up his own bottle of water. ‘John?’

  ‘Ready when you are.’ John replies.

  He brushes a hair away from my face. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can. Are you sure you’re okay here?’

  ‘I’m fine.’ I shoo him away.

  They leave me at the bar among the chaos of staff, frantically polishing glasses and restocking the fridges. I feel like I should help, but then I hear my phone shouting from my bag and I pull it out, finding Ruth Quinn’s name illuminating my screen. I should let it go to voicemail, it is my day off, but this could be my opportunity to get out of drinks with her.

  ‘Hi, Ruth.’

  ‘Ava, how are you?’

  She’s so friendly – too friendly. ‘I’m good, and you?’

  ‘Lovely. I received your fee structure and designs. They’re wonderful!’

  ‘I’m glad you like them, Ruth.’ Her enthusiasm will be a pleasure to work with, I suppose

  ‘So, now you’ve shown me how amazing my dire downstairs can look, I’m eager to start.�
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  ‘Okay, well if you could settle the consultation fee, I’m assuming you’ve received the invoice, then we can crack on.’

  ‘Yes, I did. I’ll sort a transfer. Do you have the company bank details?’ she asks.

  ‘I don’t, Ruth. Could I ask you to ring the office? It’s my day off so I can’t lay my hands on them at the moment.’

  ‘Oh? I’m sorry. I didn’t realise.’

  ‘It’s okay, Ruth. It was a last minute thing. It’s not a problem, really.’ I assure her.

  ‘Are you doing anything nice?’ she enquires.

  I smile. ‘Yes, I am, actually. Just some quality time with my boyfriend.’ That sounds weird.

  ‘Oh.’

  Silence falls down the phone. ‘Ruth? Are you there?’ I glance at my phone to see if my service has dropped. It hasn’t. ‘Hello?’

  ‘Yes, sorry. It’s just that you said there was no man.’ She laughs.

  ‘No man trouble. I meant to say there’s no man trouble.’

  ‘I see! Well, I’ll let you get back to your quality time.’

  ‘Thank you. I’ll call you next week and we can proceed.’

  ‘Great. Bye, Ava.’ She hangs up, and I instantly realise that I didn’t pull out of drinks. She didn’t confirm either, though.

  I put my phone back in my bag and spot Mario on his way over with a box full of cocktail ingredients and fresh fruit. ‘Ava, are you well?’

  ‘I’m very well, Mario. And you?’

  He heaves the big box onto the bar and I help him by pulling it towards me. ‘Very well too, would you be…’ He frowns. ‘How you say…guinea pig?’

  ‘Oh, yes!’ I sound way too eager. I love all that mixing, shaking and tasting business.

  He chuckles and passes me a small chopping board and a paring knife. ‘You cut.’ he instructs, handing me a basket of various fruits from the box. I collect a strawberry, hull it and chop it in half. ‘Yes, this is good.’ Mario nods at me as he starts pouring various liquids into a large silver container.

  I work my way through the whole pile of strawberries, popping them in a sealable container as I go, then start on the lemons. Mario sings some Italian opera style song softly as we sit at the bar, me watching with interest between my chopping duties as he measures, pours and generally faffs about with various cocktail equipment.

  ‘Now we do the good part.’ He smiles, slamming the lid on the silver container and proceeding to shake it. He flips it up and grabs it and then tosses it over his head, before spinning quickly to catch it. I’m stunned by his little demonstration of barman skills. I would never have thought it. He knocks the container on the side of the bar and pours the dark pink liquid into a long glass with some mint and a strawberry. ‘Voila!’ he sings, presenting me with the glass.

  ‘Wow!’ I gasp at the sugar coated rimmed glass. ‘What’s it called?’

  ‘This is Mario’s Most Marvelous!’ His voice gets higher towards the end of the name. He’s proud of it. ‘You try.’ He pushes the glass towards me, and I lean in to take a sniff.

  It smells lovely, but I remember the last time Mario insisted I try one of his drinks; it burnt my throat. I pick up the glass tentatively as Mario nods eagerly at me. I shrug and take a little sip.

  ‘It is good, yes?’ He dazzles me with his happy face and starts putting the lids on all the tubs of fruit.

  ‘Yes!’ I take a longer sip. It’s delicious. ‘What’s in it?’

  He starts laughing and shaking his head. ‘Ah, no, no. This, I tell no person.’

  ‘What have you got there?’ Jesse’s husky tone invades my ears from behind, and I swing around on my stool to see him stood behind me with his frown line firmly in place.

  I hold the glass out and smile. ‘You should try. Oh my God!’ I glance up to the heavens to reinforce my point.

  He recoils slightly, his frown deepening. ‘No thanks, I’ll take your word for it.’ He sits down next to me. ‘Don’t drink too much.’ He gives the glass a disapproving look.

  My brain quickly kicks into gear, and I realise what I’ve just said. Oh, I’m an idiot. ‘I’m sorry!’ I blurt. ‘I wasn’t thinking.’ I mentally throw myself over the bar and into the waste disposal unit.

  Mario must get a waft of the tension because he soon disappears, leaving me and Jesse alone. I put the drink down and turn back towards the bar. The delicious cocktail doesn’t taste so sweet now.

  ‘Hey,’ He pulls me off my stool and onto his lap, and I bury my face under his chin. I can’t look at him. I feel so stupid. ‘It’s fine. Unravel your knickers, lady.’ he laughs. His facial expression didn’t say it was fine. Or was the look because I was drinking it? He leans back to look down at me and pulls my chin up with his finger. His eyes soften. ‘Stop it and kiss me.’

  I oblige immediately, feeling the back of his neck out to pull him down. I relax completely in his arms and soak him up, humming into his mouth. I feel him smile around my kiss. ‘I’m sorry.’ I repeat myself. I feel so stupid.

  ‘I said, stop it.’ he warns. ‘I don’t know what your concern is.’

  He doesn’t? My concern is his reproachful glare at the alcohol. ‘Did you get everything sorted?’ I ask.

  ‘I did. Now we eat, and then we go home to bath and snuggle for a while, deal?’ He looks at me expectantly.

  ‘Deal.’ That was an easy deal.

  ‘Good girl.’ He gives me a chaste kiss and shifts me back onto my stool. ‘Here’s our lunch.’ He nods across the bar, and I see Pete carrying a tray in our direction. He places it down. ‘Thank you, Pete.’ Jesse says.

  ‘It’s my pleasure, as always. Enjoy.’ He gives me a pleasant smile. He is so nice. In fact, everyone who works for Jesse is lovely, with the exception of one person, but I won’t let her ruin my day on Central Jesse Cloud Nine.

  I unroll my knife and fork and plunge straight in to the colourful salad doused in that yummy dressing. I need to find out what it is.

  ‘Good?’

  I look up around a forkful of salad and see Jesse pop his own fork into his mouth. I moan my appreciation. I could eat this every day for the rest of my life. He smiles at me.

  ‘Jesse, are you happy for the band to set up in the far corner of the summer room?’

  My shoulders tense as Sarah’s shrill voice washes over me.

  Fuck off!

  My appetite has just run for the hills and my mood plummeted into subzero temperatures. Oh God, I hate this woman and now Jesse has admitted that he has slept with her, I really want to smash her face in.

  ‘That’s fine. I thought we agreed that?’ Jesse turns slightly on his stool to acknowledge her. I don’t. I stay facing the bar and start poking at my salad with my fork.

  ‘We did, I was just checking. How are you, Ava?’ she asks.

  I scowl at my plate. Does she really want to know because I’ll happily tell her. I feel Jesse’s eyes on me, waiting for me to be decent and answer the witch. I swivel on my stool and plaster a big, insincere smile on my face. ‘I’m good thank you, Sarah. And you?’

  Her smile is as phony as mine. I wonder if Jesse is picking up on this. ‘I’m fine. Are you looking forward to tonight?’

  ‘Yes, I am.’ I lie. I might be looking more forward to it if she wasn’t going to be here.

  Jesse pipes up, relieving me of strained pleasantries. ‘I’m heading off. I’ll be back at six. Make sure everything is in order upstairs.’

  Okay, any hope of finishing my lunch has totally dissolved now. I’m going to be spending all night watching people drift off up the stairs for a visit to the communal room.

  ‘The suites and communal room remain locked until ten thirty,’ Jesse points his fork towards the bar entrance. ‘No exceptions.’ he adds sternly.

  ‘Of course,’ Sarah agrees. ‘I’ll leave you to it. See you later, Ava.’

  I swivel slightly and smile. ‘Bye.’

  She returns my smile, but after last night, there is no getting away from the fact that we dislik
e each other, so all of this pretending is pretty senseless. I swivel back to face the bar as soon as I can to recommence poking at my salad. I have no doubt she’s playing all friendly and kindly for Jesse’s benefit. Surely he must see her for what she is.

  ‘Why are you not looking forward to this evening?’ Jesse asks quietly as he continues with his lunch.

  ‘I am.’ I say without looking at him.

  I hear him sigh heavily. ‘Ava, stop twiddling your hair. You did it when Sarah asked you and you’re doing it now.’ He nudges my knee with his, prompting me to freeze mid-twiddle and drop my hair.

  I put my fork down. ‘I’m sorry if I can’t get excited about attending a party where every time someone looks at me or speaks to me, I’ll be thinking they might want to drag me upstairs and fuck me.’

  I jump as Jesse’s knife and fork clatter against his plate. ‘For fuck sake!’ He pushes his plate away aggressively, and out of my peripheral vision, I see him reach up and start rubbing his temples. ‘Ava, watch your mouth.’ he huffs tiredly. My jaw is grabbed and yanked to face him. His green eyes are brimming with anger. ‘No one will be doing any such thing because they all know you’re mine. Don’t say things that make me crazy mad.’

  I shrink a little under his stern tone. ‘Sorry.’ I sound grumpy, but it’s the truth. They could be thinking anything, how would he know?

  ‘Please try and show a bit more willingness.’ He shifts his grip on my jaw and cups my cheek. ‘I want you to enjoy yourself.’

  His beseeching face makes me want to slap my loser arse all over the bar. He’s spent God only knows how much money on a stunning gown and dresses for me and this is a special night for him. I’m such an ungrateful cow. I crawl across to straddle his lap. He, of course, doesn’t give a shit that my legs are wrapped tightly around his waist and we are sat at the bar.

  ‘Forgive me?’ I bite his bottom lip cheekily and circle his nose with mine.

  ‘You’re adorable when you sulk.’ he sighs.

  ‘You’re adorable all of the time.’ I toss back at him and seal our lips together. ‘Take me home.’ I say into his mouth.