‘It’s not that I haven’t thought about it; it’s just...how do I know I can trust her to stick around, to let Lily become attached and have her walk away again? I don’t want that guilt on my shoulders too.’
‘Perhaps you could visit her, talk to her about your concerns. I think you’ll know if she’s ready to be a part of Lily’s life.’
‘Maybe...’ He glanced down at her, his eyes soft and warm, reeling her in. ‘Thank you for this, for understanding and listening.’
‘No need to thank me. You’ve done exactly the same for me.’
‘Be that as it may, thank you.’
‘Then thank you too.’ She smiled up at him, her happiness swelling as they walked ever closer together. ‘I really have enjoyed tonight.’
‘Me too,’ he murmured, and her smile grew.
Ahead, his driver had spied their return and approached them with an umbrella in hand. It reminded her of the rain that had started to fall; it also reminded her of who Jack was outside the happy little fantasy bubble in which she walked. But it didn’t burst it, rather it made her smile further because, for a fantasy, she really couldn’t write it better than this.
‘Thank you,’ she said to his driver as he positioned the umbrella over them for the remaining distance to the car.
‘You’re welcome, ma’am.’
She had to stop the little giggle that wanted to escape. Ma’am. Never had she been called that before.
They settled into the back of the car. This time there was barely a hair’s breadth between them, and she started to wish she lived further away, that the traffic would be heavier, that the fancy black car would break down—anything to keep her in it for longer. With him.
But, of course, it wasn’t to be and as they pulled up outside her apartment she had to ignore the sudden sadness that had the chill of reality setting back in. Of her empty apartment that would greet her and the memories she wouldn’t be able to fend off.
‘This is me...’ she said, stating the obvious but floundering with what she was supposed to do now. What was the etiquette for saying goodbye on a date that wasn’t a date?
His driver opened her door and she turned to smile back at Jack.
‘Thank you for a lovely evening.’ And then, before she could think otherwise, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek, her body coming alive against the warmth of his. She breathed in deep and pulled back.
‘Sophia?’ He reached for her hand.
‘Hmm?’
His eyes fell briefly to her lips, their depths dark and glittering, and she wondered if he would kiss her. She wet her lips, waiting, wanting, and then he seemed to shake himself out of it. ‘Shall we come by and pick you up about ten tomorrow morning?’
‘Ten? A bit early for dinner, isn’t it?’
‘You got me...’ His thumb stroked across the back of her hand, the simple caress drawing her eye as the power of it took over her senses. ‘I thought I might be able to sneak that under the radar.’
She laughed, the sound high and giddy as she read the reasoning behind his words and couldn’t quite believe it. ‘As much as I’d love to, I’m working a half day tomorrow...’
‘On a Saturday?’
‘The hotel doesn’t stop just because it’s the weekend.’
‘Of course.’
‘I can get away about two though, if that works for you? Here, take this...’ She pulled away to rummage through her bag and took out a scrap of paper and a pen. She quickly wrote down her number and passed it to him. ‘Just in case you change your mind, or something comes up.’
He took hold of it, their fingers lightly brushing and neither moving away.
‘It would take a sudden blizzard to stop us going out with you, Sophia.’
She found herself tongue-tied and getting drawn into his steely grey eyes that seemed to mirror everything she was feeling. No matter how fantastical that idea was.
‘But, luckily for us,’ he said, the husky edge to his voice impossible to ignore now, ‘we’re all in the same building, so not even that excuse will hold.’