‘And if I have my way, we never will be.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
JAMES WASN’T PARTICULARLY looking forward to meeting with Spencer, but instead of the angry man who had spoken to him yesterday, Spencer was all smiles when James walked into his office.
In fact, Spencer stood and actually patted him on the back when James would far prefer that he didn’t.
‘Well done!’
‘As I said, I thought the term used was congratulations.’
‘I’m not talking about the baby.’ Spencer grinned. ‘Thanks to your little charade yesterday The Chatsfield is now the place to stay. Anyone who’s anyone has got their PA ringing to make a reservation. We’ve got a certain royal couple coming over to New York to do some shopping. They’ve actually requested that the booking be changed from The Harrington to here! Isabelle will be spitting...’
James said nothing, or rather James said little throughout the meeting. He loathed the work side of things and did his best to avoid being at The Chatsfield unless it was for social reasons. It also irked him that everyone saw the baby as some sort of marketing opportunity, and Spencer naturally assumed that the wedding would be held here.
‘We haven’t even got around to discussing that.’
‘Well, do,’ Spencer said. ‘A few more royal guests wouldn’t go amiss. You could have a ceremony there if her parents wanted and then another one here...’
‘Don’t try and organise my wedding for me.’ James stood. He could think of nothing worse than a Chatsfield wedding. ‘We’ll be going for something small and discreet.’
‘It’s a bit late for that,’ Spencer said. ‘Oh, and are you aware that Mommy Dearest has been trying to call you?’
‘I am.’
‘She thinks we should have a small dinner party in a couple of days to celebrate.’
James rolled his eyes. ‘I’m busy.’
‘Might as well get it over with,’ Spencer said. ‘You know what they’re like. For appearances’ sake they’ll want it seen that you’ve taken your fiancée to meet them.’
‘I couldn’t give a rat’s about appearances right now,’ James interrupted. ‘Isn’t a public proposal enough?’
‘If you are going to marry, then they’ll have to all meet up sooner or later.’
James shuddered at the very thought, as he imagined Leila snapping her orders and his parents’ response to the same. Still, with a sigh that Spencer recognised, he knew he’d have to face it.
‘I’ll tell them that you and your gorgeous fiancée will be there, shall I?’
James gave a very brief nod. ‘I need to get back...’
‘Are you worried she’s going to abscond the moment your back’s turned?’
‘Her name is Leila,’ James corrected, and then stalked out and headed back to the suite.
‘Leila...’ He knocked as he let himself in, but it soon became apparent that she wasn’t there.
His heart galloped in his chest. Maybe Spencer’s little dig about her absconding hadn’t been such a remote possibility. He opened up the wardrobes and saw that all of her things had been delivered and put away. God, could Leila shop! There were clothes and shoes and bags and boots and when he walked in the bathroom there was a counter full of make-up and fragrances.
There must be a hundred of them!
There nearly was.
There was one for every day she had been here.
He understood her disappoint now as James remembered all the fragrances laid out on the table at her hotel and he thought of her in search of her own scent.
James walked back into the bedroom; the safe was open. Though he’d already guessed that if she couldn’t operate the phone properly, then the safe might be beyond her. Finally he breathed again when he opened a drawer and found it stuffed full of cash and saw that her passport was there too.
Perhaps she’d decided to have a spa.
Or shopping perhaps, but no, he hadn’t sorted out a credit card for her yet. James got on to that and as he was ordering one he pulled a curtain and looked down, worried about her out there alone and then telling himself she’d been here for three months now and had survived.
James then spent his requisite half hour updating his portfolio and was just about to take a very big gamble and move an awful lot of stocks into something not quite so secure, but with rapid potential indeed, when he hesitated. God, it had all been Monopoly money to him until now. All he had wanted to achieve was enough money to carry on living his depraved lifestyle and to leave his dysfunctional family behind.
He had much more than that on his mind now and it would seem that he might just have ended up with the most high-maintenance wife in the world! He chose a slightly more sensible option and just played the gamble with half.