by Mills, L. C.
I stabbed the cheesecake with the fork. It looked so good. It smelt even better.
“Am I what you want or is this interest in me just because I challenge you?!” I cut a small piece off and brought the fork to my mouth. “Because I'm not some video game that you can play until you've completed all the levels and then dump me off cause you’re bored of me or another new game has come along.”
I placed the fork in my mouth and used my lips to pull the cheesecake off the fork. It tasted so good I couldn't suppress the moan.
He shifted in his chair. “Evangeline I can assure you I do not use women like video games! And besides, I rather think I'd be playing for keeps with you! You do challenge me though, maybe we might even challenge each other in many ways, but I knew when I met you last week that you were special! I can honestly say no one else would even have bothered to look at the situation, how you did!” He studied me.
I glanced up at him through my eyelashes. I was confused how things had worked with his other female friends, but he seemed keen to prove he wasn't going to mess me around.
“Okay.” I wasn't sure what else to say so I just continued eating my cheesecake. “You want to try some?!” I smiled as I cut another piece of cheesecake off.
“Yes, please!” He grinned and leant forward.
I lifted the fork to his lips and carefully fed him the cake.
His eyes sparkled at me as he eat what I'd fed him. “Wow that really is good!”
I licked the fork clean as I eat the last piece. “I love chocolate cheesecake! It's my all-time favourite!” I placed the fork down.
“You have a little in the corner of your mouth.” He said it with a smile.
“Oh!” I blushed. Quite clearly I'd failed at eating it lady like.
I was about to pick up the napkin when he reached over with his own and gently cleaned my face.
“Thank you.” I blushed. I stared blankly at him, not sure what to do. No one or indeed no man had ever taken the time to clean my face if I had food on it normally I would have had to check myself. He wasn't like any other man I knew.
“Would you like to see the view from the very top?! It is open to the public, though so I can't guarantee that someone won't recognize you!” He smiled.
I licked my lips. “I would like to see the top, I wanna go to gift shop too! And as for being recognized I'm mostly okay with it! Most people are quite polite and the ones that, aren't I walk away from!” Over the years I'd learnt how to deal with it.
He frowned. “I'll be there to look after you! I'll just get the bill!”
I put my fork down. “Let me pay for half since you were kind enough to send me those beautiful roses today!” I smiled.
He shook his head. “Thank you Evangeline for the kind offer, but its okay, I got this covered! And as for the roses you earned them! How is your hand now?!”
He held his hand out for mine, palm facing me. I sighed. I hated not going half’s on bills, but I knew he'd never let me pay so I sighed and placed my right hand in his and let him inspect it.
“Mostly it just aches now! I had it scanned and it wasn’t broken!” I smiled.
He cast his eyes down on my hand as he inspected it. “Nasty bruise though! Do you sleep okay with it like that?!” His eyes flicked up to mine.
I thought for a while. The way he looked at me made me nervous. “Mostly fine, I have pain killers for it.” I smiled.
He grinned at me. “I saw your photo with the rose!”
I smiled. “You have social media?! I'll have to find you and follow you!” I laughed. “Always makes me sound like a stalker!”
He grinned. “It's a private account, but please do follow me, I'd rather like it. I can follow you back then!” He traced his fingers over my tattoo on my wrist. “Do you have any others?!”
I took a shaky breath. How was he even doing this to me?! I wasn't able to concentrate enough around him. It was the way he looked me. With want in his eyes, like he’d happily just take me right here and now.
“Yeah a few and even some that even social media do not know exist!” I raised a brow at him. I'd got various tattoos on both arms and legs and a couple in places only Sean had seen. Private.
He licked his lips. “Really?! Like where?!” He studied the tattoo of my Dads band symbol on my right wrist.
“Like somewhere only people I'm intimately acquainted with and trust me that is very few, can see!” I was a quite a private person in that respect! You didn't see bikini clad photos in the magazines or some trashy photo shot with my goodies out for display, it wasn't who I was. I mean, sure I wore bikinis I just never let them see more than what I wanted them to.
He let go of my hand and smiled. “Normally I don't find tattoos attractive, but I know without even asking that yours will have stories and meaning behind them! I look forward to working out all the meanings!” He smirked at me.
I could just imagine him tracing his fingers over them one by one, asking me things about them and I'd actually tell him. I looked up as I saw Elliot come back in.
“How was the cheesecake?!” He eyed the empty plate and then my hand in Cameron's.
“Divine! It has a really nice rich texture!” I smiled.
“Good, it's one of my favourites! Would you like coffees or anything?!” He smiled.
Cameron shook his head. “No thank you, just the bill! You will have my details on file for all the payment info! Just charge it to that!” He looked back at me dismissing Elliot.
“From level 72 you can the top of the shards of glass, it's what they call a breathing building!”
“Wow, really?! Awesome!” I hadn't meant to ignore Elliot stood there it was just Cameron was very distracting.
He picked up the plates and walked away without saying another word. I glanced as he left and chewed my lip.
“They get paid very well here so please don't worry about him! He's just annoyed because I held your attention!”
I frowned. “I doubt that! I'm just a normal person! I don't consider myself to be all that interesting!” Even though over the years I'd done a good job of creating this mysterious image for myself, everyone thought I was so cool and I guess in part I had fuelled that image as I grew up, to the point that I was this huge mystery, but underneath I was just normal! I was clumsy, uncoordinated and superbly aware of myself, of my flaws. I just did a pretty good job of pretending to be cool and interesting. I had spent so long acting up to the mystery I had created that I didn’t really know who I was, not truly. Maybe he could see what I couldn’t?!
He shook his head. “You are far from ordinary!”
“I make a good effort at pretending to be cool when I'm not, but whatever you wanna believe!” I smirked.
He sat back in his chair. “I do believe you aren't very good at taking compliments! That will have to change!”
I snorted. “I am what I am Cameron!” I added jazz hands for effect as I said it.
He threw his head back and laughed. His hair seemed to have a life of its own.
Elliot came back into the room and placed a silver tray down with the printed receipt on it with two mints.
“Ooh free mints!” I grinned as I reached out for one.
“Um, would you mind, and I know it's really unprofessional of me to ask, but could I get a photo with you Evan?!” He loitered around looking nervous.
I glanced to Cameron, whose face was a mixture of annoyed and confused.
I wasn't sure what to say. Normally I would have said yes, but I didn't want to offend Cameron but what harm would it do?!
“I'm really sorry I shouldn't have asked!” He dropped his gaze.
“No wait!” I said with slight panic. I didn't see what harm it could do. I stood up, pulling myself to full height. “I didn't say no! I was just taking my friend into consideration, but I'm sure he doesn't mind do you?!” I smiled at Cameron.
He puffed out his cheeks. “No, I don't suppose I d
o mind, we are just about to leave so!” He stood up and walked over. “I'll even volunteer to take the photo, I assume you have a mobile to hand?!” His tone sounded bored, but I knew this was his way of controlling the situation.
Elliot's face split into a wide grin. “Oh my god, thank you so much! I really loved the song you wrote with Acceptable Fragment, you have a good singing voice!”
I mentally blanked the mention of Sean’s band and hoped it wasn’t obvious how much I hated even hearing the name. “Oh, thank you, that’s kind.”
He walked over to Cameron and handed him the phone. “It's the button in the middle!” He walked over to me and gave him a warm smile as he put his arm around my shoulder. I put my arm around his middle.
Cameron glanced at us both. “Okay on the count of three, one, two, three!” The camera on Elliot's phone clicked as I did my best smile.
“There you go! Now can we leave in peace?!” He handed the phone back.
Elliot took it and grinned from ear to ear as he checked it. “I'm on my break now so I'm gonna upload it to Instagram I'll tag you!”
I grinned. “I'll be sure to find it! Oh, and Elliot?!”
He turned around and looked worried.
“What's your surname?!”
He narrowed his eyes. “Baker! Why?!”
I smiled. “Don't look so worried! Just don't quit your job any time soon! I'll have some VIP passes sorted out for you, for my Dad's tour! I'll send them here for you!”
His jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. “Wow, thank you! That is immense! You are so cool.”
I shrugged as I walked over to Cameron. “Just don't tell everybody yeah!”
He grinned. “Sure, secrets safe with me!” He left the room.
“You shouldn't encourage the kid!” He held my coat for me.
I sighed. “It's not encouraging anyone! It's my dad, he'll meet not me! And thank you for taking the photo for him!”
He slipped my coat onto my arms and sorted out the collar. “Well, I have no right to complain! I suppose it's something I'll have to get used to! Other men looking at you that way!”
I pulled my bag over my head so it sat across my body. “How do men look at me?! Care to explain what you mean?!” I didn't understand what he meant! I wasn't some movie star that everybody lusted after I was just the daughter of a rock star! I was average height, average weight and had an almost sad looking face. I doubt any men looked at me like anything.
He held the door open for me to pass by him. “They look at you like they wish they could do more than take a photo with you! And you have no idea just how beautiful you actually are do you?!”
I laughed. “I'm not!”
He placed his right hand on my lower back as we walked back through the restaurant. There were less people than there had been I guess the lunch time rush was over.
His hand felt protective on my back. It was actually nice.
“You are and one day you will see it!” He nodded at the waiter that scuttled over to open the door for us to leave.
“Thank you!” I smiled as we passed him.
CHAPTER 7
“So did you want to go to the gift shop now?! It's on this level!”
I thought about it before answering. “Oh, um, can we go on the way down?! I'm weird! I like to look at the gift shop last!”
“That's fine, we have to come back to this level anyway!” He pressed the button for the lift that would take us up. The lift pinged and doors rolled open. It was empty, so Cameron led us in. As the doors closed he turned to face me. “The lift won't stop until level 69 now!”
I nodded. “These move pretty fast!” It didn't make me feel sick like last time though. Must have been because I'd eat properly since.
He grinned at me. “6 meters a second they move at so I'm told!” He took a step towards me and tilted his head to one side like he was stalking prey.
“You make me feel like a painting in an art gallery the way you look at me!” I didn't find it as odd as maybe I should have done.
He smiled. “I'm sorry, it's your eyes! Depending on what light they are in they look different! I find it fascinating!”
I grinned at him. “Hazel eyes do that! They are changed by light and lack of! Blue eyes do the same!” I studied his eyes. They still looked like liquid chocolate.
“It's because you’re very pale too, I'd imagine!” He looked up at the ceiling of the roof. “Very clever idea for a lift!”
I glanced up and grinned. “Wow.” I found myself looking up at what looked like a giant screen showing the lift going through several London landmarks.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and turned it back on waiting for it to boot up. “It's cool! I'm gonna take a selfie!” I grinned.
He lent against the lift wall and smirked. “Oh, I'll look forward to seeing that online later!”
I laughed. “Not all my photos end up online Cameron!”
I took a couple photos of the lift ceiling as it changed and the turned the forward facing camera on and pulled a confused face for the photo. I then turned the camera back around and took a couple of normal ones.
“Aren't you going to ask me to be in one with you?!” He raised a brow at me.
He was still leaning lazily on the wall. He looked younger in here, more relaxed.
I hadn't expected him to ask that. “Oh well sure I just guessed you'd say no!” I smiled and moved over towards him.
“I'll use my phone if you don't mind! I'll send them to you later.” He fished out his phone from his jacket pocket.
“Oh, okay! Cool. So how are we doing this photo?!” I didn't mind that he wanted to take the photo, but I did feel a little self-conscious now. I hadn’t even thought to reapply any lipstick.
“You can stand in front of me and I'll take it so we're both in the shot! You’re not the only ones who's a dab hand at working a camera!” He smirked.
I shook my head and turned around so my back was to his front. “You like photography too?!” It was interesting to find things out about him because what I did know was so small.
“Come closer, I don't bite Evangeline!” He snaked his left arm around my waist and pulled me so I was flush against him. His hand splayed out against my stomach.
I took in a shaky breath and tried to suppress the shudder that ran through my whole body making me clench again. Feeling his body pressed against mine sent my senses spinning. My whole body came out in goose bumps.
He held the camera out at arm’s length so it would capture us both.
“Smile Evangeline!” His chin brushed my shoulder.
He smirked and I did a genuine smile. I could see our reflections in the lifts mirrors and we looked like a couple. I tried to commit that picture to memory.
“I'll take one more for luck and then we can take some from the top too!” He smiled. “You smell wonderful what perfume do you use?!” He dipped his head and sniffed my hair.
That was it. My legs went weak and my mouth dried up.
Oh god he just sniffed my hair.
“I've not got any perfume on! It's my shampoo!” I breathed.
I hardly ever wore perfume, I'd never found one I liked enough.
“Oh well, either way it smells lovely!” He snapped another photo of us both, as I grinned from ear to ear.
He let his hand drop slowly away from my waist as he finished taking the photos.
“I've never been a fan of perfumes, but men's aftershave is nice though! I used to have this habit of spraying it on my scarves so it would smell off Sean like a substitute when he wasn't around but now it just makes me feel sick!” I shrugged as I stood back in the middle. I still felt a little flustered and I had no idea why I’d even brought that up.
He didn't say anything, he just studied his phone. He seemed to be tapping like he was texting someone.
“Your hair didn't have red in it last week! Did you do it yourself?!” He smiled.
He'd clearly chosen not to continue the previous conversion and had moved onto the next. I didn't mind, it was probably wise, I didn't talk about Sean too much.
“I dyed the ends of my hair in the shower this morning!” I grinned. “Actually, it was after the roses came, and I thought it sorta matched!”
He smiled. “Indeed it does! How long will it last?!” He seemed keen to know.
I pulled a face. “Well, I'm never sure! It might last a week, it will grade down with each wash until it's gone!”
He nodded. “You suit red but don't dye your whole head!” He glanced at the floor indicator.
I gave him a funny look. Had he just told me not to dye my whole head! I didn't appreciate him telling me what to do.
“I wasn't meaning to tell you what to do either! Just that I like your hair that blonde colour! It's pretty! It looks almost golden white!” He studied me.
I glared at him. Was everything this intense with him?! Why did he have a need to try and control all elements of his life? I would find that out, even if I meant I didn't like the reason I would work out why he was like he was.
“In that case, then, I happen to like your hair! It's got a life of its own and it matches your eyes almost!” I raised a brow at him.
He smiled at me. “My hair thanks you for your kind words! It would like to say in return it quite likes how your hair is wavy and how your fringe is cut!” He smirked.
I started to laugh at the mention of the word fringe. I would never not find it funny! I'd grown up calling it bangs! “Sorry I didn't mean to laugh at your hairs kind words! It's just fringe sounds so funny! I'm used to calling it something else, lost in translation almost.”
He grinned widely. “But bangs sounds worse than fringe! But does sound sexier!” He raised a brow at me.
The lift pinged and the doors rolled open. We'd been that busy flirting with each other that I'd not noticed that we had reached the viewing platform.
“This way Evangeline!” He put his hand on my lower back again, this time under my jacket on the small of my back and steered me out of the lift. I felt safe whenever he did that.
We walked out and I was taken back at just how much you could see. It was a really clear, sunny day and I could literally see for miles.
