“You don’t have to do that,” I said, not used to having someone being so helpful. “I’m sure I can get it myself.”
He shook his head in annoyance. “Would you please just let me woo you? How else am I going to convince you to go on a date with me?”
“Sorry.” I unsuccessfully fought a smile. “You’re doing a wonderful job so far.”
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” He started to weave his way through the crowd of people still waiting for their baggage. “Just wait until I open a car door for you.”
Dexter walked swiftly and confidently in the direction of the train despite being weighed down. I had to hurry to keep up. He waited patiently while I bought my train ticket and then helped me load my bags into the luggage hold.
“These are nice trains,” I said, surprised.
“Slightly fancier than the El, huh?” He pointed to a nearby seat. “Take the window.”
“You’re really working hard for this date.” I slid into the seat. “I probably should’ve let you know that all you really had to do was promise me food. I’m a sucker for a free meal.”
“That’s only because you’ve never eaten here.” He made a painful wince. “You’ll change your tune soon enough.”
I frowned. “That bad?”
“Meh. It won’t make you sick or anything, but it’s nothing to write home about.”
His words immediately made me think of the journal I had tucked into my purse. Then I started to wonder if I should write about meeting Dexter. Was that the type of information Olivia had hoped we would share? Or would it only be journal-worthy if I had hooked up with him in the tiny airplane bathroom?
“How long does it take to get into the city?” I asked as the train began to move.
My phone buzzed as a new text came in.
“About thirty minutes.” He shifted in his seat and his knee brushed again mine. “I’m just glad they don’t serve beverages on this ride. My pants are just now beginning to dry.”
“Dirty!” I said with the appropriate amount of sass. “I thought you were a gentlemen.”
“Beautiful, smart, and a dirty sense of humor. I think I’m in love.”
I feigned seriousness when I said, “But you haven’t tasted my cooking. Or heard me sing in the shower.”
“Already planning our morning-after breakfast and shower? You move fast.”
My phone buzzed again and this time I glanced at it to see who was trying to reach me. When I saw Neil’s name, I groaned.
“Paranoid mother?” Dexter guessed when he saw my reaction.
“No.” I hit ignore. “Clingy ex.”
“Ah.”
I instantly regretted telling him. We were less than ten minutes out of the city which meant he had plenty of time to dig into the story.
“Messy breakup?”
“Not exactly.” The truth was that the breakup had been clean. It was the aftermath that was ghastly. “He’s just having a hard time letting go.”
Neil and I had met on the very first day of orientation the week before classes started for our freshman year. We had been the best of friends ever since. But then, about six months ago, we decided to try being more than friends. At first, it had been great. We already got along so well and had a lot in common. But after a few months, I realized that I just wasn’t interested in him that way. We were missing that special spark. So I’d sat him down and told him how I felt, asked if we could go back to being friends.
At first, he’d been completely understanding. But after we tried to be friends for about a week, he changed his mind. For the last month, he had been calling and texting me excessively. When I answered, we fought. If I ignored him, it just made him angrier. My trip could not have come at a better time. An ocean between us should be enough space to help him get over it. At least, that’s what I said when I finished telling Dexter the whole story.
“You just didn’t love him?” he asked as if he didn’t quite believe it could be that simple. “Was he bad in bed?”
“It wasn’t about that.” It was hard to explain to other people. Even the girls couldn’t understand. Payton had already been planning our wedding. “My friends think I’m just being difficult. Which is absurd, really, because my life would be a lot easier if I would just want to be with Neil. I already know he’s a good guy. I’ve already seen his bad moods and witnessed his annoying habits.”
Now that I was talking about it out loud, I was more certain than ever that I had made the right decision.
“Maybe that was the real problem,” Dexter said. “No mystery. No excitement.”
“No passion,” I said definitively.
We both got quiet, letting that proclamation hang in the air. Dexter stared hard at me, his blue eyes indecipherably intense. As I stared back, I thought again about his subtle, but decisive, attractiveness. Every feature was perfectly chiseled, but he played it down with rough stubble and messy hair.
“I think we’re here,” he said, glancing past my shoulder. “Time flies when you’re flirting with a pretty girl.”
“Surely this can’t be the first time you’ve discovered that.” I tried not to think too hard about all of the females that had fallen into Dexter’s trap.
He smiled and went to retrieve our bags.
We made it off the train and up the escalator. Near the exit, Dexter stopped abruptly.
“We never finalized our date,” he said, looking distressed.
I heard someone call my name and turned toward the voice. I saw a woman, just a year or so older than me, waving frantically. Cessy’s family had come to visit us just once when I was six years old. Since then, I had only seen pictures of her, but apparently this was her.
“That must be Cessy,” I said, a little sad to realize that my journey with Dexter was about to come to an end.
“Are you blowing me off?” he asked.
I took my suitcase from him. “You have my number, right? You’ll call, I’ll answer. We’ll figure something out.”
“You promise?” He looked unconvinced.
“Of course,” I said with a smile and nod. “I could use a friend in the city.”
“And you still owe me after throwing that drink at me.” He started to back away slowly. “Oh, in case it wasn’t obvious, I’m not interested in being your friend, Taylor James.”
I froze. “You’re not?”
“No way. I want the passion,” he said with a wink before turning and disappearing into the crowd.
“Who was that?” Cessy asked in awe when she finally made it to my side.
“Just a guy I met on the plane,” I said, still staring at the spot where he had disappeared.
“No,” she said with a shake of her head, sending her dark hair fanning through the air. “That wasn’t just some guy.”
“No,” I agreed, “it wasn’t.”
* * *
September 5
Hey, Cam. I still feel weird writing in this journal so you’ll have to forgive the cheesiness. I made it to London two days ago. My cousin, Cessy, met me at the train station. She’s completely insane and a total drama queen- you would love her.
London is good so far- I have no idea how I’m ever going to find my way around without getting lost. The streets run in all directions and have crazy names. I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually. Cessy has promised to show me around. Her flat is in Bloomsbury, and she assures me it’s a good neighborhood. I’m just glad that it’s only a short walk to class in the morning.
You should see Cessy’s flat. It’s obvious that her parents are helping pay the rent, but I’m not complaining. I’ve got my own bedroom, with a balcony.
My first day in London, we grabbed some lunch and gossiped. Even though I haven’t seen her in fifteen years, it was surprisingly easy to open up to Cessy. That night she had a date, so I stayed in and watched the “telly” as they say. I know- lame. Don’t worry, though. We went out last night for some drinks with Cessy’s friends. They are all so ver
y British and wonderful.
My classes start tomorrow, so I’ll give you another update before I drop this thing in the mail. I’m afraid it might not get any more interesting than this, but I’ll do my best to create a scandalous moment or two.
* * *
Once classes started, I felt a little more comfortable. If there was one thing I knew I could succeed at, it was school. I left an hour early in case I got lost on my way there, but I found it without any problems. That meant I had some time to kill, so I popped into a small café. After getting a takeaway coffee, I sat at a small table and listened to the conversations around me. I was still getting used to the accents and loving every minute of it.
My first two classes were back-to-back. Art Appreciation following Modern History. It was a university for American students, so once I walked through the door I forgot that I was in London. Even our professors were from the U.S.
When my second class was done, I pulled out my phone to search for a good place to grab lunch. I was surprised to see a text from a number I didn’t recognize.
Unknown: What are your lunch plans today?
I stared hard, trying to figure out who would be texting me about lunch plans. It definitely wasn’t Cessy and I couldn’t recall having given my number to any of her friends.
Me: That depends- are you a serial killer?
Unknown: I thought we already went over this. I am not a serial killer, and you are not good around water.
Of course- it was Dexter. When I hadn’t heard from him in the first couple of days, I’d pretty much given up hope of hearing from him at all. He wouldn’t be the first guy to ask for my number and never use it. This was a pleasant surprise.
Me: But I’m good at so many other things.
Dexter: Prove it.
My heart jumped in my chest. I needed to think of something witty to reply, but not something with too much innuendo. It was the middle of the day, after all.
Me: I believe you mentioned food?
Dexter: Indeed. Are you free?
Me: Just finished class.
Dexter: I’ll come to you.
We exchanged a few more logistical texts and then I was headed to a pub down the street. I was glad that I had spent a little time making myself look decent for my first day. I’d even put on a dress, something I almost never did.
I beat Dexter to the pub. I was feeling very nervous, so I ordered a beer. Maybe it was tacky to day drink on a first date, but I didn’t care. I did start to second guess my decision ten minute later when Dexter strolled through the door.
One the plane, he’d been wearing jeans and a hoodie. With his scruff and disheveled hair, he’d looked like a typical frat guy. But today he looked completely different. He was wearing a suit, one that was tailored perfectly and had likely cost more than most people’s rent. He was freshly shaved and his hair was groomed. The subtlety of his beauty was gone; he was now smacking me in the face with it.
“Taylor.” His face lit up in a dazzling smile when he spotted me at the bar. “A pint deep already? You’re my kind of woman.”
After pulling up the barstool next to me, he flagged down the bartender and ordered a beer for himself. I was too busy staring at him to think of a witty comeback.
“You didn’t have to wait long, did you?” He pointedly noticed my near-empty glass as his full one was placed next to it.
“No. I was just thirsty.” I suddenly felt very nervous sitting so close to him. “How is work treating you?”
His face clouded over and he took a long drink. “Busy. Lots of meetings.”
“You haven’t been fired yet?” I asked, exaggerating skepticism.
“My job is secure.” He sounded bored. “Let’s talk about something interesting. How’s London been treating you?”
“Alright so far. My cousin is better than I could’ve hoped, even if she is a bit crazy. Her friends are very nice. Other than that, I haven’t had a chance to do much.”
His eyes sparkled. “We’ll have to do something about that. Maybe some sightseeing this weekend?”
“I’m sure that would be boring for you.” I knew first-hand how repetitive the tourist adventure could be when you lived in a city. Let’s not even talk about the number of times I’d reluctantly escorted family members to the Navy Pier.
“I can’t imagine any moment with you ever being boring.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Now you’re just trying to get laid.”
“Is it working?” he asked, eyebrows raised hopefully.
“I plead the fifth.”
Dexter grabbed two menus from the bar and handed me one. “Anything you want. It’s on me.”
“My hero!” I eyed the menu hungrily.
“Friday is two days away.”
I laughed uncertainly. “Are we just stating random facts now? A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.”
“Really? I had no idea.” He countered, “Almonds are a member of the peach family.”
“Your heart beats over 100,000 times per day.”
“Except when I’m around you,” he said with a wink. “It’s racing as we speak.”
“What about Friday?” I asked, trying to remember how we had gotten down this twisted conversational path.
Dexter nodded slowly. “Right. I was about to ask you out and then you started hitting me with shark facts.”
“I have a beautiful mind.”
“I agree completely.” He paused so we could give our orders to the bartender. “I have this event I need to attend, and I could use an escort.”
“You should try the classifieds,” I quipped.
“Can’t afford that if I’m paying for this meal.” He pointed to my empty glass. “Another round?”
“Are you liquoring me up so I’ll say yes?” I accused.
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I have a lot going on right now,” I said, trying very hard to sound serious. “My social calendar is pretty full.”
“I’m sure,” he said, nodding sympathetically. “I’m honored you were able to find time for lunch with me today.”
It seemed like he was only partly kidding. “What kind of event is this? Fancy cocktails? Casual beers? Skanky club?”
“A little bit of all of the above. I’ll send you the invite later with the details.”
Our food arrived, effectively distracting both of us. We did our best to keep up conversation around mouthfuls of food. Almost immediately after we were finished eating, Dexter checked his phone. After several seconds of scanning through messages, he reached for his wallet.
“Sorry to eat and run, but it looks like things are blowing up back at the office.”
“Let me guess- the coffee maker is on the fritz?”
He laughed. “If only it were that simple.”
“Thank you for lunch,” I said. “I actually hadn’t expected to hear from you again.”
“It was my pleasure.” He slapped a stack of cash on the bar. “Don’t forget about Friday.”
“I’ve made a mental note,” I said, tapping my head with a fingertip.
Dexter paused, an indecipherable look on his face. “I’ll see you soon, Taylor.”
“Good.”
A few minutes later, I finished my beer and headed back outside, unsure of how I wanted to spend the rest of my day. I didn’t have any homework or studying to do yet and Cessy would be busy working for a few more hours. When I came across a bookstore, I decided to stop.
I wasn’t in the mood for anything too deep or time-consuming. The magazine section was just what I needed. Bypassing the fashion magazines, I found the current affairs section. Imagine my surprise when I found Dexter staring back at me from a row of glossy covers.
He was just as attractive in a photo as he was in real life. His hair fell in waves that I wanted to run my hands through and his smile warmed my heart. One picture of him was nice; an entire row was astounding. I was so busy staring at his perfect face that I nearly missed the
headline proclaiming:
Billionaire CEO Expands Company to Europe
I snatched a copy and immediately headed to the register. After an agonizing wait, it was finally my turn to pay.
“Gorgeous and rich. I wonder if he is also available,” the cashier said as she scanned my purchase.
“I think he is,” I said, trying not to sound too confident.
“He must be a tosser then. He has to have some grievous flaw.”
I took the bag from her, my hand shaking slightly. My heart didn’t stop racing until I was back in Cessy’s flat. Sitting on her plush purple sofa, I place the magazine in my lap and took several deep breaths. Then I flipped over the cover and began to read.
* * *
September 9
I hope you’re sitting down for this, Cam. Forget about my previous entry. So much has happened since then. I don’t even know where to start, but the beginning seems like a logical place.
On the flight across the pond, I met a guy. He was funny and charming, and insanely attractive. Most importantly, he didn’t seem to mind at all that I was a total klutz and made a fool out of myself by spilling water on him.
We chatted, took a train into the city together, and he took my number. I never expected to hear from him again. But then he contacted me. I gladly met him for lunch and we got along great. He asked me out again- to an “event.” I think you’ll be quite proud that I said yes. We both know that I’m not much of a party girl.
Anyway, this is where the story gets good. I found this magazine, and his face was on the cover! My new crush is Dexter Sanders. In case you’ve never heard of him, he’s one of the youngest billionaire CEOs in the world. He invented this social media platform you may have heard of-Scuttle. Yeah- you know what I’m talking about. He invented it!
But once I learned his real identity, I started to panic. This guy isn’t just a little wealthy. He probably has a pool filled with hundred dollar bills that he swims in every day or something. At least, those were the thoughts that were running through my head. I told Cessy when she got home and I thought she was going to faint. Apparently, in addition to being insanely rich, he’s also been dubbed one of the most eligible bachelors in the UK since he brought his company overseas.
Love in London (Restless Hearts) Page 2
