by Laura Burton
“I can’t believe you’re going on a date with a billionaire,” she said with a giggle. Holly gave a fake laugh in return.
“Yeah. Sure. It’s great,” she lied. Josie picked up on her false tone and turned serious again.
“Promise me you won’t back out. I am living vicariously through your glamorous life, you know. Don’t let me down.”
Holly splashed her and smirked.
“Get out,” she said through a chuckle.
“Fine. Fine. But if you stay in that bath any longer, you’ll turn into a shrivelled-up prune!” she shouted back as she left the bathroom.
Holly slid under the bubbles and immersed herself in lukewarm water to hide her squeal. Despite the odd set up and her misgivings, the thought of going on a date with William had her heart racing.
Chapter Eight
Saturday arrived, and Holly stood in the living area, with Thatcher and Josie sitting on the couch singing her praises.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about. You look drop dead gorgeous in that denim dress,” Josie said, her hands clasped and a look of pride on her face. Thatcher nodded along, cradling a mug of steaming coffee in his hands.
“The black ankle boots were a nice touch Josie,” he said with approval. Josie flicked her hair back and sat up prim and proper.
“I know. And Thatcher, I love what you did with her hair, those loose curls are dreamy.”
“Working with models for the past decade… I may have picked up a thing or two,” Thatcher said with a bashful grin. Holly smiled to herself as she watched her two best friends talk to each other as if she was invisible. It was refreshing to see them getting along. Ordinarily, the two of them bickered about everything. She wondered if they had made a secret pact.
“Are you two finished? The car will be here any minute.” She rolled her eyes and feigned annoyance. But part of her was heartened by the lengths her friends had taken to get her ready for the big date.
“Just let me take a quick picture,” Thatcher said, putting his mug down on the coffee table and lifting his camera.
“Hey, haven’t you heard of a coaster?” Josie leapt to her feet and picked the mug up. She shot a look at Thatcher, who ignored her and started snapping away. Holly smirked at the exchange.
Josie tiptoed to the window and gasped.
“There’s a limousine waiting outside––and a camera crew just got out!” She hopped from foot to foot with an excited scream.
“Calm down. You’re making Holly nervous,” Thatcher said, ruffling his red hair.
“I’m not nervous,” Holly said blankly. Thatcher ignored her and fiddled with his camera instead. Josie handed Holly her purse.
“Do you want me to walk out with you?” she asked in a breathy voice, eyes shining. Holly shook her head and pulled her in for a hug.
“Thanks for your help. I’ll see you later,” she said.
Holly was jittery as she walked out of her apartment but did her best to remain cool and collected as she approached a group of men that were standing on the sidewalk, looking at her.
“Ms. Barratt. I’m Mr. Fisher. I’m here to take you to your date,” the driver held out his hand and gestured to the open car door.
“Thanks,” Holly said, trying to ignore the cameras.
She did her very best to slide into the car without having a wardrobe malfunction and successfully fastened her seatbelt without making a fool of herself.
Well. That’s a start.
The car pulled up outside Central park and Holly’s stomach flipped over itself. The door opened, and Holly took the driver’s gloved hand and climbed out. She shielded her eyes from the sunshine and looked around the busy sidewalk.
“Now, what we want you to do, is walk up to William, kiss him on each cheek and say, ‘Nice to see you again.’ Then take his hand and walk into the park together,” a cameraman said.
“Okay,” Holly said slowly. She was not liking how artificial this set up was. She looked ahead to see William, standing strong and tall, framed in sunlight. He gave her a small wave. She smiled back.
“Three, two, one… and action.”
Holly did her best impression of a catwalk model, placing one boot in front of the other and clutching her purse like her life depended on it.
“Hi Holly, you look beautiful,” William said, stooping down to kiss her. They pecked each other on each cheek and Holly put on her biggest smile.
“Hey William. It’s nice to see you again,” she said in a voice an octave higher than her own.
“You too. Are you ready to have some fun?” William asked.
Holly nodded, took his hand and gave it a squeeze. Then the two of them started walking to the park.
“Great. Now, just do it again one more time.”
Holly frowned.
“What?” she said, turning back to the cameras. She let go of William’s hand and the two of them shared a puzzled look.
“If it means I get to kiss you again, I won’t complain,” he said with a slight shrug. Holly blushed.
They repeated the greeting four times until the director was happy. Then they staged some playful banter and a carriage ride. William was a natural, even with the cameras hovering around. Not once did he seem wooden or shy. Nor did he pay any attention to his surroundings. Holly could imagine him in the midst of a tropical storm, with hundreds of people running around him, arms flailing. He would be stood with his hands in his pockets wondering what all the fuss was about.
It made Holly relax. She enjoyed sitting next to him in the carriage. He pointed things out and gave her commentary as the carriage did a loop. Holly tried to listen, but found herself in a daze. William’s words were floating above her head, not even reaching her ears. She hummed and nodded along, but was secretly savouring the moment.
Happy with the footage, the director allowed them to have a real date, without the cameras following their every move.
“Have you ever been in a hot air balloon?” William asked once they were alone. Holly noticed they were still holding hands and was surprised at how comfortable it was.
“No, but if it gets us away from people, I’m up for it,” she replied. William squeezed her hand.
“Agreed.”
They turned a corner and Holly gasped at the sight of a huge hot air balloon towering over them. A man stood inside and smiled at them expectantly.
“Want a ride?”
William helped Holly into the basket and the gentleman pulled a chain. A blast of gas sent the balloon rising off the ground. Holly clutched William’s arm and yelped.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights?” he said with a smirk. Holly gave him a guilty grin as she bit her lip.
“Only a little.”
William brushed her hair away from her shoulder and rested a hand on her back.
“Why don’t we talk about something to get your mind off it?” he suggested. Holly swallowed.
“Good idea,” she said. “How about you start. What do you do for a living?”
William chuckled to himself. But Holly cocked her head to the side and frowned. This was the second time she was missing one of his jokes.
“I’m a jack of all trades,” he said finally. “I design apps and then sell them on. I dabble in the stock market. And I invest in businesses.”
“Wow. Sounds like you’re a busy man,” Holly said. She gripped the edge of the basket and dared to look down. They had flown so high, the trees looked like broccoli florets and the people were like ants crawling along the paths.
“Yikes,” she said. Her palms were sweating now and her knees were shaking. William nudged her.
“Hey,” he said, and rested his finger under her chin. Holly looked at him and focused on his eyes instead. His breath tickled her face and Holly’s knees grew even weaker.
“I find it is always better to look up,” William said softly. Then he tilted her head upwards ever so gently. When she moved her gaze away from his handsome face, she caught sight
of the fiery inferno burning above their heads. Her eyes widened in horror and she gasped.
“Nope. That’s worse. Much worse.”
William followed her line of sight and shook his head.
“That played out differently in my head,” he said. “I mean, look out at the sky.”
He pointed and Holly looked out.
The sun was setting and the sky had turned a delicious shade of orange. Cute fluffy clouds hung like cotton candy and a flock of seagulls crossed the sky, honking in the distance.
“Oh. That’s better,” Holly said in a hushed voice. The two of them stared at the beautiful sky like two lovers admiring an exquisite painting in an art gallery. William slinked his arm around her waist and Holly settled her head on his shoulder.
Being with William was warm. Comfortable. Like coming home after a long day at work. Her mind returned to Emily and their compatibility score.
“Tell me something,” she said, lifting her head to look at William. “If an app says we’re incompatible, why does this feel so right?”
William’s cheeks lifted and his eyes sparkled.
“I don’t know,” he said simply. “But I’m glad it’s not just me enjoying this.”
The two of them settled into a happy silence as the balloon descended to the ground once more. It bumped as it met the grass, knocking Holly into William’s torso. He automatically grabbed her arms to stop her falling even further. She looked up, her face just inches away from his. Kissing him would have been easy. All she’d have to do was rise on her tip toes. She wondered what his plump lips would taste like. And whether he would slide his tongue along her bottom lip.
But the gentleman in the balloon cleared his throat and Holly jumped back like she had been struck by lightning.
They filed out of the hot air balloon and found the camera crew waiting for them.
“Time to record your interviews,” the director announced. Holly’s shoulders slumped. She had forgotten about the TV show. This was the part where she would tell the cameras what a dreamy date they had and how much she hoped William would choose to date her again.
Even though it would be telling the truth, saying it to a camera multiple times made it sound contrived. Just as they were about to part ways, William pulled on Holly’s hand and leaned into her ear.
“After this, how about I take you on a proper date?”
The question brought a smile to Holly’s face.
“What did you have in mind?” she asked, trying to act coy. William’s brows knitted together then he broke into a grin.
“How do you feel about breaking the law?”
Chapter Nine
Holly was buzzing as she watched William work the lock on a door in a back alley. She kept a lookout, her imagination running wild, but no one came. The door clicked and William pushed it open.
“Where did you learn to pick a lock?” she asked. William tapped his nose and gestured for her to follow.
“This is the service entrance. It’s a terrible security flaw if you ask me. But tonight, I’m not complaining.”
Holly followed him inside and the door slammed shut behind them. The sound echoed all around them and Holly flinched. William shot her a look.
“Sorry,” she whispered. They walked through a narrow hall that smelled like feet. “Where are we?”
“Come and see,” William whispered back, marching forward. They reached a set of doors and William held one open for Holly. As she stepped through, she squinted into what seemed to be a very large, dark hall.
“I don’t––” she began, but William thrust up a handle and huge lights flooded the place. Holly gasped.
“Is this… a basketball stadium?”
William nodded. A huge basketball court sat in the centre of stadium seating. A scoreboard hung on every side. Holly was giddy.
“We’ve just broken into a stadium. Aren’t we going to get caught?” she said, as they descended the steps.
“They don’t have a game on tonight. I know a few NBA players,” William said. “Oh, look!”
He hopped onto the metal handrail and slid down to the court with ease. Then dashed to the other side and picked up a ball. He held up it like a trophy.
“Want to play a game?” he asked with a wry smile.
Holly glanced down at her tight denim dress and wished she was wearing something more suitable. But despite her worries, she lifted herself onto the handrail to follow William to the court. Once she was perched on the rail she leaned forward and let go, expecting to go sailing down to the bottom. But what happened instead made William snort with laughter. Holly slid a couple of feet and then came to a squeaky halt as her denim dress got stuck to the metal. She rocked side to side in a weak attempt to get herself going again, which only created more squeaks. William doubled up with mirth.
“Why don’t you just use the steps?” he called out. Holly bit her tongue with concentration. She was not a quitter. She frowned as she moved around to unstick herself from the rail. Finally, she repositioned at an angle that had her flying down at mammoth speed, her hair flying.
William promptly stopped laughing and ran over just as Holly flew from the end of the rail and collided with him. They both ended up on the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” Holly said, pushing herself off of his chest. William rested his hands on her hips and stared at Holly in shock for a moment. Then his face flooded with color and the two of them broke into a fit of laughter.
“If only I caught that on camera,” William said as they got to their feet. Holly elbowed him.
“I’d make you delete the footage,” she said, failing miserably to hide the amusement from her tone.
“You’re hilarious. You know that, right?”
Holly rolled her eyes and straightened out her dress.
“I’ve been told.”
William shook his head, gave her a curious look then shook his head again.
“What is it?” Holly asked, suddenly self-conscious. She wondered if one of her clip-in hair extensions had fallen out, or if her lipstick had smudged. William scratched the back of his neck and thrust a hand in his pocket.
“You’re not like other models,” he said frankly. Holly twisted her hair around her finger.
“I’m sure you’ve dated lots of models, huh?” she teased. William’s face turned red.
“Actually, you’re the first,” he said sheepishly. Holly cocked her head to the side and studied him for a moment.
“How am I different from other models?”
William picked up the basketball and avoided eye contact.
“I don’t know… How good are you at shooting hoops?”
Holly knew he was trying to change the topic, but she let it drop. She kicked off her boots and followed William to the end of the court.
“My dad taught me a thing or two,” she said casually. William ran and jumped, letting go of the ball. It bounced on the back board and fell through the hoop. Holly got the impression he had done that a million times before.
He threw the ball to her and she caught it.
“Let’s see what you’ve got,” William said, crossing his arms. Holly shook her hair back from her shoulders and took a deep breath. Suddenly, William held up his hands and looked at her with a frown.
“Wait!” he said, tip toeing to the side. He crouched down and sheltered his head with his arms. “Okay. Now go ahead.”
Holly resisted the urge to throw the ball at him and rolled her eyes instead.
“Oh, very funny.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. William grinned and stood up again.
Holly was good at shooting hoops. She had a basketball net on the drive of her parents’ house. Growing up, she would go out and practice every night.
She took the shot and the ball fell through the hoop without even hitting the backboard. William whistled.
“Nice,” he said with a nod.
The two of them bantered back and forth and shot hoops for an hour before either of them b
ecame breathless and ready for a break. William’s forehead was shiny with perspiration as he panted. Holly tied her hair back and walked up to face him.
“You know, even when you’re all sweaty you’re still hot,” William said, brushing a strand of damp hair away from her face. His soft gaze sent shivers of delight through Holly.
“Funny,” she said. “I’m hot and sweaty. Wild, huh?”
She smirked at William’s appreciative chuckle. When he stopped, Holly took a step closer and rested her palms on his chest. He tensed under her touch and Holly sensed his nerves. Which only made her want to move closer.
“I think you’re pretty hot, too,” she said in a silky voice.
It wasn’t the perfect moment for a first kiss, granted. But not kissing felt wrong. So much of this man was a mystery. She hardly knew him. But there was something about him that made her feel… different. She couldn’t put her finger on it. Kissing him would provide all the answers. Of that, she was certain.
Holly slowly rose to her tiptoes as William bent his head to join her. But just before she could capture him with a kiss, a door banged, and an old man shouted from the top of the steps.
“What are you two doing in here?”
Holly jumped back from William and looked up at the old caretaker standing in the doorway.
“Run!” William shouted. Holly grabbed her boots and followed him.
Moments later, the two of them burst out of a fire door, laughing and panting while a high-pitched alarm ricocheted off the walls of the alley.
“Come on,” William said, grasping Holly’s hand as she slipped into her boots. “We’re not safe yet.”
The two of them dashed down the dark alley and ran along the streets. Sirens followed.
Holly had no idea what time it was, nor where they were heading, but she didn’t care. As the air whipped through her hair and William tugged on her hand, she couldn’t stop herself from beaming.
Never had she felt so alive.
