I nodded, but still wasn’t feeling reassured. “Just please don’t let him out of your sight, okay?”
My mother opened her mouth to respond, but at the same moment, Tim roared as my father turned off the television, which distracted her. I got up and corrected Tim, telling him to say hello to his grandparents.
Tim’s face lit up as he threw himself into my mother’s arms. “Nana,” he yelled.
My father watched the scene, visibly moved. “Are you coming to stay with us again tonight, you big boy?”
His proposal went down well with Tim, as he scampered like an overgrown puppy.
I headed to the hallway and handed Tim’s suitcase, which I’d already packed, to my mother. I gave Tim a warm hug and then passed him onto to my father, who carried Tim out on his arm.
After they’d left, I walked up to the mirror in the bathroom and stared at my reflection. I squared my shoulders and felt a rush of strength and confidence run through me. If they thought they could intimidate me, they had another think coming.
I touched up my makeup, checked my outfit and set off.
A little while later I parked my bike by a tree flanking the canal. I felt a slight tickle in my stomach as I tottered over the cobblestones towards the entrance of the restaurant where I was meeting Dan.
As fate would have it, seconds before arriving at the entrance, one of my stiletto heels got caught between the little stones. I slammed forward and smacked my upper body against the glass door. I managed to regain my balance and straightened my back, rubbing my sore shoulder, and swiftly opened the door, feverishly hoping no one had noticed my undignified arrival.
At the counter I asked for Daniel Bernstein and a blonde waitress told me to follow her.
As we were heading towards the back of the restaurant, I saw Dan seated at one of the tables, wearing a green shirt with a well-ironed collar, his hair styled with the intent to look dishevelled. A mixture of nerves and excitement ran through me as Dan’s gaze locked onto me as I approached. How could I not have noticed when we first met that he was so incredibly attractive?
As I arrived at the table, Dan stood up and I saw that despite my high heels, he was quite a bit taller. “Hello Jennifer,” he said and kissed me on the cheek. His freshly shaven, pronounced jaw ever so lightly brushed against my face, a waft of Hugo Boss drifting into my nostrils, and a warm feeling passed through my belly.
Dan stealthily ran his eyes over me. “You look amazing.”
I fluttered my eyelashes and smiled, taking a seat opposite him, while the waitress asked what we’d like to drink.
I cast an inquiring glance at Dan, who apparently hadn’t ordered yet.
“How about we start the evening with a glass of champagne?” he suggested.
Although it probably wasn’t wise considering my empty stomach, I couldn’t resist. “Sounds great,” I replied.
Dan turned his attention to the waitress. “Two glasses please. And some bread with garlic butter.”
The blonde girl noted our order and left.
Dan casually ran a hand through his shiny wavy hair, his almond-shaped brown eyes locking onto mine, and straightened his shirt with a smile on his face. I thought about the suggestion that he was sent by Mason & McGant to follow me to determine how much I knew. Was he assigned with the task of assessing whether I could be a potential threat to the office? Now that Dan was sitting before me, his face open and friendly, it seemed like a preposterous idea.
“How was your day?” I started the conversation lightly.
He puffed his cheeks. “Bu-sy. The firm just keeps on stacking files onto my desk,” he said, rolling his eyes and then giving me a wink.
I thought of Oliver and raised my eyebrows. “I know all about that.”
He didn’t respond to my comment and waved his hand. “Anyway. All of that doesn’t matter now that I’m here with you.” He laid his forearms on the table and leaned forward with a huge grin on his face. “Tell me something about yourself, Jennifer. I’m curious to learn more. What kind of work do you do?”
The waitress returned with our order, together with two menus, and then retreated.
We clinked our glasses. “To a wonderful evening,” Dan said, gazing into my eyes.
I recalled my mission and smiled sensually before sipping my champagne with a delicate motion, letting it flow smoothly. “Mmm, delicious,” I said. I resolved not to drink too hastily and put the glass down in front of me.
“I’m a doctor,” I answered his earlier question. “I’ve had my own practice in Amsterdam-West for a number of years now, together with a colleague.” I made a funny face. “The bad part of town.” Being a doctor in a poorer, disadvantaged neighbourhood usually intrigued people when I mentioned it, and I made a guess that he’d fall for it too.
He raised his chin and squinted. “General practitioner. I can see you in that kind of role. You seem like a socially-engaged type.”
“Oh really? Is that so?” I purred. I took a sip of champagne and licked my lips while I continued to look intently at him. “Perhaps I am.”
I repressed the urge to keep touching my hair to make sure it was still in proper shape and went on. “While everyone around me was doubting what they wanted to do with their lives, I actually knew from the age of fourteen I was going to study medicine. It gets into your blood after a while.”
He seemed fascinated. “Is this part of a long family tradition?”
I thought of my parents and laughed. “No, not at all,” I replied and decided to leave it at that for now. “A few years ago I was given the opportunity to become co-owner of the practice and I absolutely love it. You can really make a difference, particularly in a deprived neighbourhood,” I added, although that term was actually no longer fully applicable to the now up-and-coming area where my practice was located.
He nodded. “That makes sense. I’m sure your profession must be very rewarding.”
“Absolutely,” I said truthfully. I talked more about how I’d had a hard time at work in recent months, but that I’d found a renewed sense of motivation – all the while the champagne was going down rather quickly. I’d had a firm intention not to drink too hastily, but the tension over the date caused me to fail miserably.
The waitress came to take our order. While Dan requested a tournedos and a glass of Merlot, I glanced at the menu and decided to opt for the salmon with a glass of the same wine.
“How about we share a bottle?” Dan proposed.
A bottle was really too much for me, but I didn’t want to be a bad sport and so I replied it was fine.
The waitress scrawled everything onto the paper and left us again.
Dan began to talk about the fact that he’d recently attended a wine tasting course and how he’d learned to appreciate all the differences in flavours there were. As he kept chatting, I noticed how I was gracefully slanting my head, supporting it with one hand, while every now and then daintily flipping my hair over my shoulder, keeping my eyes fixated on his. I smiled at myself – it had been years since I’d been flirting like this, going to great lengths to charm him. It was as if these rusty gestures had been stowed away safely all this time, to be finally taken down from the attic and polished up again.
“Don’t you think?” I suddenly heard Dan ask, his index finger slowly circling the rim of his wine glass.
I snapped to attention. “Er …” I stammered and considered the option of answering in the affirmative. “I’m sorry, I got distracted for a moment,” I confessed, my cheeks flushing.
He laughed. “Am I that boring?”
“Quite the opposite,” I assured him. I laid my hand on his bare arm, where the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up. It was an intimate gesture that evoked both a sense of guilt towards Oliver and a sensual desire deep down, leaving me feeling confused.
“I was just dreaming away,” I said, with an expression on my face that was supposed to reflect both charm and shyness. His hair tickled my fingertips, which seemed more sensitive tha
n usual, sending a rush of heat through me.
He laughed again, louder this time. “It’s okay. It’s probably not that fascinating, this obsession of mine with wine.” The corner of his mouth rose mischievously. “You’re quite the dreamy type, aren’t you? Considering your arrival here tonight.”
I stared at him in horror. Did he perhaps …?
He grinned. “I saw you stumble your way in here earlier,” he explained. “And smack against the window,” he added, giving the final blow.
I almost spat out my wine. “Oh my goodness, you saw that?” I lowered my head into my hands, feeling a wave of red creep up my neck until my cheeks flamed. Then I looked at him warily. “How utterly mortifying.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He peeled my hands off my face and held them in his, which felt soft. “You’re very cute when you’re embarrassed, do you know that?”
The soft brush of his hands on my skin made me feel floaty and warm and alive. Only now did I realise how much I’d missed being touched by someone.
I came to my senses. “Okay stop now,” I insisted, shaking my head and smiling. “Different topic,” I persevered in an attempt to steer the conversation towards safer ground. “Tell me how a tease like you ended up in the legal profession?”
He released my hands and I pulled them back, smoothing my dress. “My father was a construction worker, something he always enjoyed,” he said, now serious again, and I noticed a sense of pride in his attitude. “At the age of forty-two he was involved in an industrial accident, which left him permanently incapacitated and unable to work.”
“How awful.”
Dan nodded. “The company he worked for tried to put the blame on him so that they wouldn’t have to cough up the compensation money. He was lucky to meet a good pro bono lawyer who felt a real passion for his work – he helped get justice for my dad and a respectable pay-out. Without that man things would have turned out very differently.”
The waitress brought the bottle of Merlot to our table. Dan peered at me questioningly, but I rejected his offer to test the wine, knowing that he’d probably be a better judge of it.
He seemed satisfied with the bottle and after our glasses were filled, we toasted to a wonderful evening. Dan glanced at me with an intense look as he took a sip, smacking his lips.
He continued his story. “I witnessed that lawyer making his argument in court. He went the whole nine yards to get the most out of it for my father – that’s when I knew I wanted to be able to do what he did.”
“Wow, that’s an impressive and inspiring story,” I said and took a sip of my wine. “So how did you go from wanting to be a world-enhancing pro bono lawyer to ending up at a pocket-filling firm like Mason & McGant?” I teased.
Dan laughed. “Touché.” He lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. “Well, somewhere over the last twenty years, that memory has faded, I guess. I’ve been seduced by the real money,” he admitted, and gave a wink before changing the topic. “Do you have a babysitter at home watching Tim tonight?”
The glass of champagne on my empty stomach had loosened my tongue. “He’s staying with my parents tonight,” I replied, gauging his reaction, until I was hit by a hint of shame. Surely I couldn’t be flirting with someone this soon after Oliver’s death, let alone with one of his erstwhile colleagues?
He raised his eyebrows and I noticed a little scar running across one of them. “I see.”
I couldn’t put a stop to another wave of desire moving through my body – this man was unbelievably irresistible.
“What about Bella?”
“Bella?” His sultry mood instantly seemed to vanish. “Er … No, she’s with her mother.”
I nodded and quickly chatted on to dispel the uncomfortable feeling that lurked among us, wondering if I’d said something to upset him. “My parents have been an enormous support ever since Oliver died. I don’t know what I’d do without them, and without my upstairs neighbour,” I added laughing. “Tim frequently visits her for an hour or so.”
“It must be wonderful to be surrounded by people like that. You’re very fortunate.” The friendly tone from before had returned.
He slowly leaned forward and my breath quickened. “And I’m fortunate to have a date with a beautiful woman like you.” He was quite the smooth operator. “I’m glad you called me. It’s been wonderful so far getting to know you better.”
I looked at him with a grin on my face as I finished my glass of Merlot. “Same here.”
We fell quiet for a moment. The wine seemed to be clouding my thought process and the man opposite me was making my head spin, distracting me from my goal, but suddenly I remembered why I was here.
My palms were feeling sweaty and my heart started to pound. I had to bring it up.
I cleared my throat. “You seem like a really great guy, Dan. But that’s not the sole reason I reached out to you.”
A wrinkle formed between his large, black brows.
“I was wondering …” It felt so ridiculous to bring this up that I didn’t dare. I waved my hand. “Ah, never mind.”
“No, go on,” he insisted. His uncertain smile was veiled by a friendly tone in his voice. “What did you want to ask me?”
I scratched my forehead and then decided to jump right in. “Dan, have you been sent to me by Mason & McGant?”
He tilted his head, a look of bafflement spreading across his face. “Are you asking if I came here straight from the firm? No, I went home first to freshen up.”
I shook my head. “No, that’s not what I meant.” I folded my arms and rested them on the table, looking him straight in the eyes. “Did the firm send you after me to find out how much I know?” I tried to read every emotion in his face, while the question was sinking in.
He now laughed, but seemed on guard. “Why would they have sent me after you? I don’t think anyone there even knows about our date.” His expression suddenly changed. “Oh wait. Now I know what you’re getting at. You mean because you were Oliver’s wife?”
He took the bottle of wine from the caddy and held it up questioningly.
I shook my head and he only refilled his own glass. I decided to remain quiet to see where this was going.
Dan leaned back, holding his glass of Merlot loosely in his hand and looked up in the air as he spoke again. “I actually hadn’t thought about it like that.” He turned his gaze towards me. “Do you reckon they’d find it inappropriate for me to date the wife of a deceased colleague?” He seemed to ponder it for a moment and then shook his head. “Anyway,” he said lightly. “Ultimately, it seems a matter for you and me to decide on. Nobody else has any say in it, don’t you think?”
I closely examined the man opposite of me – he didn’t seem to understand at all what I was getting at. Or was he just bluffing, pretending not to know what I was insinuating?
Dan seemed to have left the subject behind and declared in a matter-of-fact tone that he was hungry.
I was driving myself crazy, I concluded. This man knew nothing about any treacherous actions – it was a closed case. Dan seemed to be genuinely interested in me. It was obvious I had become paranoid as a result of all the snooping around at Mason & McGant.
I rested my hand back on his forearm, gently patted it, while I leaned over and smiled. “You’re right. It’s nobody’s business whether we’re dating or not,” I said in a whisper. I floundered in a sea of shame and guilt towards Oliver, yet at the same time it felt fantastic to be admired again by someone after months of being only a mother and a widow. I decided I was going to enjoy it while it lasted.
He looked ardently at me for some seconds longer, slowly bringing his face closer to mine, releasing a handful of happy butterflies fluttering through my stomach. I could feel the warmth of his breath as his mouth came closer and closer, his lips almost brushing mine, when I bowed my head. However much I revelled in Dan’s company, he was moving too fast.
Suddenly I heard a little cough behind me and I looked up.
> “Your order.” The blonde waitress stood at the table carrying two plates in her hands.
Over the following hours we enjoyed delicious food and wine and talked endlessly, discovering we had so many things in common. Dan paid the bill, after a somewhat feeble and fruitless objection on my part.
Once outside, I noticed it had cooled down considerably and I shivered, rueing my decision to wear a summer coat.
Dan leaned in towards to me. He gently rubbed my upper arms with his hands. His brown eyes seemed to sparkle as he spoke. “Would you like to have a drink at my place?”
I heard my father’s words echo in my head.
‘Will you be careful, love? There are so many crazy people nowadays.’
I gazed into Dan’s eyes and found myself inching towards him – somehow I felt he could be trusted. “All right.” I raised my index finger. “One drink.”
I walked towards my bike and fished the key out of my handbag. The canal was awfully close and I wasn’t sure whether it was the anticipation of going home with Dan or the alcohol that made my fingers tremble. I planted my feet on the cobblestones as firmly as possible considering my high heels and ignored the little voice in the back of my mind that said ‘this is all going too fast’.
We cycled together towards his neighbourhood and after arriving, we ascended the nearly hundred-year-old stone stairs to his flat, with beautiful double-hung sash windows in the typical Amsterdam Art Deco style. After stepping inside, Dan took my coat and we entered the living room.
Three walls were painted in a light grey shade, the wall opposite was decorated with mirrored tiles, creating the illusion of more space than there actually was. I noticed the flat contained many authentic details, forming a pleasant contrast to the sleek, light-coloured Scandinavian furniture. There was a white three-seater sofa, two upholstered seats and an ultramodern plastic armchair in the shape of a sphere. “Fancy a glass of port?” I heard behind me.
I swivelled. “Make it a small one.”
While Dan popped into the kitchen, I ambled through the room, letting my eyes wander. The walls were bare, with the exception of a neoclassical painting that adorned the restored, original mantelpiece. The house was different to what I’d imagined – something seemed to be missing, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Double Deceit Page 19
