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“Ellie, I’m telling you, the man hates me.” My kind friend always assumes everyone is flirting and in love with us.
“I don’t know. You said he sat with his arm around youthe other night.” I guess that’s a best friend’s job, to try and make the best of things that are bothering us.
“He had his arm around my chair…not me,” I clarify. “Also, we’ve run into each other twice since that night. The following day, when I ran to the coffee shop, he was sitting at a table by himself. I know he saw me. We looked right at each other, but then, when I began to say something, he put his head down. Message received.” It is clear then that his politeness will be limited to when his family is around…and that doesn’t bother me at all.
“Maybe he’s just shy because his feelings for you are getting so strong!”
“Ha! Yeah, that totally explains the interaction we had yesterday when we saw each other at the library. I think he was so startled he only spoke to end the conversation before it began. He was leaving the library and continued on his way after a ‘have a good day’ and let the door close in front of me.”
“I’m sticking with him being nervous.” Ellie stays firm. Something is getting lost between our international phone call. If she were here, witnessing Henry’s indiscretions, she would understand what I’m trying to tell her.
“Yes, the super famous playboy of London is very nervous around me, an online college professor whose only local friends are his sons and their partners,” I say with a huff as I stretch out on my bed.
“Well, he doesn’t live there, right, so you don’t have to endure him much longer. Just try to avoid him.”
“Do you think that will really help?”
“No, I think it will make you mysterious and make him fall even more in love with you.”
“Thanks, Ellie…on that note, I think I’ll get some rest. Enjoy the rest of your day!”
“Sweet Henry dreams!” She hangs up before I get a chance to argue with her. Ellie is a constant supporter of love and all things romance. I suppose I am too, but certainly not with Henry.
I haven’t watched any of Henry’s adaptations of Jane Austen’s work since meeting him. I’m too worried it will somehow alter the films or perhaps alter the way they make me feel. Still not having the nerve to do it, I grab a book instead.
What more can a girl want than to fall asleep with Captain Wentworth…
Seven
LUCY
I triedeverything to get out of this dinner tonight, but Mia and Hannah insisted. Holding out hope of not attending until the last minute, I hadn’t made time to shop for a cocktail dress. After many outfit try-ons in front of my mirror, an off-the-shoulder top with a flower that hides my bare left shoulder and flared black dress pants with heels are deemed the winners.
We arrive in separate cars and I notice Henry immediately, standing by the entrance with Oliver and Finn. He looks mouthwateringly handsome this evening. Sure, I’ve found plenty of photos of him on the Internet wearing suits to movie premieres and award shows while Googling him late at night when I know I shouldn’t be, but nothing compares to experiencing this with my own eyes. Concentrating all of my efforts at hiding my awe, I trip over my own feet. Luckily, the source of my distraction is close enough that he wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me upright, stopping me from falling to the ground. Heat engulfs my body at his touch. I can feelit moving up to cover my cheeks as I thank him and rush into the restaurant. Henry remains silent as he walks in behind me.
The restaurant’s earth tones and dim lighting barely distract me from the million thoughts running through my mind. Once we arrive at the rectangular table, I pause for the couples to choose their seats first. Shock and suspicion overtake me when Henry touches my back to lead me to the closest chair and holds it out for me. I take my seat, slowly letting my gaze sweep over his suit again. “Thank you,” I say when our eyes finally meet.
“Of course,” he answers with a nod.
Will he sit next to me again?Before I have a chance to stop myself from hoping that he will, Henry takes the seat on my left at the head of the table. My heart flutters.
I’m going to have a very stern talk with my stupid heart later.
It is particularly quiet on our end of the table, with sparse small talk. After Henry finishes eating, he sits back in his chair, looking anywhere but at me. I hate how much that upsets me. I catch myself multiple times trying to think of topics for us to discuss, but I stop myself. Wasn’t my desire to avoid him the reason I didn’t want to come in the first place? He’s giving me a reason to not talk to him, so I should be overjoyed. The food is exquisite and I am enjoying the ambience this restaurant offers for a nice dinner out with my friends.
“Isn’t this place amazing!” I try to encourage conversation with Henry but fail miserably when he nods without looking at me as a reply. Aside from the odd interactions with him, I’m quite enjoying my night. I eventried a dish I’ve never had before, artichoke risotto, which was exceptional.
We wrap dinner up quickly, exiting the restaurant to find a large SUV outside waiting for us. “Mia didn’t want to worry about us taking two cars, so she insisted on this,” Finn explains.
“It will be fun.” Mia is the first to jump into the very back seat. Hannah follows her while Finn gets into the front passenger seat.
“Lucy.” Henry grabs my attention as he stands next to the vehicle’s backdoor, holding out his hand to me. I take it, and that heat from earlier returns but this time is joined by butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I slide into the middle row of seats and move over to sit against the opposite door that faces the busy, traffic-filled street. Henry follows behind me to sit in the middle seat with Oliver at his other side.
Henry fidgets trying to get comfortable in a seat no one in the history of car passengers has ever found to be comfortable. “Are you going to be all right?” I ask, trying not to laugh at his squirming.
He turns in my direction and lays his arm across the back of my seat. “I’m fine.”
I overhear Finn sharing the best route to our next destination with our driver. Behind us, Mia is going on about the new bar we are heading to next. She’s already been a few times with work friends, but she swears they “aren’t as much fun” as we are.
