Page 48 of Married to Lies

He's just a kid, I reminded myself. The guy had shaggy blond hair and a piercing in his ear that was tarnishing and leaving a blue ring around the hole. I needed to get a grip, I decided as I placed the keys in his hand. Being so on edge would only lead me to mistakes, and I didn’t want to mess up where Rei was concerned.

As I walked to the Golden Café entrance, cold air bit against my skin. I was ready for the winter chill to give way to a mild spring. Just a few months now, I thought. A security guard stood in front of the door, looking me over.

I flashed him my card, and he nodded, stepping to the side, but I said, “I’m waiting for someone.”

The guard nodded, stepping back in place.

I stood off to the side, in front of the bricked façade, thinking I’d be lucky if Rei came at all. If a practical stranger had made the same proposal to me, I’d get far, far away from that person.

Stubbornly hopeful, I glanced down the sidewalk, expecting to see her coming from the public parking garage on the corner. A sleek back town car approached, and an older gentleman got out, holding the door for someone.

At first I didn’t give them much notice, but the woman getting out caught my attention. I stared, lips parted as Rei stepped onto the sidewalk looking like a vision in green. Her short dress brushed her thighs, leaving only a sliver of skin before long black boots took its place and traveled from above her knees to pointed toes. A matching black trench hung over her shoulders, where golden earrings dangled, almost touching them. Her hair was down, straight black tresses catching the sun.

When I finally went to see her eyes, they were covered by large black sunglasses. So I turned my gaze to her lips instead, painted in a dark, sinful red shade.

Who was this woman? was my first thought. Followed by, How can I make her mine?

Those lips pulled into a smirk as she approached me, drawing the sunglasses from her face. “Ready to go inside?”

“TURN THIS WAY!” the lone paparazzo yelled out. Apparently it was too cold, too close to the holidays for most of them. But Rei ignored their call, instead marching toward the security guard, who stepped out of the way and let the doorman hold the door for us. I followed like the dumbstruck fool I was.

Inside, we were greeted by a blast of warm air from an over-the-door heater and then the less aggressive warmth of a cozy room buzzing with food, conversation, and the aromatic smell of roasting beans.

Rei gazed around, sunglasses now in a case getting tucked into her purse. Her eyes were wide, drinking in our surroundings like the scenery could rival a lifetime’s worth of vistas. “It’s so fancy in here,” she whispered. Then she leaned closer. “Although I expected more gold accents for it being Golden Café.”

I huffed a surprised chuckle. She had a point. All the fixtures were black or even copper. Not a hint of gold in sight. The gold access card in my pocket was the only gold reference.

A server came and led us toward a booth, but Rei looked uncomfortable. “Can we have a table?” she asked.

“Of course,” the server said, and I was grateful. My long legs and sturdy frame meant tables were much more comfortable.

He took us to the other side of the room, away from the windows. In fact, it was the perfect place for an intimate conversation—in a corner near the speakers playing instrumental music.

I helped Rei into her chair while the server set menus on the table. Once I sat down, he rattled off his recommendations for the day and then excused himself.

“What’s good here?” Rei asked, lifting her menu for her perusal. “I’ve never been here before, but I’ve always wanted to.”

“Everything’s good but the salmon,” I answered honestly. “They overdo it with the char.”

“I hate salmon. Or any kind of fish.” She shuddered. “No thank you.”

“My nutritionist puts it on the menu once a week for the omega-3s,” I replied. “I like some more than others.”

“Your nutritionist,” she echoed with an amused smile. “Fancy.”

The teasing way she said it made my lips twitch.

“Jada said the stuffed French toast is the best,” Rei said. “I think I’ll get that with some eggs.” She set her menu down, and I did too.

“When should we talk about this?” she asked, waving her arms between us with the word “this.”

“This?” I repeated.

She blushed. “What should I call it?”

“Us?” I suggested.

She tilted her head. “Us.”