Page 66 of Fire of the Fox

At the sound of someone’s voice, I turned to the stairs that led onto the upper deck and tried to keep my snicker hidden at the use of the formal title. An older gentleman who was dressed in a black butler’s suit stood by the stairs. He had one arm draped behind him while the other was hugged to his stomach, and he stood in a bow.

“Ah, Charles.” Rune said, greeting the man.

Charles stood up straight. He pushed his glasses up his nose before stepping sideways. He gave a wide sweep of his arm to gesture up the stairs. “Your table is ready.”

Rune nodded, then turned back to me. “Are you ready?”

I nodded, and together, we made our way up the stairs. When I stepped out onto the deck, goosebumps broke out along my arms, and it wasn’t from the sudden chill in the open air.

The only light up here came from the moon, stars, the small lights that had been strung around the railings, and the candles. A single table with two chairs waited in the center of the polished, wooden deck. A white table cloth decorated it, and two candles sat in the middle. The plates, silverware, and glasses had already been neatly arranged with a bottle of wine and a basket of bread.

“Well,” Rune said, approaching the table as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I told Charles to prepare a nice dinner table for two, and he definitely delivered.”

I gave a small laugh, my eyes still roaming over everything. “Yes, he did.”

As if on cue, Charles came around me and pulled out a chair. Looking at me, he said, “My lady.”

Nothing could wipe the smile from my face. There was a soft breeze that blew as the boat pulled away from the dock, moving into the gentle flow of the river. My shirt had long sleeves, but it was loose and thin. There was a slight chill growing on my arms, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t believe Rune did all this for us.

For me.

Even if it was fake.

Sinking into the chair, I thanked Charles, and Rune took the seat across from me. Charles plucked the bottle of wine from its place on the table and tilted it toward me.

“Would the Lady care for a glass?”

I started to decline, explaining that I didn’t drink nor was I old enough to, but Rune nodded to Charles and said, “We’d both like some.”

Charles bowed slightly and poured the wine in each of our glasses. Rune gave me an apologetic smile from across the table. His gaze paired with the twinkling lights and flickering candles was making my heart do crazy things, and my skin flushed a warm pink. I looked down at my glass of water, which had already been set out. Reaching for it, I took a few sips to calm myself. Rune always had a way of making me nervous and excited all at once.

Charles placed the wine back in the bucket and gave Rune and me small menus listing different expensive foods, such as filet mignon and lobster. I swallowed hard, trying to pick something. How was I supposed to choose from this stuff? Did he or I have to pay for it, or was it taken care of since he owned the place? I glanced up at Rune, who watched me with a curious glint in his eye. He didn’t even glance at his menu, but then again it was his boat, so he most likely already knew what he wanted.

Meeting Charles’ patient gaze, I let out a nervous breath and said, “I’ll take the parmesan chicken linguine.”

He nodded and took my menu. He turned to Rune who shrugged and said, “The same thing as always.”

Charles bowed. “Yes, my lord.”

He turned on his heel and walked away, retreating back down into the lower level. That’s when it started to sink in that Rune and I were alone in such a romantic setting.

My nerves spiked to uncharted territory, especially since he kept smiling at me as if he were the lucky one. He looked so good in his dark, long-sleeved button up. The wind caught the end of his long hair, tossing it gently around his shoulders, and his eyes had a shine to them. It made my voice get stuck in my chest.

Clearing my throat, I looked down at the wine. When I met his eyes again, I said, “I’ve never actually had wine before. Or alcohol of any kind.”

He nodded, picking up his own glass. “I know, but you’ll be expected to when we go to my mother’s house. This will be good practice. Just try it. You may end up liking it. Plus, it’s best if someone drinks it now that we opened it. Don’t want it to go to waste.”

I glanced warily at the glass before picking it up. Out of curiosity, I asked, “How much was it?”

He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “I bought it at an auction, so just shy of $2,000.”

My eyes went wide, and I nearly dropped the glass of dark liquid. He had paid $2,000 for this? Money really wasn’t an issue for him. I figured as much since he was giving me five grand in exchange for my help.

I met Rune’s eyes over the top of my glass. “I hope this was made with gold to be $2,000.”

He laughed. “Maybe it was. I’ll let you be the judge if it’s gold worthy.”

I sighed before bringing it to my lips. It was sweet, something I wasn’t expecting. The taste was unlike anything else I’d ever drunk before, but I rather liked it. That was definitely a good thing considering the price.

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