Page 89 of Mistaken Impression

I feel my heart swell. She wants me to meet her family?

“Of course we could meet in Boston, but our schedule is exhausting.” She chuckles. “I’m not saying a word, Hunter.” She laughs out loud and hangs up, turning to me. “Shall we go?”

“Okay.”

She starts the engine, pulling out of the parking space. “Did you get everything you need?” she asks, glancing over.

“Yes. Did I gather your brother enjoyed the show?”

“He did. He’s dying to meet you.”

“So he can make sure I’m good enough for you?”

She takes her hand from the steering wheel, placing it on my leg. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that, Mac.”

I lay my hand over hers and sit back, letting out a sigh, as I allow my eyes to close…

I come to with a jolt as the car slows, and I look out of the window to see a classy apartment block.

“Sorry… did I fall asleep?”

“Yes, but don’t worry. It’s been a stressful day for you.”

I’m about to reply when she pulls the car into the underground car park beneath the apartments, and I frown slightly. Is this where she lives? It has to be. She’s got a code number to get past the barrier.

Should her car have given me a clue that she’d live somewhere like this?

Probably.

I don’t say anything, though, and once she’s parked, I go around to the back of the car and grab my bag from the boot, getting to Ella’s side in time to help her to her feet.

“Thanks.” She looks up at me with a smile, and takes my hand, leading me over to the elevator. I start to feel a little nervous when she presses the button, the doors open, and we step inside. My nerves have nothing to do with being in aconfined space with her, but with the stylish interior of the lift. The two side walls are lined with wood… real wood, and the one ahead of us is mirrored, reflecting my pale face, as I turn around and Ella presses the button for the top floor. She looks up at me as the doors close, a smile lighting up her face. I know she’s thinking over what I said about being in an elevator with her, but I’m beyond confused right now, and can’t think about anything other than where we are, and who she is… and why I didn’t know any of this.

The lift stops with a smooth sigh, the doors slide open, and I look out onto a wide hallway, which is tiled with grey marble on the floor and the walls. I can see a single door, right at the end, and follow Ella towards it, watching as she pulls a key from her handbag. She lets us in, and I gasp as I accompany her into a large foyer, with closets on either side. She dumps her handbag on the floor, rolling her shoulders as she kicks off her shoes. I copy her, scared I might put a foot wrong, and place my bag behind the door, following her through into an enormous living room. It has pale grey walls, wood floors and white furniture. There are two separate seating areas; one around a fireplace and the other facing a huge television, in a separate part of the room, beyond which the windows overlook the city skyline. To my right, there’s a formal dining area, with a table, surrounded by six chairs, and I stand for a moment, trying to take it all in.

“Do you want to come watch me cook?” she says, like it’s the most natural thing in the world to live somewhere like this.

“Um… sure.”

“I only bought this place because I fell in love with the kitchen,” she says over her shoulder as she leads me through an archway behind the dining table, into a kitchen that’s probably three times the size of the one we use at work. It has shiny grey cupboard doors, and granite work surfaces, a six-burner hob, double oven and an island unit, with four stools. There’s also aninformal dining table over by the floor-to-ceiling windows, with dark grey leather chairs surrounding it.

“Y—You bought it?”

“Yes.”

“Y—You mean you own this place?”

“Yes.” She smiles up at me, going around the other side of the island unit and pulling out a heavy-looking pan, which she places on the hob between us.

I watch as she grabs some onions, a chopping board and chef’s knife, and puts some oil and butter into the pan before she looks up at me, her smile fading.

“Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know… I guess I’m just a little bewildered, that’s all.”

“Bewildered?”

“Yes.”

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