Page 95 of From the Moment We Met

“He definitely wants to see you.”

Lilly considered the situation. “And what about Victoria? What’s it going to look like if she shows up?” And how will I handle it if she accompanies Jacob?

Janie grabbed Lilly’s hand. “It’s going to look like I brought my friend to play poker, but Victoria's not going to be there. Roger despises her. He has a hard enough time appearing civil during public events, he would never invite her to his home.” She sent Lilly a reassuring smile. “Besides, chances are Jacob won't even be there.”

“Are you lying?”

“Perhaps,” Janie smirked.

“This is ridiculous. I have no idea where I stand with your brother. He walks out on me that first night, then gives me this gorgeous gift, then falls off the map again. It’s maddening,” Lilly huffed.

“Well, come tonight, and if he’s there, you can tell him all this. Come on, be the third wheel for Audrey and me.”

Lilly sighed. “Fine, I’ll go. I hope I don’t end up looking like a total idiot.”

Janie laughed heartily. “Well damn, here I thought we would have some entertainment for the evening!” She handed the necklace back to Lilly. “And wear that, please. Jacob put a lot of thought into this gift. It would break his heart if you gave it back to him.”

Lilly’s fingers trembled as she fastened the chain around her neck. Warmth spread throughout her body as if Jacob’s fingers were caressing her. “He puts a lot of thought into everything.”

Janie nodded. “That he does, but he’s terribly scared right now.”

“I can’t imagine why. Jacob has the world at his feet. He can have anything he wants.”

“He’s afraid of how he feels about you and you not reciprocating. In that department, he’s an idiot.”

Lilly laughed. “He’s a man.” She pushed her food around her plate, delaying her next question. “What’s the situation with him and Victoria?”

“As far as I know, he’s still posing as her public escort, but he sure as hell isn’t happy about it.”

“Are you sure it’s only a public arrangement?”

“He hasn’t intimated otherwise.”

That’s reassuring, Lilly considered, swigging her beer.

“Hey, chin up. The rumor on the street is that my brother is head over heels for some Yank.”

Lilly’s heart pounded like a drum. It wasn’t possible, was it? “Never trust a rumor unless you know the source.”

Janie winked. “I do know the source, we share a bloodline.” She squeezed Lilly’s arm. “We’re going to have fun tonight. Pick you up at six?”

“I’ve got the rental car remember? I’m still terrified of driving on the wrong side of the road, but it feels good to have my independence back.”

“Wrong side of the road? You mean the side you Yanks drive on in America?”

“We drive on the right side, literally. Everything else may be upside down in my country, but we’ve got the driving thing locked down.”

Janie giggled. “Good to know.”

The women finished their lunch in leisurely conversation and parted an hour later. Lilly returned to her cottage, proud she only white-knuckled it half a dozen times in the five-kilometer drive, a definite improvement over her former ventures.

She walked into her cottage and looked at her phone, plugging Jacob’s name into a text.

‘I don’t know if it matters, but I left a note, I didn’t realize you never saw it. It must have fallen behind the bed. It was such a beautiful night, and I hate that it looked like I left without a word. Perhaps, though, you were glad that I made myself scarce. Regardless, it was lovely, and I’ve missed you.’

She stared at the words, wondering if she should send the text or forget the whole thing.

Huffing, she tossed her phone on the table. If Jacob wanted to speak to her, he would have called. She went to her closet to select an outfit, deliberating over a dozen before settling on a light blue shift dress and a pair of gray knee-high boots. The dress hugged her curves yet provided the right amount of warmth against London’s evening chill, and if Jacob was there, she didn’t look like she had just rolled out of bed.

∞∞∞

A couple hours later, Lilly grabbed her phone on the way out the door, her finger hitting the send button on the text she had composed to Jacob. She stared in horror at the screen, wishing the world would swallow her. “Oh shit, shit, shit.”

She considered faking her own abduction, never to be seen again, but even she chuckled at that ridiculous notion. “I was afraid to look like an idiot at the party, but I get to look like one before I even arrive.”

Screw it, there's a chance he won’t even look at his phone. Hell, he might not even be there.

Lilly sighed, punching in directions on her GPS and backing out of the drive.

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