Page 9 of Waiting on You

“Miss Abrams?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Great. So, I have good news. The price of the penthouse was overridden, and you will only be chargedthe price you were given for a standard room. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Umm, no,” I say in shock, having no clue how this happened. “Are you sure?” I ask because if this is a mix-up and I’m charged for this suite, it’s going to get declined because there’s no way my credit card limit is enough to cover the bill.

“Yes, ma’am. If you check your email, we’ve sent you an updated invoice with the free upgrade.”

“Okay, thank you.”

I hang up and check my email, and sure enough, it’s there, in black and white.

“Well then,” I say to myself, looking around at my room with new eyes. “Should I take a bath or visit my favorite parts of London first?”

I glance outside. “London first, relax after.”

After changing into fresh clothes, hanging the rest of my wardrobe in the closet, and calling Ana to update her on everything, I head down to the lobby so I can start exploring. I have two days before I have to deal with the wedding, and I’m going to enjoy them.

Besides, it’s Valentine’s Day! And there are very few places more romantic than London. Who knows? Maybe I’ll meet a gorgeous Brit I can get under to help me get over my cheating ex.

I’m stepping out of the elevator when I spot the gentleman from earlier. Wanting to thank him again, I call out his name, and he turns his head, his masculine features morphing into the most devastatingly beautifulsmile.

“Did you get settled in?” he asks.

“I did. And get this. Somehow, there was a mix-up, and I was upgraded to the penthouse suite…at no charge.”

Nate’s smile widens. “That’s a damn good mix-up.”

“Right? And I even called to make sure I wouldn’t be charged the difference, but they insisted I wouldn’t be.” I shrug. “Maybe it’s a sign. I was starting to wonder if it’s possible that the magic I used to feel in London when my mom was alive was made up, but then you were able to get me a room early, and the view…it reminded me of the magic.”

I take a breath from my long-winded monologue and internally cringe. “Sorry. I’m sure you have better things to do than listen to a crazy woman go on about magic.”

“Actually,” he says, “it’s one of the most refreshing things I’ve heard in a while.”

He glances over at the coffee shop that’s attached to the hotel and then back at me.

“Would you like to grab a cup of coffee with me? I’d love to hear more about this magical London.” A genuine smile spreads across his face, telling me that he’s not making fun of me.

“Sure.” It’s not like I have any concrete plans, and it’s been a while since I’ve spoken about my mom.

Since there’s no line, we both order, and Nate insists on paying. We find a small table in the corner, and afterour drinks are ready, we grab them and have a seat.

“Now, tell me about the magic,” Nate says, taking a sip of his drink.

“It’s hard to explain,” I admit. “It’s more like something I feel. When my mom was alive, we traveled a lot because my dad was a pilot. Well, he still is…” I groan, wishing I hadn’t mentioned him at all. “Sorry, he’s, umm…a sore spot.”

I sigh and shake my head, refusing to let my dad’s choices affect me. I accepted a long time ago that when I lost my mom, I lost him too. Sure, he calls me every month to ask how I’m doing, but our conversations are awkward, and I don’t know why he even bothers. John once told me I should tell him to stop calling, but I can’t bring myself to do it. He’s the only family I have left, and I think a small part of me hopes that maybe he’s calling because he does love me despite what he told my mom.

“Anyway,” I continue, “my dad was offered a job based out of London, so he took us to visit, and my mom fell in love with the city. She insisted we stay, and it was the first and only time we stayed somewhere long enough for it to feel like home. “Every day, we would explore the city in some way, and I fell in love with it right alongside her…”

“Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?”

“Because there always is.” I laugh through the tears I’m holding back. “She died from cancer, and then my dad moved us to Rome and then to the States.

“When I graduated from college, I came back here, wanting to be close to my mom…to the magic I’d felt when she was alive. But it wasn’t the same,” I admit. “I love this city, but I don’t know if it’s because she’s not here or because, without her, I feel so alone, but it feels like the magic is gone. Or maybe it was all in my head and the magic never existed.”

The thought that the magic never existed hurts my heart worse than catching John and Phoebe together. The memories of living in this city with my mom are how I want to remember her. When I moved back here and didn’t feel the magic, I chalked it up to being so busy with work that I didn’t have time to truly enjoy the city the way she and I had. But now, I’m here, and if I explore the city and find out the magic really is gone, I’m afraid it’s going to feel like I’ve lost my mom all over again. Only this time, it will be worse because without the memories of the magical city, I’ll have nothing left of her.

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