Page 60 of Fragile Love (Fragile 3)
“So chivalrous,” she murmured, holding his hand. “I’m very attracted to that.”
“I’m very attracted to you.” He smiled. “I’m going to buy you a nice glass of wine tonight. Red, of course.”
“You know me well.” Lillian looked at her phone. “Hopefully nothing will happen with Andrew again today. It will be really nice to get out and do something different with you.”
“I can think of plenty of things we can do that are different,” he snickered.
“Show me after we have our little outing tonight.” The elevator doors opened again, and the smell of rich breakfast foods greeted them. She heard his stomach rumble. “Let’s get you some food, hot stuff,” she said, never letting go of his hand
. “We need energy for all the fun that’s in store tonight.”
SHE RUBBED THE TOWEL furiously through her hair. Little droplets of water sprinkled onto her ankles and tickled as they ran down to her heels. Wrapping her hair up in a towel tsunami—Amelia had always called it that—she looked at herself in the mirror.
A shower can really do magic, she thought. All day she had been moving furniture around Katharina’s new guest house, which was due to be cleaned by some people she hired the next morning. There were a few older items in there that were covered in dust. Lillian was shocked anything Katharina owned would have been that dirty, but quickly remembered that Katharina didn’t care about the state of the house right now. She only wanted someone to get it to be the best. The result is what she always set her eyes on.
Lillian didn’t mind doing some wiping down, although Katharina had instructed her not to do any cleaning. “That is the cleaners’ job,” she had told her very matter-of-factly. “I didn’t hire you to clean, so don’t even think about it.”
And she’d tried not to clean, but even with all the little windows and the door wide open, millions of dust particles still floated around like tiny ghosts. Until the place got cleaned, there was very little she could actually do in terms of organizing and decorating, so she spent the whole day taking measurements and inventory of all the furniture and décor items. She loved planning where would be best for them to end up, and doing some shopping online for bedspreads and floor rugs. Katharina had seemed thrilled when she saw what Lillian had found, and said that they would buy it all the next day when everything was dust-free and sparkling.
Most of the day, she had been alone. Katharina was out with Andrew, taking him to a five-star restaurant for lunch and sightseeing in her private car. When Andrew saw that Katharina had a driver to take her everywhere, he did his best to keep his eyes from popping out of his head. You hear about people living like this, he texted Lillian later, when they were at lunch and he had a moment to himself when Katharina was in the bathroom, but it doesn’t seem real until you see it with your own eyes.
He did have a point. Here she was, in this glamorous hotel that was paid for, getting ready to go to a fancy café bar place with the man who had stolen her heart. How did this even happen? she wondered during times like this as she sprayed some of the perfume Cayden loved on her wrists. Andrew was also having a blast—when Katharina had said she would give him the royal treatment, she wasn’t kidding. Lillian was so relieved he was having a good time so far, and wracked her brain to figure out what she could do to thank Katharina for being so generous with him.
She picked up her phone and sent a message to Cayden. Hey. It’s so beautiful outside! I’m going to walk to the place.
I’m about to get in the shower for a quick rinse so I don’t smell like gym, he replied. Walk really slowly. You’ll get there before me.
No rush. I just need to get out of this hotel room! It’s making me so sleepy. She snapped a photo of the bed, which had been made by housekeeping so perfectly the blanket and pillows had no wrinkles. I’ll take you on a date to this place after the bar.
Can’t wait, he sent. See you there.
She slipped into a dress and some of her favorite jewelry she’d brought along on a whim. She never wore jewelry, so it was fun to dress up a little. Taking a last look at her reflection, she smiled. He’ll love this outfit. And I don’t look like I totally stand out from all the hot Los Angeles ladies.
Feeling peaceful in the evening light, she took her time walking to the bar. The Los Angeles weather was dreamy—living here in the winter was much better than being cold all the time back home. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to work here part time, she thought.
The faint sound of music drifted around her. She looked ahead, surprised to see the bar was right there. She got out her phone and sent a voice message to Cayden. “Hey, I’m here already. No rush. It’s a gorgeous evening. I’m going to grab a drink and check the place out.”
He sent back a simple thumb’s up and she put her phone in her purse. The doorway of the bar was framed in fairy lights that twisted around the rafters inside. Lillian looked up at the high ceilings and around the huge room; it had a vibe that was earthy, modern, and classy with its combination of rustic wood and shiny metal.
“Reservation?” the host asked.
“Cayden Manos, I think,” she replied.
He tapped something on a tablet. “Yes. Table for two, next to the bar.”
“I guess so,” she shrugged. With a smile, the host led her to the table. Lillian sat on one of the high chairs. Her feet barely touched the floor. No wonder kids love these things, she laughed to herself.
She watched the live band come onstage and start to play some swanky, sultry jazz. Everyone else in the room had a drink or some food, so she got up and stood at the bar. “Cabernet,” she told the bartender, who poured her wine into a glass that was similar to Katharina’s ultra-fragile crystal.
“Very safe choice,” said someone. Lillian looked to the side and saw a woman standing there, wearing a silky black dress with a plunging neckline. She nodded at Lillian’s glass. “Cabernet.”
Shyly, Lillian smiled. “I don’t know what else they have, to be honest. I’m totally happy with this.”
“A safe choice, but a good one, I suppose. I prefer pinot grigio for nights like this, personally. But tonight, it’s Hendrick’s on the rocks.”
Trying to play it cool in this situation that made her feel awkward, she held her glass toward the woman and they clinked, then took a sip. The woman studied Lillian for a little longer than was necessary.
“Can I help you?” Lillian asked cautiously, trying to break the stare.
