Page 76 of Serving the Couturier

“She’s an actress,” Grandmother said, the single word dripping with snobbery.

“She’s also the daughter of Patrick McCrae, the multi-billionaire who owns MIRI,” I added, choosing to ignore the slight against the career path I’d chosen.

“So, she’s not just American, she’s Scottish,” Grandmother sniffed.

When Lord and Lady Fitzpatrick approached, Grandmother swallowed any further insults she might have levied at the Scottish people. Lady Fitzpatrick was a baroness in her own right, and while her husband might have been three generations removed from his Scottish roots, they wore the surname with pride. It had been quite the scandal, or so I’d heard.

After the Fitzpatricks came a Count and Countess, along with their twenty-something daughter. It was no surprise that Grandmother made a point of introducing the young woman to me. I waited until the trio was out of earshot before speaking.

“Don’t you think that’s a little inappropriate?” I said, keeping my voice low. “Practically throwing a woman at me at my father’s funeral, and not to mention that I already have a girlfriend.”

Grandmother gave me a stern look. “You’re the baron now. The time for your selfish indulgences has come to an end. You have duties.”

“I know,” I snapped. “I know my duties, and I’ll do what I must. Just give me today to grieve for my father.”

Something about my tone must have gotten through to Grandmother, or perhaps she finally realized that I had emotions regarding my father’s death. Whatever it was, she simply nodded and turned her attention to the next group of people approaching us.

Grateful for the reprieve, I couldn’t stop the realization from bouncing around in my head, knowing what Grandmother meant. I’d have to send London back to New York while I stayed here.

* * *

After the funeraland everything that followed, by the time London and I returned to my flat, all I wanted was to forget the entire day. When she asked what she could do to help, that’s what I said. “Make me forget.”

And then, suddenly, my thoughts were consumed by her. Her scent. The sight of her above me, riding me. The feel of her pussy squeezing my cock. The ecstasy that turned the world white.

“Did it work?” London asked as she rolled over to grab her phone.

“Yes, thank you,” I replied, crossing my arms behind my head. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“I aim to please,” she said in a playful tone. After a moment of silence, she added, “I was thinking maybe we should stay longer. I won’t be able to perform on stage for at least another week.”

I turned to face her as she put her phone down. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden to you,” I said.

“I’m positive,” she replied. “I’m not taking a vacation, after all. I want to be here for you.”

I hugged her closer to me and whispered in her ear, “You have no idea how grateful I am to have you here. Your presence makes everything better.”

We lay there quietly for a few moments, basking in the afterglow of our shared moment.

I let out a contented sigh, thinking that I didn’t care what my grandmother demanded. London was not leaving, and I wanted her to stay with me for as long as possible.

“You know, Spencer,” London said, turning to face me with a mischievous glint in her eye. “I think you might be developing a bit of a dependency on me. What will you do when I finally have to leave?”

“Oh, I’ll just have to follow you to the ends of the earth,” I replied with a cheeky grin. “I’ll forever be your biggest fan, cheering you on from the front row at every performance.”

London laughed and leaned in for a kiss. “Well, in that case, I better make sure I put on a good show,” she said, a playful smile on her lips.

FORTY

LONDON

“Tomma Ackman isa breath of fresh air, a perfect fit for a unique new vision,” read the review. “After just one week of performances, Tomma Ackman has stepped into the lead role previously held by London McCrae, proving that McCrae wasn’t the sole reason for the show’s success. Understudy Tomma Ackman shines in the lead role.”

I had read the reviews until I had them memorized, and then I read the new ones. I read, I stewed, and I worried. But I didn’t say a word about it to anyone. How could I burden Spencer with my concerns about work when he was going through so much already? All he needed to know was that the show was still shining without us there.

Yesterday, with nothing to do but wait, I used the time to reach out to my family and tell them I was considering staying longer. I half expected them to discourage me, but they encouraged me to follow my heart. Carson and Maggie seemed a little extra concerned about my well-being, which made me suspect they had read the reviews too, but I appreciated them not bringing it up. I could have talked to them about it if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to sound petty and jealous.

I didn’t want Tomma to fail in the role, of course, as that could ruin the entire production, but I also didn’t want her to receive all the rave reviews I was seeing everywhere. If she was that good, would I even be able to come back? It was all so overwhelming.

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