Page 33 of Serving the Couturier

Excited for a night to remember, I eagerly approached London’s apartment. As I rang the doorbell, I grew nervous with anticipation. The moment she stepped out, my nerves melted away. She was a vision in a deep blue dress; the fabric hugging her curves in all the right places.

I suspected her talented brother was behind the creation of this masterpiece. The plunging neckline hinted at the possibility of her going braless, sending my imagination into overdrive with inappropriate thoughts.

Arm in arm, we stepped into the luxurious car service and were whisked away to the highly anticipated restaurant. I felt every eye upon us as we entered the establishment, but I was certain that most of the attention was directed towards the stunning woman by my side.

“The name on your reservation?” the hostess asked with a bland expression on her face.

“Spencer York,” I replied with a charming smile.

She took her time searching for our reservation, but before I could become too impatient, she spoke again, “Here you are. If you’ll follow me.”

At first, I thought we would be seated at a private table at the back of the restaurant. However, to my surprise, the hostess led us to a tiny table right beside the kitchen. I was about to request a better table and offer a substantial tip, but the hostess walked away without even giving me a second look.

I took a deep breath, determined not to let this spoil our evening. With a charming grin, I pulled out a chair for London and sat across from her, quickly moving my seat just in time to avoid a near miss with the swinging kitchen door. “This is...cozy,” I said with a chuckle, trying to make light of the situation.

London laughed. “Someone has to sit here, right?” she said with a smile, making me grateful for her easy-going nature.

I reached across the table and took her hand. “You’re quite the woman, you know that?”

“I do, but it never hurts to hear it,” she teased.

A waiter appeared with two glasses of water and took our drink orders.

“Perhaps this will mean we’ll get our orders faster,” I said as the waiter walked away.

“Maybe,” she agreed.

A burst of noise accompanied the doors opening behind me, and I suppressed my annoyance as we paused our conversation until it was quiet again.

“So, how did you and Stan meet?” London asked. “I don’t think you ever told me.”

“It’s quite a story,” I said with a grin. “Stan came to the UK to check out the West End a few years ago, and I, being the charming devil I am, swept him off his feet.”

London giggled. “That sounds like the start of a beautiful love affair.”

“Hardly,” I chuckled, and continued with a grin. “He had just purchased an off-Broadway theater and came to London to steal all my secrets.” I paused as the kitchen doors swung open again, slamming into the back of my chair. I turned around, expecting an apology, but the server continued without even acknowledging us.

I sighed and took a sip of my drink. “After he left, we stayed in touch,” I said.

“So, you called him when you decided to bring your show to the US?” London asked.

“No, actually,” I replied with a chuckle. “It was Stan who rang me up and suggested that my show could be a tremendous success on the bright lights of Broadway.”

We paused again as our server came out of the kitchen and I expected our drinks being delivered. However, he passed us with a tray of food, which left me slightly disappointed.

“How’s your brother doing with the costumes?” I asked. “Didn’t you see him yesterday?”

“I did,” London replied with a twinkle in her eye. “At the last fitting, he told me I could pick up the dresses tomorrow before our big rehearsal.”

“Fantastic,” I said, already having seen the preliminary designs and loving them. “They will be a hit on stage.”

Just then, the kitchen door swung open, banging into the back of my chair and jolting me forward. I barely pushed back when our waiter set down our drinks on the table.

“I’ll be back in a moment to take your orders,” he said before hurrying off.

I raised an eyebrow and turned to London. “I apologize for this poor experience. Stan highly recommended this restaurant, and it has received glowing reviews. Perhaps they’re just having an off night.”

“Or maybe it’s one of those over-hyped things,” London added, “like caviar.”

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