I’ve been coming to Kyoto Garden in London’s Holland Park every day for the last week. Drawn here for some reason. I guess it’s probably pretty obvious what that reason is.
And now I have the best reason of all – to see Chloe Dasher again. This time at her invitation.
I stroll through the grounds and make a beeline for the bench next to the koi pond that I’m pretty sure she must have been sitting on to take the pictures she sent me. I’ve spent a bit of time on that bench recently, thinking about the time we spent together in Japan and missing her.
I’d almost given up hope that she’d contact me, so the minute her message appeared on my phone I dropped everything I was doing and hared it over to the park in the hope she’d still be here.
I just had afeelingI’d be lucky.
And there she is, exactly where I imagined she’d be. Looking as serene and sexy as ever. She’s staring into the depths of the pond as if her thoughts are a million miles away. Or maybe six thousand.
My heart is in my mouth as I walk quickly towards her, willing her to look up and see me.
‘Hello, stranger,’ I say, as she seems to sense me approaching and raises her head, her gaze meeting mine.
The look of delighted surprise on her beautiful face takes my breath away.
‘I thought I was hallucinating there for a second,’ she says, by way of reply.
I grin. ‘Nope. It’s really me. In the flesh. Bumping into you, on the other side of the world, after not seeing you for, what? A month?’
‘Six weeks, three days, actually,’ she says with a sheepish sort of smile.
‘You’ve been counting?’ I’m surprised, though delighted by this. It suggests she’s been thinking about me as much as I’ve been thinking about her.
She shrugs. ‘I just have a good memory for dates,’ she says, but I see a tell-tale colour rise to her cheeks.
‘So how have you been?’ I ask.
‘Oh, you know, surviving.’
We smile at each other awkwardly.
But I’m not going to let a bit of weirdness get in the way. I want this to work out too much. So I’m just going to launch straight in.
‘Actually, I’m glad you got in contact,’ I say, sitting down on the bench next to her. ‘I’m setting up a charitable foundation to disseminate my wealth.’ I quirk an eyebrow. ‘How much money does one person need, right? And I was hoping I might be able to persuade you to consult for me. It’d be a fully paid gig, of course.’
‘A foundation?’ she says, looking stunned.
‘Yeah. I want it to invest in protecting and re-establishing woodland in this country. I hear it needs a huge injection of cash and a concerted effort to reach the goals that have been set by 2030,’ I say. ‘As luck would have it, I currently have the means to do that. So I’m setting up a foundation to do it through.’
‘Wow. I’m… lost for words. You really listened to what I said.’
‘Yeah, I did. I listened, thought about it a lot after you’d gone and decided you were right. I need to use this obscene wealth I have for good. And you’re right about something else too. I’m not built to be a billionaire. It’s going to destroy me if I’m not careful.’
‘Huh. Okay, well, good. The last thing I want is for you to be destroyed.’
‘Thanks. That’s good to hear,’ I say with a smile.
‘You’re really going to give it all away?’ she asks, as though she can’t quite believe it.
‘Well, most of it. I’ll keep some back to help run my new start-up business venture and invest some for my future.’
‘Right. Okay. Well, that’s obviously amazing. I’m blown away to hear it. Good for you, Kit.’
‘Thanks. You know, while I was travelling round Japan, once you’d left, it hit me that the things that have made me the happiest recently are things I’ve not paid for. They’ve been the spontaneous stuff. Things I’d not even imagined being on the cards. Like hanging out with you.’
Her eyes seem to spark at that, but there’s wariness in her expression too.
