“I know what I saw, and they like watching you, and they love how you interact with them.”
We walked to the exit. “I think four of them spoke English. I smile. That’s how I interact with them.”
“They ate it up.”
“Okay, Mr. Actual Celebrity. I noticed you kept your hat down and chin even lower. Are you a big deal over here?”
A driver opened the door to a black, compact SUV. Thad hired a driver for Lake and her “guest” for the rest of the day—anywhere we wanted to go. Lake climbed in and I followed her.
“No. I don’t think I’m a big deal here, but to be honest, I didn’t think I’d be a big deal the first time I went grocery shopping after I moved to Minneapolis. By the time I autographed my way to my truck and drove home, my perishable items had in fact perished.”
“Where to?” the driver asked, inEnglish. Well done, Thad.
“Food. I need food, and I’m not picky. Some place nice but casual, and preferably where there are no American football fans,” Lake requested then winked at me.
I shook my head, but I still had to grin as the driver returned an odd look in the rearview mirror then nodded before pulling out of the parking lot.
“Thank you.” Lake grabbed my hand.
“For?”
“For being here. For spending hour after boring hour watching me work. The bastard geeks didn’t even pull a chair up for you. Sorry.”
I kissed the inside of her wrist. “I loved every minute. When you said you were climbing with a prototype leg, I imagined a small bouldering wall with a few crash pads. I didn’t anticipate you lead climbing a fifty-foot wall like a kick-ass competitor. You’re good. Really good. And the pool… I was impressed. And for the record, I’m not easily impressed.”
My compliment was met with an intense stare and a few moments of silence. The “are you being serious” flashed in neon on her beautiful face. Her hand shook in mine. I squeezed it and she smiled like she believed me. I didn’t want her to argue. I didn’t want her to question my sincerity. I didn’t want her to ever see her reflection as less than amazing.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
LAKE
We spenta perfect afternoon sightseeing around Beijing with our personal driver, topping it off with a candlelit dinner and wine. Cage didn’t drink. I did, probably too much, but I needed something to numb my nerves that he fed all afternoon with his words, his dimples, and the stolen kisses he took every chance he got.
“Wanna come up to my room for a bit?” I asked when the driver pulled up in front of the hotel.
Cage looked at his non-existent watch on his wrist. “Hmm… maybe just for a little while. My visa expires in twenty-eight days.”
Dimples.
I was such a goner.
In the elevator I shot a text off to Thad.
Lake:I’ll see you tomorrow. If you knock on my hotel room door 2nite you will leave this country in need of prosthetic man parts.
Thad:Don’t let your sports star impregnate you. The extra weight would require new legs. Basically… don’t have sex. Night, love.
Thad’s text gave me a moment of pause. Don’t have sex? Was he being funny or possessive? I knew the idea was ridiculous so I shook it off.
“Texting your Beijing boyfriend to wait a bit before tucking you in bed?”
I giggled, thanks to the extra glass of wine, while looking at my phone screen. “Are you jealous? Pleeease be jealous. I’m not usually into that behavior, but you’re different. If I honestly thought you could be jealous, I swear we wouldn’t even make it back to the hotel room before…” I shook my head.
The elevator doors opened. I slipped my phone in my purse and headed toward the room.
“Before what, Lake?” he called behind me.
The bass in my chest kept beat for the song that played in my body. It was that song that held all of my emotions. It was the song that gave me the courage to turn around.
