“Fine.” I hold up my hands in defeat. “Round two goes to you.”
“Thank you.”
“Now would you mind sharing where we are?”
“I did. Kensal Town.”
It’s clear he won’t be giving me an answer anytime soon. I’ll just have to follow his lead and see where we end up.
Fourteen
Ipractically press my nose against the glass window of an antique shop with a bright-red awning just off High Street. A shiver of excitement runs along the length of my spine. “Oh. My. Goodness. This has to be ten times better than a Disney amusement park.” I’m bouncing up and down on my toes.
There are rows upon rows of doors, lamp bases, and chandeliers. There are chairs, tables, door handles, windows, and even a few kitchen sinks. It’s as if there is a helium-filled balloon inside my stomach, ready to burst. I have to go in. I can’t wait a moment longer.
“Excited much?” Art chuckles.
“Beyond excited,” I squeak. I give him the best impersonation of a puppy dog I can muster. “Can we please go in?”
“Yes. The entire reason I brought you here was so you could shop for your new home. Angela mentioned you had some Pinterest boards for inspiration. I thought perhaps you might find something here. That is assuming you’re looking for period furniture.”
Without thinking about what I’m doing, I wrap my arms around him in a big hug, pinning his arms by his sides. He staggers backward two steps into the shop’s window. His body is firm. The fabric of his jacket is soft and smells of fresh detergent. “I am! Thank you. You’re theabsolute best and the world’s most amazing officer.” I glance up at his hazel-brown orbs, dancing in amusement.
“Can I have that in writing?”
“If you want.”
“You know what, a video recording is better. That way people can’t claim your note is a forgery.”
“Whatever you want.”
I feel the warmth of his body radiating through his suit. For a few moments, I envision myself leaning in. His strong arms would wrap themselves against my body, pulling me closer to him. He’d tell me I’m beautiful. Then I’d expose the nape of my neck to him, and he’d plant a slow trail of kisses up it until he reached my mouth. His lips are so full and a lovely shade of cherry-red.
A dog’s bark, however, brings me back into reality. A woman walking a white highland terrier gives us the side-eye as she passes us, pretending not to be nosy. I’m reminded that we’re standing in a very public place where anyone can see us and recognize me. We can’t afford to have somebody snap our photo and sell it to the tabloids. I pull back and release Art. He adjusts his tie while I straighten my jumper.
I don’t need to look at my reflection in the window to see how I probably look like a mess right now. I imagine my hair is wild and my face a bright, lipstick-red. My body feels like I’ve been standing next to a wood-burning stove for an hour or two while wearing two or three thick woolen jumpers. I study the sidewalk, trying to regain control over myself. That was too close. The sooner I put Jenna’s plan into action, the better. I’ll arrange a date with one of her friends for later this week.
Art clears his throat and pulls the door open. A bell chimes. I lift my chin. “Ali—ma’am. If you would.”
We enter.
“Cheers and welcome.” A woman with curly, short strawberry-blond hair approaches us. She’s wearing retro eyeglasses with a pearl strap, a red-and-white checkered dress, and has a black cardigan draped over her shoulders. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s in her mid-thirties.
“Hello,” I say in return.
“How may I help you two today?” Her eyes flicker directly to Art, ignoring me as she drinks him in. A feral cat inside of me wants to growlthat he’s off-limits, but that’s way outside of my bounds. Especially since he isn’t my boyfriend. He’s just a friend. And my bodyguard.
“We’re just looking,” he answers curtly. The playfulness he exhibited earlier has disappeared. The mask is firmly in place.
To my satisfaction, disappointment flickers behind her eyes. I add, “I’m doing up a flat and I may need some reclaimed items, like doors, when I move into the next phase of the project.”
The saleswoman focuses on me. “Oh my! Princess Alice!” She curtsies. “I... I... I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you at first, Your Highness.” She immediately shifts into business mode. “As you can see from our stock, we have a wide selection of items. I’m sure we have exactly what you’re looking for. What period is your flat?”
“Victorian,” I answer tonelessly, attempting to disguise my annoyance.
“Mmph. That happens to be the majority of our inventory. Our Victorian and Edwardian collections are going to be located in our basement. What you see out here is more contemporary.” She signals for us to follow her. We cross the sales floor and over to a set of stairs tucked into the back wall of the shop. We’re the only customers inside. “Feel free to have a browse. If anything catches your fancy, do let me know. We’ll be happy to hold any items for you.”
“We will,” Art assures her. He places his hand on my shoulder and gently urges me forward. Something tells me he can’t wait for us to be alone again downstairs. I can’t say I blame him. The saleswoman is making me uncomfortable too.
