“Good morning, Alice.”
He joins me by the window and wraps his arms around me. I smell the same gingerbread-and-honey scent as earlier. “Good morning to you too.” I rest against his strong chest.
“I heard you get up about a half hour ago and wanted to give you some time to get ready.”
“Are the three troublemakers sorted out?”
“Indeed, they are.”
“Good.” I tug slightly on his arm and look up at him. “Were you able to get some rest too?”
“A little, but what I could really use is some breakfast. Do you fancy going out this morning and doing some sightseeing?”
I inhale sharply. That’s one of the best offers I’ve ever received. Time alone with Artandthe opportunity to finally see some of Japan’s architecture. “Do you mean it? Just the two of us?”
“I do. I spoke to Angela. She was more than happy to be able to have a lie-in and agreed to take the morning off, but she made me promise we’d switch this afternoon. We agreed that the security risk would be low enough to merit one protection officer.”
I let out a happy squeal, but Art places a finger on my lips, then points to the door. “Shh. Don’t wake her. We can’t let on that everything’s changed.”
I blush and giggle. “Sorry.”
He chuckles. “Come on, Princess. Let’s get our shoes and we can head out.” He releases me.
“It’s Alice. And are you going to be able to go like that?”
“Like what?” He glances down at his clothing.
“So casually? Without your, um... tools of the trade?”
“Our mission today is to blend in like tourists. I think this is the perfect disguise, don’t you?” He winks. “Don’t worry your gorgeoushead over my ‘tools of the trade,’ as you’re calling them. They’ll be hidden on my body. Is five minutes enough time?”
“Perfect.”
The moment he disappears into his suite, I do a happy dance that would make Amanda proud. This is my first date with Art! Okay, maybe it’s not really a date, but it’s the next best thing. I’ll take it.
Running to the bathroom, I toss my hair into a messy bun, brush my teeth one more time, and layer on my signature Yves Saint Laurent pink-pearl lipstick. Mum has pounded it into my brain that it’s the one cosmetic that should always be worn on a daily basis. Smacking my lips together, I give myself a once-over. I look and feel like a million pounds. For one magical day, I’ll finally be able to spend some time with the man I’m falling for.
“So what areyou in the mood for this morning besides coffee? What do you usually eat for breakfast?” I ask.
We walk side by side down one of the side streets a few blocks from the hotel. I trust that Art knows where we’re going, because if he’s relying on me, we’ll end up walking straight until we hit a dead end. I may be good at problem-solving, but I have no sense of direction. None of the people we pass stare at us. There are no whispers behind our backs. I’m in the Japanese bubble. I’m free.
“Coffee, fruit, and protein. Think eggs, avocado toast, cottage-cheese pancakes, things like that. It depends on what ingredients I have around my pantry and how much time I’ve allowed myself to whip up a dish. I try to work out right after I’ve gotten up.”
“Cottage-cheese pancakes?” I wrinkle my nose. “Those sound horrid. The texture alone is... bleh.”
“Speak for yourself.Mypancakes are delicious.” He playfully elbows my shoulder. “I’ll make you a batch, then you can decide for yourself what youreallythink of them.”
My heart jolts at the possibility of us being together as a couple. I picture Art standing in the kitchen of my renovated flat, happily baking to his heart’s content with the top-of-the-line appliances he’s pickedout. He’ll be in jeans and a T-shirt and don a frilly pink apron over his clothing to keep it clean. He’ll be my teacher and help me survive on more than the standard uni diet of microwave meals and takeaway.
“Deal.” Even if this is a daydream, at least I can pretend it’s real.
“What do you like to have?”
“Either cereal or yogurt, granola, and berries. It’s like a dessert, but it counts for breakfast.”
“Is dessert what you think about most of the time?”
“Uh-huh. It’s the first thing I look at on a menu.”
