Page 53 of The Secret Librarian
‘I don’t see that I have any other choice.’
Chapter Sixteen
Avery
Avery was already second-guessing why she’d agreed to meet Camille at the hotel, and she’d only just walked in the door. The Hotel Avenida was familiar to her now, and she no longer felt so out of place in Lisbon as she had done that very first night she’d come out, but she doubted that she’d ever get used to arriving at a bar alone. The fact that there were so many men there, and so few women, was off-putting to say the least.
Helping to forge documents and taking photos in the relative safety of Camille’s bookshop didn’t feel such a stretch for her, but pretending she was a confident woman in a bar full of men? That was something more challenging.
‘Avery?’
She turned at her name, delighted to see James standing by her with a drink in hand. She’d been hoping to see him, especially after not hearing from him since their date a few weeks ago, and she’d almost given up all hope.
‘James! You’re a sight for sore eyes.’
He came closer and kissed her cheek, and she found herself leaning into his touch, truly pleased to just be near him again. Shemight not know him well, but every time she was with him she found herself thinking that there was no way this charming man could possibly be a person of suspicion.
‘I had to leave Lisbon unexpectedly, in case you were wondering why I wasn’t following you and appearing wherever you were.’
Avery laughed. ‘And here I was thinking you were just avoiding me.’
‘Avoiding you? I’d have been making sure we bumped into each other at least once a day if I’d been here.’
She’d almost forgotten how easy it was between them, James’s banter somehow always putting her at ease, and she realised just how much she’d missed him. Their date had been one of the best evenings of her life, but she’d started to wonder if he’d felt differently when she hadn’t heard from him again. It was reassuring to know that wasn’t the case.
‘Unfortunately, I’m only here for a couple of days. I’m heading off again shortly.’
‘How long will you be gone for this time?’ she asked, disappointed to think she wouldn’t see him again. ‘You will be coming back, right?’
‘I promise that I’ll be coming back, I’m just not entirely sure when that will be.’ He smiled. ‘I’d tell you more if I could.’
Avery wasn’t quite sure what to do with her hands, wishing she had a drink to hold, and she went to fold them in front of her at the same time as James reached out. He caught her fingers in his, his eyes meeting hers.
‘I’ve missed you,’ he said.
She opened her mouth to reply, but didn’t get the chance to say what she’d intended.
‘Avery! There you are.’
William’s voice was loud, and she saw the frown cross James’s face for a split second before he let go of her. When James’s eyes methers, she saw something in his gaze that made her feel as if she’d let him down, and she wished they’d just had a moment longer alone, together, for her to tell him how she felt. If it had been up to her, she’d have held on to James’s hand for hours without letting go.
‘I’m so pleased you came,’ William said when he reached her, passing her a glass of champagne. ‘James, how are you?’
James looked prickly, but he held out his hand anyway. ‘Ah, William, right? Good to see you.’
‘You know Avery?’ William asked, moving closer to her.
James just looked at her, and she felt a sense of hurt, knowing how it looked. William was making out as if they’d come together, and it wasn’t a lie, she had come to see him, but if she’d known James was going to be there ... She swallowed. Avery had very little experience with the politics of dating, but she very much wished that James hadn’t seen her with William. If she could have chosen any man in the world to spend an evening with, it was James; every time, it would be James.
‘James and I have known each other since my very first night in Lisbon,’ Avery said, not about to let him go thinking that she’d chosen William over him. ‘Without him, I fear I would have been completely lost in this town.’ She stared into James’s eyes for a moment. ‘He made me feel at home when I was otherwise very lost.’
‘Well, you two enjoy your evening,’ James said, looking away from her to down the rest of the amber liquid in his glass, before placing it a little too heavily on the bar. ‘I’ll see you soon, Avery.’
William took her hand then to pull her away, and Avery watched as James’s gaze dropped, looking at the way William touched her. It was then that she wondered if James had come to the hotel bar to search for her, to tell her that he’d been unexpectedly sent away again, but she didn’t get the chance to ask before William was pulling her through the crowd of mento where Camille was waving at her, gesturing to a bottle of champagne on the table.
There was no sign of Kiefer, and for that Avery was pleased, but she found herself craning her neck for one last glimpse of James, to see if he was looking after her, to wave. She might have even braved the crowded room by herself and gone to say goodbye properly. But the spot where he’d been standing was now vacant, and she couldn’t see him anywhere.
‘Avery, who are you looking for?’ Camille asked.
