Page 97 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
“No, I don’t mean go to him right now. I mean, go to London. You’re the boss of your own company. Surely you can take time off to figure out your relationship with Adrian.”
I stab a piece of carrot with my knife. “It was a stretch enough taking this week off. I panicked and called Darius out here, who was meant to be handling the office. Without him holding down the fort, we’ll probably be returning to a shitstorm at work. I need to be back in New York.”
“Oh, listen to you,” Darius tsks. “You’re a workaholic. I’ll fix the shitstorm. You need to focus on your relationship.”
“But—”
“Verena,” Zac croaks, his voice thick with grief. “So what if your business suffers—which it won’t—but I’m just saying. Adrian should be your priority. If you’re so adamant that you’re going to lose him, go after what is yours and claim it.”
Phoebe waves her phone. “I just looked up flights. There’s one seat available on a flight at six p.m. tonight. Should I book it? Quick, it could be gone any second.”
“No need,” Darius says. “You obviously didn’t hear, but Verena has a private jet waiting for her.”
Phoebe laughs. “Of course she does.”
I gaze around the table at all four of them, finding them staring back at me in anticipation. The pressure is heavy upon me to make this spur-of-the-moment decision. Am I being too rash? I promised Adrian I wouldn’t panic, and now panicking is exactly what I’m doing. These long-distance relationships always start off manageable, then spiral out of control.
“Vee, what will it be?” Darius asks, pulling me from deep within my cataclysmic thoughts.
I flinch over the nickname Darius just used.Adrian’sname for me. Adrian and I have already destroyed things between us once. It’s a miracle we found our way back to each other. Something breaks inside me, thinking that the day might arrive where we truly are unfixable. That Adrian will never call meVeeagain.
I spring to my feet. “Darius, call the pilot. Tell him we’re making a detour to London.”
A playful look sits on Darius’ face, making me wonder whether he called meVeeto get this exact response. “We? No, Verena, I’ve already scarred Adrian enough. Your reunion will be much hotter without me and Zac. We’ll make a booking on another plane and let you have your alone time with him.”
I bend down and plant ten fast kisses on his cheek. “What would I do without you? And Zac, thank you for suggesting this plan.” I wrap him in a bear hug.
Darius taps my ass. “Go and pack a suitcase—onlyone, I’ll take care of the rest—and then get your ass out of here. I don’t want to hear a word from you until you’ve sorted everything out with Adrian.”
“I’ll text you his address,” Phoebe says.
“Thank you, all of you. And no one tell Adrian about this. I want to surprise him,” I say, smooshing Tory and Phoebe with a hug before dashing to my bungalow.
* * *
It’s dark when a private car service drops me in front of Adrian’s London apartment. I have texts from him when his flight landed hours ago, filled with heart emojis and sweet words, telling me he’s exhausted from travel and will call me when he wakes. Considering how I’ve been in transit for over twenty-four hours, I should be tired too, but I’m too buzzed with the anticipation of seeing Adrian for fatigue to affect me.
He lives in a block of apartments covered in snow. And here I am, freezing my ass off as I cling to a sheer blanket from my jet, dressed in summer gear beneath, because that’s all I packed when leaving New York. Not the sexiest look, but it will do. At least I’m not Hannah right now, strutting around in a bikini.
With my arms clutched around myself, I walk up the driveway to Adrian’s apartment building. The door opens before I reach it and a man in a trench coat rushes out, wheeling a suitcase behind him. We both pause the moment we make eye-contact.
“Adrian. Fancy seeing you here.”
He breaks into a soft laugh, shaking with disbelief. “Vee, what on earth are you doing at my front door?”
“Coming to be with you. Please tell me you’re not going somewhere.” I nod at his luggage.
“Actually, I am. I arrived here hours ago but realized I’d flown to the wrong city. This isn’t home. I’ve booked a flight to New York that leaves in three hours. You see, there’s a girl I’m crazy about and the last time I saw her there was a sadness in her eyes that broke my heart. I need to get to her before she panics and does something foolish like break up with me before we’ve even started.”
Tears pool in my eyes as I laugh. Adrian abandons his luggage and strides up to me, pressing his lips to mine. My head swirls from the intoxicating scent of his breath. His warmth spreads into me, and I know I’m home. Being in his arms is the only thing in this world that feels right.
“You must be cold.” Adrian unbuttons his coat and wraps me inside it with him. “See, I told you there’d be more opportunities to cuddle up inside my jacket with me.”
“I bet you didn’t think my craziness extended this far—showing up in London out of the blue.”
He chuckles. “I didn’t see this one coming, but then again, I never know what I’m going to get from you.”
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make us work, even if that means uprooting my life and moving to London.”
