Page 75 of A Certain Appeal
Darcy huffs out an anxious laugh, which—anxious? He does that? “I’ll be right there.” He turns and disappears from view.
“Holy shit,” I hiss, trying to keep my voice down. “He’shere.”
“And he’s nummy. Well done, Lizard.” Chloe scans my face. “Your lipstick is good, nothing’s smudged.” She points to the front of my dress. “Good call on the wrap, but let’s—” She pinches the fabric below my bust and gives a quick downward tug; I’m too stunned to protest. “Just right. The girls look great—hey!”
Darcy strides our way.
“Sorry for the breaking and entering.” Chloe extends a hand. “Chloe, again. I’m Liz’s cousin. Just visiting.”
Darcy shakes her hand with a smile. “You sleeping on the infamous bouldering mat?”
I blink, thrown by the unexpected callback to a month-old conversation. A snort escapes me at the visual of Gales trying to make himself comfortable on the mat, let alone share it with Chloe.
“No,” I say. “They’re in a place in SoHo. She’s a makeup artisthere for some photo shoots. But her fiancé is a chef, so any time she’s not working has revolved around eating...” I look at Chloe, who shrugs.
“Eating,” she agrees.
“Where have you hit so far?” Darcy asks.
It takes me a moment to process the question. He’shere, with all his biceps-baring appeal. I didn’t even think about what his arms would look like. I want to touch them. “Paulie Gee’s, Curry-Ya, Mission Chinese—”
“There’s a Mission here?” he asks.
“Two. One in Chinatown, the other’s in Bushwick.”
“Huh. I’ve been to the original in San Francisco. Great food.”
Step it up, Bennet. You’re treading dangerously close to small talk.“We’re going to Ippudo tonight.” The angle in my voice is mortifying. “If you’d like to join us?” I add, less leading.
He tips his head, watching me as though he’s trying to gauge whether I’m serious. I hold my breath. A slow smile brightens his eyes, and my toes curl so hard, I hear the joints pop inside my pumps. “I have client calls on and off until eight.” He grits his teeth. “Andan overseas call at ten. But I can meet up in between?”
“Drinks?” My voice gets back to that mortifying lilt.
“Absolutely.” The word “absolutely” now ranks with “paperwork” as one I’d very much like to feel him say against me. I fumble for my phone for something to do that isn’t launching myself onto his face to determine which word would be the most pleasing. “I’ll give you my number.”
I pull up his contact info with his Pemberley email address. I really was going to give myself until next week to get in touch. But he’s herenow. He recites his number and I punch it into the phone.
“I look forward to it, then.”
Chloe lets out a little, “Oop,” plucking her phone from her purse. “Pardon me.” She steps away to take the call, though the glimpse I get of her lock screen tells me it’s an act. “Hey, H,” she adds, tossing in the nickname of a friend back home.Thorough.
Her kitten heels click along the catwalk, fading as she reaches the carpet in the lobby. Then it’s just Darcy and me.
“Your tours of Manhattan usually include empty buildings?” he asks, voice low.
“I love the space.” It comes out with more emotion than I’m prepared for.
His eyes dance over me. “I’m glad.”
I’m completely useless again. I want his face on my face. And everywhere else. Ugh, we are wearing far too many clothes right now.
“Thank you for the letter. And everything with Jane and Charles. It... meant a lot. To them,” I swallow hard. “To me.”
He meets my gaze. “I had incentive.”
Adrenaline skips through me. “More than the intrinsic value of reuniting your best friend with someone who adores him and whom he adores in return?”
His laugh is just as satisfying as it was the first time I heard it. “I’d consider taking offense to that, Ms. Bennet, but I’d rather assure you that yes, I had far more incentive. Just don’t get smug about it.”
