Page 27 of The Marriage Pact
The waiter nodded and hurried away.
“Are there any menus?” Kaitlyn asked, glancing around her to where other diners were being presented with tiny plates containing no more than a mouthful of food.
“It’s concept dining, twenty courses. They have a theme each season. It’s ‘Woodland’ at the moment,” Alex said.
“You’ve come a long way from the drive-thru,” Kaitlyn replied.
Alex smiled. “I know some great pizza places, too. And then there’s Chinatown, and some great Korean places. There’s a deli not far from the apartment that does a superb pastrami on rye,” he said.
Kaitlyn laughed. “Let’s see what ‘Woodland’ has to offer. I still can’t believe I’m here.”
The waiter returned a few moments later with the champagne, perfectly chilled, while two further waiters presented appetizers on what looked like pieces of a narrow tree trunk, split in half and spray-painted silver. A mouthful revealed a taste of apple, with a popping effect that left a lingering hint of sesame and smoke. Definitely not the drive-thru.
“Interesting,” Alex said.
Kaitlyn nodded, though if every course was that small, twenty bites didn’t seem that much. Perhaps the deli near the apartment might have to provide something more substantial.
“Delicious,” Kaitlyn lied, for she wasn’t used to “concept” food.
Alex raised his champagne glass to her. “To us, and to our future together.”
Kaitlyn clinked her glass against his. “I still can’t believe it,” she admitted. “It feels like a dream, but a wonderful one.”
The next course was something of an improvement: slivers of venison with a charcoal dust and gold leaf. It looked pretty and tasted quite nice. Kaitlyn dreaded to think how much it was going to cost, but for a billionaire, she presumed a meal like this was nothing significant. It was a totally different world, one she’d never imagined herself inhabiting, and yet here she was,sitting opposite the man who’d proposed to her all those years ago. It was surreal.
“That was nice,” Alex said as they finished the last course — a chocolate dessert made to look like a bird’s nest, with edible golden eggs filled with salted caramel and hazelnut.
“It was extraordinary,” Kaitlyn replied, her opinion of “Woodland” having greatly improved during the passage of the twenty courses.
There was no bill to pay on the spot. No awkward hovering with the card reader or jokes about going over the contactless limit. When they’d finished, they left, knowing the bill would be sent to the office. Stephen was waiting for them with the car, a few paparazzi still hoping for a shot, their cameras clicking as Kaitlyn and Alex walked past. It was dark now, and Kaitlyn was tired.
“What a day,” Alex said as they stepped out of the elevator into the apartment.
“It really has been,” Kaitlyn replied as he turned and slipped his arms around her.
“I hope you’re going to be happy,” he said, leaning down to kiss her.
Kaitlyn smiled. She felt certain she would be as long as she had him at her side, and, taking his hand, she led him into the bedroom.
CHAPTER 10
ALEX & KAITLYN
“Winners wake early.” That was one of the pithy slogans they’d touted at Harvard Business School. Alex had taken it to heart. He was always up by five o’clock each morning. Business wasn’t done while sleeping. But it felt strange to wake up next to someone else that morning. Back in Cedarhurst, it had felt like a vacation — a temporary difference — but now, in the apartment, things wereactuallydifferent. Usually, he’d listen to a podcast or haveThe Wall Street Journalon audio, something productive as he showered and dressed. But with Kaitlyn still asleep, Alex had to get ready in the dark. He was trying not to make a noise, drinking his coffee in silence as he waited for the intercom to announce Stephen’s arrival. A quick training session with Erica at the gym, a swim, perhaps, and then he’d be at the Macarson building by seven thirty, ready to begin the day’s work. He’d forgotten to tell Kaitlyn his schedule, but she had plenty to do. She could go to the artists’ collective or the city. She could go shopping or catch a movie. He’d tell Brett to make arrangements for whatever she wanted to do.
Good, he’s early.The intercom had just flashed, and, finishing his coffee, Alex left the apartment.
He liked New York in the early morning. There were fewer crowds, and it was cooler. The gym was deserted, and Erica put him through his paces, motivating him to go “harder, faster, stronger.”
“You can do this. Ten more. Push it,” she said, counting his press-ups as he let out a final groan of effort.
There wasn’t time for a swim, but a few moments in the steam room was rejuvenating, and, after another shower, Alex was ready to leave. He called Hilary from the car, asking her to pick up some almond pastries from Denny’s Bakeryon her way to work. As it happened, she was already there, having anticipated Alex’s desire for his favorite breakfast after almost a week away. Hilary was like that. He didn’t know what he’d do without her.
“Good morning,” she said, already standing at the door of his office as he marched purposefully through the open plan, where bleary-eyed colleagues were beginning their workday.
“Good morning. The place didn’t collapse without me, then?” Alex replied, taking the bag of pastries from Hilary, who raised her eyebrows.
“Were you expecting it to?” she asked.
