False Pretences Read online

  She reached across the table to take his hands in hers.

  “Please don’t worry about it!” she reassured him, smiling. “I’m having a great time and I know you didn’t mean anything by your comment! Let’s just relax and enjoy the rest of the evening!”

  A relieved smile crossed his face and he let out a small sigh.

  “I am happy to hear that!” he said, letting out a little laugh. “I was worried I’d offended you!”

  “It will take a lot more than that to offend me!” she said patiently, giving his hands a gentle squeeze. “I can handle it.”

  Patrice approached their table, entrees in hand. Lara pulled her own hands away, smiling shyly at Alexander. With a flourish, Patrice set each dish down in front of them.

  “Please let me know if either of you need anything!” he gushed, flashing them a smile before leaving them to eat.

  “This looks delicious!” Alexander commented, looking over the entrée. “I don’t know where to begin!”

  Lara giggled, picking up her knife and fork.

  “Just pick a random morsel and start chewing!” she quipped, making him laugh.

  Instead of calling another town car, they decided to take a walk around South Kensington. Hand in hand, they passed buildings and people but lost in their own private world. To the outside eye, they looked like two people in love.

  “I am glad you enjoyed yourself, Lara!” Alexander stated, smiling warmly as they strolled down the avenue.

  “I am glad you did as well!” Lara answered back, feeling quite content at the moment. “It’s nice to not have to be concerned about not being able to be myself. With Venessa, image is everything, especially now that people are paying attention to my work, and ultimately me. It’s nice to let my hair down and be a normal girl for a change.”

  “You should always be yourself!” he exclaimed, amazed “I’m truly happy with what I’ve seen with you so far. You’re witty, insightful and quite entertaining! How would any man be able to resist that? It’s a powerful combination in a woman!”

  Lara grinned at his words. She wasn’t entirely sure if he was sincere or not, but his praise made her feel more comfortable around him.

  “So what shall we do for our second date?” she asked, interested in his input. “Don’t think it always has to be restaurants and premieres!”

  Alexander pursed his lips, lost in thought.

  “Well” he started, licking his lips “There is a special screening of The Shining at the Barbican Theatre to celebrate the upcoming Stanley Kubrick exhibit. I’ve heard that it was a success in Toronto last year!”

  “When is it?” Lara asked curiously, looking up at him. “I’d like to see it!”

  “It’s happening next Wednesday night,” he said excitedly, squeezing her hand unconsciously “It begins at 7:30.”

  Lara’s face fell. She had a dinner meeting with Venessa and several representatives from the Barbican Art Gallery that night.

  “I won’t be able to make it then,” she said, biting her lip as Alexander’s face also fell. “I have an important dinner meeting with the Barbican Art Gallery representatives that night.”

  He looked disappointed for a moment but then it cleared as quickly as it appeared.

  “There is a new donut bar opening in Camden town Friday night!” he murmured, pursing his lips in thought again. “Do you have a sweet tooth?”

  “I definitely do!” Lara replied, liking his suggestion. “It’s actually quite an impeccable idea.”

  “There will be media coverage for sure!” Alexander recalled, trying to remember what his best friend had told him the night before. “My friend told me all about it…turns out his girlfriend will be managing the place. I’m sure I can secure us a spot on the guest list!”

  “Excellent!”

  Chapter Six

  As it turned out, Alexander’s friend was delighted at the fact that a newly famous artist was attending the opening. Alexander had to make sure Adam Wallace and his girlfriend was sworn to secrecy so that Lara wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

  They both arrived by town car and were immediately swarmed by paparazzi as they stepped out of the parked vehicle. Alexander maneuvered Lara around the crowd like it was second nature to him and they walked into the bar as soon as the bouncer gave them clearance.

  “ALEX!” Adam called out, startling Alexander out of his thoughts.

  Alexander looked up to see his lifelong friend barreling towards him with a beautiful redhead in tow. Lara shrank back a little, clutching his hand tightly.

  “It’s okay” Alexander whispered to her as Adam and his girlfriend approached them. “It’s just my friend and his girlfriend coming to greet us!”

  “It’s great to see you two here!” Adam greeted the both of them warmly.

  “Adam…Charlotte, this is my friend Lara!” Alexander replied, making introductions. “Lara, this is Adam Wallace and his girlfriend Charlotte. Adam and I go way back…we were mates since our days at Harrow School for Boys!”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Lara!” Adam exclaimed, extending his hand towards her. “When Alexander phoned to ask if he could bring you, Charlotte and I were excited. It’s not every day we have a famous artist join our inner circle!”

  Lara reluctantly took his hand and shook it.

  “Don’t listen to him!” Charlotte murmured warmly, swatting Adam’s shoulder. “I am glad you could make it…and congratulations are due! Adam and I look forward to your exhibition gala at the Barbican. How did you two meet?”

  “She came into the bookstore I work at and I knocked her off her feet.” Alexander replied, making the other three laugh. “The poor girl didn’t know what hit her!”

  “He jests!” Lara giggled, seemingly more comfortable in their presence. “We merely collided with each other.”

  “It sounds like something right out of a romance novel!” Charlotte gushed, taking Adam’s hand. “Perhaps we will be seeing more of you, Lara!”

  Lara blushed at that.

  “Maybe” she said cryptically as Alexander put his arm around her waist.

  “Let’s talk!” Charlotte suggested, noticing that Alexander and Adam fell into a conversation. “I can give you a tour of the building in the meantime!”

  “Sounds good!” Lara agreed, gently pulling away from Alexander’s embrace. “I like what I see so far!”

  With that, the two women walked away from the chatting men, who had barely noticed their departure.

  “How long have you known Alexander?” Lara asked curiously, as Charlotte led her to the bar and VIP area.

  “About a year and a half.” Charlotte replied, doing a visual scan of the VIP area. “I have never met such a gentleman before. He has this old-fashioned view of women, it seems. In a world of douchebags and smarmy chauvinists, he stands out greatly. You’re a very lucky girl to have aroused his interest.”

  “Is that so?” Lara intoned curiously, listening to Charlotte intently as they sat at a secluded booth.

  “Absolutely!” was Charlotte’s reply. “He has very specific tastes in women and will not waste time on someone if he thought they weren’t worth it…and believe me, I can tell you are worth it! In the time I have known him, he has never asked to bring along a date to anything…even a group dinner. He’s always been the dateless wonder!”

  Lara nodded, mulling over everything Charlotte was telling her. From what she was hearing, it seemed like Alexander was just the kind of man she could see herself with…a perpetual gentleman and all-around unique man who seemed to have no guile or intrigue to blind her with.

  She looked over to where Alexander and Adam were standing and gazed at him. As he chatted with his best friend, Alexander looked up and smiled at Lara as soon as their eyes met. A soft, shy smile tugged at his lips as he listened to whatever Adam was saying and Lara found herself smiling in return.

  “You two are smitten with each other!” Charlotte gushed, making Lara jump. “He can’t keep his eyes off of
you!”

  Lara snapped to attention, abandoning all thoughts of Alexander except for the mission at hand. She had to focus and keep up the ruse. There was no room for her true feelings.

  “It’s still in the early stages!” she found herself saying modestly, trying to make herself appear cautious. “I don’t want to jinx things between us by being too eager.”

  “I have a feeling you two will last a long time!” Charlotte said knowingly, wagging her finger at Lara. “I can tell.”

  “I’m glad you think so!” Lara replied, giggling as a server rushed up to Charlotte.

  “Miss. Oswald!” she said breathlessly, looking panicked “The POS system is down!”

  “Damn it!” Charlotte exclaimed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. “You’ll have to excuse me, Lara! I have to get in touch with the techs!”

  With that, Charlotte dashed off with the server in tow.

  “Winning my friends over?” Lara heard Alexander ask her from behind.

  Lara turned around, smiling.

  “Charlotte wanted to get to know me a little!” was Lara’s reply as she took Alexander’s proffered hand. “She’s an interesting lady…told me an awful lot about you!”

  “Oh dear!” Alexander said in mock-horror as they walked around the room. “What lies has she been telling you about me?”

  “She spoke of you in the highest regard!” Lara answered, poking him in the ribs “All I have heard were wonderful things about you!”

  “Good!” he said conspiratorially, winking at her. “I’d hate for one lady’s rant to ruin things for me!”

  “You have nothing to worry about!” Lara said sardonically, poking him in the ribs again. “From what I’ve been hearing, you’re better than Mother Teresa, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela all combined into one!”

  Alexander laughed heartily, taking her offending hand and squeezing it.

  “Charlotte is a good woman.” He commented, smiling fondly as he thought of his best friend. “She and Adam are the perfect couple and I hope they stay that way forever. I have never seen two people more madly in love. I am glad they found each other!”

  Lara smiled warmly at his words.

  “Perhaps someday I can find that happiness as well!” she murmured, pushing an unwelcome thought of Andrew out of her subconscious.

  Alexander looked at her as she looked away, lost in thought.

  ‘Perhaps that happiness has found you sooner than you think!’ he thought, smiling to himself.

  It had only been two ‘public’ dates, but as he talked to Adam and watched Lara from across the room, he realized he wanted to spend more time with her. Ruse be damned, she was a unique, special woman and he couldn’t picture himself with anyone else. There was something about her that made him feel secure and comfortable and he didn’t want anyone else to have her.

  From the first moment he encountered her, he was bewitched…and as he got to know her a little, he was bent on keeping her. She was a diamond in the rough and only a stupid man would let her slip through his fingers…Alexander was not a stupid man. Letting Lara go was not an option.

  Now, as he stood with her, her hand in his, he decided to see if he could try and change the dynamics of their relationship. It couldn’t hurt and neither of them had anything to lose by taking a chance on love.

  “Let’s walk!” he said, entwining his fingers with hers as they went to an even more secluded area of the bar…far away from the other patrons and far from prying eyes.

  “I’m enjoying myself here, Alexander!” she said, admiring the décor and the people milling about the room. “You came up with a fantastic suggestion!”

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself!” he replied, as they stopped and sat down in a far corner. “Tell me, Lara…do you enjoy spending time with me?”

  “It’s been two public dates, Alexander!” she replied, mulling over his words “But, yes, I am enjoying myself with you.”

  “Forgive me for making a clandestine fool of myself” he started, attempting to find the right words without scaring her off. “But, I speak from the heart…I know you require the public aspect of our relationship to help your career, but, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to spend some time with me in private.”

  Lara looked at him incredulously.

  “You mean you want to pursue an actual relationship with me?”

  Alexander saw the tidal wave of fear rising in her amber eyes and realized he had to tread carefully with her. She had been hurt badly and humiliated when all she wanted to do was settle down with the love of her life.

  “I know you’ve been hurt and humiliated recently and that the last thing you want is to be locked into another relationship when you need to heal…but…there’s something about you that I can’t shake off and I want to spend more time with you.”

  When Lara said nothing to interrupt him, he continued.

  “We can take things slowly…as slowly as you like.” He said earnestly, putting a consoling hand on her shoulder. “Baby steps, even. I’m not out there to hurt you…All I want is for you to trust me.”

  Lara stared at him, mulling over everything he’d just said. Part of her was happy that he wanted to spend more time with her but the other part was shaken to the core with the prospect of aligning herself to another man. She was still vulnerable and didn’t want to be hurt again.

  But, as she looked into the ocean of his eyes, she saw truth and clarity. There was no guile to manipulate her…no hidden agenda to keep. All she saw was pure and plain feeling and it made her heart slam against her rib cage. Andrew never looked at her like that…never pleaded his case the way Alexander was. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  “What do you think?” he asked her, desperate to hear her answer.

  With a small smile, she let out a little sigh and allowed herself to relax.

  “I would love to spend more time with you!” she murmured, enjoying the mirth sparkling in his eyes. “There’s no harm in taking things slow. I don’t want to be hurt again…but somehow, I feel secure with you and I know you aren’t out there to hurt me…there’s just one thing…”

  “What is it?”

  “Venessa isn’t going to hear about this!” she added, knowing Venessa wouldn’t approve of any change of dynamics to their relationship. “I have a feeling she will think I am absolutely insane to want more than just a public relationship. She means well and all…it’s just that she will worry about everything we’re working hard to achieve…she doesn’t want to see it all go to pot because of my feelings.”

  Alexander looked at her with determination.

  “Then we won’t tell Venessa!” he agreed, taking her hand again and squeezing it. “I don’t care where and when we spend time, as long as we’re together. I’m happy with staying in and watching a movie while we eat takeout!”

  “How about a test run then?” Lara suggested, liking his idea. “You can come over to my apartment and we can watch a movie and eat…maybe next Thursday evening?”

  “That’s a fantastic idea!”

  “Let’s say 7:00? And I will pick the movie?”

  “I will be there promptly at 7:00 with bells on!” he said eagerly, making her giggle.

  Christian stood in his study, glancing at the latest edition of the Daily Mail opened to the Society section upon his desk. Lara was featured on the main page, smiling and chatting with some man she was with at this bar opening.

  Taking a sip of single malt scotch, he scowled as he got a good look at Lara’s companion. Why was she hanging around him?

  He turned away from his desk, tumbler in hand.

  From the very first moment he saw Lara standing awkwardly by herself at that gala those two years ago, he had wanted her. He could have had any woman he wanted yet Lara was elusive to him. No matter how much he tried to woo her, she seemed oblivious to his advances.

  Unlike the socialites and models he had on his arm, Lara was different. She didn’t care about money…she wasn�
��t one of those uber-snobby girls who looked down upon people. She was a rare gem that men in his circle would kill to have at their sides.

  Taking another sip of his scotch, Christian glanced into the fireplace…rage and jealousy burned within him. Who was this toerag she was with? What made him think that she was available for him? Plans were made for her already.

  Finishing the scotch, he gripped the empty tumbler in his hands until his knuckles turned white. He then threw the crystal glass into the fire.

  As the fire hissed and crackled in response to the added alcohol, Christian began to come up with a plan. He was going to draw this Alexander close until he felt a false sense of security. When he foolishly believed in his safety, then Christian would crush him.

  Smirking, he picked up his phone and dialed the number of a private investigator he’d employed before.

  Alex sat at his desk, poring over his manuscript. Lara’s publicist friend wanted a copy to read and he hoped that it was a step in the right direction for him. He had worked tirelessly on this particular novel and wanted it to be a success.

  As much as he enjoyed his position at the small bookstore, he wanted more for himself. The bookstore was a means to an end while he peddled his work to every publishing house in the U.K. and even to the United States.

  An unbidden thought of Lara came to mind and he paused his work with a smile. There was something about her that aroused his interest after their first meeting and now that he got to know her a little bit, he was starting to find that they had quite a bit in common. Could it be that he finally met his soulmate?

  Lara exhibited the rare, intelligent qualities in a woman he’d searched for in the better part of his youth. She was highly educated, loved to read, and incredibly beautiful to him. He had never met anyone like her.

  As his thoughts deepened, he wondered absently if she was the kind of girl who would stand by him, even though he wasn’t successful. She didn’t seem to be a gold-digger, even though he had heard several unflattering quips from Andrew Carver about her on the entertainment shows that came on the telly. Lara seemed down-to-earth…not superficial in any way.