False Pretences Read online

  … Christian swore, hanging up his phone. The private investigator he hired to follow Lara’s “boyfriend” had come across the fool at a local pub and overheard his conversation with a friend.

  He had underestimated Alex. The man had found a way into Lara’s heart and he was now considering a future with his prize.

  Christian knew he had to buck up and do something or Lara would be lost to him forever. He wasn’t sure if he had it in him to employ another predatory socialite to steal the man away from Lara. It had been a close call with the last one, since she was a well-known friend of his from his inner circle. If Lara had ever found out that he introduced Sarah to Andrew, she wouldn’t be able to see him in a good light ever again.

  Panic arose in his throat and he immediately swallowed, his subconscious swimming with schemes and thoughts of procuring Lara.

  Lara had planned to stay in the studio and work on her painting of Alexander, but her plans change when she received a call from Charlotte.

  “Are you busy?” Charlotte asked hopefully.

  “To be honest, I’m not.” Lara had replied. “What did you have in mind?”

  “How about we go shopping?” Charlotte suggested “Then we can do the Afternoon Tea Cruise afterwards!”

  Lara couldn’t believe her ears. In the couple of years she’d lived in London, she had never done the Afternoon Tea Cruise before.

  “Sounds good to me!” she agreed excitedly, making Charlotte giggle at the other end.

  “Okay, meet me at the entrance of Cartier on Bond Street and we’ll go from there!”

  So there Lara was, waiting for Charlotte to arrive. Save from her friendship with Venessa, Lara had never really a lot in the way of close friends, let alone a friend who wanted to shop. Venessa loathed shopping with a passion.

  Lara glanced at her watch, hoping Charlotte would arrive soon. Bond street was a very quick commute from her Soho studio. She absently wondered how long it would take for Charlotte to come there.

  As if on cue, Charlotte came from around the corner, waving enthusiastically at Lara. Grinning, Lara returned the greeting and met up with her.

  “I’m so glad you could make it, Lara!” Charlotte exclaimed, linking arms with Lara. “It’s so nice to be able to do our own thing and get away from the boys once in a while!”

  “I agree!” Lara declared, looking at all of the high-end shops in wonder. “I’ve always wanted to come shop here, but Venessa hates to shop!”

  “Then let’s make the most of it!”

  Two hours and several purchases later, Lara and Charlotte sat at their table aboard the ‘Harmony’, their vessel for high tea. As the familiar landmarks passed them through their vantage point on the Thames, Lara sat back and took a sip of her tea.

  “As great as it is to be with Adam,” Charlotte mused, nibbling on a cucumber sandwich “I find that a little girl time is just what the doctor ordered…don’t you agree?”

  “Absolutely!” Lara sighed happily, glancing over at the bags of items she’d purchased at Burberry’s. “It’s been so long since I took time for myself and enjoyed the simple pleasures of a purchase!”

  Setting down her sandwich, Charlotte leaned in closer towards Lara intently.

  “Tell me, Lara…how are things with Alex?”

  Lara smiled fondly at the mention of his name. She grew rosy and leaned back in her seat.

  “Alex is…amazing.” She replied, happy to be able to discuss her relationship with someone other than Venessa. “I’m really lucky to have a man like him in my life!”

  As she thought of him, she could feel the seeds of doubt creeping within her due to her earlier caution from Venessa. What if Venessa was right? Should she guard her heart?

  Charlotte noticed Lara’s troubled expression, assuming she was worried about how long their relationship would last.

  “You don’t need to worry about a thing!” Charlotte suddenly assured her, taking her hand and squeezing it. “When Alex finds a special girl, he’s always in it for the long haul. From all the time I’ve known him, he has been nothing but a loyal and true friend to us.”

  Lara looked up at Charlotte with doubt still in her eyes.

  “Look, dearie” Charlotte said matter-of-factly as she leaned in closer. “I know your heart was ripped out and trampled on by that idiot Andrew and that you’re afraid to trust again…but, believe me…Alex will never abandon you. I saw the way he looks at you…I have never seen him look so enamored before.”

  Lara was speechless. Although Charlotte had misread the doubts she had about the relationship, she had excellent insight.

  “What do I do, Charlotte?” Lara asked quietly, as her companion sipped her tea.

  “Give him a chance…follow your heart.” She said simply, as if it was the obvious answer all along. “You won’t know what happiness is in store for you if you don’t pursue it.

  It took all of Lara’s self-control to make sure that Venessa knew nothing about the new dimension of her relationship with Alexander. When Venessa summoned Lara to her office that evening to talk about the gala unexpectedly, Lara knew it would be a trying test of wills.

  “Have you decided which designer you will be choosing for your dress?” Venessa asked, looking over the paperwork submitted to her by the Barbican Gallery.

  Lara swallowed hard, realizing she’d forgotten all about her wardrobe.

  “I…think…I will go with Jean Paul Gauthier!” she stammered, biting her lip nervously. “Some of Donatella’s latest designs are a bit risky for something so formal!”

  “Good choice!” Venessa replied, closing the folder. “I know you’ve liked a lot of the Versace line for years but Jean Paul is a much safer bet. I will call the rep and have her bring by a few samples to your studio on Monday or Tuesday.”

  Lara relaxed a little, glad that Venessa didn’t notice her little display of nerves.

  “Christian called me.” Venessa said suddenly, looking at the notes she’d taken from that conversation. “He was fishing for information about whether you had a date for the gala or not. I think he was interested in escorting you!”

  Lara looked up at Venessa sharply, her eyes widening.

  “That’s preposterous!” Lara exclaimed, causing Venessa to look at her in surprise. “What would Christian want with me? He’s just my patron…besides, I am going with Alexander!”

  Venessa stared at Lara with narrowed eyes. She had never seen Lara react this way to one of Christian Masters’ phone call inquiries…usually Lara didn’t give too much heed.

  “Is there something going on that I should know about?” Venessa asked, suddenly suspicious of Lara. “Perhaps there is something going on between you and Christian that you haven’t told me?”

  Lara burst out into peals of nervous laughter.

  “What? Of course not!” she replied, still laughing nervously. “Christian is just my patron, nothing more!”

  “He seems to be awfully interested in you…too interested for a patron.”

  “If he is, then he hasn’t expressed any interest to me!” Lara replied, trying to regain her composure. “As I said, he is just my patron!”

  “Rumor has it that he’s interested in more than just helping you advance your career.” Venessa informed her, leaning back in her chair. “He had his people make sure there was a gag order on Andrew’s upcoming wedding so you wouldn’t have to hear about it. That’s not something a patron would do. I think there’s more to Christian than meets the eye.”

  Lara shrugged noncommittally, seemingly unaffected by the news. Venessa gazed at her intently, her eyes still narrowed suspiciously.

  “If something were to develop between you and Christian…you would tell me, right?”

  “Of course!” Lara exclaimed defensively, giving Venessa a scowl. “But I’m not interested in him…I’m not interested in his money either. The only thing that interests me about him is that he is my patron…it will be a strictly business relationship. I don’t like mix
ing business and pleasure!”

  “Good!” was Venessa’s reply. “Getting into anything but a professional relationship with Christian would spell trouble…not only for you but also your career. Tread carefully with him and avoid spending time with him outside your business lunches. You are not some Geisha who depends on a danna to fund her way through life. Soon, you will be making money from your paintings and your life will be set.”

  “How did your dates with Alexander go?” Venessa asked, pulling up the latest tabloid article she read on the internet. “According to the Paparazzi, you two were very close!”

  “It was fine!” Lara replied casually, shrugging. “I met a couple of his friends at the opening. It was pretty tame…nothing special.”

  Venessa eyed Lara suspiciously again. All the latest articles she’d read said the exact opposite.

  “From what I’ve gathered, you and Alexander were a hit with everyone!” Venessa stated, still eyeing her friend suspiciously. “There are pictures of the both of you in deep, close, intimate discussion. Normally I would congratulate you on doing a great job in fooling everyone but it seems too perfect to be true!”

  “Seriously, Venessa!” Lara stammered dismissively, rolling her eyes. “Since when do you believe everything you see in tabloid articles? These are the same morons who said that Andrew and I were actually kissing cousins!”

  Venessa grudgingly realized that Lara was right. Not everything the tabloids published was accurate. Perhaps she was just seeing things out of her paranoia.

  “I have to run some errands now before I go home!” Lara suddenly said, bouncing up from the chair she’d been sitting in. “I am expecting an important call from my mom and dad tonight. I think they might actually come here for the gala!”

  “Greta and I will be coming by the studio Monday morning for some detail finalization!” Venessa announced, giving Lara a look of utter confusion.

  “See you then!” Lara said quickly, grabbing her purse.

  With that, she made a hasty exit. Venessa looked after her in confusion.

  “What the hell is going on?” she asked herself, her brow furrowing. “Lara is not herself. Something is up and I need to get to the bottom of it!”

  Chapter Eleven

  It was Saturday morning and Alex just couldn’t help himself. After his talk with Adam, he couldn’t stop thinking about how much he wanted to see Lara.

  After ten minutes’ worth of pacing and a schizophrenic debate with himself, he summoned up the courage to surprise Lara. He was sure that she would be at her studio that day and he wanted to bring her breakfast.

  He quickly dressed and showered, excited at the prospect of being near her again. He felt like a teenage boy falling in love for the first time. It had been eons since he’d felt that way. Lara had such a positive effect on him and he hoped that he did the same for her. From what he could tell, she’d been hurt too deeply in the past and had worked through her demons to be where she was today. Her guarded smiles and shyness told him everything.

  As he stood in line at Pret-A-Manger, he began to ponder about all the ways he could make Lara smile genuinely. He knew breakfast would be a great first step, but he wanted her to be happy all the time. Was this what true love felt like? He didn’t know.

  Now, as he walked through Soho towards Lara’s studio, he felt dizzy with anticipation. Armed with a tray of two hot teas and a bag full of fresh scones and clotted cream, he was prepared for anything to come his way…

  Lara was indeed at her studio that morning. Since doing her initial sketch of Alexander, she had decided to gift the painting to him when a special occasion arose. This project was starting to mean a lot to her and she spent countless hours perfecting her work.

  She had finally mixed the right shade of ocean blue to match his unique eyes and was now working on the nuances of his face. In fact, she was so engrossed in her mixing and adding that she jumped when she heard a knock on her studio door.

  Annoyed by the unexpected interruption, Lara hastily put the oilcloth over the canvas and headed towards the door. Her initial anger at being interrupted melted away as soon as she opened the door and morphed into one of surprised pleasure at the sight of Alexander standing on the stoop, holding two teas and a bag full of treats.

  “Good morning, Lara!” Alex greeted her warmly, his full lips curved into an insatiable smile.

  “Good morning, yourself!” Lara replied shyly as she leaned against the doorframe.

  “I was in the neighborhood and I decided to drop by with breakfast.” He stated, proffering the bag of pastries and tea towards her. “May I come in?”

  Lara smiled, forgetting that they were still hanging around the stoop. When he looked past her into the studio, she immediately straightened and motioned for him to follow her in.

  “How was shopping with Charlotte yesterday?” he asked her as he set the food down on the table by the window.

  “I had a good time with her.” Lara replied, perching herself upon the small couch near the easel. “It was nice to hang out with her and get to know her. She’s a real gem. I can tell she really loves Adam…and that she really likes and respects you.”

  “That’s Charlotte!” Alex quipped fondly, handing Lara one of the teas. “She and Adam really complement each other well. In the time I’ve known her, she’s been the most sincere lady I’ve ever met and that Adam is a lucky man.”

  With that, he grabbed the bag he brought, as well as the tea, and sat next to her on the couch.

  Lara supposed she should have felt happy that she was hanging around a man who respected his best friend’s girl, but a tiny shred of jealousy flared within her. She wasn’t sure why, but it was probably because it came from the man who was supposedly interested in her.

  “Lara, darling” his voice broke into her thoughts. “Something wrong?”

  She looked up to see the concerned expression upon his face as he held out the open bag to reveal freshly baked scones.

  “Why?” She asked quietly, taking a scone and nibbling at it.

  “When I mentioned how much I respected Charlotte, you had this sour expression on your face. Have I said anything to offend you?”

  Lara took one look at the concern flashing in his eyes and immediately regretted feeling jealous of his mate’s girlfriend.

  “Of course not, Alex!” she said softly, forcing a smile to her lips before taking another nibble of her scone. “I was just thinking of how thoughtful you are and how I don’t deserve this kindness!”

  Alex narrowed his eyes and set his food down before relieving Lara of hers. He immediately took her hands in his and squeezed them warmly.

  “I don’t ever want to hear you say that again” he murmured, his voice dangerously quiet. “You deserve all the kindness any real man can muster. I wish life was kinder to you.”

  “Alex…please don’t feel bad for me.” Lara sighed, wondering how she managed to attract such a beautiful and kind man in Alexander, when she was stuck with men like Andrew for what seemed like an eternity.

  “Please don’t dwell on the past, darling.” He said, letting go of her hands as me moved closer to her. “Think of the future ahead of you. There’s a lot that you have to look forward to…and the best part is that you’ve built it yourself through your determination. I am in awe of your inner strength.”

  Lara sat there and looked away momentarily, unsure of how to reply to his beautiful words. Biting her lip, she snuck a glance at the earnest expression upon his face. At the very last second, she chose her move.

  She snuggled closer into him and planted a kiss upon his lips as she put her arms around his neck. They remained that way for a long moment until she pulled away and rested her head upon his shoulder.

  She knew at that moment that she wanted to spend the rest of the day with him.

  “Let’s spend the day together!” she said shyly, grinning to herself as she heard the hiss of his inward breath.

  “What would you like to do?” />
  “Let’s walk around Covent Garden!” she said immediately, thinking of one of the places she’d always wanted to visit but never had the chance. “I hear it’s lovely there during the day!”

  As she’d anticipated, Covent Garden was just the place to be that afternoon. Alex took her around all of the shops, not minding one bit when she wanted to go inside the Body Shop and happily sampling the new Red Velvet Cake Tea at Whittard with her. She ended up buying a pouch of Whittard’s Regal Blend Tea and a pouch of his personal favorite, Lapsang Souchang.

  When they were exploring the lower level of stores, the unmistakable pleasant sound of a string quartet filled the air and they immediately went to the food court to be in the audience. Alex had to admit that he enjoyed the way she grabbed his hand to lead him to the courtyard where everyone gathered to hear the music.

  Lara was enjoying the moment herself, seemingly never wanting to let go of her companion. As Pachebel’s Canon in D major began to play, she squeezed his hand in excited anticipation and sidled closer into him as she enjoyed the classical composition.

  Several songs later, both Lara and Alex put a five pound note each into the open case of the cellist and made their giggling way through the applauding crowd.

  As they moved towards the edge of the crowd, Lara noticed the mechanical display in the toy store window and led Alex inside. Toy stores in Canada must have been completely different than those in London, for everything seemed to bring Lara’s childlike wonder out into the open.

  As they moved this way and that, Lara’s eyes would pounce on something that would catch her attention and she’d marvel to Alex how she’d never seen such a display. There were different puzzles, an assortment of dolls, and games that would incite the excitement of any child. Every time Lara pointed something out to Alex, he noticed, with delight, that he enjoyed how much she liked browsing this particular store. Unlike the other occasions where he’d seen her guarded smiles and shy expressions, this was the first time he’d seen her with her shields down, openly enjoying her time with him. It was endearing to him how such simple things could put such a beautiful smile upon her face…and he was glad that he was there to see such smiles.