False Pretences Page 9

  He commented on it later, as they enjoyed their Steak and Ale pies at the Nag’s head, just down the street from the Covent Garden shops.

  “You definitely seemed to enjoy yourself there, darling!” he’d said as she raised her pint of ale to her lips for a sip.

  Lara finished her sip and smiled as she set the pint glass down.

  “It’s been a long while since I could be in an element where I could be myself.” She replied, before eating a forkful of the delicious pie. “I don’t get out much. I guess even the simplest of pleasures excite me now.”

  Alex smiled, taking a sip of his own pint.

  “I guess I shall endeavor to find more things that will keep this smile upon your face then, darling!” he declared, setting his glass down.

  Lara looked up at him and flashed him another unguarded smile.

  “How much of my city have you seen in the time you’ve lived here?” Alex asked, before taking a huge bite of his pie.

  “To be honest, I’ve never had much time for sight seeing” Lara replied, taking a sip of her beer. “Venessa spent a lot of time parading me around and introducing me into the Arts circles. There’s so much I’ve wanted to see here. I am a complete fan of everything British.”

  Alex smiled inwardly as he swallowed another bite of steak and ale pie. He didn’t have to struggle to think of things to do with Lara anymore. An idea formed in his head as a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders.

  “Well then” he announced, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “It will be my mission to show you around the city. You are in for a real treat, darling. I have friends all over the place so we can get into a lot of sites for free.”

  “That sounds fantastic!” she exclaimed, smiling excitedly “I would love to see the city.”

  “Once a week, I will take you to one of the attractions…starting with the London Dungeon and the Eye tomorrow.” He stated, before taking a sip of his ale. “How does that sound?”

  “I’m all for it!” Lara agreed, taking a bite of her pie. “It will be nice to enjoy myself for a change.”

  “Are you easy to scare?”

  Lara laughed, making Alex quirk an eyebrow. She was a fan of all things horror, including stories, films and props.

  “I’ve been raised on horror films” she explained, winking at him playfully. “I don’t scare easily.”

  “Good, then!” he said conspiratorially, leaning in closer. “You can protect me from the horrors that await in the dungeon!”

  They shared a laugh.

  “Yes, Alex” Lara said in a deadpan tone “I will protect you from all things evil!”

  Christian sat at the crowded table, sipping his scotch as he entertained some of his colleagues from the Barbican. He had been on edge all day. Everywhere he went, he kept hearing about Lara and her mystery boyfriend.

  As he gripped his tumbler tightly, he remained lost in thought while his colleagues chattered about the latest current events and the future plans of the complex. He caught snippets of the various conversations here and there, never really focusing on any of his guests.

  Then, his ears perked up as Lara’s name was uttered.

  “That bright young artist is causing quite the stir” the Marketing Manager next to him murmured to the Barbican Gallery curator. “I have a feeling her exhibition will be a success!”

  “Her talent is extraordinary!” the curator agreed, dabbing at the corner of his mouth with the cloth napkin. “I look forward to seeing her collection. What do you think, Chris?”

  Christian eased the grip on his tumbler as he fought to remain neutral and aloof.

  “Lara is incredibly talented, for sure!” Christian stated, setting down the tumbler. “I am very glad that I discovered her.”

  “Will you be accompanying her to the gala?” the marketing manager inquired as she set down her napkin.

  “I hope so” Christian replied evenly, forcing a smile “I would be proud to have her on my arm.”

  “I don’t think you stand a chance now that she is with that young man!” one of his fellow board members scoffed. “I daresay that you might have let her slip through your fingers. I hear they were spotted around Covent Garden this afternoon, looking every inch a couple.”

  Christian gritted his teeth and gripped the tumbler again, his surge of strength shattering the glass. How dare he rub his nose in his failure?

  His heart thundered and a roar of rage filled his senses as he thought of Lara slipping through his fingers. Christian wasn’t used to losing to an adversary.

  “Christian!” the curator called him, breaking him out of his thoughts.

  Christian blinked and looked down at the shattered glass. He hissed in dismay, seeing droplets of blood upon the white linen of his napkin.

  “Are you injured, Mr. Masters?” the waiter asked, suddenly appearing by his side. “Shall I fetch a first aid kit?”

  “No thank you” Christian replied, taking his handkerchief out of his breast pocket and using it as a makeshift bandage. “I can manage”

  The waiter melted into the crowd. Alex Collins was going to pay dearly. Christian was a stubborn man and wasn’t planning on giving up on Lara without a fight.

  Alex arrived at Lara’s door promptly at ten the next morning. He had a wonderful day planned for Lara and himself. After dropping Lara off at her building, he made a few calls to his friends and gained access to the London Dungeon, and the London Eye free of charge. He couldn’t wait to enjoy it with her.

  Lara answered immediately, all dressed and ready to go. He could tell, from the child-like excitement flashing in her eyes, that she couldn’t wait to see the sights.

  They walked towards Hampstead station and quickly boarded the Tube, headed for Waterloo station. As soon as they arrived, they quickly exited the station, hand-in hand.

  “Would you like to do the London Dungeon tour or the London Eye first?” he asked, enjoying the look of wonder in her eyes at the landmarks looming before her.

  Lara gazed at the London Eye in wonder, feeling lucky to be there at all. The London Dungeon attraction was just across the way from the giant ferris wheel.

  After a brief consideration, she’d decided to leave the best for last.

  “Let’s do the London Dungeon tour first!” she exclaimed gleefully, pulling him towards the ticket booth. “I’ve heard it is incredibly scary!”

  Alexander spoke to the girl at the counter who had their tickets handy, thanks to his friend Deborah, who worked for the entertainment group who managed all the attractions. They immediately went to the entrance and got stamped.

  As they trailed their group through the darkened passageways of Victorian London, Lara giggled quietly, pointing out the silhouette of Jack the Ripper standing by a hidden alleyway.

  “Better be careful, tour guide!” Lara whispered conspiratorially, making Alex laugh “Jack the Ripper is around the corner!”

  The lady, dressed as a Victorian Street Walker, ushered them inside an old pub. No sooner after the pub door closed, that they heard the staged scream of their guide, who was promptly dragged off by Jack the Ripper.

  A lady dressed as a barmaid came out from another doorway, telling the group the tale of how a regular patron had disappeared from the streets of London. The lights flickered as if to mimic lightning and Lara held onto Alex, knowing what was going to come next.

  As the new guide finished her tale, the lights went out and there was a scream. When the lights came on, an actor dressed as Jack the Ripper appeared in front of a terrified teenage girl, wielding a weapon. The lights flickered off again, and when they flickered back on, Jack was nowhere to be seen.

  Lara laughed, obviously enjoying herself. Alex could not help but smile at her. The joy emanating off of her was infectious.

  It remained there as they went to Sweeney Todd’s barbershop, and it still shone through in the darkness when they did the Drop of Doom that mimicked being hanged as execution.

  When they
exited the gift shop with the photos taken from them at the beginning, the both of them laughed at their exaggerated expressions in the photo of Lara coming at him with an axe.

  “You’d make a scarily cute serial killer, Lara” Alex joked as she put the photo in her purse. “I wouldn’t know whether to run from you or let you chase me.”

  Lara giggled, sidling up to him as they walked to the entrance of the London Eye.

  “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to have that much fun!” Lara said, gasping for breath. “I love going to silly attractions like the dungeon.”

  “I can honestly say you reminded me of a child in a candy store.” He added, taking her hand as they walked up the ramp towards the pods. “I’ve never pegged you as a horror fan.”

  “Well, well” she said, her expression sobering momentarily. “I’ve managed to surprise the novelist!”

  “You surprise me at every turn, Lara!” Alex replied honestly, barely managing to hide his smile. “I don’t think there are other women of your caliber out there.”

  “I pride myself on being unique!” she quipped, sticking her tongue out at him as they clambered into the pod with a group of teenagers.

  Alex simply smiled at her. She was showing a different facet to her personality that he hadn’t seen before but was enjoying immensely. Lara was always so rigid in public, as if she were afraid of people discovering her true self. She was always so composed and planning her next steps carefully. He knew it had to do with her woes regarding Andrew and her desire to not be made a fool of again,

  This was the first time he’d seen her happy and carefree. She’d let her guard down and let herself enjoy what they were doing. And, most of all, she was enjoying his presence…not that she hadn’t enjoyed it before. It made everything worthwhile.

  The feeling her newfound persona was infectious and it made him want to be closer to her…closer than he had ever wanted to be with every other woman who’d crossed his path. He knew if he told how he was feeling about her at the moment, that the barrier would come back up and he’d lose the berth he’d gained with her.

  As he watched her look around with wonder, he realized that she was the one for him. He couldn’t picture himself spending the rest of his life with any other woman.

  The pod slowly ascended to the top and stopped, giving everyone an excellent glimpse of the afternoon sky. Lara stood there, shaking her head in amazement at the view.

  Alex was also moved. It had been ages since he’d been on the Eye and the view never ceased to amaze him. He loved London and all she had to offer and was happy where he was.

  He stood next to Lara and their fingers brushed absently. Lara turned to look up at him, smiling.

  Oh, that smile was a sight to behold. He was powerless to resist her. Their eyes locked, and their faces moved closer until they met in a soft kiss. Tongues soon entwined and they were lost in their little world.

  Lara’s arms slipped around Alex’s neck and the kiss deepened, bringing them to a distant plane of existence where nothing else mattered but the two of them. Here they were, thrust together and shutting the rest of the world out.

  As the kiss progressed, they were unaware of their surroundings, too focused on one another to care about reality. All that mattered was the pleasure of each other’s touch and presence,

  So, it was no wonder that when the pod came to a sudden halt, they broke their kiss to discover that they were back on the bottom, where they’d started. Blushing furiously, Lara took Alex’s hand and allowed him to lead her out of the pod and back onto the ramp.

  “Well, that was interesting.” Alex murmured, as they slowly made their way back to Waterloo Station.

  “I…I liked that.” Lara said shyly, a small smile upon her lips. Alex smiled in return.

  “I rather enjoyed that as well” Alex declared, tugging her closer. “Where to next?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Monday morning, Lara waited impatiently for Venessa to arrive with her personal assistant, Greta. Details for the upcoming exhibition needed finalizing and other arrangements needed to be made. That is why she sat in her studio early on a Friday morning.

  As she thought about the gala, thoughts of her date flooded into her subconscious. She’d found that her mind wandered quite a bit now, and it always seemed to wander towards Alexander. Every time she thought of the handsome writer, part of her tried to caution her. Alexander was an employee of sorts and it was extremely risky to let anything develop between them that might get in the way of their working relationship.

  Yet, he never seemed to let that deter him from spending time with her behind closed doors. And, when he wasn’t able to be with her, he often called or texted her just to let her know she was in his thoughts. She felt special, and she had to admit that it was a breath of fresh air in her stagnant, lonely life.

  As of late, she’d begun a sketchbook of drawings of Alexander. She’d begun to have intense dreams of being with him and tried her best to capture him from every angle she could think of. The man was a dream come true in so many ways and Lara was head over heels for him.

  Now, as she was completing a sketch of him leaning down to kiss her at the Aqua shard, she began to muse on the progress of their hidden relationship.

  The more she thought of him, the happier she became. No matter how bad or tedious a day could get, the corona of his striking visage brightened everything more brilliantly than the sun itself. There was no doubt about it. Lara was in love with him. He emanated warmth and love, something she’d craved for what seemed like ages.

  The knock at her studio door made her snap to attention and she stood hastily up to let Venessa and Greta in.

  “Sorry for taking so long!” Venessa apologized, as she led Greta inside. “The Barbican Gallery had me on the phone in a conference call, pressing me for more details on the collection.”

  “What details do they need?” Lara asked, hastily closing her sketchbook and perching herself upon her stool again.

  “The head curator needs some kind of personal bio and a blurb on the inspiration behind the collection.” Greta interjected, reading the notes she’d written during the conference call. “You will also have to finish writing the speech that you will be giving at the gala.”

  “Did they ask for my first born as well or are you still negotiating on that one?” Lara quipped, rolling her eyes.

  “Stop being a smart ass!” Venessa said sharply, huffing as Greta giggled. “Anyways, they need all of this in the next couple of weeks!”

  Lara opened her mouth to make another comment but was interrupted when another knock at the door sounded. Arching an eyebrow, she hopped off of her stool and went to answer the door.

  “Flower delivery for Miss. Clayton!” announced a teenage delivery boy, proffering a wrapped bouquet of red roses.

  “I will take that!” Lara replied, reaching into her nearby purse for a five-pound note to give to him.

  The adolescent handed her the bouquet as she handed him his tip. He thanked her and went on his way. Lara closed the door and headed back to her stool, clutching the roses.

  “Red roses!” Greta gushed enviously, her eyes alight with excitement. “They are simply stunning!”

  “Who sent them?” Venessa asked curiously, cocking her head.

  “Probably Christian Masters.” Lara responded dismissively. “My patron likes to send me gifts from time to--”

  She trailed off as she recognized the handwriting on the card. Her eyes widened in surprised and she gave a little gasp of pleasure.

  “They’re not from Christian!” she exclaimed, reading the small message on the card with a smile upon her face.

  Venessa read the expression on Lara’s face and knew immediately who sent them.

  “Greta…” she said quickly, reaching into her purse for some money. “Be a dear and fetch us a couple of caramel macchiatos from Starbucks, will you?”

  Greta nodded and left as soon as Venessa handed her a few bil
ls. Soon, the friends were alone and Venessa confronted Lara.

  “Alexander sent the roses, didn’t he?”

  “He did.” Lara admitted, suddenly feeling guilty at Venessa’s inquest.

  The expression on Venessa’s face told Lara that she disapproved of anything other than their ruse.

  “Is there something going on between you two?” Venessa inquired, a knowing expression crossing her face. “Something behind closed doors?”

  “We’ve spent some time together out of the public eye.” Lara admitted sheepishly, feeling even guiltier than before.

  “You need to be more careful with him!” Venessa advised her, concern now evident in her features. “You cannot afford to be so distracted in the wake of upcoming success!”

  “What is wrong with us spending time together?” Lara asked defensively, setting the roses down on the table nearest her. “A good friendship will make our ruse much more realistic!”

  “I know you better than that!” Venessa retorted knowingly, wagging a finger at her. “The expression on your face when you found out who sent the flowers spoke volumes…you looked like a girl in love! And, if your sketchbook is of any indication, you’re far beyond the point of reason.”

  When Lara remained silent, Venessa let out a sigh and continued.

  “For the sake of your career…and your sanity…please distance yourself from him immediately. You’ve worked way too hard to let your success crumble because of another failed relationship. I don’t want a repeat of the Andrew fallout.”

  Lara sighed and bit her lip, realizing Venessa was right. She looked down at the roses, almost as if they were poison. Her burgeoning career depended on common sense and clarity. It was up to her to make sure nothing got in her way, not even a potential blossoming romance.

  “I know you will make the right decision, Lara.” Venessa remarked, knowing she got through to her friend. “Please be careful! I am not saying this as a publicist, but as your friend…I don’t want to see you get hurt again when you’re on the verge of getting the recognition you deserve as an artist!”