'M' is For: [Ch11] Sweet Little Lies - Part 3

Mid-morning the next day, after I had settled into my second cup of coffee, I heard a little cough. I looked up to see Kathy the receptionist, peering down at me from behind a massive bouquet of flowers.

"These just came in for you," Kathy said. "From your boyfriend?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," I said honestly. No one had ever given me flowers before.

"Well, nice flowers." Kathy set them down my desk, popped her AirPods back into her ears, and walked away with just the slightest backward glance at me. Gone was the usual curl of disdain from her lips. For the first time, she looked impressed.

I turned to face the bouquet. There was a note attached to the ribbon that encircled the green glass vase. I opened it up.

Mal darling, hope you like the flowers and I'm not making a complete arse of myself here. Looking forward to tonight.

-E

I lowered my face into the fragrant bouquet and inhaled. The delicate smell of fresh flowers filled my nose. It was truly a lovely arrangement. Edward had eschewed more typical red roses for a selection of blush-colored roses mingled with green hydrangeas, peach lilies, and seeded eucalyptus. I placed the vase with its flowers on the desk beside my double monitors.

Throughout the day, co-workers passing by congratulated me and asked about the occasion. Blushing madly, I stammered out any variety of replies depending on the person asking. I would never have thought that I would become that woman. I wasn't sure whether to be flattered or totally embarrassed by the attention the flowers were getting, and I almost wished that Edward hadn't sent them to such a public place.

The day went by quickly as the time for our date drew close. I finally logged myself off at 5:30 pm and grabbed my shoulder bag to change in the office bathroom. I shrugged out of my blouse and jeans and pulled on my dress. It took a little wriggling to grab the zipper from the back and pull it all the way up, but I managed. Stumbling out of the stall, I moved to the sink to adjust my makeup to something more suitable for an evening date.

At my desk, I changed into heels and stashed away my previous outfit in the bottom drawer of my filing cabinet. Swapping out my bulky shoulder bag for a smaller purse, I tossed a light coat over my arm and headed to the elevators.

I was almost unsurprised to see Thomas in the elevator that arrived. As the bell sounded and the doors opened, we locked eyes right before I stepped inside. This office building had an uncanny way of throwing us together.

In contrast, Thomas's eyes widened when he saw me. He moved aside, turning slightly to face me. Even though we were on opposite sides of the elevator, his body still felt much too close for comfort. Every nerve on my skin tingled with awareness of him. God, I had it bad.

"On your way out to your date?" Thomas asked me lightly.

"Yeah." Taking my lead from him, I stuck out my foot to show him my shoes. "Wore heels after all."

"Bold. Think you'll survive?"

"Maybe. Let's not jinx it." I looked up to notice Thomas's eyes on me. Our eyes met for a brief, charged moment. We quickly looked away from each other.

Scraping my mind for a safe topic to talk about, I landed on the upcoming trip to Spain. Thomas took it up quickly, filling me in on the details. I learned that their flight was leaving early the next morning, and Thomas hadn't started packing.

"What do you really need, though, half an hour?" I asked him.

"You overestimate my abilities. I can never decide what to pack, and it feels like I'm always forgetting something. Missy, on the other hand, can throw things together in about twenty minutes."

"I bet she brings one of those huge designer suitcases that you have to check in," I said with a grin.

"She does," Thomas chuckled. "They always weigh a ton too."

A silence more awkward and loaded than I'd ever experienced with him before fell between us. I stared determinedly past Thomas's shoulder until the elevator finally arrived at the first floor. The doors opened and we stepped out.

"Well, uh, have a good time on your date," Thomas said at last. "Edward is a lucky guy."

"You too," I said. "Enjoy your vacation."

Just as I was turning to leave, however, Thomas stopped me. "One sec, Mal."

For a brief moment, I felt his hands on my back as he zipped up the back of my dress. My whole body trembled with yearning for his touch. I didn't dare turn around. The heat of his fingers lingered on my skin even after he withdrew.

"There. Your zipper was just a little undone." Thomas's voice was quiet.

"Thank you," I said, equally quietly.

With that, we parted ways. My heels clicking on the sidewalk suddenly felt too loud in my own ears, and I could feel my cheeks burning. I refused to let the flush of desire and longing in me take shape as fully-formed thoughts. Still, pausing at the crosswalk as I waited for the light, I couldn't quite resist one last backward glance at Thomas's retreating figure.

❖❖❖

The restaurant Edward had picked was an easy train ride uptown, at least in theory. The station and the train I finally caught were packed with people, and it took no small amount of effort to wedge myself aboard. Once at my stop, I simply had to navigate my way off the train onto the humid platform and let the human tide of other commuters sweep me up the stairs and out onto Columbus Circle.

It took a little while to figure out the entrance to the place. It was in a commercial office building, and I felt a little out of place stepping into the black-marbled lobby in my dress and heels. Still, no one else seemed to pay me any mind as they passed me. The concierge at the desk didn't even look up, allowing me to cross the lobby toward the elevators uninterrupted.

Inside the elevator, I found the button for The Terrace. Pictures of stunning views and elegant tables flashed across the digital screen mounted above the floor numbers, preparing me for what I would see when I stepped out.

The Terrace was sleek and modern, all blackened iron and polished wood. An abundance of plants situated throughout the restaurant gave it a rooftop garden feel, accentuated by exposed beams from which hung giant paper lanterns. Floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the space in the fading golden light of day.

Edward, dressed crisply in a pink-striped shirt and charcoal suit, rose up from the bench outside the double doors when he saw me.

"Cheers," Edward said, a wide grin breaking across his face. We exchanged a friendly hug, though Edward also took advantage of the opportunity to plant a kiss on my cheek.

"I got the flowers," I informed Edward with a smile of my own. "That was really very sweet of you. They were beautiful."

"Oh good," Edward said, sounding pleased. "I really wasn't sure if you were a flower person, but then I thought, why the hell not?"

I followed him to the front and listened as he gave his information for the reservation. The entire waitstaff was dressed formally in black, and I couldn't help but try to stand a little straighter.

"Right this way, please," said the maitre d', moving around the wooden stand and beckoning. We followed the man past the bar with its softly colored lights, halfway across the floor toward the windows. "Over here."

He gracefully pulled out the chair for me and pushed it in when I sat. Within minutes, a waiter came by to share the menus and take our drink order.

"Okay, confess," I said to Edward once the waiter had departed. "How the hell did you get reservations here on such short notice? A friend told me that they book out for weeks!"

Edward laughed. "A gentleman never tells." Turning the page of the menu with a long, elegant finger, he raised his eyes to mine. "But actually, my mate's brother works here. He was able to pull some strings and make this happen. The food is delicious and the view... Well, the view is gorgeous."

"Between you and Missy, I'm getting quite spoiled for views," I said. "Do you take all your dates up here?"

Edward flashed me one of his cheeky grins. "Only when I'm trying to impress."

"Well, consider me impressed," I declared.

Despite some initial awkwardness, I felt myself relax. We opted not to do the prix fixe menus, for which I was privately glad, never having done one before and being highly unsure of the etiquette that endeavor might have involved. We ordered some of their specialty cocktails and Edward advised me on a couple of his favorite dishes, one of which I ended up ordering for the main. The waiter returned with a delicately arranged amuse-bouche whose description I promptly forgot that nevertheless melted most satisfyingly in my mouth.

Mostly, we chatted and cracked jokes and gossiped a little about Missy's crowd. I also learned that Edward had moved to New York City from Los Angeles, and to Los Angeles from London five or six years ago.

"Do you enjoy it over here?" I asked, curious.

"Oh, yeah. It's loads different, culturally speaking, but now I can't really imagine living anywhere else."

"You're a model, right?"

"Model and part-time actor. I've been an extra in a couple television shows. Really important stuff, like Pedestrian #1 and Angry Customer."

I laughed, imagining Edward trying to act. "That sounds really fun!"

"It was, actually." Edward speared some high-flown, reimagined version of a deviled egg on the end of his fork and brought it to his mouth. "Can't say it paid a whole lot, but I had a blast. No plans on quitting anytime soon."

"Got that family wealth on lock?" I teased him, and Edward's eyes widened in momentary surprise at my impertinence.

"How—?" he began.

"Oh, come on. What poor struggling model opts to eat at a restaurant like this? I mean, I appreciate the gesture, but it's clear you've got a taste of the luxury life. Raised with the old silver spoon in mouth, were you?"

"Guilty as charged," Edward acknowledged with a chuckle. "Well, yes, I am perhaps fucking around a bit while my old man runs his business back in London. Eventually I might have to take some of that on, but god I hope not...it's so bloody boring."

Having a fine, expensive dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant with a gorgeous view and a gorgeous man... I couldn't hold back a small smile as I mused that the scene was like something out of a movie. This was not the kind of thing small-town girls got to experience on the regular. Despite my earlier trepidation, I found myself enjoying every moment of it.

As the waitstaff wrapped up our courses and brought out a little dessert "compliments of the chef," the tone of the conversation shifted imperceptibly. I sensed a decision coming on.

"Really, thank you so much," I said as Edward slipped his credit card into the leatherbound check folder. "This was really wonderful."

Edward glanced at me, his brown eyes meeting mine. "So...do you fancy heading back to my flat for some after-dinner drinks?"

I smiled, making up my mind. "Yes, let's."