He's Captured My Heart (Captured Series Book 1) (20 page)

“Why thank you, Miss Stewart. I shall take that as a compliment.” He takes my hand and bows slightly. “You, on the other hand, look beautiful—as always.”

I’ve only thrown on a pair of tight jeans, top, and blazer—something I would normally wear when going out with my mum. If I dressed up, she would be suspicious.

Dad texts me that he’s ready, and I reply that I’m on my way down. He says he’ll call Alex, but I say that I’ll swing past his room on the way down and collect him. Alex grins.
It’s not funny
, I mouth to him. I hate lying to my dad.

When we get downstairs, Dad is talking with Kieran in reception. Alex gives me a brief smile before looking back in the direction of my father.

“Phil.” Alex greets my father with a handshake.

“Alex, Libby. Are you both ready? Your mother will meet us at the restaurant after we’ve seen this flat of yours.”

“I’m still unsure about it, Dad,” I tell him.

I give Kieran a nod as the three of us head out of the hotel and towards Dad’s car, which is sitting right outside the main doors. He obviously called for someone to get it. I climb into the back, letting Alex sit in the front with my dad so they can talk—and I don’t need to.

The drive seems to take much longer than it did last night. The traffic is a nightmare. Alex and my dad don’t seem to notice. They are chatting away, mainly about football. I listen as Alex tries to keep up with the comings and goings of Scottish football. They both try to include me in their conversation, and I manage to nod or comment at the right times, but mostly their conversation is just a background buzz to my own distracted thoughts.

When we arrive at the flat, Eric, the estate agent, apologises profusely about Lynn going to the papers. He assures us that he personally dealt with the matter harshly, from which I infer that she has lost her job. Tonight’s walk-through is much quicker than the one last night. I still love it, but after seeing it again, I do think it is far too big for just me. I share my concerns with my father, who doesn’t seem to think my concerns are justified. When we leave the flat, I tell
the Eric I will be in touch by close of play on Monday. He assures me he will put off advertising until then.

We arrive at the restaurant just as my mum is getting out of the cab. Perfect timing. I greet my mum with a hug. God, I’ve missed her! It seems ages, although it’s been less than a week since I’ve seen her. I pull away from her to let Dad introduce her to Alex, but she’s already eyeing me suspiciously.

“Mrs. Stewart, it’s so good to finally meet you,” Alex says, holding his hand out to my mother.

“Please. Mrs. Stewart is Phil’s mother. Call me Jane.” She smiles at Alex.

We all enter the quaint, little Chinese restaurant, where the food is to die for, and the staff are so friendly. It’s off the beaten track, so hopefully we won’t be seeing photos in tomorrow’s papers.

We are shown to our table in a secluded part of the restaurant. Mum takes her seat, and Dad sits opposite her, leaving me to decide which one to side beside. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alex watching me, and I wonder if he realises how hard this is for me. I decide to sit beside my mum. And no matter which parent I sit next to, I still have to face him. God, I am going to struggle tonight.

We order drinks from the waiter, who is being a bit over attentive to me, much to my father’s amusement. Alex looks sombre. I smile at him, but it’s not returned. I pick up the menu and start to read through it. My father and Alex are talking. Good. The
more they talk to each other, the less pressure there is on me. I glance at my mother, who despite having the menu in her hand is glancing between me and Alex. I go back to reading the menu. What else can I do?

The over attentive waiter returns with our drinks. He places everyone’s drinks down, leaving mine until last.

“Now last but by no means least,” he says with a smile and a wink.

Seriously? Did he just do that? Alex and my father laugh quietly as the waiter walks away from our table. I kick Alex under the table. He grins at me. He thinks it’s funny, although I’m not sure I do.

“I think you have an admirer, Libby,” my dad says with a hint of humour in his voice. He returns to speaking with Alex.

“He’s not the only one, is he?” my mother whispers to me, smiling.

I turn to face her, but Alex catches my eye. Oh—he heard her too.

“What do you mean?” I ask, although I really don’t think I want her reply.

“We’ll talk later,” she says. “So, Alex, how are you enjoying your stay in Scotland? I do hope Libby and the staff at the hotel are taking extra good care of you?”

I splutter into my glass of wine.
Of all the things to say
. Three sets of eyes focus on me.

“Are you all right, Libby?” It’s Alex asking the question. I nod. My mother will have a field day with me.

“Well, Jane,” he says, “it’s a beautiful country from what I’ve seen so far. And yes, Libby and the staff are taking great care of Michael and me. I hope to see a lot more during my time here once I get the business end of my trip tied up.” He has a hint of a smile on his face as he looks to me. Does that mean I get to spend more time with him? Do I want to spend more time with him? Or is me spending more time with him only going to lead to heartache?

The waiter chooses this moment to interrupt to take our order. He is very animated, the type of person I would love in the hotel restaurant, and he’s great with the customers. He spends a bit of time explaining various items on the menu before we order.

“If you’ll excuse me,” I say, rising from my seat as the waiter leaves our table. Again everyone turns to me.

“Are you all right, Libby?” my mother asks. I hear the concern in her voice. “You look a bit pale. Are you tired?”

“I’m fine. I just need to use the bathroom,” I say, turning towards the back.

I hear my mother say, “I think I’ll just go and make sure she’s all right.”

I hold the door to the ladies’ open since she’s walking right behind me. And there I was wanting a few
minutes to compose myself. Instead I’m going to be interrogated by my mother. Oh well, I suppose it’s better to get it over with than to have it hanging over my head for the rest of the evening. She looks round the bathroom, and I can only presume it’s to make sure that we are alone. No journalists or people with cameras.

“Right, Elizabeth. Do you have anything you’d like to tell me?”

“Like…?”

“Oh, I think you should start with Alex.”

“What’s to tell? He’s one of Dad’s clients—one I’m stuck with for the next few weeks.” I know that’s not what she wants to hear. She shakes her head at me.

“Libby, I’m your mother. I can tell that there’s
something
going on. I just don’t know what,” she says. “I thought at first it was attraction, but you’re ignoring him completely now. Is it that you don’t get on? Friction between you? Would you like me to ask your father to get someone else to see to him?”

“Stop there, Mum.” She’s puzzled, and quite frankly, so am I.

“Darling, what is it? I can see he likes you—he’s hardly taken his eyes off you since we arrived.”

“Oh, Mum…” God, I am just going to tell her. Get it over and done with. What will she make of this? “How do I say this without you thinking badly of me?”

“Libby, sweetheart, you’re starting to worry me. Please, just tell me.”

“Okay, here goes. I am kind of
seeing
Alex.” Well, at least that sounded better than
I’m sleeping with Alex
, but my mother is not stupid. She now knows exactly what’s going on.

“Oh,” she says. She sighs. Shit. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. God, what if she tells my dad? She smiles at me after a few moments. “He is quite handsome. I can see why you would be attracted to him.”

“You’re not mad at me then?”

“Why on earth would I be mad at you? I was young once myself, and I still have eyes. I’m not ready for a pine box yet. You think it all ends when you reach my age?” she says with a smile. I do not want to think about this right now. “The point is, though, it would be great to see you happy and carefree for a change. You’ve had a lot to deal with these past few months, and you deserve a little happiness.” She gives me a hug. “And anyway, I’ve seen the pictures in today’s papers of you two. You look happy together. He might be good for you. All I ask, as your mother, is that you’ll be careful.”

“Don’t, Mum…” I do not want to hear The Talk again.

“Why the sad look?”

“Because I am not naïve. I know there’s no chance of any kind of serious relationship between a man like him, especially one who lives in another part of the world, and someone like me.”

“Sweetheart, why ever not? You are intelligent, witty, and beautiful…should I go on? I think you put yourself down too much, although god knows why. I get that you have trusting issues, but then who wouldn’t after Jeff? But you know, sweetheart, all men are different. You never know what’s going to happen in the future. Sometimes you have to take chances. If everyone went into relationships expecting them to fail, there would be no relationships. If I’d had that attitude, neither you nor Ethan would be here today! My relationship with your father was very difficult in the beginning with both of us working, hardly seeing each other, and then me staying home to raise you two. But we managed and thrived. You just never know what’s waiting round the corner.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Come on. We’d better get back out there before they start to worry,” Mum says.

“What about Dad?” I ask. “I feel like I’m lying, and I hate it.”

“It seems like just yesterday we were both your age. I’ll speak with your father tonight when we get home and gently remind him what its like,” she says, winking. She gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, and we both head back to the table.

“Are you okay? You had us worried,” Dad says.

“Everything’s fine. Libby’s just a little tired.” Mum looks directly at Alex as she speaks with a hint of a smile.

“I’m fine, Dad. Mum’s right. I’m just a little tired,” I say, just as the waiter arrives at our table with starters.

My explanation seems to settle Dad. I have to admit that I am much more settled and relaxed too after my talk with Mum. She always knows the right thing to say. As we eat, we talk and drink. Alex seems relaxed in my parents’ company, but then again, why wouldn’t he be? He’s working with my dad, after all.

The conversation flows easily. Mum asks Alex lots of questions about everything from schooling to business to family. I wonder if he realises that he is being interrogated. I suspect so. He answers all the questions politely. I’m learning a great deal about the man I’m spending time with, and so far I like what I’ve heard.

She also questions why he didn’t go into law like his parents and brother. His reply was it simply didn’t interest him enough, but his mother would tell us a different story, of a young, maybe rebellious boy who wanted to take a risk, a gamble. This is a story I’ll have to ask more about later.

The waiter clears the starters and brings more drinks to the table. I’m going to have to slow down with the alcohol, or I will end up in the same state as Kirsty last night. God, Kirsty! I wonder how her night with Michael is going. The conversation changes to one of my father’s favourite subjects, football.

“So, you looking forward to the game tomorrow, Libby?” my father asks.

“Not really, Dad.” I answer curtly.

Mum laughs. “Now I am sure Libby would much rather go shopping, which I know she
hates
. But if there happened to be a certain Rangers player there, she would be more than happy to go. Phil, what was his name? Libby had a huge crush on him when she was what, thirteen?”

“Mum!”

“What? It’s true—one minute you didn’t like football, then it was all talk of Rangers.” She laughs, knowing this little bit of information is something I would rather she wasn’t sharing. “It was quite funny listening to you and Ethan bickering about a sport that up until that point you had showed no interest in, especially when it came to old firm games. He would be cheering on one and you the other. I will say this—never a dull moment.” Alex laughs.

“Phil, if Libby doesn’t enjoy the football, we don’t have to go.” Alex holds my gaze. “If Libby has something else she’d rather do, I’m sure you could pull a few strings for this Rangers player.”

Very funny. I shake my head and smile.

“I’ve already said I’ll go. And anyway, it will give me a chance to see Ethan.”

“It’s settled then. I’ll send a driver over for you all in the morning, and you’ll pick Ethan up on the way. When you get to Fir Park, you’ll be met by
Motherwell officials who will take you up to the Millennium Suite. With the game being a lunchtime kick off, they’ll serve you a meal after the game. They usually bring rolls and things around before. Your seats for the game are in the director’s box. Alex, men must wear shirts and ties. Libby knows the dress code if you have questions.” Dad gives us the details for tomorrow.

The rest of the evening flows smoothly, and before I know it, we’ve finished our meal. I ask the waiter to phone a taxi for Alex and me. Dad did offer to drive us back to the hotel, but it’s not even in the same direction, so that doesn’t make any sense at all.

When the waiter tells us our taxi has arrived, Dad pays the bill, and we thank the staff for a great evening. Alex and I say our good-byes to my parents outside. They head to Dad’s car, and we go to the taxi. I climb sheepishly into the back, and it doesn’t come as a great surprise when Alex gets in beside me. He puts an arm round me and pulls me close; I lean my head against him. I am so tired. I just want to sleep.

“Close your eyes, baby. I’ll wake you when we get there.” He leans down and places a kiss on my head. My eyes close. All too soon I hear, “Libby, Libby…it’s time to wake up. We’re back.”

“No, I need to sleep,” I say, stretching.

“Come on, sleepyhead. You can get straight back to sleep as soon as we get upstairs.”

Sleep is what I want, but I’m sure I can be persuaded to stay awake a little while longer. I take his hand as we get out of the taxi. I rummage around in my bag to pay the driver, but Alex has beaten me to it.