The Vine (3 page)

“Oh,” was all I could think to say. I don’t think it was really Lucas that George had the issue with. I think it was all men in general. Although his reputation with women preceded him, and George knew him well enough that it probably hadn’t helped his case.

Since the death of my parents, George had become a bit of a father figure, and I think because he knows all I’d been through, he was just being protective toward me. He wouldn’t want me getting hurt any more than I had been already.

“But I really do want to take you out to dinner, Lizzy. I really do,” he pleaded.

“Look, Lucas, I really do respect George and the fact he’s looking out for me, but I am a big girl, and I am certainly capable of making my own decisions. So I would love to go for dinner with you this Saturday night,” I said a whole lot more confidently than I actually felt. “Great,” he replied, and I literally heard the breath he’d been holding exhale. “Well in that case, Lizzy, I’ll pick you up at 8pm on Saturday.”

“Looking forward to it,” I replied more coyly now, and with that, we bid our goodbyes and hung up. As I put down the telephone, a shiver of excitement ran through me. I had a dinner date this weekend with a tall, dark, and handsome man—my first real date. You certainly couldn’t count the boys I was with when I was younger, as dates weren’t really on their radar, just shagging. I shudder when I think of how I’d let myself be used in the past, and I could feel my mood sinking, so I brought myself back up. No way was I going to let those scumbags ruin my euphoria. I had a date with a gentleman this coming Saturday.

I’m not sure how, but a god-like creature wanted me to go to dinner with him.

Oh no, what am I doing? What am I going to wear? Where is he going to take me?
As panic set in, my first thought was that I must phone Katy; she’d know what to do—she always knows what to do. I instantly called her mobile and she answered on the second ring.

“Hey! How’s it going, babe?” I smiled; Katy’s voice always had that effect on me.

“I’m good, but I really need your help. Can we meet for lunch?”

“Oh, babe, I’d love to, but I’m up to my eyeballs with clients. Lauren’s gone home sick.”

Katy owns a high-end beauty salon in Mayfair, and to be honest, she very rarely does treatments since just overseeing the running of the business and paperwork takes up enough of her time, but sometimes, like when staff is off sick, she always mucks in.

“Okay, no worries. I’ll see you at home tonight.” I sighed. I must have sounded downbeat, because instantly Katy’s tone changed. “Is everything okay, Lizzy? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Really, don’t worry; I just wanted some advice. That’s all.”

“Okay, Lizzy. If you’re sure it can wait, I’ll see you at home later then.”

Regardless of what she had just said—and to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t really listening and needed to get this off my chest—I just blurted out, “I’ve got a dinner date on Saturday night.”

“What?” Katy’s shocked exclamation came down the line so loudly I actually pulled the telephone back from my ear. “Who with?” she screeched.

“Katy, firstly, you don’t have to sound quite so surprised. Is it really that unbelievable that I have a date? And secondly, it’s with Lucas Castle.” Silence.

“Right, I’ll move a couple of appointments and I’ll be right over. We’ll grab a sandwich and talk.” And with that, she hung up; my mouth was still open ready to speak, but she was gone, just like that.
Weird
.

Twenty minutes later, I got a call from reception. Thinking it was Katy, I informed them I was on my way down. I went in to tell George I was popping out for lunch, grabbed my bag and jacket, jumped in the lift and headed downstairs.

As I entered reception, I looked around for Katy but couldn’t see her, and as I glanced at Rochelle, the receptionist, I could see she was grinning wildly at me whilst holding the biggest bunch of flowers I had ever seen. It looked like it consisted of every different flower known to man, and in every different colour.

I pointed to my own chest, mouthing, ‘for me?’ In answer, Rochelle looked quite demented she was nodding so vigorously. As I walked over to retrieve them from her, she was squealing, “There’s a card too!” I took them from her as she hovered over me, practically hopping from foot to foot. “Thanks, Rochelle,” I said before making my way to one of the modern, black leather and chrome sofas.

I placed the flowers on the glass table in front of the sofa, and pulled the gold envelope out of its holder amongst the flowers. I slowly pulled the card out of its envelope, my heart banging against my chest as I read the handwritten scrawl on the card.

Lizzy, I cannot stop thinking about you,
and absolutely cannot wait until Saturday night.
Lucas X

Wow, that was so nice of him to send me flowers before our date, but what’s that ‘I cannot stop thinking about you’ all about? That has got to be a line. Oh no, what if he thinks it was more than just a date he’d be getting on Saturday?
Well, if that was the case, he could think again, because I was not that kind of girl—even if he did have eyes that hypnotised me, hair that I just wanted to run my fingers though, lips I knew I could probably kiss all night long and a face that was so knicker-dropping handsome…

What am I doing?
I mentally berated myself for letting my mind go to those sorts of forbidden places. I was immediately brought out of my daydream by Katy’s shrill voice at the main door. “Hey, Maynard, get your arse out here! We need to talk.”

I left the flowers at the centre of the glass table for later, and tucked the card into my bag as I scurried along, trying to catch up with Katy as she retreated back out of the building.

I followed her two streets before we met in Giuseppe’s, our favourite little Italian deli café. We queued up to order, Katy remained silent but I could see her looking at me from the corner of her eye.

Katy ordered her usual—a tomato and mozzarella Panini and a peppermint tea—and then it was my turn to order, and as I was looking up to the menu display, I could feel Katy looking me up and down. I ordered a prosciutto, tomato and basil on Artisan bread, and then I ordered a cappuccino. By then, Katy was seated in a booth near the window, and as I slid in opposite her, she was quiet.
Oh, dear, this is worrying
. And then she started, “What’s happening with Lucas Fucking Castle, Elizabeth?”

I couldn’t believe Katy had called me Elizabeth, because she knows and respects my feelings about that.
Oh, dear, this is bad… this is really bad.

“Well,” I started whilst I thought of what I should say that wouldn’t rile her up any further. I mean, we’ve had our little disagreements over the years, but I’d actually never seen Katy so mad. I carried on regardless. “You know that Castle Law has been a client of Sinclair’s for years. Well, I’ve gotten to know Lucas over the last couple of months, and he’s invited me for dinner and I’ve accepted.”

“I thought Cole dealt with all the accounts-side of the business?” Katy questioned.

“He did for years, but then I guess Lucas must have taken over that side of things,” I answer innocently.

“Impossible!” Katy snapped, shaking her head. “Accounts are what Cole’s side of the business is. Lucas meets and obtains the new clients; that’s how it’s always ran. Remember, Cole’s only a few years older than us, and he and I were fuck buddies a few years back.” She looked at my expression of shock at her crude selection of words and continued, “Oh, don’t look at me with that face, Lizzy. Friends with benefits, or whatever they call it these days. Anyway, I know how they run their business, and I also know that the three of them are nothing but rich playboys.” She glares at me.

“Katy, I really think you are overreacting. It’s just dinner.” I emphasised the ‘just dinner’ part, but Katy was shaking her head like there was just no way would she believe it. “Katy,
please don’t be mad; this is the first date I’ve wanted to go on in years. I was really excited about it, and I wanted to share my excitement with you.”

Since Katy was still silent, I continued, “I thought we’d get to go outfit shopping. You’d get to pamper me in your salon, which you always want to do…not that I ever let you. The last thing I expected was for you to be mad at me about it.”

Katy’s face mellowed slightly, “Lizzy, Lucas Castle is a total womaniser. So please, trust me when I say you, my sweet girl, may think it’s just dinner, but he will have more—
a lot
more—on his agenda.”

“Well then, if that is the case, he’s going to be sorely disappointed. I do like him, and I know that he’s got a reputation, but he’s never been anything but polite, well-mannered and gentlemanly to me, so that’s the Lucas I’ve accepted dinner with. So please, can you just be happy for me?” I asked her, doe-eyed.

“Oh, Lizzy, not the puppy dog eyes; you know I’ve never been able to resist them,” Katy joked, hiding her eyes with her arm so she couldn’t see me and I knew I was forgiven. I giggled, and Katy looked back at me seriously. “I just worry about you, Lizzy, that’s all. I’m very protective of you; you know that, and yes, of course I’ll help you prepare for your date, but I’m also going to stay home on Saturday night, and if at any point you want out of there, just one call and I will be there, okay?”

“Wow, you must be worried to stay at home on a Saturday night!” I laughed, glad the mood had lightened. “I am,” she retorted, “but I’m not going to rain on your parade anymore, so that will be the end of it for now.”

Our lunch arrived to our table, and we tucked in and ate in silence, both of us obviously deep in thought—probably different thoughts, but about the same man. Katy broke the silence. “Right, so when are we going shopping then?”

“Tomorrow night? It’s late night shopping on a Thursday,” I suggested.

“Cool,” Katy agreed. “Then Saturday, you and I are in the salon, girl.”

“Deal.” I laughed.

“Well, speaking of the salon, I’d better get back. I’ll see you at home tonight, hun,” Katy said as she came around the table to give me a hug. Whilst in her grasp, I muffled “Yes, I’m going to make a move now anyway.” After a moment, when Katy finally pulled away from her reassuring ‘we’re all good’ hug, we left the deli and went our separate ways—me toward Green Park, and Katy toward Berkley Square. I exhaled as I walked along thinking how intense Katy was about my date, and then I felt a rush of giddy excitement.
I’ve got a date, argh!
I thought to myself, and had to stop myself from practically skipping back to the office.

BANG!
That’s what it was like when it happened, and I don’t just mean the girl crashing into me as I entered my building heading back to my office after yet another meeting. I’m talking about the walloping after effect I had once I steadied her and looked into those big, Bambi, brown eyes.

Everyone says you’ll know when you meet ‘The One’. Well, I for one didn’t believe in that load of old bollocks…until that moment. Don’t get me wrong—I’m a wealthy bachelor, so women are not exactly what I’d call ‘thin on the ground’. I’ve had my fair share over the years, but her…
wow!

It was weird, because before that moment I’d never met her before, but strangely, I felt like I knew her. In the nanosecond that we’d collided, she’d done so far what no other woman had ever done—she had gotten under my skin, and not just in a good way, but in the best way ever. As I gaped at the doors where she had made her exit, I just couldn’t shake the emotions she had set off in me.

My hands still tingled with sensation where I had touched her arms, and if I closed my eyes her luscious smell surrounded me, and probably would forever. I knew my dreams from now on would be clouded with her face and those eyes—
my God, those eyes
—unforgettable. It was like I was a snow globe and she’d
just popped in, shaken me up a bit and disappeared, leaving me standing like a statue with flurries and a haze around me.

I’d class myself as fairly gifted in the looks department, and being in my mid-thirties, I have to work hard to keep a fit muscular body, but the truth of the matter is—and I was no fool here—I know most women are definitely more interested in my money than me. I have dated some gorgeous women, but most had zero personality. I had dated a few nice women who were funny and intelligent, but there was always something missing, just no real connection. I already knew this girl was different; I don’t know how I knew, but I just did.

I knew I was capable of feelings of lust and passion, but I thought I was incapable of real feeling, emotion and sentiment. Clearly, I was wrong, and it felt good to know I had it in me. It felt exciting, which was something I definitely had never said about another woman.

My last relationship was with a woman called Saskia, and we had been together for a few years. Admittedly, when I was with her, there were no other women. If I was in a relationship, I was monogamous, despite the rumours that circulated and surrounded me. That was a major problem with me—even if I did meet a decent girl, I don’t think she would stick around long once the rumour mill got going about me and some bimbo I’d never met, but was allegedly dating or sticking it to.

All that never really bothered Saskia; she was hard-nosed, ruthless and had very thick skin, and to top it off, she was quite a stunner too. So in her eyes, I would never cheat on her because I was lucky to be with her, and although I do like a girl with confidence, arrogance is an ugly trait. So everyone thought we’d be together forever, and I suppose I sort of thought we would too. I’m a workaholic businessman who’s very rarely at home, and even when I am, I have to admit that I can be a miserable bastard; but Saskia seemed happy giving me attention when I needed it, and leaving me alone when I just wanted her out of my face. It never
really occurred to me that if I really loved her, I shouldn’t want her out of my face.

She was wined and dined at the best restaurants, went to all the best society functions, had weekly spa days and went on some of the best holidays that money could buy. So she was happy, or so I thought. The fact that we weren’t engaged was a big flaw in our relationship for her. In my head, I thought we would get there eventually, but something always stopped me.