Before midnight Page 7

  Lauren shrugged a shoulder while walking through her building’s lobby.

  “I think it’s a fun way to end the day.”

  “It’s not over yet,” Caleb affirmed stroking her cheek.

  He was about to kiss her when his phone rang. He reluctantly pulled away and answered without first checking who was calling. If he had done that, he might’ve ignored the call from the beginning and not because he didn’t care about his grandmother, quite the opposite, he cared about her so much that telling her ‘no’ always made him feel a little guilty.

  “Hi, grandma,” he greeted.

  Lauren opened her eyes wide, as if the ‘happy brownie’ effect had faded instantly, and watched Caleb step away to deal with whatever Sylvinna was saying at that moment.

  What the hell are you thinking? A little voice in her head said.

  She shouldn’t be having romantic dates with him that would only make her lose focus. She couldn’t fall in love with that man… not when she was only using him to protect her future.

  She pretended she wasn’t curious at all and made a hand gesture to tell Caleb she would be in her apartment. He nodded and stayed in the lobby to continue his conversation with his grandmother.

  Lauren took that time to take off her coat and boots, and prepare a strong cup of coffee; she needed to clear her head. She was wondering what Sylvinna would be telling her grandson; if she convinced him to go to that party, Lauren was lost because Sylvinna wouldn’t have any interest in her at all.

  “Can I come in?” he asked interrupting her train of thoughts.

  She stood up.

  “Of course, that’s why I left the door open. Would you like some coffee?”

  Caleb left his jacket and scarf on a nearby hangar.

  “Yes, please.”

  He watched her while she moved in the kitchen, enjoying her elegant and soft gestures. He considered her a refreshing type of person, very different from other women that had been in his life. He was seriously toying with the idea of staying in town a little longer and run his business from the phone for a couple of weeks. He noticed that he wanted to spend more time with her and that was completely new to him, a man so used to putting his business and his profession before his relationships… at least since the whole Harper thing.

  “Marie…” Lauren, who was already used to be called by another name, turned towards him and extended a cup of coffee, which he gladly took.

  “Is everything ok?” she asked nervously. She was dying to know what had made Caleb look so pensive.

  “My grandmother called.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No,” he sipped his coffee, “at least nothing I should worry about. She insists on the idea that she’s about to die and that she wants me to go to her Christmas party.”

  Lauren smiled.

  “I get it. You told me she tends to be a little melodramatic, didn’t you?” He nodded while Lauren stared at the brim of her cup. She had already drunk all of its content. “If you’re not interested in the girl your grandmother wants for you, why don’t you just go to the party?”

  Caleb ran his hand through his blond hair. What was usually a typical gesture, ended up been really sexy when he did it.

  “You don’t know my grandma. When she has her eye on something, there’s no barrier big enough that can stop her from reaching her goal.”

  “Have you been skipping the party all these years?”

  “Just for two years, since I found out that she wants to set me up with her best friend’s granddaughter. I usually just go to the family Christmas lunch on the 25th or I make sure that Brook has already left the party, get in, give everyone their presents and then I get out, mission accomplished.”

  “Uhm…”

  Caleb’s blue eyes brightened up.

  “I’ve just had an idea.”

  “Well, judging by your expression, I’m assuming you have a lot of faith in it.”

  “Would you go with me to my family’s party?”

  Lauren stared at him for a long time and he was anxiously waiting.

  How hadn’t I thought about inviting Marie? Caleb pondered.

  It was the perfect solution; he could pretend he had serious intentions with her and his grandma would stop playing matchmaker.

  “I wouldn’t want your family to think wrongly about our situation.”

  A part of her was thrilled at the prospect of accomplishing her goal: go to Sylvinna’s party with Caleb and obtain her reward. However, she’d known him at a deeper level and in that moment she was feeling anxious at the idea of not seeing him again… or seeing him with another woman. After they go to the Bescott’s Christmas party, he would definitely be able to forgive any of Brook’s flaws. She was sure that Sylvinna wouldn’t have chosen her if Brook didn’t meet her standards.

  “I promise I’ll make it up to you,” he said interrupting her thoughts.

  She gave him a half smile. Watching Caleb’s bright eyes and warm aura, it was very easy to see what her real problem was: she was in love.

  “Marie? Why are you making that face? My grandmother doesn’t actually bite, I swear,” he joked.

  You have to go along with this till the end, Lauren, she told herself.

  “I’ll be on a special mission to protect you from the evil granddaughter of your grandmother’s best friend?” she asked in a seductive tone before sitting on Caleb’s lap and resting her arms around his neck. She hugged him more sweetly than even because after knowing what she felt for him, nothing would ever be the same.

  “Something like that, beautiful,” he said while caressing her waist.

  ***

  “You should tell him the truth,” Emke said.

  Lauren was getting ready for Sylvinna’s party. She had spent the whole day mulling over the idea of telling Caleb’s grandmother that the deal was off, that she would find a way to come back to Holland later on and also ask her not to tell Caleb anything about their agreement. When she was in bed with Caleb, savoring his lips and his skin, guilty thoughts filled her consciousness but she urged herself to enjoy the little time they had.

  “Remember that Caleb’s grandmother wants to set him up with someone within their social status, she won’t want a girl she met at an escort agency which she thought was a place to find a blind date,” Lauren grumbled zipping up the side zip of her blue dress with see-through sleeves and beading details around the edge.

  Emke, who was sitting on her friend’s bed, leaned against the pillows. She had been there for quite a while because Caleb had left two hours ago. She actually liked the guy and the idea of Lauren and him together. She thought that, for the first time since she knew her friend, there was a spark in her that had nothing to do with the possibility of having her own business. She didn’t want to see her hurt, although up to that point it seemed unavoidable.

  “But if that old lady notices that Caleb’s looking at you differently…”

  Lauren let her hands fall to her sides and took a step back to meet Emke’s gaze.

  “Just so we’re clear, it’s me who’s in love and not him,” she paused. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so rude,” Emke smiled understandingly. “It never occurred to me that this could happen. It’s all been so fast…”

  Emke sat cross-legged and hugged one of Lauren’s decorated cushions.

  “As a psychologist, I can tell you that a man who’s just looking to get laid doesn’t show as much interest in her lover’s friends as he did. Do you really think that any guy would have done what Caleb did for me, asking me if I wanted him to pick me up afterwards? Or what he did for Sheine and Duncan, leaving those two fools an open tab to pay for whatever they wanted.”

  “Again, it’s been just a few days; maybe he was just trying to…”

  “Who said that love has to start at a particular date, the scientists? Ha!” she said while standing up. She didn’t like when Lauren was so stubborn. “You better hurry up,” she looked at her wristwatch, “
I’ll help you do your hair.”

  Lauren was so nervous, so anxious…

  “I can’t tell him about the deal with his grandmother.”

  “But you can tell him that you’re in love with him.”

  “Emke… it’s not so simple. What would he think of me if I confess my feelings and also what I plotted with his grandmother behind his back?

  The blonde girl snorted before looking for the curling iron to fix her friend’s hair.

  “If you do it, you’ll know if he feels the same way about you and if he’d be able to forgive you.”

  “I’m afraid to know the answer.”

  “You’ll never know if you keep that cowardly attitude. Now, please, stay still before I burn your head for being so thick.”

  That comment made Lauren laugh and the look of concern faded… at least for a while.

  ***

  Caleb went out of his hotel with his heart fluttering, which was very unlike him. Was it anxiety at the prospect of his grandma meeting Marie for the first time? Was he excited to see Marie again? He thought she was a terrific woman and that night he was going to propose a long-distance relationship. Didn’t people say that everything you need is willpower? Well, he had the resources to manage his own time and work from another part of the world if he had to.

  The fact that Marie was an American working in Amsterdam might even be a plus; they could coordinate their time to spend one season in America, at least during her vacations, and then… wait! What the hell?

  For the first time since Harper, he was thinking about a long-term relationship. He should’ve been scared; he waited for the moment when his urge to escape and the impulse to cancel his evening with Marie started to creep in because it was what made his previous relationships so brief. But the only thing he found was the certainty that he was doing the right thing.

  While he drove to the Hotel where his family was waiting, Caleb thought about how much he liked Christmas Eve. Ever since he was little, he always had the chance to enjoy big parties with his family and those memories were the reason why he considered himself a very lucky man.

  Christmas always unleashed his inner child. He remembered how thrilled he was while he waited for midnight to arrive; until he turned twelve and his evil cousin Spyros ruined the magic when he told him that Santa wasn’t real. Even as an adult he believed in magic, yes, he did, because his heart simply melted whenever he saw one of his loved ones smiling.

  He liked helping his mother make hot chocolate but he only helped her drink it when it was done because he wasn’t any good at cooking and he didn’t even want to try. Those were the details that helped him fill the void he felt every time his grandmother reminded him that he shouldn’t invest all his time and energy in his business projects.

  He was actually wondering if maybe Marie was the right woman for him…

  CHAPTER 7

  “I’d like to rip that dress off of you,” Caleb whispered in her ear.

  His warmed breath caused a tickling sensation that hardened Lauren’s nipples. She nudged him.

  “Not here,” she replied, without being able to hide the blush on her cheeks.

  Lauren had no idea how she would be able to say goodbye. It was their last night together, just as they had established a couple days ago. How in the world did time pass so fast? However, she was hopeful because he hadn’t mentioned anything about that night being their last. Would it be possible that he felt at least a little bit charmed, to the point of wanting to somehow prolong their time together?

  “You’re right, maybe later we could sneak out and find a dark corner in this hotel,” he said seductively.

  “Caleb, you’ve ended up being a very naughty man,” she mumbled.

  “Is that a flaw?” He asked, pretending to be worried.

  Lauren couldn’t help but laugh.

  “In this case, I think it ends up being a great feature.”

  Stunning; that was the perfect word to describe Marie, Caleb thought. That blue dress left him dumbfounded, just as her light makeup and the rest of her look. She was a little taller than average and, even so, her head usually came to his neck; however, the heels she was wearing that night made her reach his chin. Every curve in her body was marked as if the dress ha ben sewed over her skin. She definitely exuded elegance and sexiness.

  Even her perfume was making it very difficult to control his impulses. He wanted nothing more than to get lost in her smell, penetrate her body and ask her to prolong their time a little more. Later; he would ask her later. He was sure that their relationship would be able to survive two different continents and time zones.

  “Your family is waiting,” she said before giving her coat to one of the ushers. The clothes she was wearing had been paid for out of her own pocket, just as she told Sylvinna she would do.

  “You’ll like them… and they’ll like you too.

  “Caleb, wait,” she said with a sudden honesty caused by the nerves, and also by the fear for what was about to happen. She hated goodbyes. The first thing she’d do when Sylvinna saw them would be to escape. She didn’t want to face him and accept that she had lied; she didn’t want to see the resentment in his bright blue eyes.

  He looked at her in that way that turned her brain into a puddle. That night he looked more like a classic Hollywood actor than a software genius, with his black tuxedo, his slicked back hair and, of course, his two-day stubble and manly perfume.

  “Yes?” he asked in a deep tone.

  Today your goal is more important than your feelings, Lauren, an inner voice said to her. She pretended to ignore it but it didn’t work. Even when there’s love, no one wants to be with a person who forgets about his or her personal goals. Maybe it was possible to get to an agreement but there was nothing to agree on because she was the only one who was in love, not Caleb. She couldn’t get her hopes up just because of her heart’s desires or because of her talk with Emke.

  “I’m glad to be here,” she finally said.

  Caleb stretched his hand to stroke her cheek.

  “And I’m glad to have you here.”

  Lauren cleared her throat… it was so hard not to tell him the truth.

  “Because I’m protecting you from Brook’s evil claws?” she asked trying to dispel the sexual tension between them and also trying to ignore the jealousy she felt just imagining him setting his eyes on another woman.

  Caleb let out a laugh that created a couple of tiny wrinkles around his eyes. To Lauren, the sound was like music to her ears.

  “That’s one reason, yes,” he said with a wink and then he took her arm and guided her to where everyone would eat. “Although what I’m actually thinking right now is your naked body pinned under mine and without this audience.”

  Sylvinna Bescott had decided to throw her party at The Prinsenkamer ballroom in Hotel D L´Europe which was one of the most popular places, with 1,000 square foot, capacity for one hundred guests, and an incredibly elegant decoration in every corner. The combination between the white and gold Christmas decoration and the essence of the ballroom were proof of the Bescott family’s good taste and the hotel’s staff hard work and dedication to please the guests in all possible ways.

  Lauren was amazed watching the crystal ball that was hanging from the ceiling with long straps of red and gold velvet. The tables were set for thirty-five people and the center of the room had been turned into a big dance floor with musical instruments in one corner.

  “My dear grandson!” Sylvinna exclaimed when she saw Caleb entered.

  Almost the entire Bescott family was there, dressed elegantly and talking to each other.

  “Grandma!” he replied while he hugged her lovingly. When he stepped away from her, he turned to Lauren. “I want you to meet Marie LeFamn, a beautiful, American lawyer who works with customs related lawsuits.”

  For a moment there was a brief and silent exchange between the two women. Sylvinna nodded almost imperceptibly.

  “Nice to see you he
re,” Sylvinna said. “I’m glad my grandson decided to bring you. Please, make yourself at home.”

  Lauren cleared her throat.

  “I… thank you,” Caleb squeezed his fingers tightly against hers, as if telling her that everything was going to be ok.

  You are so wrong, Lauren thought with a smile she couldn’t contain because that was just what he did to her.

  “How long have you been living in Amsterdam?” the old lady asked. She was wearing a long, burgundy dress with Mallorca pearls hanging from her ears and neck, plus her ever present rings: her engagement ring and her wedding ring; those jewels were the only ones that had a special meaning to her because they connected her with her deceased husband

  “Just a few months.”

  “Are you planning on keeping that job as a customs agent?” Sylvinna asked.

  “Please, grandma, don’t start.”

  “It’s up to my employer,” Lauren answered with her gaze lock on the woman’s eyes.

  The party’s host replied with a smile, “I’m sure you’ll be here for a long time.”

  With that comment, she knew that her work permit was safe. She was waiting for that feeling of relief and victory, but the only thing she felt was a hunch that told her that it would be too hard to fall in love again. “Now, stop with the chit chat, make yourself comfortable, this is a private party. Caleb, you can introduce her to the whole family and I hope you remember to be polite when our life-long friends get here.”

  Caleb heard that message loud and clear; if Brook got there, he would have to be the perfect gentleman, no buts. When he told Sylvinna that he was going to bring a date, she said that his presence was the most important thing. Although, knowing his grandmother, he knew she didn’t really mean it because her real goal was to set him up with Brook for a date… or more.

  “Of course,” he retorted and took Lauren’s hand in his.

  They visited table after table and Caleb introduced Marie as his date, which surprised her briefly but she didn’t dare to say something. Why would she care about those titles if she had nothing to lose anyway?