Authors: Kate Perry
"She doesn't have my cell
number over here." Mel had given her a new cell for the duration of her
trip.
"Good. Keep it that way.
I'll let you go. I miss you, Leilani, but I'm happy you're there."
Impishly, she added, "Give Colin my love."
She made her goodbyes and turned
to MacLeod. "I'm going to meet Colin now. You okay on your own?"
He barked once and walked her to
the door.
Talking to Sam made her a little
late, so she took a cab to the Horniman at Hays, the pub on the Thames near
Colin's work. She loved the old-and-new of the location. It'd once been a tea
warehouse. And, of course, there was the name, which made her snicker just a
little each time she heard it.
Colin was at the bar, talking to
a man in a pink cycling outfit and sandals. She blinked when she realized it
was George. "Hello, men," she said, pulling a stool next to them.
Cupping her face, Colin kissed
her gently. "Hello, love," he said softly.
She heard the true emotion behind
the endearment the British used so often and knew he said it with meaning.
Before she could overanalyze
that, George saluted her with his pint. "Cheers, sweeting."
Colin took her hand. "A
drink?"
"Yes, please."
As he flagged the bartender,
George said, "Colin was telling me about your adventures in the city. Are
you enjoying our lovely island?"
"Very much."
"It's a good place to
live." He was about to say more but a woman walking into the pub caught
his attention. He perked up like MacLeod did when there was Guinness at hand.
"Excuse me a moment, dear ones.
L'amour
calls."
They watched him go over to the
woman, who looked wary as he approached her.
"What odds would you give
him in being successful with that woman?" Colin asked conspiratorially.
"In that outfit?" She
winced.
"Precisely, but watch."
He nodded at his cousin.
George said something to the
woman, and she laughed. Then he said something else and she nodded with a big,
bright smile and let him lead her to the bar, where he sat pressed next to her
and bought her a drink.
Leilani shook her head. "I'd
never have guessed that would have happened."
"George gets all the women.
He always has, even in his most outrageous outfits. It defies logic."
"And you?"
Smiling, Colin squeezed her hand.
"That remains to be seen, but I have faith."
They had a drink and fish and
chips. He made her laugh with stories of the people he worked with and listened
attentively when she told him about Peter, the artist from the north who was
causing her fits.
After, holding her hand, he took
her for a walk along the Thames, to the Tower Bridge. The lights from the
bridge reflected on the water, and the Tower of London stood guard in the
distance.
They stopped in the center, and
Colin slipped his arm around her.
Leilani nestled closer to him.
"I don't think I'd be able to live someplace that wasn't close to water.
Being from Maui gives you a connection to the earth and nature. When you live
there, you feel bound to it."
"Do you miss that?"
She thought about that a moment.
"A little, but I feel a connection here just as well, just with history. You
can feel ages gone by, the ghost of people and times past."
"And the present?"
Pushing her hair aside, he kissed her neck.
"The present is pretty wonderful."
She turned in his arms, pulled his head down, and kissed him.
It started tender and romantic,
but it turned so hot she forgot about the nip in the air.
Trailing kisses along her cheek
and down to her neck, Colin whispered, "I've been thinking about
dessert."
"You love dessert." She
tipped her head back to give him better access.
"What I what tonight is my
favorite." He ran a hand down her body. "Sweet and addicting."
She shivered, her nipples taut at
the thought of him feasting on her.
He kissed her one more time.
"Let's go home, love."
Home
.
He said it like she belonged there.
It scared her.
"Your face clouded. What's
wrong?" Colin touched her cheek. "Are you cold?"
She kissed him to shake off her
doubts. "Just a chill."
"Then maybe we should have
dessert in front of the fireplace." He took her hand and waved down a cab.
"I'll warm you up."
And he delivered on that promise.
The gallery phone rang. Mel was
nowhere to be found and, frankly, if anyone wanted Mel they called her cell
phone. That woman had a relationship with her cell that defied definition.
So Leilani answered. "King's
Gallery."
"Leilani?" a familiar
voice asked. "Is that you?"
Disbelief made her pause. How did
she get this number? "Mary?"
"Yes." Her sigh of
relief was loud over the line. "It's so
nice
hearing your voice."
Leilani felt a stab of guilt, for
so many things. "I've been so busy here with work. You got my last email,
right?"
"Yes." There was a
pause. "Really, I'm surprised you're still in London. I thought you'd be
back by now. Aaron's memorial is in a couple weeks."
She couldn't think of what to
say, so she only said, "Yes."
"I guess you need to do
whatever you need to do."
"How are you, Mary?"
she asked to change the topic.
"I've been better.
Organizing Aaron's surf competition has been draining."
Guilt. That she was in London,
but also that she was neglecting Aaron's mom. And that she was having sex with
another man. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"When are you coming
home?" Mary asked, her voice plaintive.
Never
almost burst from her mouth. She took a deep breath and said as honestly as she
could, "The exhibit goes live at the end of June, and I'm obligated to
stay until then."
Mel hadn't given her a return
ticket. She suspected Mel had hoped she'd stay. Mel was always a step ahead,
she'd learned.
There was a depressed silence on
the other end of the line, then Aaron's mom said, "You'll miss the
competition."
The guilt was enough to make her
cave. "I was thinking I could fly back for a couple days."
"Because it wouldn't be
right without you. Aaron loved you more than anything. For you not to be here
would just be wrong."
What could she say to that?
"Yes, but—"
"And you gave your
word." A pause. "Unless whatever you're doing is more important."
"Let me see what I can
do," she evaded. "I'll email you."
"I hope you can make it
work. It's important to me. You're such a part of Aaron's life."
Was
—she
was
a part of Aaron's life. She
wanted to scream that he was dead, and because of his own hubris, but she would
never be that cruel. Mary didn't deserve that—she was grieving.
So she just said, "I'll let
you know," and hung up.
She had her head in her hands
when Mel burst into the office. "There are no biscuits in the cupboard,
and we're perilously low on tea."
"Okay." Leilani pulled
out a pad and looked for a pen. "We should put it on the list to buy at
the store."
"We have a list for that?"
She smiled at Mel's tone. Her
lists were a source of both awe and aggravation for the woman. "We have a
list for everything, Mel."
"It's not going to help me
in the meantime. What's tea without a bloody biscuit?"
"I can't even
comprehend."
"You're remarkably
unconcerned about this dilemma." Mel crossed her arms. "Did you have
a treat at lunch?"
"I haven't had lunch
yet." She opened her laptop to send an email.
"Put that away." Mel
pushed the laptop shut. "We're going to get tea. Proper tea."
"But—"
"No." She waved her
hands. "I know all your excuses and they won't work. Some things are more
important than even art."
"Tea?" she asked
doubtfully.
"You haven't had tea at
Fortnum & Mason. We can stock up on biscuits and tea while we're there. We'll
be multitasking. Get your purse. I'll call Jasper."
Jasper waited out front for them,
tipping his hat at her as cheerfully as always. She wondered what he did all
day and where he did it. He was always immediately on hand when Mel needed him.
Since Mel texted on the way to
tea, Leilani checked her personal email. A message from her mom, a couple from her
various cousins and friends in Maui, and several from Mary.
Wincing, she quickly shut the
browser and put her phone away. She wasn't sure what to do about Mary and the
surf competition. If the situation were reversed, she didn't think Aaron would
return for her memorial tribute, not if he were surfing.
Resentment and guilt churned in
her stomach. She stared unseeing at the passing scenery, upset with herself for
the thought.
In any case, that wasn't the
point. She'd promised to be an announcer, and she stuck by her word.
The thought of leaving
London—of leaving Colin—was wrenching. Unfortunately, she didn't
think there was any choice.
She could come back, of course,
but what was the point? To continue her affair with Colin would only hurt him
in the long run. He'd expect more, and she didn't think she could go there.
The door popped open to Jasper's
pleasant face. "Allow me, miss."
She let him help her out of the
car. Mel bustled out on her own, bag slung in the crook of her arm with her
phone in her hand, as ever. "Are you ready for an education?"
"Should I be scared?"
she asked, looking at the unassuming building. The windows were trimmed in
aqua, with brightly displayed windows featuring all sorts of treats to scarves
and jewelry.
"Stunned speechless, more
like." Mel led the way inside.
Leilani walked into a
red-carpeted wonderland. Shelves held arrays of beautiful boxes of tea,
cookies, and other treats. "Colin would love this," she said,
goggling at everything.
"He does love it. Shall we
take the stairs so you can see the entire store? The tea salon is on the fourth
floor. We can stop back here to buy what we need afterward."
Mel headed to the spiral
staircase without waiting for an answer. Grinning, Leilani followed quickly.
"You saw the ground floor,"
Mel said, waving behind them, "the first floor houses china and kitchen
things. Needless to say, I never stop there."
"Of course not," she
murmured, amused.
"You'll find frilly things
on the second floor, including lingerie, should you need it." Mel gave her
a knowing look before continuing. "They keep gentlemen's accessories on
the third floor, which is a waste of space if you ask me. The fourth floor's
been remodeled into their Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, for the anniversary of the
Queen's sixtieth year of reigning, as it were."
The fourth floor was different
from the others. The red carpet and gilt was replaced by a more colonial
look—linens and whites, stark wood and simple elegance.
The tearoom was packed, but they
miraculously found a table for Mel. The host guided them to their table and
they sat down. Mel waved away the menus and ordered for them.
Leilani waited until the hostess
left and then asked, "What do these people do that they can come here in
the middle of the day and drink tea?"
"You don't understand the
importance of tea." Mel unfolded her napkin and set it on her lap. "To
not allow for it would be treason.
"Really."
"How could you possibly
understand, from such a backwards place as Hawaii?" Mel winked at her.
A waiter brought them two glasses
of champagne. Mel touched her glass to Leilani's, taking a sip before asking,
"Are you ever going to tell me what's going on with Colin? I feel I've
been very patient not asking or snooping into your affairs."
Smiling, she said, "I didn't
know it was such a pressing concern."
Mel sat back, brow arched,
waiting.
Sighing, she gave in. "Colin
and I have an understanding."
"That doesn't sound
promising at all."
"It works for us." One
of them, in any case.
"Does it?" Mel asked
skeptically. "You haven't given him an answer to his proposal yet, have
you?"
"No, I haven't." She
carried the ring with her everywhere though. "Is this the part where you
tell me I'd be a fool for not accepting?"
"I'm hardly one to give
advice, love. I'm not a poster child for successful relationships. I've never
been with anyone long-term."
"Ever?" Leilani asked
incredulously. "But you're—"
"Driven and independent and
selfish." Her friend smiled deprecatingly. "It'd behoove any man with
half a brain to run far and fast from me."
"Is that what the polo
player did?"
Mel's gaze became wistful and
distant. "We were young and impetuous. In the end, we wanted different
things. We were silly to even attempt it."
Leilani thought about Aaron.
They'd been young but not impetuous at all—at least,
she
hadn't been. The only impetuous thing she'd ever done was come
to London. That, and proposition Colin.
The verdict was still out for the
wisdom of that.
Mel changed the subject. "The
call you got today upset you."
"How do you know? You were
on a call yourself."
"Really, love, don't you
know better by now? So this call..."
"My ex-almost-mother-in-law."
"Oh Lord."
"Exactly."
Mel looked her over. "You're
leaving," she finally stated.
Leilani sighed. "I need to
go back, just for the competition."
"Does Colin know?"
"I'm not sure he needs to
know."
"Doesn't he?" Mel
arched her brow in that way she had.