Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
She laughed as he waved and said, “Your chauffeur has arrived.” His eyes flickered over her briefly and then held her gaze. “You look breathtaking, by the way.”
Erin smiled, thanked him, and then slipped into the car. If there was one thing Jay knew how to do, it was to make a lady feel good. Her earlier nerves about not looking like a model melted away and she decided to just enjoy herself tonight because it was a one-off—even though her body ached for it to be more.
The powerful engine roared as they headed off down the coast. Erin relaxed into the leather seat and let Jay do the talking while she admired the beauty of where she was lucky enough to live. After some time had passed, she began to have an inkling of where they might be headed, and when they pulled into a secluded spot high above the ocean, her hunch was confirmed.
She turned to him in astonishment. Le Nuit was a place she’d heard about, read about, but where she’d never imagined herself dining. “Jay,” she said, “you have to book this place months in advance.”
The grin he sent her was cocky—the Jay she liked least. “They know me here.”
And that line told her more than she wanted to know. He obviously came here frequently. Who had he been with? Clients he was wining and dining, perhaps even her own brother, but almost certainly with other women. As they walked in, she knew she’d been right. She caught a flash of surprise on the maître d’s face. It was quickly gone, but Erin got the message loud and clear: she was not like the usual women who walked in beside Jay. She felt uncomfortable but held her own, even as they were led to their table and she realized that the exclusivity of this place was its downfall—it felt sterile and snooty, and the other diners looked like they were more interested in being seen than in what was on their plates.
Jay nodded and said a quick hello to a couple of people as they walked by, and then they were seated at a round table for two draped in white damask. The owner himself came over, enquired after Jay’s health, introduced himself to Erin, and then asked, “Champagne for the lady?”
Before she could even reply, Jay said, “That would be great. And I’ll have—”
“Your usual Scotch, sir?”
Jay chuckled, obviously delighted that the owner of one of the top restaurants in California had memorized his drink order. “You got it.”
Erin tried not to frown. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the glass of champagne, but it might have been nice if she’d been allowed to answer for herself. Still, she was nothing if not polite.
The drinks arrived swiftly, and Jay raised his glass. “To you, Erin,” he said, smiling. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me over the last week.”
She clinked his glass good naturedly, and as they took their first sip, a very good-looking man came toward their table. She recognized him—a movie star, and one she was pretty sure Archer didn’t like.
“Jay, my man,” he said, as if they were old pals.
“Tom, how’s it going?” He didn’t seem to mind the interruption. If anything, he was enjoying being recognized. Once again, this was the Jay that Erin liked least.
“Can’t complain,” Tom said, shrugging and then giving them a flash of his perfect white teeth. “We should have lunch.”
“Absolutely. I’ll get Gina to put something in the calendar.”
The man nodded and then looked at her with his eyebrows raised. Jay said, “This is Erin.”
“Good to meet you, Erin.”
“You too, Tom.”
He and Jay talked business for a couple of minutes. Erin studied her menu, feeling like a spare part, but when Tom drifted off, Jay said, “If you take my advice, you’ll let them choose our meal for us. That’s how you get the best food here.”
She was game. She didn’t recognize most of the things on the menu anyway. He ordered a bottle of wine that she knew would be expensive, from the number of French words he had to pronounce, and then they were just looking at each other across the table. An awkward silence fell.
She thought back to earlier in the day when he’d been so much more relaxed and more himself. “I have to tell you that Clark is in heaven about the possibility of that job in LA.”
Jay chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me. He’s already sent me three short films and his resume. As sorry as I am to steal a good man from the paper, I have to tell you those shorts are good. He’s got an instinct and an eye that can’t be taught. I predict your friend Clark is going places.”
She was genuinely happy for Clark. It was nice to see good things happen to a friend. “We have some freelance photographers, so the paper won’t be without one, but I’ll tell you right now—you’re going to make an enemy of Pat Sinclair, our editor. She’s pretty fierce.”