Chapter 10
It had been nearly a week since the kiss, and Megan was still feeling guilty for crushing him like she did. She could still see he hurt in his eyes when she turned away from him that night. Even though she felt it necessary to keep her distance, it didn’t make her feel any better.
Megan knew Jensen’s schedule well so she did her work while he was gone and prepared dinner by seven each night. Anything she ate she did so during the day, leaving her dishes by the sink until he was finished, to show him she was eating. She stayed in her bedroom until she was sure he was finished. After a few days of this, it got a little easier for her to maneuver around him. Her only problem was her dreams. The sex dreams she kept having were getting hotter and raunchier. She would wake up in the middle of the night soaked with sweat and her own pleasure. She was able to change her sheets each time without anyone catching on, until one morning Jensen walked in before going to work. The click of her door opening woke her up but she managed to pretend she was still sleeping until he left. Was he checking up on her? He didn’t say anything, he just stood next to her bed for a minute then left quietly.
The next night she made coffee and took a butler of it up to her room. After a long night and almost an entire pot of coffee, she knew she had to do something different. Jensen had already left for work when she got down stairs the next morning so she went back up, set her alarm on her phone and took a nap for an hour. She fell asleep as soon as she lay down, and her alarm interrupted her dream just as Jensen had her tied to his bed ready to penetrate her. She sat up quickly, feeling a sweat on her body. She threw her covers back and looked at her bed.
“Still dry,” she whispered, relieved. She filled her coffee cup with what was left of her cold coffee and downed it. Dragging herself out of bed, she took a cold shower and suffered through the day. As she was making dinner, she felt better. She seemed to have gotten her second wind again and figured it wouldn’t be so bad. She just had to figure out when she was going to be able to sleep. With Jensen’s dinner on the table and a pot of coffee in her hand, she scurried back upstairs to her room just before seven. Her stomach rumbled reminding her that she forgot to eat all day so she made a mental note to eat something as soon as he went to bed. After two cups of coffee, she felt jittery and a little dizzy so she got up and took a shower. It was almost midnight when Jensen finally went to bed. She went down stairs and sorted the laundry so it was ready to be washed in the morning. She did a few other things that were quiet until she heard a door open up the stairs. She turned out the lights and hid until she knew it was clear. She shook her head and went back to her room, frustrated that she couldn’t make good of her time awake. The rest of the night was long and drawn out and she was happy to see the sun stream through her window when it finally came up. She tried to get up out of the easy chair to stretch her muscles but her body ached so bad she could hardly move.
“I just need food. I’ll be okay once I eat,” she said to herself. She peered over the banister to be sure Jensen was gone, then went to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and a couple of cupboards but nothing appealed to her. She grabbed a glass of water and guzzled it. The cold felt good in her stomach. She made her way to the laundry room and started putting clothes into the washing machine. She stopped, feeling a presence behind her. She quickly turned around and jumped when she saw Jensen standing behind her. He was leaning up against the doorway of the laundry room, watching her, a look of worry on his face.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I took the day off.” His eyes scoured her body and she knew he wasn’t pleased with her. She watched his face as he clenched his jaw and fought himself from saying what was on his mind. “Come, eat breakfast with me.”
“I’m…not hungry right now. I’ll get something a little….”
“I’m not giving you the option,” he interrupted, raising an eyebrow. “Besides, I’ve been practicing my cooking skills. I need an unbiased opinion on my pancakes.”
The thought of pancakes made her stomach ache but she knew she’d be in trouble if she didn’t try to eat something. Three nights of coffee, no sleep and no food tends to do harm on someone after a while.
When she passed the large mirror on the wall in the living room, she caught a glimpse of herself and stopped, frowning at what she saw. She raised her fingertips up to her face. Her cheeks were sunk in. Dark circles formed underneath her eyes and she was looking frail and thinner than usual. When she turned back toward the kitchen, she saw Jensen watching her.
“Now you see why I worry about you.”
She put her head down and went around him into the kitchen. She watched him cook breakfast and tried to get psyched about it, but the ache in her stomach wouldn’t go away. When he put a plate in front of her with a large pancake, scrambled eggs and fresh fruit, he watched her pick at the fruit.
He took a big breath, diverting his attention back to his own plate and stuffed a large portion of pancake into his mouth. “I have a favour to ask of you.”
“What is it?” she asked apprehensively.
“I have this…event I have to go to this weekend. It’s a charity ball to help raise money for cancer awareness. Truth is, a date is required, and I don’t have one. I would love it if you would go with me.”
She hesitated as she tried to think of a way out of it.
“You can be my pretend girlfriend,” he said smiling. When she fidgeted and still didn’t answer he quickly said, “I could have called a few others that I know but they seem more interested in me than just a date. I honestly don’t need the hassles and complications. They seem to think that once they have gotten in the door its fair game. What do you say? I know, with you, there won’t be any of that. Just employer/employee. We can call it a working event.”
“Um…okay, yeah, sure,” she smiled. “Why not?”
He let out a fake relieved breath. “Good, thank you so much. It will be a huge relief to not have to worry about keeping it strictly business.” He stuffed another large piece of pancake into his mouth and finished it off with half his orange juice.
She picked at a blueberry on her plate, feeling very uneasy and anxious. Strictly business, strictly business. She kept repeating the words over and over in her head.
“The dinner is at six on Saturday night so you should plan accordingly. If you need to go shopping I can leave you my credit card.”
“What kind of dinner is it?”
“Very fancy, ball gowns, tuxedos, the whole works.”
She grimaced underneath her breath. She had no idea how to shop for such fancy clothes. Knowing her luck, she would look like Mary Poppins when she was through.
As if he read her mind, he looked up at her and pointed at her food. “Eat and I’ll take you to Harrods.”
She looked up quickly, remembering the last experience she had with him there. “No, that’s okay. I can manage.”
“It isn’t up for discussion. I promise one dress and one dress only.”
“Fine,” she scoffed. She shoved a small bite of egg into her mouth.
When they got to Harrods, he parked in the same lot as before and waited for her after getting out of the car. The day threatened rain which didn’t make her feel any better. She lagged behind, lacking the energy to even try to enjoy the day.
Once they got inside, several sales associates perked up when the saw Jensen walking through the aisles with Megan on his side. When he got to the women’s clothing department, Cara rushed over to him with a smile on his face.
“Mr. Dean. It is a pleasure.”
“Hello, Cara.” He leaned in toward her and kissed her cheek. “Looking lovely today.”
“Well, thank you. What can I help you with today?”
“We,” he said, looking at Megan “need a dress for the charity ball this Saturday evening.
“Oh, yes. We have sold many dresses for the occasion. Anything special?” She looked at Megan and then back at Jensen.
“Something…one of a kind.”
“If you would, please follow me. I do believe I have a couple of beauties to choose from.”
They followed the sales woman through the store and up a flight of carpeted stairs. The upstairs room was illuminated in little white lights and recessed fixtures that made it look like a dreamland. Some of the most beautiful dresses Megan has ever seen hung high on the walls with matching shoes dazzling in small glass boxes below them. Her mouth dropped open as she followed them to the back of the room to a black velvet futon surrounded by full length mirrors.
“If you would like to be seated, Miss Jenkins, my sales team will present you with a few dresses for you.” She smiled and walked away.
“She knew my name?”
“I would expect her to.”
Three different sales women lined up in front of her and Jensen as they held out three very lavish dresses for their approval. After scowling at a few gaudy dresses, she wouldn’t be caught dead in, she decided on trying on one that was an elegant white with gold inlays. It looked simple and not as expensive as the others. When she went to the dressing room to try it on, one dress that hung high above her caught her eye. It was a floor length gown, with layers of champagne satin and crinoline. The strapless bodice was embellished with beads, pearls and light pink sequins that sparkled under the lights. She stopped and marveled at the beauty of it but quickly went into the dressing room before anyone saw her. A dress like that must cost thousands in a place like this, she thought.
She tried on the dress they gave her and it seemed to fit well. She nodded in approval, pulling it up a little here, and over a little there. When she came out she spun around slowly for Jensen’s approval.
“What do you think?”
He made a mediocre face. “It’s okay. I have another dress I want you to try. I’ll let you choose between the two.”
She sighed and looked down at the dress she wore.
“This is a lovely pick. Beautiful Chanel dress will the lovely with her skin tone,” said Cara.
When Megan looked back up, Cara held the same dress she marveled over just minutes ago. She looked up at the wall where the dress hung and then at Jensen. His smile was enough to tell her that he caught her staring at it. When she got into the dressing room she pulled off the white dress and stepped into the pink one.
“Please don’t fit, please don’t fit, please don’t fit,” she chanted. When she zipped it up the bodice pulled away from her chest quite a bit. She sighed a relieving sigh and opened the door. She held the bodice tight to her and looked at them. “It’s too big. I’ll just take the other dress.” She barely got the sentence out of her mouth when the women rushed to her and started pulling on the dress and holding her arms up. They pinned here, tucked there, and marked the dress for alterations. Megan felt like she was being prodded and just looked at Jensen with pleading eyes. He just sat on the futon and watched her with a smile on his face.
“We will have your dress ready for you by Friday, Miss Jenkins,” Cara said. Another associate set three different pairs of heels in front of her to choose to go with the dress. She chose a pair of white strappy two inch heels that seemed simple enough. The woman helped her out of her sneakers and fit the shoe to her foot perfectly.
“It looks like we have a sale,” Jensen said. He turned away to hand Cara his credit card.
The woman who helped with the shoes stood close by watching Megan walk around the carpeted area in her new shoes. “You sure are a lucky gal,” she blurted out.
“Excuse me?” Megan looked up at the woman.
“It’s obvious how much Mr. Dean loves you. I saw it the first time you were in here with him, but it’s so much more apparent now. Things must really be going well for you both. I envy you.”
Megan forced a smile, her guilt growing even thicker than before. She sat down and removed the shoes, handing them to the woman so she could box them up.
“I have a surprise for you.” Jensen came in from the garden, carrying a variety of flowers.
“For me? You shouldn’t have?” she said half-joking. She watched him put them in a vase on the living room coffee table before joining her on the couch. He leaned down and looked at the book she was reading. “One of mine?”
“No,” she said a little louder than expected. “I bought it from the book store. Mark Twain.”
“Very good choice.”
“So, what is my surprise?”
“I have a professional makeup artist and hairdresser coming in to doll you up for this evening.”
“You don’t have to spoil me, Jensen.”
“It’s not just about spoiling you. I have a certain image to uphold and whether or not it sounds like I’m being condescending, I assure you, I am not. You’ll understand once you get there.”
After two hours of being pampered, Megan was ready for the ball. She walked down the staircase like a teenager going to the prom. Jensen was waiting for her at the bottom. When he heard her coming down the stairs, he turned around and just stared.
“You are stunning!” exclaimed Jensen with his mouth hung open.
Megan smiled and looked down at her dress. She felt confident for the first time in a long time.
“Thank you,” she said smiling. She took his arm when she got to the bottom of the stairs and he escorted her into the dining room where champagne and h'ordeuvres were laid out on a beautiful lace tablecloth with candles and flowers. “Wow, this is beautiful,” she said. Jensen poured two glasses of champagne, handed one to her.
“I had some h'ordeuvres and champagne brought in for us as we waited for the car.” He pulled a single white rose from the vase on the table and pinned it to her bodice.
She giggled nervously. “I feel like I’m going to a prom.”
“I assure you, this is no prom. Much more prestigious and sophisticated.”
She nodded, trying to calm the nerves in her stomach.
“Will you be okay tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Did you sleep last night?”
“Some.”
He looked worried but didn’t say anything more about it.
Megan rubbed her stomach and tried to eat a small slice of bruschetta.
“If you get nervous or seem out of place all you need to do is look in the mirror,” he said leaning in and kissing her cheek. She bowed her head feeling her cheeks get warm. “No, seriously though I will be right next to you. You have nothing to worry about.” His phone beeped twice and he smiled at her. “Are you ready?” He finished his champagne and set his glass down, offering her his arm. Megan took another sip before setting her glass down next to his. She took his arm and they left for the ball.
It wasn’t very long before they pulled up in front of the Grosvenor House Hotel, a grand luxury hotel that had the feel of the 1900s. He escorted her inside and into The Great Room. Several tables were lined with white linen and sterling silver and porcelain dishware. Small candles illuminated each table and perfect alignment made a perfect beautiful pattern of the room. An iridescent blue lighting cloaked the entire room, soft music playing giving it a romantic feel.
Jensen walked in the room with Megan on his arm. It seemed he knew everyone there. Every few feet and walked he would shake hands with the gentleman, say hello to his date and make small talk before moving on. When they finally reached the table, he pulled Megan’s chair out for her and sat next to her after she was comfortable. He kept his eyes and Megan as she looked around the room.
“There’s a band. Will there be dancing later?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She leaned for him and whispered, “I can’t.”
“Shoes too tight?”
“No, I don’t know how.”
He put his hand on hers and lightly squeezed. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”
She sighed feeling the nervous knots tighten in her stomach just as the waiter walked by.
“Excuse me,” she said to the waiter. “I need a double…anything.”
The waiter looked at Jensen. “Two glasses of champagne please,” confirmed Jensen.
After the waiter returned with their drinks, Jensen leaned toward Megan and quietly said, “Now remember, you’re supposed to be my girlfriend tonight. Don’t worry you don’t have to kiss me.” He turned his head away causing Megan to feel that all familiar guilt again.
She cozied up to him after first drink settled her nerves. As she looked around, she noticed several other women eyeing him but after she relaxed and began acting like his girlfriend, they seemed less interested. After their appetizer and second course meal, he seemed pleased with her.
He leaned toward her and put his hand on her leg. “Is this too much?” he asked squeezing her leg.
“Um, no. It’s part of the act, right?”
“And it seems to be working. You are quite the actress.”
Three courses later into the seven course meal Megan pushed her plate back. “I can’t eat anymore. You have to finish this.”
“I’m just happy you’re eating something.”
Just as the dessert was delivered to the table, the music started playing a little louder.
A few couples got up from their tables and migrated to the front of the room where the band played. Megan watched them come together as they started dancing. A few other couples followed when Jensen turned toward Megan.
“Will you dance with me?”
“I don’t know, Jensen,” she said nervously. He stood up and held his hand out for her.
“Will you trust me?”
Megan hesitated, but put her hand in his and let him lead her to the front of the room. On their way, Jensen ran into someone he knew. He let go of Megan’s hand to shake the gentlemen’s hand.
“Megan, right?” a familiar voice said behind her. She stopped and turned around to see Tristan Crawford smiling at her.
“Yes. Hello again.”
“You look ravishing,” he said, holding her arms out.
“Thank you. It’s new.”
“And it suits you beautifully.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek just as Jensen turned toward them.
“Crawford,” he said directly.
“Hello, Jensen. I see you were lucky enough to bring the prettiest woman in London,” he said, his eyes still on her.
“Yes, well she couldn’t say no to me.” He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side. “She seems to think I am quite irresistible,” he said smiling down at her.
“You must save a dance for me,” Tristan said kissing her hand. Before she could answer, he bowed his head and walked away.
Jensen watched him walk away as he clenched his jaw together. He turned toward Megan and smiled. “Shall we?” she followed him to the front, sensing he was holding something back. As soon as they stepped onto the dance floor, he took her in his arms. “Now, relax and follow my lead.” He began slowly until she was able to catch on to the rhythm. Once she got the hang of it he had her twirling around the dance floor almost effortlessly. The catchy swing of the music had her feeling light on her feet. She was laughing and having an amazing time when the song ended and something slower and much more romantic began. Jensen watched as she came down from her high, holding out his hand for her. Her eyes locked on his and she could see a determination in his eyes. She slid her hand into his and he gently pulled her to him. The soft sway of the music matched the sway of their bodies. The scent of his cologne calmed her and she learned quickly that she really loved dancing. As he moved her around the floor, she caught a glimpse of Tristan, standing on the wall, watching them.
“Is there something wrong with Tristan?” He didn’t respond to her. “I sensed something when he was talking to us, a sort of tension between you.”
He didn’t say anything, just slid his hand down to her lower back and pressed firmly. She trembled lightly, closing her eyes and letting him lead her. She felt his finger caress her skin and she looked up at him. He said so much, without uttering a word. His lips parted slightly. His eyes glossed over. He swallowed and cleared his throat before looking away.
“I’m sorry. I…got caught up in the moment.”
“Jensen,” she said.
When he looked back into her eyes, she stretched her body upwards, closed her eyes, and kissed him tenderly.