Chapter Nine

Caroline drank a glass of wine as she got ready for her mystery date. It was a good way to relax before she went to meet whoever was waiting for her. It was probably Mike, who else would send such an extravagant gift? Overall, the day had gone marvellously well. The sketches had been completed on time and sent over to the pop star for approval, and just sending them had been so exciting. She was really doing it; doing what she loved and making a difference for her dreams. At least, the stress of those sketches was a thing of the past, now she just had to wait for the final approval and the dress could be made.

She looked in the mirror and spun around. The dress fit her tightly and showed off her curves. Whoever bought the dress knew her size and what she liked because she looked like a fox in it. It made her wonder how on earth Mike would know her size so well when he had never even seen her naked. Had he just guessed? She slipped on the diamond necklace and attached the clasp, feeling the heaviness of the necklace against her chest. Looking in the mirror again, she smiled. Damn, she looked good. That necklace was stunning, and it complemented the dress so well. Caroline couldn’t wait to get to the restaurant and show Mike what she looked like in the items he had so carefully picked out for her. He would be thrilled, maybe even excited to see her. The look on his face alone would be priceless. She decided she was going to go commando that evening, just in case he felt inspired after he saw her. If he did feel so inspired, he would get a night with her that he wouldn’t soon forget.

Caroline decided it was best to take a cab to the restaurant since she wasn’t entirely sure what would be happening afterward. If nothing happened, it would be no problem taking the cab back home; she didn’t really want to worry about driving if she had a few drinks either.

When Caroline arrived, she stepped into the high-class restaurant and looked towards the host. Her heart was beating in her chest like crazy. It was the kind of restaurant that took months to get a reservation for, so it had been some time since she had been there. Whoever sent the dress definitely had some connections.

The hostess approached her, and she announced that she was meeting an unknown visitor. The hostess took her name and smiled as she led the way to her table. She tried to steady her heart, but it was raging out of control, and there was nothing that she could do about it. She was being seated out on the terrace, and when she approached the table, there was no one there yet. The plot just thickened even more. They were literally the best seats in the house, and looking out into the evening stars; it just took your breath away.

She looked around the restaurant to see if she could see Mike coming in; she wanted to be all smiles for him. What she did not expect was to see Joshua walking towards her. Caroline’s mouth hit the floor in an unflattering way. He had a broad grin on his face, and suddenly everything was coming into focus. Shit, what was he doing here?

She had forgotten just how handsome Joshua actually was, but it all came screaming back as he approached her. She hadn’t seen him since Africa and seeing him then was like having it all come crashing back into her head. He wasn’t even that close to her, and yet her body temperature rose just at the sight of him.

Caroline shook it off. She couldn’t believe she could still feel that way with him after so long; it had been six months, and yet it felt like it was yesterday. It felt like he had just put his hands on her for the first time. How was it possible for him to have that kind of control over her body after all that time? She blushed when her thoughts started drifting to a sexual nature. He was still smiling at her, and it was causing an ache inside.

“You look as beautiful as the day I met you. That is quite the dress.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Joshua, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Should I be offended that you weren’t expecting me?”

Oh no, was the package from him? Is that what he was implying? She refused to give him any more of a reaction than a smile. She wasn’t going to bring Mike into this mess. Caroline couldn’t believe Joshua was standing there before her, but she should have known really. It would have been too soon for Mike to have pulled such an extravagant gesture on her. She just hadn’t expected ever to hear from Joshua again.

“Did you really expect me to give up on you that easily? You are all I’ve thought about the past six months.”

“Well, you sure know how to mark your territory, don’t you Joshua?”

He took a seat across from her, and her nervousness just swelled. She had expected Mike to be there across from her; instead, she had received a blast from her past. Would Mike be upset to know she was having dinner with an old flame? No, it was much too soon for him to feel that kind of ownership toward her. He would have no right to be upset. They weren’t exclusive and had never even had a conversation even close to that. She couldn’t help feeling torn; she knew that she still had feelings for Joshua, and yet she really liked Mike. There was the potential for something to be there between them. In fact, she had been having the kind of thoughts that included a white dress and baby clothing. She was in no rush for any of those things, of course, but it was just the kind of thoughts girls had when they met a guy they really liked. She could be happy with a man like Mike—he was the perfect family man.

There was no denying, however, the incredible chemistry that came with spending time with Joshua—they were electric together. Caroline just had no idea if there was a future with Joshua; she couldn’t be certain if he would be there from one day to the next.

“Tell me, Caroline, how have you been these past few months?” His smile warmed her immediately.

“Things are great; my company is on fire right now. A celeb asked me to design a dress, so that’s exciting.”

“Good for you; I’m happy to hear it. Though it’s not surprising at all, you are one hell of a smart girl.”

She smiled at him, proud of her accomplishments, and a little pleased that he was as well. She always felt at ease with Joshua; they had a level of comfort that was hard to attain with most people unless you were to spend many years with them. As they ordered drinks and then dinner, the time between them just flew. They talked like old friends and never shut up for hours. It was like she had been starving before he showed up, and he brought her sustenance just by being in her presence.

They eventually got around to discussing Africa and what went on there after she had left. The experience had changed Joshua for the better, and she could see that when he spoke of his experience there. They also discussed his upcoming trial and what he hoped to do about it.

The phone rang then, breaking through her reverie. Thinking it was her design team looking for her, she flipped her phone over and saw that it was Mike calling. She sent the call to voicemail and flipped the phone back over. She couldn’t talk to Mike while she was having dinner with another man, it was so disrespectful on so many levels.

She looked up to see Joshua watching her intently. “Important call?” he said with a glint in his eyes.

“Don’t worry about who is calling me, Joshua.”

The phone rang startling her, and they both laughed. “If you need to take a call Caroline, you can do so.”

Still laughing, she said, “No, it’s okay. I’m sorry.”

“Well, check who it is, and make sure it’s not important.”

She flipped the phone over, and this time, it was her design team. Betsy was calling, and she clicked on the call immediately. There was so much chattering going on that she could barely understand what she was saying.

“Betsy, calm down. I can hardly hear you.”

She paused as she listened to Betsy in a calmer voice. “Oh, my God! That’s incredible.” She was laughing, and it felt great. She clicked off the call and beamed at Joshua.

“Must have been good news.”

“Oh, great news. That celebrity I was telling you about ... she loves the design and wants the dress.”

“Congratulations, Caroline, you certainly deserve it.” He got up from his chair and circled around towards her. He pulled her in for a hug, and her body hummed with the connection to him. When they parted, she looked up into his eyes, and it was like that first night they were together in Africa. She kissed him right there in the middle of the restaurant, and he returned her kiss just as fervently.

“Come to my hotel room; I have one upstairs.”

She wondered if he planned the whole thing but realized she didn’t care. She nodded.