He shook his head. “Didn’t you like the cake?”
“I… No, it’s fine. It's just recently, due to my condition…” I looked up at the waiter who stood awkwardly by the table. “Chocolate doesn’t seem to agree with me.”
“Ah.” He nodded, turning to the waiter. “Can I get an espresso and the dessert menu?”
“Oh no, it’s not—” I gave up with a sigh as the waiter was already rushing away.
“It was not necessary. I mean, you already paid seven hundred pounds for what we got.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re saying that as if it was wrong.”
“Because it is! I could have cooked all that for like fifty quid!”
Hugo let out a low chuckle as the waiter extended me the dessert menu, which had no prices.
Red flag!I shook my head and extended the menu back to him.
“Just a peppermint tea, please.”
“Don’t go saying that to your new boyfriend. He likes expensive shiny things like allnouveaux richeswith an overinflated ego.” He rolled his eyes, his tone mocking.
“And you’d know all about that, wouldn't you?”
“Inflated ego?” He shrugged. “Perhaps, but not without reason… as you experienced it yourself.”
My face started to burn, just as it did every time he mentioned that. Damn him, always bringing that night back to the table.
“You know, for something you want to forget happened, you mention it a little too often,'' I pointed out with irritation. “And James isnotmy boyfriend.”
“James, huh? Well, you may want to tell him that. He spent one hundred and forty million on you.”
“Don’t!” I raised my finger in warning. “Use any derogatory terms toward me again and I swear I will walk away now. I’m not…” I leaned forward and lowered my tone. “I’m not a whore, a slut, a harlot, or any other word you want to call me today. I willnotbe ashamed anymore. Do you understand me?” I kept my finger up, but my hand was shaking with indignation.
“I was not going t—” He shook his head with a weary sigh. “This is what his intentions were.”
I shrugged. “His intentions are his to care for. He will be sorely disappointed if he thinks anything will happen, other than a nice evening listening to music.”
“Will he?” Hugo asked, and the strange hopeful note in his voice made me falter.
It was my turn to sigh and lean back in my seat as the waiter brought me my tea.
“I didn’t know you liked classical music.”
“You didn’t ask.” I took a sip and smiled. “I mean, how could the proletariat from the north know anything worth the bourgeoisie’s time, right?” I shook my head. “You don’t know me.”
He pursed his lips, showing that my blow landed, and I braced for whatever venom would be coming from his mouth now.
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
I was taken aback by the absence of snark, both in his words and in his tone.
“And make you lose one hundred and forty million?”
He shrugged. “If I have to. Harding is a petulant child whose family made a fortune in oil and now owns the biggest oil conglomerate in the world. He has more money than common sense and hewillhave expectations tomorrow.”
“Ah.” I nodded, my heart hammering in my chest despite everything. It was degrading, at least, if he expected to get any sexual favors out of this, but part of me wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and still soak in the pleasure of him finding me exceptional. “I was a slut for you for free so, you know, I guess it’s a step up that I’ll be a slut for him for his millions.”
His left eye twitched, a new tell, but of what? I was not sure yet.