“My aunt was a bit out there.” Alex pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“I bet she was fun to have around.”
“Sometimes …” He looks out to the water, then to me. “I talked to Grey and my agent, and we’re calling things off. Saying we broke up after the movie premiere.”
“Why?” For me? Surely not.
“I didn’t feel comfortable pursuing anything with”—he eyes me—“anyone else, while supposedly together with her. I wouldn’t want to turn the other woman into theother woman.”
“So you didn’t do this for me in particular?”
“I definitely did it for you in particular.” He reaches out and runs his hand down the back of mine. I stare back at him for a beat.
“Anizey! Come play London Bridge with us!”
“Duty calls.” I smile, relieved not to have to respond, and run off to join the kids. I’m flattered, but I don’t truly know how to feel that he would do that for me. Holy cow.
13
Alexander
IwatchasIvysquats to walk underneath the kid’s joined hands. Their uninhibited singing ofLondon Bridge, in front of the Tower Bridge, makes me smile. Their game unwittingly turning into a performance. And Ivy is a performer. Not in the heading to Broadway sort of way, but she’s graceful and beautiful in her movements, and her smile is more captivating than I’ve seen it.
“Mr. Henry, come play! We need someone else to lock up!” Their parents have both declined, so I, the last resort, head their way.
“Good luck if you get locked up,” Ivy loudly whispers to me. “These jailers are rough.”
“I can take it,” I answer with a confident smile.
“We can be extra rough with him,” I hear Peter whisper to Juniper.
I’m, of course, locked up when it comes to that part of the song, and they are indeed rough. I narrowly miss a hit to the eggs. Ivy finds it all endlessly funny, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s affection in her eyes. It could be entirely for her niece and nephew, but something tells me it isn’t.
I’m released and feeling pretty good about life. “Do you all have dinner plans? I’d love to take you all somewhere if you don’t.”
“We don’t,” Val quickly answers. The look Ivy gives her tells me they likelydidhave plans. Or at least an idea. But I’m not deterred.
“Brilliant! We’ll call a second car,” I offer.
We’re walking toward the front of the restaurant when Ivy leans into me and whispers. “Do children eat here?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure? Because this looks very fancy.Andwe are not dressed for fancy.”
“We’ll have our own room. No one will even see us.”
“How? When did you arrange that? I’ve been with you since you mentioned dinner.”
“I texted my assistant when we were walking to the car.”
“Ah. I thought you were sending the photo of us to the solicitor.” She bobbles her head hastily and sayssolicitorin an English accent, and I don’t know that she could be any more endearing. Huh. Crescent’s fake accent drove me up the wall. I guess it was because it was her.
“I sent it to him when I sent it to you. Speaking of, have you made the photo your lock screen yet?”
“Ha. Have you? And also, you have an assistant who arranges for private dining. Man, you live in another world.”
I pull out my phone and change my lock screen, then turn it to Ivy. “There. Now I’ll smile every time I pick up my phone.”
