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“That’s because you would’ve said no,” Bree pointed out.
Amelia sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “So what? It’s irresponsible of me to leave on short notice. I just took off time for my reunion, and as we’ve discussed, I’ll be out again in the fall. I shouldn’t take off more time just for the hell of it.”
“Tyler said he’d have you back Thursday night,” Natalie reasoned. “Technically, you wouldn’t miss anything. We’re not doing the cake next week. They’re ordering a cupcake display from a local vendor. But I think you should take the rest of the weekend off anyway.”
“Why?”
“You’ll be jet-lagged, for one thing,” Natalie said. “You’re not going to feel like working when you get back.”
“You also need to spend some quality time with Tyler,” Bree added. “The clock is ticking down on this relationship trial run of yours. You guys have been so busy worrying about renting a house and dealing with baby stuff. Going someplace romantic might be nice. Go and try to enjoy yourself. Roam the streets of London and let yourself fall in love.”
In love? Things had been going well, but somehow the thought of that still seemed ridiculous. Amelia did love Tyler, but she was pretty certain being in love was not going to be an option. There were only two weeks left. They were comfortable together, yes. And the sex had been...noteworthy. But love? Amelia had never been in love, but she figured it would take a lot more than a stroll along the Thames to get them there.
Nine
“I think I might be sick.”
Tyler snapped to attention, moving to Amelia’s side as they stood on the curb in front of Sotheby’s auction house. Her color looked okay, her cheeks pink from the chill of the early-March London air. “What? Are you nauseated again? There’s a trash can over there.”
Amelia smiled and took his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean I was really sick. The idea of all those diamonds and millions of dollars changing hands was just enough to make me ill.”
“Oh,” he said with a chuckle as relief washed over him. Amelia had seemed to be doing better with her morning sickness, especially since they’d arrived in London, so he’d been surprised by her sudden declaration. An auction of this caliber could be intimidating to a first timer. Some of the world’s greatest jewels and antiques passed through the doors of this auction house, along with the ridiculous amounts of money that went with them.
“I thought maybe the chocolate tea at the Landmark Hotel had turned on you. We ate so much I was miserable through half the auction.”
“Oh, no,” Amelia argued. “That food was amazing. The one at Fortnum and Mason yesterday was good, too. French macarons are my new favo
rite thing and I plan to master them the moment we get back home. I think they’d make a lovely item for a dessert display, especially in the wedding colors.”
They’d arrived in London early the previous day. The jet lag had been rough on them both, so he’d taken her on a quick drive around the city and they’d had a classic tea before checking into their hotel. Today they’d tried the tea at their hotel before coming to the auction. They were eating their way through London.
“I just love the idea of having afternoon tea,” she continued. “That’s usually when I get peckish, so it’s perfect. A scone and tea is preferable to the soda and candy bar I typically end up eating. I don’t know why Americans don’t have teatime. It makes us seem so uncivilized, somehow.”
“I just spent two hundred and twenty thousand dollars on a diamond-and-pearl tiara from the nineteenth century. That seems pretty civilized to me.”
Amelia shook her head and tugged him down the street. “Maybe if you wore the tiara while having tea.”
Tyler laughed, following her. Looking the way she did today, he’d follow her anywhere. She was wearing a stunning cobalt-blue wool jacket that came down past her knees to keep her warm. The bright color popped against her fair skin and fiery red hair. Combined with the pregnancy, she was damn near glowing. Beneath her coat, she was wearing a more muted dress with a gray-and-blue geometric design. She’d paired the outfit with sapphire earrings he’d sent her for Christmas the year before. Seeing how radiant the color was on her, Tyler regretted passing up a brilliant sapphire choker that had been auctioned off earlier that afternoon.
“Where are we headed?” he asked when they’d traveled several blocks away from Sotheby’s and in the opposite direction of their hotel.
“You’re going to take me for a ride on the London Eye.”
“I am?” The giant Ferris wheel overlooking the Thames hadn’t been in Tyler’s plans at all, but he didn’t mind going. He’d never ridden it. His past trips to London had been focused on jewels and finding a good chip shop. “I thought we were going to dinner after the auction.”
“We will, but I’m not hungry yet after that big tea. We’ll eat after you take me on the Eye.”
“Okay,” Tyler relented, raising his hand to hail a cab. It was probably a good night to ride the Eye anyway. London had remarkably clear skies for this time of year, so they’d have a nice view. By the time they got there, it would just be sunset, when the sky would glow orange and the lights of the city would start to illuminate. It would actually be a great romantic opportunity if not for the herd of other tourists in the capsule with them.
Of course, he could fix that. She wanted the big romantic gestures, right?
After climbing into a cab, Tyler pulled out his phone and found the number of the agency that handled special events on the Eye. By the time they reached the busy plaza and long, winding queue, he’d arranged for a private go-around.
The London Eye was massive, dominating the landscape along the river. It seemed ridiculous to call the large white structure with its space-age pods a Ferris wheel, but he supposed that was what it was.
As they approached the VIP entrance he’d been directed to, a small woman with short brown hair and an immaculate black suit greeted them. “Mr. Dixon? I’m Mary, your personal London Eye hostess. We have your private capsule waiting for you.”
Amelia looked at him with surprise lighting her eyes. She’d obviously gotten too used to tuning out his phone conversations, assuming they were all about work. She hadn’t paid a bit of attention to the intentionally vague yet still decipherable discussion he’d had with the Eye offices. He hadn’t been trying to make it a surprise, but he was pleased to see she hadn’t anticipated it.
