“You must have quite an eclectic repertoire,
then.”
“I don’t get much chance to use it these
days.” Emily shook off whatever memory had momentarily clouded her expression.
“I hope you like Asian fusion.”
“I enjoy food, but I must admit, after
hundreds of meals served in restaurants and hotels, the allure fades.”
“Well, perhaps we can reinvigorate that.”
“Perhaps.” Derian sipped her red. “That and
other diminishing pleasures.”
Emily flushed and quickly looked away. Derian
smiled inwardly, recognizing she wasn’t the only one feeling the pull of
attraction. Ordinarily she wouldn’t resist the draw, especially not when the
woman in question obviously shared her desire. This time, though, she needed to
proceed a great deal more carefully. Emily was no innocent and certainly not a
child, but despite her apparent openness to mild flirtation, she had already weighed in
on the subject—and her answer had been no. Still, people were known to change
their minds, and Derian enjoyed the gentle chase. And she liked that nothing
beyond dinner had been suggested. She didn’t want any of her time with Emily to
resemble the empty, and ultimately forgettable, evenings she’d spent with other
women. She didn’t want to play games, she didn’t want to forget the night as
soon as it had passed. She simply wanted to enjoy the company of a bright,
beautiful, exciting woman.
“Is something wrong?” Emily asked quietly.
“No,” Derian said quietly. “In fact,
everything is surprisingly all right.”
*
They ate at a small round table covered by a
snowy white linen cloth in a shallow alcove off the living area. Three tall
narrow windows gave a view down onto the park. Emily had opened one of the
windows and surprisingly warm evening air wafted in, carrying the sounds of the
city.
“It’s nice,” Derian said, “seeing a bit of
green.”
“Not exactly the kind of view you’re used
to,” Emily commented.
“No,” Derian said, her eyes on Emily.
“Actually, far better.”
Emily blushed. “Where were you staying in Monte
Carlo?”
Derian grinned briefly at the deft
deflection. Emily’s shy blush just made her want to tease her more. “Hôtel de
Paris.”
“Ah, yes. That overlooks the racecourse on
the plaza.”
“You’ve been there?”
“Only vicariously.”
“You’re very well informed, then.”
Emily laughed. “I don’t travel frequently,
but I enjoy reading pretty much everything. And I already confessed to being a
celebrity addict.”
“I would imagine for a woman like you, that
would not be satisfying for very long.”
Emily poured tea from an ornamental pot into
small glazed cups. “Why is that?”