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Gordon extended his hand confidently, his grip firm and assured. “Gordon Kingston, sir. I drove Valerie here to make sure she arrived safely, and I promise to always look after her.”
My father gave him an appraising look, his gaze sharp as he shook Gordon’s hand. “Looking after my daughter, huh?” he said, his voice steady but with an edge of curiosity. “That sounds nice. We’ll see if your actions match your words.”
My mother’s face lit up as she looked between us. “Well, it’s wonderful to see Valerie finally bringing someone home. Are you her….” She trailed off, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
Before I could respond, Gordon beat me to it. “Just a colleague for now,” he said smoothly, though his eyes lingered on mine. “But I hope to change that soon.”
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I glared at him, my cheeks heating up, but
my parents did not seem to notice. My mother clasped her hands together
excitedly. “Well, any man who takes the
time to bring my daughter home personally must have good intentions.”
“Mom,” I yelled at her, since it was embarrassing.
“What? Oh, come on, go in. We have prepared many for you two.”
We all headed inside, where my parents had prepared a small feast.
The smell of freshly baked bread and roasted vegetables filled the air, making me ..feel nostalgic for the simpler days before
my life had turned upside down.
Over dinner, my parents asked Gordon a barrage of questions about his work, his travels, and—of course–his intentions toward me.
To my surprise, he handled each inquiry with ease, his charm and confidence
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winning them over completely.
He spoke with such warmth, and his words flowed so naturally that by the end of the night, my mother was practically calling him her future son-in–law.
“You must stay overnight before heading back,” my mother insisted, a smile playing on her lips. “It’s far too late for you to drive back now.”
My father nodded in agreement, his voice calm but firm. “Right. Driving in the middle of the night is dangerous. You can both return at dawn.”
Gordon didn’t hesitate. “Okay, if Mom
and Dad allow it,” he replied, a playful
glint in his eyes.
I was caught off guard by his casual reference to my parents as ‘Mom‘ and
“Dad,‘ but I could not help but notice how comfortable he seemed in their
presence.
My parents appeared to be just as happy as
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he was, and I had no reason to protest.
After a restful night, we left early the next morning.
On the drive back, Gordon broke the silence. “We’ll be heading to Paris this
afternoon. You can relax a bit more before the event.”
I was surprised at his thoughtfulness. Perhaps he was still worried that I was preoccupied with Anthony, so he tried to ease my mind with the news that we would soon be leaving London.
But Gordon did not know the history Paris held for me, so I decided to tell him.
“Paris is where Anthony proposed to me,” I said, allowing a hint of bitterness to color my words.
Part of me wanted to make Gordon jealous, but the other part wanted to share the truth with him—perhaps in case Anthony
intended to follow us, as he had failed the night before.
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“I know,” Gordon replied, surprising me. “I’ve done my research. I know more about you than you think. Even about the building we’re about to passing right now.”
At that moment, I looked around, suddenly feeling a twinge of recognition.
I realized we were passing the area where the Fortune Daisy Building once stood–the one I had donated for auction.
But at that moment, the building was no longer labeled Fortune Daisy, and the nameplate was gone. It had clearly been sold.
“I’m glad it sold well,” I said softly, my voice tinged with a bittersweet feeling. It had been part of my past, but seeing it change was a sign that things were moving forward.
“Do you know who bought it?” Gordon’s calm voice broke through my thoughts.
I shrugged, trying to keep my tone neutral.
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“I don’t know, and I don‘ t care.”
“It’s me,” Gordon’s reply hit me like a
wave.
My heart skipped a beat. “What?” I turned to him, surprised.
