Lars himself leaked it, because the whole situation is fake as anything.
He works fast, I guess.
I text Lars immediately. A warning shot would’ve been nice.
He texts back. And ruin the surprise?
I shake my head, pushing my copper curls out of my face. Pushing back the covers with a groan, I shower and start getting dressed. When my cell phone vibrates again, I check it and find a message from Lars.
I hope you’re ready to go ring shopping. I’ll be at your door in five minutes. And just in case you were wondering, I have a horde of reporters on my tail.
Good lord. If I’m going to be on camera, I have to dress for it.
In my black lace bra and slip, I run into my spare bedroom where I keep my racks and racks of clothes. I hunt through the racks, looking for the garment that floats nebulously in the back of my head.
A one piece pantsuit. Lighter in color, maybe pink or tan. Coupled with a long white mohair coat…
I frown as I dig through my clothes.
Admittedly, I am something of a clotheshorse. There is something exciting and elegant about a new designer dress and a great pair of heels.
Add that to the fact that I’m tall and thin, naturally looking as if I just rolled off of a runway…
Designers like the way their clothes look on my body.
I’ll admit it. When I first moved here to Copenhagen, my photo was often snapped when I was hanging out with Lars and Stellan. And I used that exposure to convince up and coming designers to lend me elegant clothes.
At this point though, I’m something of a designer darling. I have ten boxes of unopened clothes in my living room, sent unsolicited from the top fashion houses.
I flip through another half-dozen garments before I come to a stop on what is possibly the perfect dress for the occasion. Long sleeves, floor-length, and cut out of this lovely off-white satin. There are little hand stitched magenta roses on it, cascading and multiplying as they spill downward to the dress’s hem. The body of it is perfectly fitted and elegant.
It’s a dress fit for a princess, I think. Annika and Margot would definitely fight me for it, anyway.
Slipping it on, I add pink rosette earrings, simple black heels, and a gray muslin coat. I’m putting on a coat of dark pink lipstick when the door buzzes. I cast a final look in the mirror, tilting my head at my own reflection.
Somehow, going ring shopping in this outfit feels right.
The door buzzes again, making me roll my eyes and stomp to the front door. I press the button and buzz Lars up without even looking to make sure its him.
I’m just gathering my purse when he opens the door, poking his head in. For a second, I falter as I lay eyes on him. He’s very tall, impeccably dressed in his steel blue suit, and so handsome that he takes my breath away. He’s had a recent haircut; his dark hair is longer and tousled on top and close cropped on the sides.
He swings that sparkling blue gaze my way. When he sees me, his face lights up in a grin.
It’s heart stopping, being the object of his attentions.
Well, fake attentions. I’ll have to get used to that, I guess.
“We are going to have to talk about your building’s security,” he says casually. His eyes sweep the living room, his mouth turning down at one corner. “Actually, maybe we should move you to a bigger place.”
Swallowing, I arch a brow. “That sounds like you would be doing me a very expensive favor. What is my rule about that?”
He rolls his eyes, jerking his head toward the doorway. “I know, I know. That’s not allowed. Come on, we can talk about it on the way to the jeweler.”
I wrinkle my nose, sighing as I follow him. “All right. But you owe me coffee. Actually, you owe me coffee every single day for eternity. And I mean the fancy kind, too.”
Heading downstairs, I emerge from my building.
I’m not expecting the sea of photographers and reporters waiting there, shouting my name. My eyes widen and I freeze.
But Lars smoothly puts his arm around my waist and pulls me onward. He leans in, shouting in my ear to be heard above all the hubbub. “It won’t always be like this.”
I look up at him, trying to parse what he means. He grins at me. “How about a kiss