Falling into Forever (Falling into You) - By Lauren Abrams Page 0,89
exasperated look, but I can tell that she’s melting. I wink at Grace and her eyes widen even further and she does a little twirl and runs to her mother, whose last defenses crumble.
“Fine. To the zoo we go. But that doesn’t mean that I have to like it.”
Chapter 25
HALLIE
“Keep them closed.”
“I’ve been peeking this whole time anyways, so I don’t understand the sudden need for great secrecy. We’re on the Upper East Side.”
“You are such a cheater.”
I pull my hands off of my eyes and grin at him.
“Yep. Proud of it, too. Like you really thought I was going to be able to keep my eyes closed for an hour-long car ride? Come on. I hate surprises, and that little factoid shouldn’t be a huge shock. I’ve never liked surprises.”
“That’s a sentiment that I don’t think your daughter shares,” he replies, looking mischievous.
“We still need to talk about all of your little surprises.”
“We can talk about it after we pick her up from Diana’s apartment tomorrow morning. My dear sister only has boys to spoil, so I have a sneaking suspicion that you might need to save the lecture for her, too.”
“I have a sneaking suspicion that she isn’t going to send her assistant to FAO Schwartz to get one of each toy in every color.”
“No, but Diana might take her to every children’s boutique in the city to pick out one of each outfit in every color. Lots of pink. Lots of tutus.”
“Save us. Please.”
“Grace deserves to be spoiled. Every girl deserves to be spoiled. Even you, who hates surprises.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call myself a girl anymore, Chris.”
“Fine. Shriveled-up hag, then?”
I punch his arm lightly and fall back against the leather seats of the limousine. Before we got to New York, I thought I was prepared for his lavish lifestyle. I was completely wrong. His absolutely massive second apartment, complete with six bedrooms and an enormous terrace overlooking Central Park, was grander than anything else I had ever seen, his childhood monstrosity included. Before we arrived in the city (via private airplane, of course), I’m also fairly certain that he instructed his assistant to decorate one of the bedrooms in his apartment with every single toy from all of the stores Manhattan had to offer. The thought that I was the one who was going to need to fret about Grace suddenly deciding that she disliked me had crossed my mind, more than once.
No, bird calling wouldn’t have suited him, I think, as I glance through my fingers at the strong line of his jaw. And that’s all right. That sense of extravagance is all a part of the person that I fell in love with a very long time ago. It didn’t mean that I was going to let all of the spoiling, of both Grace and me, slide.
We were definitely going to need to have a long chat about the toys. And the apartment. And the private jet. And the limousines. And the puppy with the red collar with the name Buster imprinted on it.
“Okay. We’re here. Eyes closed for this part. No peeking this time. Cheater.”
I reluctantly cover my eyes as he takes my arm and helps me from the car.
“Okay. Open them.”
I laugh when I see the blinking neon sign reading “Late Night ood.”
“This is where it all started. I was a fledgling movie star, you were a mysterious girl from a party wearing flip flops, which I think was a very sensible choice given the snow, and we were both party refugees.”
“Oh, shush. And this is not where it all started. We met on a balcony. Sorry, wait, what’s the fancy word that you New Yorkers use? A terrace.”
He shudders. “Yeah, well getting back to that terrace would have required a phone call to Sophia Pearce, who’s probably off ruining more lives right now. She’s probably halfway through her fourth marriage.”
I laugh. “So true. Maybe her fifth.”
“So, we’ll just pretend, for argument’s sake, that this is where we met.”
“I cannot believe you dragged me all the way over here to reminisce about old times, Chris. There are a million diners in Brooklyn. We could have stayed there, in case Grace needed me or got homesick or something.”
“She will not get homesick. She’s probably running circles around my nephews right now. Besides, this diner has the best coffee in the city, if we can ever get someone to deliver it.”
“Also true. All right. Let’s get some coffee and maybe you’ll remember to ask for