Then, I spy a roll of blue paper towels down the side of the pond. “Grab me some paper towels. I’ll use that.”
Liam tucks himself back into his pants, fastening them up, and then he gets me some paper towels.
I clean myself up and then look for somewhere to dispose of the towels. I find a bin under the pond.
“Here, you forgot your buttons.” Liam stands in front of me. He starts to button up my dress. Then, he cups my face and presses a soft kiss to my lips. “Perfect,” he murmurs.
Yes, you are. So perfect that you make me wish things were different.
But they’re not.
Liam picks up my bag and Squishy. He hangs my bag on my shoulder and hands me Squishy.
“We should go,” he says.
I follow behind Liam. He lifts the tarpaulin and ducks his head out.
“Clear,” he whispers, stepping out.
He holds the tarpaulin, letting me out.
Then, we’re back out in the carnival, and it’s almost like it never happened.
But it did.
“I can’t believe we just did that.” I grin up at Liam.
“Believe it, babe. And I got you this as a memento”—from his back pocket, he pulls out the rubber ducky that was sticking me in the ass and hands it to me—“so every time you look at it, you’ll remember the time when you had sex with that hot English dude in a Hook a Duck tent.”
I don’t tell him that I don’t need the duck to remember him because I will always remember him. Even when I close my eyes for the very last time and go join my family, Liam will be the last thing I see.
Instead, I smile and swallow. I take the duck from him and hold it with Squishy to my chest.
“Ducky can be a friend for Squishy,” I tell Liam.
He laughs. “Ducky and Squishy. Has quite a ring to it. But not as good as Hunter and Boston sound together.” He puts his arm around my shoulder, as we start to walk back into the crowd at the carnival.
Hunter and Boston. Together.
If only.
Some things in life just aren’t meant to be forever.
Liam and I are one of those things.
I stayed at Liam’s place after the carnival. He woke me up in the morning, bright and early, to tell me that something had come up at work and he had to go into the office.
I was a little disappointed about not spending the day with him. I was kind of used to being around him.
But then he told me that he had booked me a spa day at my hotel—well, his hotel—and that it was his treat. I thanked him but told him that I’d pay for it myself.
He just smiled and said he’d have them add it to my bill to pay when I left the hotel.
He was so lying. He wouldn’t have them add it to my bill.
But I didn’t argue. I just got up, and he made eggs and toast for me before he left to go to the office.
Honestly, the guy is perfect. If I had a lifetime left, I’d be hanging on to him.
After breakfast, I headed back to my hotel. Liam had sent Paul back to drive me, which was sweet.
Then, I spent the day getting pampered. I had a massage, facial, and manicure and pedicure.
It was awesome.
I’d never had a spa day before, so I mentally added it to my list and ticked it off.
When I got back to my room, all relaxed and feeling pretty, a garment bag was lying on my bed, waiting for me, with a note on it from Liam.
It said I had to wear the dress—no arguments—to pack an overnight bag, as I’d be staying at his apartment, and that he’d be at the hotel to pick me up at seven thirty.
So bossy. But it’s one of the things I like about him. Liam knows what he wants, and he just goes for it.
I pulled open the zipper on the garment bag, and inside was a gorgeous long black dress that had diamantes covering the shoulder straps and a fitted diamante belt sitting just under my breasts. A pair of strappy high-heeled sandals were also included in the garment bag, too.
It was all very Pretty Woman. I did wonder if I could put it down as my romantic movie moment—except that I wasn’t a hooker.
So, I did as I had been told.
I applied my makeup and did my hair, styling it up into a pretty chignon with the help of a How to Do a Chignon YouTube video. Got to say, when I was finished, my hair was looking good, and I was feeling mighty proud of myself.
I put on my nicest and sexiest black underwear, and lastly, I slipped into the dress and shoes.
I looked in the mirror, and I barely recognized myself. I looked grown-up. And I felt like a movie star.
For that moment, I wasn’t Taylor Shaw, brain tumor girl.
I was Taylor Shaw…pretty woman.
Minus me being a hooker or snagging Richard Gere.
But I did have my own businessman, Liam Hunter, and that was way, way better.
Liam picked me up, as promised, at seven thirty. I loved the look on his face when he saw me wearing the dress. Like a kid in a candy store with a hundred dollar bill in his hand.
He had Paul drive us to an exclusive French restaurant in London. We ate crazy food, like escargot, and drank champagne all night. We had the best time just laughing and talking.