Their Double Blessing

“Don’t worry about that. Text me the place and I’ll come unless there are security concerns. The bodyguards will keep their distance,” George told her. He sounded happy and breathless. As if talking to her took everything out of him. That wasn’t usually how men reacted around her. A part of her felt giddy having such an effect on an older man.

“See you soon, goodbye George.” Patricia hung up then burst into a fit of giggles. She felt so dumb acting like a schoolgirl over having one phone call with a man. Any worse and she would become a carbon copy of her sister. No man was worth such a fate.

********

Patricia waited in a private booth at the cafe she chose. At first she wanted to sit out front, which was what she usually did when alone or with friends. But George explained that wasn’t possible for him. She felt silly looking back about not considering that he was a public figure. People knew the famous billionaire and with the donation to the community it would be impossible for most locals not to have passing knowledge of him and what he looked like up close.

Mary claimed only lonely and desperate women hung around cafes. That they were grab and go locations for true ladies. The amount of sexism and ego in that statement was definitely nauseating. Patricia wanted to strangle her own blood so much. Why did people have to add negative connotations to things that didn’t interest them? All kinds of individuals frequented this type of establishment. A great environment to relax alone, hang out with friends, or meet someone new. To diminish that just for a moment of superiority was sad and selfish.

Patricia ordered an espresso and tried to relax. The hustle and bustle around her had a small relaxing effect. Remembering other people were around going about their regular lives helped take some of the edge off. This was just a normal afternoon. It was a work night so she had no intention of chatting for hours on end. She wouldn’t have done that if she was free either. Now was the time to feel George out and look out for any signs of trouble. If there was none then perhaps they could meet again in the future. A fact she didn’t dread completely, which was a good sign.

Arriving early so that she could grab the best booth seemed a good idea at the time. An extra tip to a waitress helped keep the booth reserved. Now she wasn’t so sure. Would it look desperate to any security scoping out the place in advance before letting George enter? It was silly mulling over that while waiting but her mind was on overdrive. Saying there was no date wasn’t the same as believing it. Patricia was veering between calmness and a nervous wreck at a breakneck pace. Why did she delude herself into thinking hanging out with a man she just met was a good idea? Who really just saw someone once and thought they were special enough to hold a luncheon just to lure them in?

“I have to get out of here.”

But Patricia couldn’t bring herself to get up and go. No matter how much her brain was screaming to get moving. She didn’t need a man in her life but George wasn’t trying to force a relationship. In fact, he wanted to talk and get to know her first. That had to mean something more than just a quick infatuation. If that was what he wanted then why not accept Mary’s advances? A man wanting an uncomplicated relationship with a beautiful woman would love to date her sister. Sure, Mary could sometimes pick the worst of the lot, but men were always interested. When George turned away from Mary a part of her was very relieved.

An unfamiliar man peeked into the booth. Before she could protest he identified himself as a bodyguard in civilian clothes. After looking around and running a device over her and the space searching for bugs, the man gave the all-clear and slipped out. She was shocked at just how thorough they were about keeping George safe. This kind of action was straight out of a movie. Hopefully, things wouldn’t go awry just to keep things interesting. If anything else went wrong she might not be able to stop herself from bolting right out the door.

“Ma’am, a man is here saying he’s the guest you wanted to see. Should I send him in?” the waitress asked.

Patricia smiled, knowing it had to be George. Who else would be that formal at a cafe? It was kind of sweet how politely he behaved. Had to be part of that upper class upbringing. “Yes and I would like to order a meatball submarine and a coke.” She tried to look neutral as the waitress left to deliver her order and confirm that Mr. Kent could come in.

George slipped inside wearing a beige overcoat, hat and sunglasses. When he removed the latter two, she was surprised to see he had on a fake beard and contacts. The redness on his face showed this was not a fun thing for him either. “If I didn’t agree to this then we couldn’t meet. Not without my security team and publicist giving me hell for the rest of my life.”

“Your publicist knows that we’re dating?” Patricia could understand the security team, they had to keep their employer safe from any credible threats. You never know who might think it was a good idea to try and kill a billionaire to send some kind of sick message. She could never forgive herself if their meeting ended with him dead. But she wasn’t sure why anyone else needed to know—much less someone who curated his image for the public.

“I know it sounds weird but trust me, she needs to be in on nearly every aspect of my life. I wish I could explain all the inner workings of being a wealthy businessmen with familial obligations and an image to uphold for the world. But we would be here for days and I want to spend our time getting to know each other better.” George gave a warm smile.

Right then the waitress returned with their orders. Patricia was surprised to see he’d ordered a milkshake and fries. The way his eyes lit up she could tell that this wasn’t the food he usually ate. She bit into her sandwich as George ate his meal with glee she only saw in children. Perhaps the life of a wealthy businessman wasn’t so perfect after all.

“I haven’t had fries in years. My chef refuses to make them and my parents scared the dickens out of my security team enough to make them not sneak me junk food. You would think at forty I could eat as I please,” George went on about his limited eating habits.

“What do they do? Force you to eat kale and salads?” Patricia teased. It was funny seeing a man of so much prestige whine about not getting his fast food fix. Despite being from a different world he was just like anyone else in the most funny of ways.