style="font-size:15px;"> She stepped back and patted him twice on the chest. Then she laughed. ‘And now it is time to head back down stairs before I embarrass myself even more.’ And she moved a step backwards with a smile.
He frowned, nodded just once and muttered something under his breath along the lines of what he did for the firm. Then he lifted his head, turned towards the door and presented the crook of his arm for her to latch onto. ‘Shall we go to the ball, princess? Your audience awaits.’
Tea, glorious tea. A celebration of teas from around the world.
Astrologers have long used tea leaves to predict the future. Try it for yourself by leaving a little tea in the bottom of your tea pot with the tea leaves. Stir the brew three times, empty the tea pot into your saucer, then inspect the pattern the leaves make in the cup. Each specific pattern has a special meaning.
From Flynn’s Phantasmagoria of Tea
Friday
A week later
Sean strolled into the bar at the Beresford Riverside and nodded to the head barman who was serving after-dinner drinks to guests wandered in from the dining room.
The light strains of a cocktail piano could just be heard in the background against the chatter and laughter from the guests.
He quickly scanned the bar and lounge area to see if Dee was still there. She had called him a couple of times during the afternoon to let him know that Prakash and his team had done an amazing job and all of the last minute worries that had kept her awake were sorted.
The tea festival was all set to go tomorrow.
Then he heard her laughter ring out from a table of Japanese guests who had clustered around the tables next to the long patio doors which led onto the landscaped gardens.
Ribbons of white outdoor lights trailed over the budding branches of the cherry trees which Dee had enjoyed over the past few days.
The first smile of the day slid over his mouth. Hell. His first smile all week. Last minute presentations, flying visits to France with his dad and two days scouting for locations in Scotland meant that he had hardly seen Dee since the night of the dinner.
He missed her like crazy.
Dee was sitting at the table, and spread out in front of her was what looked like a makeshift kitchen. White saucers from the kitchen were scattered all around her, and on each was a tiny sample of what looked to Sean like clippings from the evergreen plants outside in the garden but were no doubt some example of specialist tea leaves.
Whatever they were, the hotel guests seemed enthralled. They were picking up the saucers, sniffing, tasting and chatting away with enormous enthusiasm and clear delight. Nodding, delighted, bewitched.
Because at the centre of it all was Dee.
Sean paused at the bar and leant on the rail, happy just to watch the woman he had come to find.
Her long, sensitive fingers flitted above the table gesturing here and there, no doubt on some terribly important point about growing conditions and water temperature, and he could see the glint of gold in the bangles around her wrists.
She was wearing what for Dee probably passed for quite a conservative outfit of a fitted jacket in a knitted navy fabric which clung to her curves as she moved. But of course that was offset by a stunning scarf which shimmered in shades of blues and greens, highlighting her fair complexion, and even though her head was down he knew that those pale-green eyes were going to be totally enchanting.
This was the real Dee. Sharing her passion and enjoying every second of it.
The Dee he had fallen for the minute he had looked up from a tea room floor and was sucked into oblivion by those eyes. Why wouldn’t he? She was stunning.
Recognition came flooding in, and instead of pushing it away Sean held it in his mind and treasured it like a precious gift that he had never expected to receive but adored.
He was falling for Dee Flynn. In a big way. This was way beyond attraction. He cared about her and wanted to be with her, in every way possible.
And the very idea shocked him and terrified him so badly that he could only stand there and take it like a sock in the jaw.
His life had been a roller coaster for so many years, he had forgotten what it felt like to make connections with people and form bonds that went beyond business transactions, contracts and meetings in windowless white rooms.
But why now?
He slid silently onto a high-boy leather bar stool.
This was the way he was going to remember her.
He had only been standing there for a few minutes in silent ogling when he saw her head lift and her back straighten.
Almost as if she knew that he was watching her. So that, when she stood up and looked over her shoulder at him, he should have been ready for the impact that seeing her smile transform into a grin that was laser-focused on him would cause.
Impossible. Nothing could have prepared him for the blast of that smile.
She had never looked lovelier. And she literally took his breath away.
Mesmerized, Sean could only watch as she excused herself with several deep bows to the guests, who returned her bows with gentle warm waves and smiles.
Oh yes, she was good.
She skipped between the tables and was at the bar in seconds.
Instantly she flung her arms around his neck as he bent down to kiss her on the cheek, much to the amusement of the hotel guests.
‘You have been away far too long, Sean Beresford.’
‘Agreed. Only, I think your fan club are taking our photograph on their smart phones.’
Dee peeked around Sean’s back and waved back. ‘Oh no, those are proper cameras. We are probably already online. But I’m not in the least ashamed. This has been a brilliant afternoon.’ And, just to prove it, she went up on tiptoes and pecked him on the lips so lightly that he barely had time to register the sensation of her warm, full lips on his before she stepped back into her shoes.
‘I hardly dare to ask,’ he replied, but kept his arms tight around her waist. ‘But could it be anything to do with the party of visiting Japanese academics?’
Dee pressed one finger to her bottom lip and tried to look innocent, but failed.
‘You do know that they brought their own tea with them, don’t you? The word is out Mr B—there is not one hotel in the whole of London who serves speciality Japanese green tea of the quality your guests demand and in the way they like. I think this is quite shocking news. Just imagine the impact on the hotel trade. If only you knew someone who could import some of that fine tea for you. Just imagine what a difference it could make. Now... I wonder what we can do about that?’
Then she fluttered
