‘I’m not checking out,’ Leila said.
She meant it. Leila would rather the embarrassment of a mounting unpaid debt than being kept by James.
Leila glanced at the magazine cover with him and his tart on it simply to remind herself that the man she had met that night had been with others since then.
She imagined for a brief moment the future, explaining his salacious ways to their child.
She didn’t even nod to the driver; instead Leila sat in the back of the limousine and decided to put some lipstick on.
For two reasons.
One, she remembered that he didn’t like it on her.
Two, the name matched her mood, Leila told herself—she had pride.
‘Why have we stopped?’ Leila asked as the car came to a halt near Times Square.
‘Mr Chatsfield’s orders,’ the driver said, and Leila followed his gaze. The square, always busy, had a large crowd gathering where the driver was looking and they were all pointing up at a sign and Leila looked up.
There were red hearts popping out but just as she went to read the words they disappeared and the image of a smiling James appeared. He was holding a ring and was down on one knee.
Leila felt sick.
The words were back now.
Marry me, Leila.
Never.
As simply as that, her decision was made and Leila went to get out of the car.
‘Unlock this door,’ Leila said to the driver, but he ignored her. ‘You will unlock this door now,’ Leila said, anger and panic mounting. ‘That is a royal order.’
But instead of following her command, the divider slid closed and music came on instead.
No, she would not marry a man who had left her bed and jumped straight into another’s. No way would she marry a man who only wanted her because she was pregnant. She had lived her life in a world without love and there was no way she would do that to either herself or her child.
Leila took a cleansing breath and tried to slow down her breathing. They would talk it through, Leila decided. There was no need for marriage; she had spoken with mothers at the park who raised their children alone.
They would come to the arrangements she had heard of.
Yes, she would speak to him, calmly, logically, and she would not throw a shoe this time.
Why was there a crowd outside The Chatsfield? Leila briefly wondered. Why were there photographers and people cheering as the door opened and she stepped out from the car?
Why was the red carpet covered in rose petals? And why was James walking out of the impressive entrance and making his smiling way towards her?
She wanted to turn and run but she could not, for to do so would publically reveal that it had been a one-night stand, not just to her people but later to their child.
It would insinuate she had been there only for sex.
Which she had been, Leila told herself.
No, that wasn’t quite true, for she had been about to turn tail and run until she had seen James smile.