Christine waited by the taxi for Erik to bring their luggage. When he arrived he was looking at Buster strangely.
"That is Buster," she said happily. He did not reply.
"You do not love dogs?" she wondered, disbelieving. Everyone loved dogs!
"Of course…" he said in a tone that showed he did not. Christine shook her head and helped him get everything in the taxi. As they began to drive Christine turned to him.
"We need a story," she said. He frowned.
"A story?" he murmured. She nodded.
"Yes, what do you do and how did we meet," she clarified.
"Ah, yes, well what kind of man would you date?" he wondered. She
thought about
it for a moment.
"A doctor or a lawyer," she said finally.
"Doctor it is then," Erik said. She smiled slightly.
"Jack of many trades?" she wondered. He took her hand and kissed it, his lips lingering over her flesh.
"I can be anything you want me to be," he murmured. Christine swallowed and pulled her hand away. This man seemed to make her think about sex constantly, when she was not that sort of girl at all.
"I should inform you that any…intimacies we share will cost extra," he said in the silence. Christine turned to look at him hastily.
"I-intimacies?" she whispered hoarsely. He grinned.
"Yes…I promise it would be well worth the money," he murmured huskily. Christine bit her lip.
"There will be no need for that, I promise…we are simply playing pretend, you can do that, can't you?" she said hopefully.
"All I do is pretend," he replied.
"Tell the women what they want to hear?" she guessed. He nodded. There was silence for a few minutes before Erik finally spoke.
"Why is it that you want a date so badly for this wedding?" he asked. Christine knew that she had been going to have to tell him eventually but she dreaded it now, feeling very childish.
"My ex…he is the best man," Christine said softly. Erik's brow rose.
"Really? And you want to show him up by bringing me?" he asked. She nodded.
"Yes," she whispered.
"Make him realize that he is the one missing out?" he continued. Christine looked at him in surprise. How had he known?
"How did you guess that?" she wondered. He smirked.
"I have met women like you my whole life," he replied. Christine made an unladylike sound and had to clench her fist to keep from slapping him.
"I can promise you that you have never met anyone like me," she said angrily. He turned and studied her so intently Christine felt like squirming in her seat.
"Maybe you are right…we shall have to see."
Christine had persuaded Erik to allow her to stop and change in a pub's restroom into the dress she was going to wear when she arrived. She tried on several before finally deciding on a black one that seemed to make her even slimmer then she was and accented her pale flesh.
Erik seemed to approve of the dress as well and even kissed her hand. Meg had promised Christine that she could stay in one of the guest rooms and would let her slip in the back way and get settled before they came down.
Meg's mother's house, where Christine had spent most of her childhood, was one of the old London country houses with somewhere around fifteen bedrooms.
"You have been friends with Meg long?" Erik wondered as the taxi pulled up to the back of the house after Christine's directions.
"Yes, seems like my whole life. Her mother took care of me most of the time because my father was always traveling on business trips," she replied.
Erik paid the driver and began collecting their things when a blond woman came running out of the house, nearly screaming as she embraced Christine.
"Oh! I knew you would make it!" she cried.
"Of course I would make it, it is not everyday that my best friend gets married," Christine said with a laugh, grateful to see her friend after so long.
"I know, can you believe I am getting married?" Meg squealed in delight. Then she noticed Erik and her grin broadened. She had always had a way with men.
"And who is this handsome man?" she wondered. Erik took her hand and shook it.
"Erik Destler, Christine's date," he said. Meg glanced at Christine with a smirk.
"Pleasure to meet you, Erik, I am sure the two of you would like to get settled?" she wondered. Both Erik and Christine nodded. Christine had let Buster out of his crate and led him by the leash into the house.
"She seems nice," Erik said as Meg led the way.
"Wait till you see her drunk."
