Chapter Thirteen

I wore the outfit Elle had picked out for me to meet Elliott.

He was sitting at one of the two tables when I walked in with my sketchbook. He showed no wear and tear from the prior evening. He looked refreshed. Handsome. He wore a darker pair of khakis and a brown-and-blue checked shirt. The blue in the shirt danced in complementary fashion with his eyes. He smiled as I approached him. A small arrangement of flowers punctuated the middle of the table. Fresh green hydrangeas mixed with some apricot-colored roses and a few sprigs of Queen Anne’s lace.

“I didn’t know if you would show or not.” He got up to meet me.

“I make it a policy never to turn down free food.” I shook his hand formally.

“There are no free lunches. I’m surprised Julian didn’t tell you that.”

“Touché.” I quickly scanned the room to see if it held the same possibilities in the daylight that it had held the previous night. The sunlight added an extra dimension.

“I have French press coffee or Earl Grey tea. I find it a little difficult to totally abandon my English roots.”

“By the way, nice flowers.”

“I read somewhere that Henry Edgeworth named his first restaurant VERT because that was his little sister’s favorite color. They’re for you.” I noticed a card attached.

“They’re beautiful. I do love flowers. We love Queen Anne’s lace in the South. It grows on the side of the road. I made Daddy keep a pair of shears in the car so we could pull over and cut them for his restaurant.”

“I hoped you would approve. Now, tea or coffee?”

“I’ll have what you’re having.”

He disappeared and brought a silver tray with a pot of hot water, a selection of teas, a sugar bowl, and a tray of scones. “An authentic English breakfast,” I said.

We busied ourselves preparing our tea and plates. Elliott’s scones were good, but my Southern brother could beat him every time.

After we finished and Elliott had removed the tray, our conversation picked up again.

“Do you know, I have never seen the entire space? Will you give me the grand tour, Elliott.” It was my intent to stick strictly to business. Putting my attraction to Elliott aside, I was eager to see what possibilities this place offered.

We both stood up. He was about a head taller than I was.

“From your point of view,” I went on. “I would like to hear about what brought you to this space and what you see. I want the full tour. I want to hear your impressions, good and bad.”

“Wait a minute, I thought that was your job,” he countered.

“A good visionary listens. Listening to you is essential because, ultimately, that will inform how I actually see the space transforming.”

“You’re quite something, Bailey Edgeworth. I don’t think I have met too many people your age who have quite the same level of confidence.”