Be My Juliet [on hold]

Chapter 35

*Jess’s POV*

“Did you hear that?” James asks, pulling away from me as quickly as the camera clicked.  He spins around, looking for the photographer.  I feel my gut wrench in my stomach; I knew I shouldn’t have done this.  This was a really stupid plan.  He’s going to figure it out.  As soon as he spots Angeline, he’ll know I’m the one that called her and told her to be here.

“Hear what?” I force a smile, deciding to just lie and play dumb. 

“The…” James starts, still searching the crowd of people bustling around London.  After a minute he gives up, turning to face me again.  “Never mind.  Let’s eat.”  Without warning he grabs my hand, squeezing it tight and pulling me along after him.  My eyes fixate on Angeline as I watch her reveal herself from her hiding spot and start walking towards the restaurant yet still keeping a small distance from us as not to be noticed by James.

Do you think she knows it’s you? A little voice asks me.  Maybe she thinks you’re Pen… then your plan won’t be completely ruined! I know I look nothing like Pen, and that it’s almost impossible to confuse me for her, but that voice gave me the ounce of hope I needed.  Maybe James won’t hate me for ruining our arrangement entirely. 

“Table for two?” I hear the host ask, zapping me back to reality. 

“Yeah.” James tells him.

“Please.” I add quickly, making up for his rudeness.  The host smiles at me, motioning for us to follow him as he picks up two menus.  James squeezes my hand a little tighter as we walk, and still doesn’t let it go as we sit down. 

“So…” he smirks, thumbing through the menu and tracing little circles on the back of my hand.  “Why were you so adamant about coming out tonight?”

“Well I wanted to see you…” I smile sheepishly, looking down at my menu and looking it over.

“Hey-“ he says, squeezing my hand yet again and forcing me to look up at him.  “I wanted to see you too.  I meant it when I said I missed you.”  He leans across the table, aiming for another kiss, as we hear the camera click again.  He stops in his tracks, cocking his head to the left and looking around for the source.

“You okay babe?” I ask him, still acting as if I don’t know what’s going on.

“You didn’t hear it that time?” he asks, staring at me as if he’s trying to decide if I’m crazy or he is.  I shoot him a confused look, urging him to say, “that camera.  I heard a camera; did you not?”

I look around the restaurant and immediately spot Angeline about two tables away from us, looking down at her menu.  “Do you see a camera anywhere?”

“Well… no…” he replies, still looking around.  “I guess I’m hearing things.”

“You’re just so used to all the cameras flashing, aren’t you Buckner?” I joke, smirking at him.

“Oh, you’ve figured it out,” he goes along, laughing a little.  He finally just focuses his eyes on me, staring at me with the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly.  “So what would you like to eat?”

“You know me; I’m up for anything.” I tell him, dropping my gaze to the menu on the table and smiling to myself as James starts drawing little swirls on the back of my hand again with his thumb, reminding me he still hasn’t let go.  After a while of no more photograph-scares, we decide on dinner.

“Two orders of the ‘Fried Chicken Platter’-”

“Please.” I say under my breath, squeezing James’ hand to get his attention.