Page 83 of Craving Paradise
“It’s okay. If the roles were reversed, I would want to know. I mean, I already know you were with Vixen.”
“Shit, I didn’t know you guys were friends.” He backpedals.
“Jasper, it’s okay. You don’t have to keep apologizing. I’m not one of those girls who pretends she’s fine with something when she’s not. Are you nervous?” I ask him, as he’s never been this weird before.
“Yeah, I am. You always make me nervous,” he answers honestly as he throws his head back against the car’s headrest before he bursts out laughing. “This was not at all how I wanted the start to our date to go.”
Aw. That’s so cute.
“I promise whatever it is, I’ll have fun. We’re two friends hanging out. Neither of us needs to be nervous.”
“Are you?”
“Yeah, I was.”
“Never been nervous before a date, but to be fair, I do the same thing every single time. Expensive restaurant and back to my place for fun. This is the first time I’ve tried.” He gives me a lopsided grin.
“To be fair, my dates rarely take me anywhere nice. I’ve had someone take me to McDonald’s before.”
“Who the hell are you dating?” Jasper asks.
“I’m not dating them for their bank balance, that’s for sure. Stupidly, I’ve been going for the tragic artist types, struggling musicians, actors, painters … guys who are great in bed, but that bed is on the floor of their friend’s house.” I chuckle.
“Lauren, you deserve better. Now I feel fantastic about this date then. Those fuckers have nothing on me,” he states proudly with a wide grin.
They certainly don’t.Stupid flutters again.
The car eventually pulls up to the Hyde Park stables, located down this narrow cobble-stoned street in between mews houses all around on the Paddington side of Hyde Park. I’ve always wanted to check these out as I’ve seen people riding horses through Hyde Park many times.
“We’re going horseback riding?” I squeal with delight, which makes Jasper laugh.
“I’m guessing you’re pleased with this?”
“You have no idea. When I was younger, I used to ride a horse all the time, but I haven’t done it in years.”
The driver opens my door, I step out, and the staff greets us. They walk us through the stables, introduce us to the horses, chat about our experience, and then it’s time to saddle up and head on out into Hyde Park. It feels so good to be back in the saddle again, so to speak. My ass is burning as are my thighs as we trot along the streets to the park. I’m so happy. This is the best date. We continue to trot along through the park, the little kids waving at the horses. It’s an actual sunny day today. I’ve retreated to my happy place as I let the horse’s rhythm relax me.
After about forty minutes of riding, they lead us over to where a luxury picnic has been set up. There’s a rug with large cushions scattered around the outside and a small table with delicious-looking food displayed on it. We hop off the horses and shake out our legs while the staff takes the reins and leads them away.
“Wow, Jasper. This is gorgeous,” I say, admiring the setup before us.
He grabs the bottle of champagne, pops the cork, and pours us both a glass. We clink our glasses together, sit against the plush cushions, and Jasper brings the platter of food closer to us. I grab a mini quiche and bite into it. Delicious. This honestly has been one of the best dates of my life—not sure how anyone else can top this.
“Thank you for all this.”
“It’s not over yet. We still have more to do.” He grins.
“More?”
He nods as a smile falls across his lips.
Go away butterflies, you’re not welcome here.
We spend the next hour lazing in the sun, chatting, kissing, doing date-like things. I don’t want this day to end. He tells me about his dad, how he’s completed his rehabilitation stint, which I knew about because Autumn broke down about it after one too many glasses of champagne. She explained how Jasper has now inherited the estate from her father and bought him a gorgeous cottage down by the seaside in Cornwall that he’s moved into. Jasper told me he started his own business because of his father’s gambling habits, and he didn’t want any other family member to lose their heritage because of mismanagement. We spoke about my family and how inadequate I feel with such high achievers. I explained to him about Eloise’s bakery dream and how I’m helping her achieve it.
“Is there anything you want, though?” he asks me.
“That’s what everyone keeps asking me, and when I think about what I want, my brain shuts down, and it’s blank. Something must be wrong with me.” I chuckle ashamedly.