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Chapter 45
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Entangle Me Chapter 46
BOOK FIVE: TOKYO "Cheers to you," Dr. Edmund raises his glass to me and I grin shyly and clink my glass to his."Please, it's really not necessary." I blush, giggling as I sip on my third glass of white wine. I think I should stop, but Edmund keeps insisting on I get another drink once I finish. "Yes, it is. You're so young and look at what you've achieved, you have a massively successful business. And it is all due to your own merit. That is very impressive, Lacey." He glances at me speculatively through his glasses. "My achievements? You have your own clinic in Sydney, that's pretty hard to beat!" I say. "To be honest, sometimes I think about a sea change. I've been to the UK a few times and there's lots of opportunity there.""Do your wife and kids get used to you always travelling?" He knocks back the rest of his wine, keeping his eyes on me. "I don't have any children, and I don't have a wife."Oh. I'm surprised. He's old enough to be married with kids. Or maybe he's
Entangle Me Chapter 47
"Why are we rushing back home? We could have gotten gelato after lunch," Dad says, sounding baffled as I pull him up the driveway."Gelato? It's winter, Dad. Let's go home and have a hot chocolate," I say, walking fast in my knee length black boots. "But we always get gelato after lunch" "God we're so late," I mutter under my breath. "Huh?" Dad asks."Oh, I just meant it's annoying that we were late to get to the restaurant. How bad was the traffic, right? And did the food have to take so freaking long to come out?" I waffle, irritated at how long the whole lunch took."Well, it's Neutral Bay doodlebug, plus the restaurant is always packed.""Yeah, but does mum have to take twenty minutes deciding what to eat before getting green chicken curry, which she always ends up getting?" I do a pretty bad job of sounding stressed, knowing what's on the other side of the door."You know your mother is always like thatwhoa! Slow down honey" His sweet talk is ignored as I pull him even
Entangle Me Chapter 48
"Crap, your mom wants to talk to me?" I quickly push my dress down and comb my hair with my fingers. "What about?"Tristan runs his fingers through his hair, his breathing ragged. "I think I have an idea, but I told her I would ask you myself."He's totally lost me. "What were you going to ask me?"Tristan adjusts his jeans and looks at me. "Are you good?"What does he want to ask me? Taking a quick breath, I straighten my knees, which are still shaking from that sizzling show of passion. "Yep, I'm ready.""Don't worry baby, we'll have plenty of time to make up," he whispers, winking at me before walking out. "Mom! What are you doing, this is the back part of the house.""Oh sweetheart, is Lacey around? I wanted to talk to her.""No, I think she's somewhere else""Hey Ms. Keys, are you looking for me?" I stand by the door, smiling at Janet, desperate to assume an 'I-Was-Not-Just-Getting-Hot-And-Heavy-With-Your-Son look'. Janet's lovely green eyes light up at the sight of me.
Entangle Me Chapter 49
I press the red button on my phone, placing the receiver to my ear, hoping the other person will pick up.Ring ring, ring ring, ring ring...the phone rings another five times and I'm about to hang up before he answers. "Edmund speaking." His voice is formal and even more soothing and deeper over the phone. I can hear laughter and chatter in the background. "Doctor Edmund," I clear my throat, relieved he picked up the phone. "It's Lacey Ryan, I sat next to you on the flight. I hope I'm not disturbing you."The recognition and delight in his voice is clear. "Ms. Ryan, absolute pleasure to hear from you. I thought you would never call." He chuckles softly, a hearty and throaty sound. "I'm assuming you wanted to come in and schedule an appointment, or did you enjoy my company so much you wanted to see me again?""When is your next available appointment?" I cross my fingers, hoping he can slot me in within the next few days. Ever since I've found out about Tokyo, I've been keen on
Entangle Me Chapter 50
I've never been to a shrink's office, so I have no expectations other than bare white walls. Sterile, cold, clean."Are you going to tell him how you're feeling and shit?" Gabe teases as we walk up to the door.Giggling, I open the door and hold it for him. "I don't think it will be like that. He'll probably get me to do some exercises, maybe ask some heavy hitting questions. Thank you for coming with me, by the way."He waves a hand dismissively as we walk in. "Pish posh, of course I would come with you, darl. Are you nervous?"Once I step inside, I don't know whether I've stepped into a doctor's office or someone's house. The waiting room is like a lounge room, neatly decorated with subtle finesse. A picture of a beach is sprawled on each wall, each depicting beautiful scenery: rolling waves on idyllic sand, the golden sun, blue skies. Across from me is a large black coffee table with a neat stack of magazines. A small children's toy section is on the far right corner; a televisi
Entangle Me Chapter 51
I think I've left Earth and entered another planet. Tokyo is out of this world. I'm done trying to make sense of this megalopolis, with its jigsaw of real estate and seething mass of people. The kaleidoscopic lights, crush of humanity, and sheer scale of it all makes it worthy of being the most populous metropolitan area in the world. A city of stunning contrasts, there's so much to do. There's the chance for quiet contemplation beside a carp pond in the Zen-like?Hamarikyu Gardens, the opportunity to watch locals retrieve their fortunes from wooden drawers at Buddhist?Senso-ji Temple, or take a visit to?Ueno Park. Across the colour-changing?Rainbow Bridge?lies?Odaiba's, the artificial island,?futuristic cityscape and Edo-style hot springs.It is even weirder and more bizarre than I ever expected and I am in awe of it all. Beside all those amazing and bizarre things, the city?throws out unexpected glimpses of its cultural core.?I didn't know what to expect, coming here with Tristan a
Entangle Me Chapter 52
"How are you progressing? Are you doing your exercises routinely?" Dr. Edmund asks politely, the sound of his voice just as clear and crisp over the phone. I nod along. "Liz has been fantastic! To be honest, I was rather sceptical. I always thought therapy was so self-indulgent, but I'm really glad I did it."He laughs softly. "Self-indulgent, huh? I'm so glad to hear it. As you know, I couldn't treat you myself as it is not my primary area of expertise. Liz is a much better fit. I just hope you are getting a lot out of her."?Pacing around the room, I put the phone on loudspeaker.?With just one day left until the wedding and most of the plans all set in place, I've been enjoying myself in this wonderful city. Of course, I have not forgotten my commitment to the therapy. "I am! The exercises Liz and I have agreed to are really helping. The most I can do at this stage is look down for ten seconds. But it's getting better,?I can look for a whole ten seconds without screaming and curl
Entangle Me Chapter 53
"That is perfect, arigato!" I speak into the phone, before dropping it on the bed. The cake is coming to the tea house ten minutes early, like I requested, just what I wanted to hear as a final detail to wrap up the ceremony. In Japan, it's very common to use imposter cakes at wedding receptions. A lot of them are made of artificial rubber and these faux confections are iced with wax. Since the wedding is such a small party, I opted to order a small Dulce de Leche cake from a bakery only a ten-minute drive from the tea house. A flourless vanilla cake with caramel icing and caramel drizzle, this is Janet's favourite flavour and it will be more than sufficient for the ten guests. I check my reflection, happy with my hair. Fastened in a loose sideways bun, I decided to tuck a pink cherry blossom above my left ear. My red lipstick isn't on my teeth, my winged eyeliner is applied immaculately, and my skin looks good. Happy with my efforts, I go back to my table to check my laptop before m
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Entangle Me Chapter 80
"God, you do sound like a pom, you've definitely been here too long," Tristan teases over the way I unintentionally pronounced yoghurt in a British accent. "Have not! Although the winters here are chilly, I miss our summer Christmases.""That's okay, I'm here to keep you warm."I bite my lip, loving how close he is to me. "So, what are you doing all the way out here?"He smirks at me, his gaze full of warmth. "I think you have an idea, no?" My cheeks warm as he huddles closer to my body, his height towering over me. We're standing on the end of Waterloo Bridge, the River Thames and the London Eye lying behind us like a beautiful backdrop. It's dark and the surrounding trees on the footpath are beautifully bright, adorned in blue lights. It was drizzling earlier, but it's now stopped and the pavement is mildly damp, adding to the general chill of the city. My suitcase by my side, Tristan is hovering over me as he backs me into the walled railing, his gloved hands rubbing my arms
Entangle Me Chapter 79
Tristan. Is. Here. In.London.Specifically, he is outside the house where I have been living in London, with another man. A man who I've just broken up with. "Taxi Delivery Service, how may I help you?" the phone operator utters on the other end of the line, but it fails to reach my consciousness.Whathowwhoso many incomprehensible thoughts are racking through my mind right now. My heart is pounding like a jack hammer at the sight of him in a long black coat, jeans and scarf. The coffee eggnog is really not helping right now. "Hi" I whisper, barely audible. My insides are flooding with nerves. A jar of butterflies has dropped inside my stomach and they are flying everywhere."Hello? Is anyone there?" The call operator speaks through the receiver. I use any semblance of my wit to press the hang up button, my fingers are shaky as I keep my eyes locked on Tristan. What is he doing here?There's a black taxi on the kerb behind him, presumably the one that dropped him off. It does
Entangle Me Chapter 78
I walk up to the door, a full gift bag in each of my hands. I drop my bag to get the key when Giles, the driver, walks up to me. "Let me get the bag, Miss." Giving him a polite smile, I let him hold the bag as I open the door. "Thank you," I say as I open the door and he puts the bags right inside the entrance."Have a nice Christmas, Miss Ryan." Giles, the driver smiles at me warmly before he starts walking off. "Thank you, same to you and your family. Merry Christmas!" I give him a fat grin and wave at him.Closing the door, my smile drops instantly and I clench my jaw at how irritated I am. It's Christmas Eve, the jolliest time of year. I've just come back from Amelia and Kieran's beautiful house in Hertfordshire where I had lunch with them and I am lightly tipsy from Kieran's egg nog coffee punch. Everything was so delicious. Caramelized onion tarts with apples. Brussel sprouts with chestnuts & sage. Chunky roast potatoes. Crisp honey mustard parsnips. Bacon, sausage & prun
Entangle Me Chapter 77
It's the Christmas season! The days are short, nights are long, showers go longer. There are so many things I love about winter. I love making hot Belgian chocolate and those little marshmallows, I love snuggling up on the couch with a book in my thick robe and furry shoes, a doona draped over me. I love the food associated with winter: soups, casseroles, roasts. I'll be spending my first Christmas in London, and Amelia has invited Edmund and me over to their place for lunch Christmas Eve. I cannot wait to have my first proper winter Christmas. I just hope Edmund can make it. I'm sure that work will die down by then and I can have some quality time with him, the fun Edmund I haven't seen too much since I've been here. There's still been no progress on the assistant front, so I've been keeping busy by pursuing culinary perfection. With another two weeks to go until the day, I've been in the kitchen non-stop since I've arrived and I like to think my cooking skills have improved immense
Entangle Me Chapter 76
I plop my head on the fluffy mattress, panting loudly as I let the post coital experience wash over me. Something is wrong with me. I just slept with my boyfriend for the first time, but I came thinking about my ex-fake husband. No, it was purely coincidental. It's just the half bottle of pinot gris swirling in my head, that's it surely. Instead, I'm going to bask in how nice that was.That was not bad, not bad at all. It wasn't fireworks but it was nice and efficient. He definitely knows a thing or two about pleasing a woman, that's for sure. He was very attentive, gentle, tender even. Just what I like - what I prefer. Unlike Tristan, who is all so aggressive. The way he grabs my hips so roughly, the way he pulls my hair, the way he bites my lip andgah! No more reminiscing! I'm so ashamed of myself, what's wrong with me? Noit's just a once-off. It won't happen again. I'm sure of it."How was that for you?" Edmund asks coolly as he looks down at me. His face is slick with a thin la
Entangle Me Chapter 75
My feet tapping against the leg of the small mahogany table, I check my phone to see if there are any text messages. Nope, nothing. My guest should be on time, I'm just early. Looking around the café, I'm glad this place was picked. I'm sitting in the middle of The Purple Hare, a rustic and inviting mahogany infused restaurant in the middle of Chelsea. Packed to the brim with drunk and merry locals clad in wintry garb, the woody and earthy ambience mixed with the smell of Guinness, grilled steak and mashed potatoes makes the place feel like a second home almost. I am about to press the call button when the door flies open. "Hey!" Amelia waves excitedly at me but my mouth pops open at the sight of her in a long black parka jacket, jeans and boots. She said she had a surprise for me, but this was the last thing I expected.Standing up, I point at her stomach, which is a heck of a lot bigger than when I last saw it. "Oh my goodness, you are as full as a house!"A permanent grin
Entangle Me Chapter 74
London baby, I have arrived! As Edmund and I sit in the back of the chauffeur driven car, my face is plastered to the window as I take in this new city that is now my home. There's so much to take in: it's incredible how one place can have so much vibrancy, multiculturalism, and a cosmopolitan edge all at once: the sky scraper buildings, glamourous clothes shops filling the high streets, the internationally renowned restaurants, the parks, the double deckers, the black cabs. And then there's the history: Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, 10 Downing Street, the Tower Bridge, the Great Fire, Barbican Arts Gallery. This city is truly a perfect blending of the past and present. Just when I am keen on continuing the driving tour, the car pulls up and I turn to Edmund, my mouth having popped open at where we've stopped."Tell me you're joking. This is not your place." Edmund chuckles heartily. "Is that a good thing?"I turn back to press my fa
Entangle Me Chapter 73
"Call us the second you get there, alright?" Mom repeats herself for the fifth time in two hours. I am standing outside my favourite Japanese restaurant on Bridge Street in Wynyard, saying my final goodbyes for the night. Gabe has gone home and it's just me and my family, who won't let me get into my car and drive back home. It's my farewell party with my loved ones, and I've spent the night laughing, getting sentimental and emotional with my parents, Hansley, Jackie, and Gabe. My flight is tomorrow morning, and because I would find it too difficult to say goodbye to any of them at the airport, I suggested dinner instead. Less invasive this way."I get there at six in the evening, it will be three in the morning for you. I'll just text you first," I insist and she scowls at me."Fine, but as soon as you get off the plane, alright? I don't care what time. I just need to know you are safe. I will be expecting a text at 3AM," she insists, her tone unyieldingly stern. I nod at her dogg
Entangle Me Chapter 72
Pacing around the room, I play with my fingers as I wait nervously. Don't be afraid, just tell him. He'll understand, I know it. As I continue rehearsing what I need to say, my door knocks. Okay, he's here. Taking a deep inhalation, I shuffle to the door and open it to greet the person on the other side."Hi darl!" Gabe leans in to give me an air kiss, before holding up a cheese platter and packet of crackers in front of me. "Okay, gossip time. I think the occasion calls for cheese and crackers."He has no idea what I've got in store for him. I grin as I take the food from him. "I'll get the bottle of wine. But I'm making chicken fajitas, so keep your stomach free for them."Closing the door behind him, Gabe saunters in looking like his fabulous self in a navy crested jacket and white pants. I put the cheese and crackers on the dining table, before grabbing the silver glittery gift bag sitting on one of the chairs. "Here, just a little something for helping out. How was it bac
