Mated To The Dragon Of Manhattan (A BBW Paranormal Romance Book 1) by Amira Rain
Authors: Amira Rain
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ferns serving as a sort of partition for privacy. Which I appreciated, because I wasn't sure I'd have been able to enjoy a meal with so many gazes on Truman and me, as I was sure there would be, were we dining more out in the open. Having dinner with a lord was something I was going to have to get used to.
Once we were seated, the maitre'd glanced over the tall, mahogany planter. "Lord Truman, it appears that Lieutenant Marsden and Mrs. Marsden have just arrived. Will you be desiring to enjoy aperitifs with them?"
Truman answered in the affirmative, and the maitre d' nodded.
"Very good, Lord Truman. I'll escort them over."
Once he'd left, Truman turned to me. "Do you mind meeting a few of my friends for a drink before dinner? Everyone is very eager to get to know you better."
I said I'd love it, and soon the maitre d' ushered over a man and a woman I recognized as the couple who had been sitting on Truman's left when I'd been brought before him in the throne room. Both seeming to be in their forties, the man, who was tall and powerfully-built, had grayish, blondish hair, and the woman, who was of average height and was slender, had long, curly hair the color of caramel. Without rising from his seat, Truman introduced them as Matthew, his third-in-command, and Annabelle, the director of his charity group, The Stone Foundation. I hadn't even known Truman had a charity group. But it made me fall even a bit deeper in love with him than I already was.
After we'd been introduced, Matthew and Annabelle slid in across from us at the U-shaped, black leather-upholstered banquette, and right after, a waiter came and took our drink orders. Annabelle and I ordered Merlot; Truman ordered a scotch, neat; and Matthew ordered a scotch on the rocks. We all exchanged pleasantries while waiting for our drinks to arrive, which didn't take long at all, since of course, our table was receiving service fit for a Lord.
Truman raised his glass in a toast. "To a wonderful evening, and to Brette, and the very lucky twist of fate that brought her to our parallel. And to me."
Blushing yet again, I clinked my glass with his and then with Matthew's and Annabelle's in turn.
After Annabelle and I had had a little discussion about the deliciousness of the Merlot, and the deliciousness of Merlot in general, I asked her to tell me about being director of The Stone Foundation. "What kind of charity work does the foundation focus on?"
She smiled, setting her wineglass on the table. "Most of the funds we raise go toward cancer research, making it the perfect job for me, since cancer research and finding a cure is my passion. You see, even with all the scientific advancements of this parallel, we still haven't found an absolute cure for cancer. And since I've lost many friends and family members to the disease, I'm determined to see a cure in my lifetime. I'm determined to help to make that happen. And we can always use more volunteers to help plan the foundation's various fundraisers, so if you're at all interested in helping any time, please let me know."
I said I'd love to help. "I just lost my best friend to cancer a year ago, and I'd be so glad to do some work to honor her and try to help others."
Annabelle's light brown brows angled upward in an expression of sympathy. "I'm so sorry for your loss. And we'd love to have your help in planning the next fundraiser, which will be in a few months, around the holidays." She paused, her gaze inexplicably going to Truman before darting back to me again. "I'll let you know more details as the time gets closer."
I nodded. "Okay. Thank you."
Truman took a long drink of his scotch, his expression somehow troubled. And it was only then that I realized that nobody at the table, including myself, knew if I was even going to be around in a few months, when my help with the fundraiser would be taking place. I'd completely forgotten about the choice I had to
Once we were seated, the maitre'd glanced over the tall, mahogany planter. "Lord Truman, it appears that Lieutenant Marsden and Mrs. Marsden have just arrived. Will you be desiring to enjoy aperitifs with them?"
Truman answered in the affirmative, and the maitre d' nodded.
"Very good, Lord Truman. I'll escort them over."
Once he'd left, Truman turned to me. "Do you mind meeting a few of my friends for a drink before dinner? Everyone is very eager to get to know you better."
I said I'd love it, and soon the maitre d' ushered over a man and a woman I recognized as the couple who had been sitting on Truman's left when I'd been brought before him in the throne room. Both seeming to be in their forties, the man, who was tall and powerfully-built, had grayish, blondish hair, and the woman, who was of average height and was slender, had long, curly hair the color of caramel. Without rising from his seat, Truman introduced them as Matthew, his third-in-command, and Annabelle, the director of his charity group, The Stone Foundation. I hadn't even known Truman had a charity group. But it made me fall even a bit deeper in love with him than I already was.
After we'd been introduced, Matthew and Annabelle slid in across from us at the U-shaped, black leather-upholstered banquette, and right after, a waiter came and took our drink orders. Annabelle and I ordered Merlot; Truman ordered a scotch, neat; and Matthew ordered a scotch on the rocks. We all exchanged pleasantries while waiting for our drinks to arrive, which didn't take long at all, since of course, our table was receiving service fit for a Lord.
Truman raised his glass in a toast. "To a wonderful evening, and to Brette, and the very lucky twist of fate that brought her to our parallel. And to me."
Blushing yet again, I clinked my glass with his and then with Matthew's and Annabelle's in turn.
After Annabelle and I had had a little discussion about the deliciousness of the Merlot, and the deliciousness of Merlot in general, I asked her to tell me about being director of The Stone Foundation. "What kind of charity work does the foundation focus on?"
She smiled, setting her wineglass on the table. "Most of the funds we raise go toward cancer research, making it the perfect job for me, since cancer research and finding a cure is my passion. You see, even with all the scientific advancements of this parallel, we still haven't found an absolute cure for cancer. And since I've lost many friends and family members to the disease, I'm determined to see a cure in my lifetime. I'm determined to help to make that happen. And we can always use more volunteers to help plan the foundation's various fundraisers, so if you're at all interested in helping any time, please let me know."
I said I'd love to help. "I just lost my best friend to cancer a year ago, and I'd be so glad to do some work to honor her and try to help others."
Annabelle's light brown brows angled upward in an expression of sympathy. "I'm so sorry for your loss. And we'd love to have your help in planning the next fundraiser, which will be in a few months, around the holidays." She paused, her gaze inexplicably going to Truman before darting back to me again. "I'll let you know more details as the time gets closer."
I nodded. "Okay. Thank you."
Truman took a long drink of his scotch, his expression somehow troubled. And it was only then that I realized that nobody at the table, including myself, knew if I was even going to be around in a few months, when my help with the fundraiser would be taking place. I'd completely forgotten about the choice I had to
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