Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Other Titles by Jade Winters
About The Author
COPYRIGHT
Chapter One
Lauren walked into The Grind Cafe, her cheeks flushed from the London cold air. Closing the door behind her, she headed straight for the counter, mentally scolding herself for going overboard with the wine last night. Despite her fuzzy head, Lauren knew just the thing to kickstart her energy.
‘Morning. What can I get you?’ the barista asked cheerfully, a refreshing change from the surly server she had encountered the day before who had made her feel like an inconvenience for daring to order a drink.
‘I’ll have a triple espresso, please,’ Lauren said with a hint of desperation in her voice.
‘Coming right up.’
‘Thanks.’
Moments later, Lauren picked up the steaming cup from the counter. ‘You have no idea how much I need this.’
The barista grinned. ‘Trust me, I get it. Mondays, right?’
‘Don’t even get me started.’
Lauren took a sip of the strong, bitter coffee as she scanned the shop for an empty table. But of course, every single seat was taken with people either glued to their phones or typing away on their laptops. It made her a little sad, seeing how disconnected everyone was these days.
She caught sight of a woman sitting alone at a table near the back, reading a paperback book. There was something about the way she was so totally lost in the pages that drew Lauren’s attention to her. Before she could overthink it, she walked over.
‘Is this seat taken?’ Lauren asked, pointing to the empty chair.
The woman looked up and smiled. ‘Nope, it’s all yours.’
Lauren shrugged off her jacket and sat down. As she sipped her coffee, she couldn’t help sneaking glances at the woman across from her. She had cute freckles on her nose, and the way her lips pressed together as she read reminded Lauren of the way her own lips would purse when she was concentrating on something.
After a few minutes of silence, Lauren cleared her throat, and the woman glanced up.
‘I couldn’t help but notice you’re reading Pride and Prejudice,’ Lauren said, nodding at the book. ‘It’s one of my favourites.’
‘Mine too.’
‘Just out of curiosity, how many times have you read it? I’ve read it at least five times,’ Lauren said, hoping to keep the conversation going.
‘Hmm, at least twice, but I do think it’s time for a modern cover. This one’s pretty dated.’
‘I totally agree,’ Lauren said. ‘I think Elizabeth Bennet needs a bit more of a feminist edge too.’
The woman nodded in agreement, her eyes lighting up with amusement. ‘Definitely. I mean, she’s already a strong, independent woman, but a modern twist could really kick it up a notch.’
‘We should pitch it to the publisher,’ Lauren said, tongue in cheek.
The woman leaned in, chin on hand, and studied Lauren’s face. ‘You know what? That’s not a bad idea. They’re doing another adaptation next year, and you’d make the perfect Elizabeth Bennet. You’ve got her look.’
Lauren raised an eyebrow. ‘Me? Seriously? No one’s ever said that to me before. But I don’t think I’d be able to pull it off. I couldn’t act my way out of a paper bag.’
The woman shrugged. ‘Too bad. But hey, auditions aren’t ’til next year. Plenty of time to take some acting classes.’
Lauren laughed. ‘I’ll keep that in mind. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the next Keira Knightley.’
Suddenly, the woman reached across the table and gently plucked a ladybird from Lauren’s hair, letting it rest on the back of her hand. Lauren’s stomach flip-flopped at her touch. When their eyes met, there was a flicker of . . . something. Could there be more between them than just a shared love of Jane Austen?
She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she felt intensely drawn to this woman. It was exciting but also a little unnerving.
As the ladybird flew away, Lauren suddenly said without thinking, ‘I heard that ladybirds symbolise true love.’
‘Then I guess today might be someone’s lucky day.’ She held out her hand with a smile. ‘I’m Rain, by the way.’
‘Lauren.’ She shook Rain’s hand, and for a moment, all Lauren could focus on was how good it felt. All the stress she’d been carrying around since she woke up just seemed to melt away.
As their hands slowly parted, Lauren couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret.
‘So, now that we’re officially acquainted, what do you do for a living? Wait, let me guess, it’s something creative?’ Rain asked.
