Free Special Relationship by Alessandra Fox Page A

curry sauce. I love Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding, and have egg and bacon for breakfast at least twice a week. The only thing I don't do is warm beer."
    "Can't blame you," he replied.
    God, she thought, how can someone so rich be so normal. She enjoyed the banter but was curious how a man who'd built such an empire remained what her compatriots would describe as 'a regular guy'.
    Keen that nothing went wrong to spoil things, and remembering that she had arranged to meet Kerry and Adrian for coffee, she told him of her pending appointment.
    "Oh cancel it, let's go for a walk round London."
    "Nick, I can't. But this is a good lunch and maybe when you get back from New York, I'll reciprocate."
    "Well, you do owe me. Have you seen the prices here?"
    "For a three-course lunch, with views thrown in, they seem reasonable to me," she teased him.
    "I'll just deduct it from your contract then."
    He poured some water. "Seriously, I'd like it if we could ditch the chauffeur and car, and just walk round for a while. But I do understand if you want to make your meeting...so maybe after New York?"
    "Of course," she replied. "I like to know our clients are happy and that they are getting the service they pay for."
    "No, I was thinking we meet up and talk about stuff other than business," he said. "Maybe do the walk round London, Tate Modern, something like that, you know the sort of stuff all American tourists do."
    "Are you stereotyping Americans, Mr Hensen?"
    "Just kidding."
    "I'll do you a deal," said Alex. "Bring me a blueberry cheesecake from Katz's and I'll do your London walk or tourist attraction, and speak in a loud American voice."
    "Done. And how are we spelling Katz's?" he asked.
    They skipped desert and drank coffee before he reluctantly asked her whether she needed a car.
    "No, in my world we do cabs, Nick."
    They both got up and he kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, really good lunch and good company and I'll get the cheesecake."
    "Or Katherine will have it flown over," she countered.
    "Wait and see."
    In the taxi on the way to Stratford, Alex wondered whether Nick for all his wealth and his real-life Monopoly game was really hankering after the normality that had saved herself from the brink. She called Kerry. "I'll be in Costa's in about half an hour, Kels, is that alright for you both?" She heard Kerry asking Adrian and she said they'd both be there.
    "Great, lots to tell."
    When she arrived in the coffee shop, the two of them were there seated and in deep discussion, chances were, she thought, about how well or badly lunch went. Kerry stood up and walked to meet her. "Give us a hug, darling," she said. "I was so worried about you earlier. What the fuck went on?"
    "It was me Kerry, I'm so sorry. What with everything that was happening, I was feeling a bit low and I sort of freaked out. But he was a real gentleman, good company, and not the devil incarnate that I had imagined, and, well, in the end I had a really enjoyable time."
    "And what happened in the park?" she asked.
    "I'll tell you later," she whispered.
    The two of them joined Adrian at a table and, even though he liked his role as the office jester, he knew this was not the time for acting the fool. Alex had always looked after him even when times were tough and, though he enjoyed the ridiculing of each other in the office, he knew that she had issues that deserved some modicum of seriousness.
    "Hi, let me get you a coffee."
    "Flattie, please," said Alex.
    Fl attie...what the fuck is that, he thought as he went to the counter.
    While he was ordering, Alex told Kerry about the park.
    "Just everything was against me like in a perfect storm, the texts, the attention from people who work for Hensen and then a beautiful young girl enjoying a day out with her mum. I just cracked. And I wanted to just go home, get into bed and forget everything."
    "But you made it to the restaurant – that's the main thing," Kerry said. "Strong as a lion."
    "Well, I was shaking when