Chapter 329

While Victor and I went to his apartment and packed, Findlay made us all the reservations we would need to have a magical long weekend together.

Then we traveled two hours north to the city of New Ripon. Even though Denhurst was older and our capital, New Ripon was larger and flourished on tourist dollars.

It had everything from some of the world’s best restaurants, museums, and art galleries to an amusement park and zoo.

The city was bustling on this warm Thursday evening. I was fascinated by all the activity and people as we drove to its center, and Victor pulled in front of The Covington, New Ripon’s most exclusive five-star hotel and restaurant.

A valet took care of the car while a team of hotel staff promised to have our luggage in our room when we arrived.

It was exciting to look around the opulent lobby while Victor checked in at the front desk. The white carpets were plush, the walls covered with red silk, and the ceiling dripped with sparkling crystal chandeliers.

Then we were escorted to our suite. It was as spectacular as I expected. Decorated in blue and gold, it was both comfortable and luxurious. I felt like a princess in a fairytale.

The main entrance opened into a vast living space with sofas, chairs, a chaise lounge, and even shelves of classic books. To one side of the room was a kitchenette and a dining area with a polished walnut table.

There was a powder room off the foyer and a main bathroom constructed from white and gold-flecked marble beside the bedroom.

I looked forward to soaking in the large garden tub. It looked like it would hold two people comfortably.

The bedroom was almost as large as the house where I grew up. It held a king-size bed, two dressers, and two walk-in closets. Our luggage had already arrived and had been unpacked.

Along one wall, floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a gorgeous view of the city from forty floors above the street.

Victor tipped the smiling bell boy and turned to me. “What do you think, sweetheart?”

“It’s superb,” I replied. “I must thank Findlay. We owe him and Tony a dinner next week for helping you through the faction crisis and now arranging all this.”

“We will take them somewhere nice,” Victor agreed. “And I promised Findlay I’d send them to the mountains for a vacation next month.”

“They deserve it,” I said and began to snoop around the suite. “Hey! There’s a bottle of champagne in the kitchenette.”

“Let’s open it before we get ready for dinner,” Victor suggested. “We have a reservation at the restaurant downstairs in an hour.”

“I heard the food here is extraordinary.” I twirled around happily before taking the champagne and two glasses to Victor to open and pour.

We toasted each other with the dry yet fruity champagne as we stood at the windows to admire the view.

“I’d better get ready for dinner,” I said and drained my glass.

After a quick shower, I did my hair and makeup before getting dressed in a new cocktail dress from Gisele’s.

It was made of the same shimmering cinnamon-colored silk as my first ball gown. The full skirt fell past my knees and left one shoulder bare.

Victor looked as handsome as ever in black tie. He smiled his approval of my dress before escorting me downstairs to the dining room.

We were seated at a corner table near the fireplace and given menus to peruse while the hostess brought us more champagne.

“This is just what I need,” I said with a sigh of pleasure.

“What we both need,” Victor added and took my hand.

The dinner was delicious and romantic. After eating, we returned to our suite to complete an unforgettable evening with a long, slow bout of lovemaking.

I woke up the next day to breakfast in bed. Victor had awakened before me and ordered from room service.

The scent of coffee and bacon filled the air as he took the covers off plates of fluffy scrambled eggs and toast.

Victor climbed back into the bed, and we talked while we ate.

“What are we doing today?” I asked.

“Findlay arranged for us to have VIP passes to Funland,” Victor replied. “Get ready to ride that roller coaster.”

As we finished our breakfast, there was a knock on the door. Victor hurried to answer it and returned to the bedroom waving an envelope.

Our passes to the amusement park had arrived!

I giggled and ran to get dressed in jeans and a peasant blouse.

I felt like a kid again when we entered the park. A calliope played in the distance while a Ferris wheel spun to my right.

The Thrillinator towered over the left side of the park. The coaster boasted a drop of two hundred feet and two loops when the riders were upside down.

Victor and I exchanged a look and headed for the coaster. I wondered if warming up on a smaller ride would be a good idea, but the colossal coaster pulled us like a magnet.

The smells of roasted peanuts, cotton candy, popcorn, hotdogs, hamburgers, and other delicious treats reached my nostrils as we made our way to the roller coaster entrance.

Our VIP passes meant we were allowed to board the next train without waiting in line. Victor chose seats in the middle, which he insisted were the best.

My palms were sweating when we buckled up, and I gasped when the coaster jerked and began to climb the hill that rose abruptly in front of us.

I braced my feet on the floor and clutched Victor’s arm when we arrived at the top.

“Relax, sweetheart,” he said. “It’s fun.”

Suddenly, we were flying down the hill while my stomach remained at the top. I screamed and laughed at the same time.

I felt fear and an exhilaration that made me feel invincible when the coaster reached the bottom and charged into a loop that turned us upside down for several seconds.

The ride was over too soon, and my legs shook as Victor helped me from my seat.

“Well,” he said with one raised eyebrow. “Did you like it?”

I raised my eyes slowly to meet his. “Let’s do it again!” I exclaimed.

Victor threw his head back and laughed. “But then I want a chili dog.”

“It’s a deal,” I agreed.

At the entrance to the coaster, I noticed a man who appeared to be watching us. He was short and wiry and had his dark hair in a buzz cut.

He was alone, but perhaps he was waiting for his family on the coaster.

My second time on Thrillinator was as wonderful as the first. But it must have tweaked my appetite because afterward, I ate an entire foot-long chili dog with cheese.

Victor and I enjoyed several more rides and tasty snacks before it was time to return to our hotel. It was a day that I would never forget, and I was pleased to have shared it with Victor.

As we were leaving the park, I saw the man with the buzz cut again. He was behind us as we left the park and again as we climbed into the limousine arranged by the hotel concierge.

He was holding his phone at an odd angle. Was he taking our photo?

The limousine pulled away, and I forgot about him when I discovered something delicious in the mini-fridge.

“What is this?” I asked.

“It’s a caramel apple,” Victor replied. “I thought you might want a souvenir other than T-shirts.”

“I’ll save it,” I decided. “I don’t want to spoil my dinner.”

We returned to The Covington and napped until it was time to dress for dinner.

It was Friday night, and The Covington’s dining room was packed, but we were escorted to the same table we had occupied the previous evening.

We drank champagne while waiting for our meal and laughed about events that happened earlier in the day.

“I must use the powder room,” I told Victor. “I’ll be right back.”

Victor helped me with my chair, and I left the dining room to look for a ladies’ room. I located one a moment before I spotted the man with the buzz cut standing near the dining room door.

He was wearing a suit, but it was him. And he was holding his phone in his hand once again.

It couldn’t be a coincidence. The man had to be following us.

But why? I had to know.

By the time I decided to confront him, he realized I recognized him and took off toward the lobby and front entrance.

But I followed him. I had to know why he was watching us.