Billionaire's Escort

Chapter ten

Kimberly’s POV

The driveway leading up to where we were going to stay was covered in gravel that flicked under the pressure of the tires. Instead of a fence like most people had to frame their driveway and their house for that matter, was here replaced by a beautifully carved hedge that led not only all the way up to the round fountain in front of the estate, but all the way around the grounds as well. 

In front of the hedge, spotlights had been put into the ground that I could only imagine shining up the entire place at nightfall. 

When the car came to a halt, I was more than astonished. We were at the Wallace estate itself and as much as I had tried to imagine in my mind what it would look like, none of the thoughts had given it justice. 

The estate itself was made of bricks with a deep grey color with the most black and shiny roof I had ever seen. The clean lines and geometric shapes of the horizontal and vertical walls that made an intentional asymmetry almost created a sense of hierarchy on its own. The window frames were all black matching the roof to perfection, framed the big windows just enough for it to actually fit the rest of the house. This place screamed wealth and luxury. Madame Elenore’s place had nothing on this. 

Even Landon’s penthouse suite seemed so small and common compared to this. 

“Are you ready?” he asked as he unbuckled his seatbelt. 

“I think so,” I said nervously. “Are you?”

“As ready as I will ever be,” he said forcing a small laugh. 

He got out of the car and walked to the other side of it, to open my door for me and help me out. We hadn’t even managed to get more than two steps before a woman called Landon’s name. A woman that with no doubt was his mom. The resembling was too great. His dark brown and slightly curled hair was definitely something he had from her, and his chocolate brown eyes now stared at me on another person’s face. She was about the same height as me, even with heels on, which by the way I had never seen anyone walk so gracefully in heels before. Her smile was different than his which made me think he had his from his dad. 

“Oh, Landon! You made it!” she said sounding utterly overjoyed. “And I see you brought your girlfriend,” she said with a huge smile nodding towards me and it was then I noticed the two dimples forming on her cheeks. 

“Mom, this is Kimberly, Kimberly this is-“

“I can introduce myself, dear. I’m Marie Wallace, but you can call me Marie,” she gushed as she grabbed my hand in hers. “It is so nice to finally meet you. I was beginning to think that he was trying to cut me off with a lie, no offense-“ she said looking at him. “-But that really wouldn’t have surprised me.”

“I’m so happy to finally meet you too,” I said with a nervous smile on my face. “And I wouldn’t be surprised either. He tends to sometimes speak before he thinks,” I shrugged but then became incredibly nervous about her reaction to what I had just said. 

“He does, doesn’t he,” she chuckled. “Glad someone else is finally seeing it too and who is also willing to stick up with it.”

“My life would be so incredibly boring without it,” I laughed nudging him in the side. “Besides, I always get the truth from him that way, so I don’t mind it.” 

“Ah, yes, truth is very important in a relationship,” she agreed. “Why have you kept her hidden for so long? She’s a gem darling!” 

“I knew that you would steal her away the minute you met her, and I wanted to keep her all to myself,” he said as he smiled down at me. 

“True, however, we have other guests that I would like for you to meet, benefactors really, and I would love to show Kimberly around while you do that if that is okay with you?” she asked in a hopeful voice. 

“Of course, but don’t you want her to meet dad first?”

“He can wait, besides he is waiting for you inside with Mr. Jacobs,” she said and locked her arm in mine. “I will take her on a quick tour in the garden and we will join you shortly.”

“Will you be fine?” he asked me totally ignoring his mother's presence. 

“I will be just fine,” I chuckled. “Stop worrying so much.”

I leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before I turned on my heel and followed Marie who dragged me around the house and to what to me looked like paradise on earth. We passed the terrasse area where a bunch of waiters now were beginning to set up for brunch and continued to walk past the pool until my feet were met with grass. 

The first thing to meet my eyes was a small pond, or maybe small wasn’t the best word to describe it as it was big enough to have multiple fish and even turtles in it. Around it was bushes of Hydrangeas, sealing it in nicely as it made a small path to the big white patio that was placed in the middle of the garden. 

“This is… Beautiful,” I said as I bend down. 

“Do you like flowers?” she questioned from behind me. 

“I love Hydrangeas,” I said. “They are my mother’s favorite along with Rhododendrons and roses, so I grew up with having them all around our greenhouse,” I explained. 

“We actually have Rhododendrons in the back if you’d like to see it?”

The smile on her face was a smile only a loving mother could give. I had never thought such warmth could come from such a small person, well besides my own mother that was. 

“I would love to,” I smiled. 

I let her lead me down to the back of it all, away from the chattering voice we could hear. On the way down there we stopped a few times, giving me a chance to admire the beauty of the flowers clinging together. 

“This is so wonderful,” I said once we were done. “Thank you for showing me this,” I smiled almost feeling myself tear up. 

“It was my pleasure,” she smiled and gave my hand a small squeeze. “I actually have something over here, not to pressure you to come again or anything, but if you’d like to come to visit, I have an entire row here just waiting for flowers to be planted and considering you just mention roses, which I do not have any of anymore, I thought that we could plant some of those if you’d like.”

“I would love that, and I’ll make sure to bring your son as well,” I said catching her off guard. “I could see it in your face, and I know he works a lot. Thought you’d might like it if I pull him with me every once in a while,” I explained. 

She didn’t speak, but instead, stepped closer before putting her small arms around me this time catching me off guard. 

“That would be great,” she sniffled as I hugged her back. “We better head in before he thinks I’m trying to steal you away or interrogate you out here.”

I chuckled and followed her as we made our way back. Reaching the terrasse area I noticed the black French doors we had walked past earlier now were open wide. The people inside didn’t hesitate to walk through them and into the garden where a long table had been set up with pastries, bread, fruits, and berries in the most beautifully set decorations on big silver trays. 

It didn’t take long for me to scout him in the crowd. He was standing with a man just as tall as himself and I couldn’t help but wonder if that was his dad. 

“There you are,” he said as he noticed us walking towards him. “Did she get her million questions answered?” 

“Actually, you need to think better of your mom,” I smiled. 

“Turns out Kimberly here shares my passion with flowers,” Marie beamed. “But I am guessing you already knew that,” she winked as the man next to Landon cleared his throat. 

“Seeing as none of these hotheads are well behaved enough to do it, I should introduce myself,” he chuckled. “My name is Marcus, and you must be the famous Kimberly,” he said shaking my hand. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” I smiled. 

“The pleasure is mine,” he nodded. 

“So where did you two meet?” Marie asked. 

“Here we go,” Landon sighed. 

“Be nice,” I said. “We actually met in one of the cheesiest ways. It was at a coffee shop early in the morning and as if it wasn’t bad enough that it was that early during the day, I apparently was born with two left feet,” I frowned. 

“She bumped into me and fell and of course her coffee went flying everywhere,” he chuckled.

“His white shirt was covered and I was so sure he would through a fit but-“

“When she looked up at me from the ground and I saw those ocean eyes with that much life in them, all my anger seemed to go away,” he interrupted with a smile. “She insisted on paying for the dry cleaning and that was how we got talking.”

“Don’t tell me you let her pay,” Marie scolded. 

“Don’t worry, he didn’t, but he did let me buy him another coffee as an apology,” I said and leaned into him. 

“That reminds me an awful lot about how I met you,” his dad laughed. “She has no sense of coordination either,” he boomed, and Marie swatted his arm. 

“Marcus!” she exclaimed. 

“What? It is true,” he chuckled. 

“And how did you two meet?” I asked not only because I wanted to divert the questions from us, but because I was genuinely interested. 

“At a business meeting where she sent all the papers flying across the room,” he snickered. “Twice.”

"Enough about that," Marie frowned clearly embarrassed by the mentioning of the past. "I am sure that you would like to mingle a bit before brunch is served, so we will let you get to it," she smiled. 

"Good idea," Landon agreed. "We will come to find you later," he spoke as he intertwined his arm with mine and led me through the crowd. 

"Where are we going?" I asked. 

"There is someone I would like you to meet."