Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
After dinner we all went to the living room. Conor picked a movie to watch and my heart warmed when I saw he’d chosen When Harry Met Sally. He cast me a fond look, letting me know he remembered how much I used to love that movie back in the day. I’d watch it all the time, but it had been years since I’d seen it. I cast him a smile, hoping he knew I appreciated the sentiment.
Conor came and sat next to me, and I felt warmer just from his proximity.
“Thanks,” I whispered to him softly.
He briefly placed his hand on mine. “My pleasure.”
Just like always I fell into the story. It went by so quick and then my favourite scene was playing, the New Years’ Eve party where Harry finally professes his love for Sally. Frank Sinatra’s ‘It Had To Be You’ played in the background while Billy Crystal made his heart-stopping speech.
I sensed someone’s attention and found Conor’s eyes on my profile. Suddenly, I was no longer watching the movie. All my attention was on him. I wasn’t sure whether it was the emotional scene, the touching song, or simply the way Conor was regarding me, but my heart pounded like crazy, my chest full of feelings. Feelings about him.
“Yvonne,” he said quietly. “I—”
Before he could finish the sentence, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, glaring at the screen. When he looked back at me, his eyes were full of apology. “This is work. I have to take it.”
“That’s okay,” I replied, watching him go.
The movie ended and Bethany came and sat next to me, making sure my wine was topped up as we talked about the good old days back home.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, nor how many glasses of wine I’d consumed, but I was certainly drunker than I planned to get. Bethany was drunk, too, a bleary gleam in her eyes as she leaned in at one point and said, “My brother has always gone out with older women. Did you know that?”
“Um, no, I didn’t,” I said, at first not getting why she was telling me this. Then the penny dropped. Bethany must’ve known that Conor was interested in me.
She bobbed her head tipsily. “Yep. Marianne, his last partner, was forty-one. And the one before that. What was her name again? Oh yeah, Lena. She was thirty-eight. So, you know, he kind of has a type.”
“Mm-hmm,” I replied. I had a suspicion I knew where she was going with this.
“Anyway,” she continued. “All I’m saying is, if you really aren’t into him, that’s fine. But if you are and you’re holding back because you think you’re too old for him, just know that the next girlfriend will probably be around the same age as you, too. He’s never been with anyone younger, not as far as I know anyway.”
I was relieved that Bethany’s parents, as well as Tommy and Bridget, were too busy chatting to hear what she was saying. I certainly didn’t need Conor’s mother wondering if I’d somehow led her son on when he was a teenager, because that hadn’t been the case. I’d been entirely clueless about his feelings until the night he’d kissed me, and after that, well, I’d gone out of my way to keep a healthy distance.
“Alright, I think it’s time for bed,” Bethany announced then, rising from her seat.
“Goodnight,” I told her as she wobbled a little on her feet while leaving the room. I sat there for a time, quietly contemplating what she’d said. Conor had always been with older women? He had a type? Something fluttered in my chest at this news. If it was true then that meant I wasn’t holding him back from finding the right person if I let myself be with him.
Because I was the sort of woman he always sought out.
Oh hell, I was way too drunk for that revelation, especially when I knew he was somewhere in this house. Somewhere I could find him and do very, very naughty things to him.
No. You are not going to defile that man while his entire family is sleeping under the same roof, Yvonne. You. Are. Not.
Deciding I should probably get some sleep, too, I rose from the couch, said goodnight to everyone and headed for my room. I was almost at the top of the stairs when I heard a door open. I continued up, spotting Conor leaving his room which was closest to the landing.
He spotted me and his face instantly warmed.
“Hey, you,” he said, eyes wandering over me. “Been having a few drinks?”
Damn, I must’ve looked dishevelled or obviously drunk in some way. Perhaps it was my rosy cheeks. I always got a hot face when I drank too much wine.
“A few,” I replied, holding onto the banister to remain upright. “Did you deal with your work stuff?”