Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 164828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
I straighten his tie as I stare up at him. “Yes.” I kiss him. It’s like taming a fucking tiger being with this man. “And I’ll get ready here. You can drop me off, and then I’ll call you when it’s time to pick me up.”
He stares at me, still unhappy about it.
“Nathan, trust me, having this conversation is the last thing I want to do tonight. But I’ve been avoiding his phone calls, and he’s been good to me. I need to do this in person.”
He exhales heavily. “Fine.”
I smile up at my beautiful man and dust my hands over his broad shoulders.
“You’re kind of cute when you’re jealous.” I smile as I run my fingers through his whiskers.
“Fuck off.” He pushes my hand away. “Well, what am I going to eat tonight?”
“Whatever you’ve been eating while I was gone. You’re a big boy now. I’m sure you can make yourself some toast.” He rolls his eyes. “Goodbye.”
I kiss his lips, and he pulls away and turns for the door.
“Have a nice day, dear.” I smile sweetly.
“Impossible!” The door bangs closed, I smile and climb back into bed. I snuggle in and close my eyes. Things are looking up.
* * *
What was I thinking?
This was the stupidest of all stupid ideas.
I glance over at my irate cab driver-slash-friends-with-benefits-slash-jealous, psycho boyfriend. Nathan grips the steering wheel with white-knuckle force as he glares at the road.
We had a fight over me wearing a dress. Apparently, it was too sexy. I wasn’t allowed to have a glass of wine while I was getting ready because I need my wits about me, and now he’s trying to tell me how long I have to eat.
He pulls the car up in the parking bay and looks across the road, into the restaurant. “I’ll just wait here in the car,” he grumbles.
My eyes widen. “Go home, or I am not coming to your house tonight. Cut it out, Nathan. You are acting like a child.”
“And you are acting like you don’t give a fuck.”
“About what?”
“About me.”
My heart sinks. I can’t imagine him leaving me to go out to dinner with someone else.
“I’m going to be quick, okay? An hour and a half, tops.” I lean over and kiss his lips. “And you are not acting like a friend with benefits,” I remind him.
“Because we are not fucking friends with benefits.” He growls. “We’re back to-fucking-gether.”
“How many times can you say fuck in one sentence?” I huff.
“Don’t push me, Eliza.” He whispers angrily, his eyes look like they are about to explode.
I open the door. “I won’t be long.” Without looking back, I cross the street and walk into the restaurant.
Henry is sitting at the back. I smile and make my way over to him. He stands and kisses my cheek.
“Hey there, stranger.”
“Hi.” I fall into my seat.
“Would you like some wine?”
“Sure.”
He fills my glass, and I glance over toward the front window. Did Nathan leave?
He’d better have.
“So, here you are, back in God’s country.” Henry smiles.
I chuckle. “I am.”
“How have you settled in?”
“Oh, really good. My new apartment is great and I joined my gym again. I don’t start work until Wednesday. What about you? What’s happening?”
He rolls his eyes. “Where do I begin?”
Over the next hour, I laugh and chat with Henry. There isn’t anything between us and he knows that. We are just friends. Actual ‘just friends’, not like the kind of friends Nathan and I are.
We’re mid way through our main meals when my phone beeps with a text in my handbag. I discreetly slide it out and put it onto my lap so I can read it. It’s from Nathan.
You have ten minutes or I’m coming in there to break his fucking neck.
30
Eliza
Oh God, here we go.
I begin to eat quickly, is he serious?
I need to get out of here before he busts through the doors like The Hulk.
“So…” Henry smiles. “Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” I swallow the food in my mouth and it scratches my throat.
Oh God. I hit my chest to try and dislodge the chicken.
“I… I think we are better off as friends, don’t you?”
“No, why?” He stares at me intently.
“I don’t think we… you didn’t feel a connection with me. I know you didn’t, and neither did I.”
“If we gave it some time, I know we would work.”
He’s not going to let me go without a reason, and I know I have to just come out and say it. “The truth is, Henry, that I got back with Nathan.”
He rolls his eyes. “I thought as much.”
“Why did you think that?”
“I saw him in New York.”
My face falls. “You saw him on the sidewalk?”
“No, I saw him in the restaurant. He was sitting at the bar for our entire date.”
My mouth falls open as I imagine poor Nathan watching me laughing, giggling and flirting all night.