Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
The natural progression.
I dial Kate, and I can’t lie, I hold my breath while it rings until she answers, sounding sleepy. “Morning, Rhino,” she quips groggily.
Rhino? Well, I do ram hard. “Morning.”
“And what can I do for you?”
“Well, since you’ve asked,” I say, trying to calm my racing heartbeat.
24
Surprisingly and most pleasingly, the morning passes relatively quickly and I’m soon heading back into town for my lunch date with my girl. It’s the perfect way to break the day into smaller, more manageable chunks, and Ava has absolutely no excuse to not have a lunch break. It’s a legal requirement. Both by British law and by Jesse Ward’s law. I smile and put some music on, tapping my wheel to the beat of Wonderwall for only a few seconds before the music is replaced by ringing. I scowl at his name on my screen. It’s taken him over twenty-four hours to return my SOS call. “What?” I answer shortly.
“You called?”
“Yesterday, Sam. I called yesterday.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“You don’t work.”
He laughs. “I didn’t say I was busy with work. What did you want anyway?”
“Nothing.” I’m not sharing. I don’t feel like being the brunt of his humor today. I’m sure Kate will kindly fill him in on my traumatic experience at the hands of my wicked girlfriend.
Girlfriend. Boyfriend.
I chew my lip, rolling the words around in my mind. Boundless. “So you’re still bringing Kate to the party then?” I ask.
“I am.”
“And will you be partaking in team activities?” I slow as I approach a roundabout, checking for traffic, waiting with interest for Sam’s reply.
“I will.”
And there’s the difference between Sam and Kate, and Ava and me. Sharing? Not a fucking chance in hell. But something is playing on my mind. “You’re spending a lot of time with her, considering all I’m hearing is casual.”
“She’s a good chick.”
“And if you hurt her, I won’t hear the last of it.”
“Don’t worry, we’re both on the same page,” he assures me, although I’m less than assured. “Besides, I get the feeling I’m a bit of a rebound.”
Oh. The something she’s not telling him? “Has she mentioned an ex?”
“No. No mention at all. I just have a feeling.” He pauses a beat. “You could ask Ava.”
“I am not asking Ava.” Let us be clear on that. “And if it’s just casual, what the fuck does it matter anyway?” I ask, my head tilted curiously.
“It doesn’t. I’ll see you soon.”
“Actually, I’m heading back into town to meet Ava for lunch.”
“I know. Me too. I’ll see you soon.” He hangs up, and I shake my head, just as Drew calls.
“I’m coming for lunch.”
“How very cosmopolitan of you. Are you bringing a date?” I ask, smiling.
“Fuck, no.”
“Things didn’t work out with Victoria?”
“She thinks I have issues.”
I laugh out loud. “We’ve all got fucking issues.”
“You more than any of us.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, my amusement dying. “Go get yourself some feelings, you freak.”
“Fuck off. So did you mark your territory yesterday?”
“It was the dumbest idea you’ve ever had.”
“That’s not an answer.”
I curl my lip at the windscreen. “Yes, I marked my territory. Remind me to never take advice from you again.” Truth is, I would have trampled, whether Drew advised it or not.
He laughs. “And did you find out what he knows?”
“He knows his wife and I . . .” I shift in my seat, uncomfortable. “He knows something happened a few weeks ago. He doesn’t yet know when Ava and I started seeing each other.”
“Shit.”
“Indeed.” I’m tired of hearing these reactions. I know I’m up shit’s creek. “I’ll see you soon.”
I put my foot down and overtake the lorry, honking my horn impatiently as I do.
* * *
Sam’s just getting out of his car on the side street when I pull up, and Drew is wandering down the pavement from his office, his mobile at his ear. I zip into a space and go to the ticket machine. “Ladies,” I say sardonically as they join me.
“How the fuck can he justify that?” Drew barks into his phone, growling, cursing, then hanging up. He points his phone at me as the machine spits out a ticket. “Just a heads-up,” he says, as I lean back, wary. “If I see that prick of an estate agent who sold you the penthouse, I’m going to find the biggest dildo in The Manor and ram it down his throat.”
“Yikes,” Sam breathes.
“Why the fuck did you let him join?” Drew goes on, getting his waving phone under control and stalking off.
“You want me to pass up revenue because you can’t handle a bit of competition?” I slip the ticket onto the dash and lock my car.
Sam coughs, and Drew stops dead in his tracks, his attention still pointing forward. “I can handle competition.”
“So what did he do?” I ask as Sam and I join him and the three of us walk in a line down the street.