Page 22 of One Month's Notice

“Hey buddy!” Enzo grabbed Michael’s hand and pulled him in for a half hug, the way men do, trying to seem macho when giving a public display of affection.

“Nice to see you, mate!” Michael returned the hug, then checked his watch and walked over to the fridge to grab a couple of beers.

“Thanks.” Enzo took a bottle. “Where are your manners?” He raised an eyebrow at Michael and gestured towards Nat.

“Oh, sorry.” Michael turned, a sheepish grin on his face. “Would you like one?”

Nat checked her watch, then shook her head. “No thanks. I’d better be getting back home.”

“Ah, that’s a shame. We’re off out to watch the game tonight.” Enzo took a swig of his beer. “You should join us.”

“I’m sorry. I need to get back home as I’m babysitting for my nephew tonight.” Nat was sure she saw a flicker of disappointment on Michael’s face. “Maybe next time?” she added. He gave a slight nod and a smile.

Nat pulled on her coat and grabbed her bag from the chair. “Have a fun evening. It was nice to meet you, Enzo.”

“Great to meet you, too. You’re definitely coming out with us next time.” Enzo winked at her. “Then you might believe me that Michael does have a fun side after all.” They both laughed, but Michael remained silent, narrowing his eyes at them which only caused them to laugh harder.

“See you at the office tomorrow,” she called out as she pulled the door closed behind her.

Nat stepped outside of Michael’s apartment block and into the fresh air with a tiny bounce in her step. A bounce that had been absent for far too long.

Chapter eleven

Saturday 7th May

Nat rolled her eyes at the sound of the horn. Lexi knew just how to make her presence known in a way that infuriated Simon, especially at nine a.m. on a Saturday morning.

“Nat!” Simon’s voice, filled with frustration, echoed up the stairs. Nat grabbed her phone and sent a quick text to let Lexi know she was on her way, just in case she beeped again and Simon lost it completely.

“Bye!” Nat called out, pulling on her shoes and stumbling out of the front door. She climbed into the front seat of Lexi’s old silver Mini and clicked her seatbelt in place before they sped off. Lexi’s driving was a bit like her approach to everything—faster than necessary, somewhat reckless, and ignoring the directions to where she was heading. She had always been destined to carve her own path in life.

“So, two weeks down…” Lexi pulled onto the roundabout, accelerating quickly to avoid being shunted by a white van. “How is the new job going? Has it improved?”

“It’s certainly going a lot better than the beginning of the week. I’ve got three weeks left of my probation period. Hopefully, I can get through that with no more disasters.”

Nat shuddered at the thought of the restaurant booking. The telling-off she had received was still fresh in her mind. But her confidence had grown over the past few days and Michael didn’t seem quite so disappointed in her. He had been trusting her with more challenging pieces of work, and she was enjoying the feeling of being part of a team. The world of interior design was incredible, but it could feel lonely at times.

“Doesn’t it help that your probation officer is gorgeous, though?” Lexi flashed a wicked grin at Nat.

“How do you know?” Nat glared at her.

“So you agree?”

“No!” Nat protested a little too loudly. “Obviously he’s good-looking, but I’m not interested in him like that.”

“Hmm.” Lexi didn’t sound convinced. “Well, I did what most normal people do when they want to find out about someone—I looked him up on the internet.”

“And what did you find out?” Nat sat up straighter in her seat, eager to find out what Lexi knew. She was excited by the possibility of finally knowing more about Michael. Despite trying hard all week, she had got little more than small talk out of him. It wasn’t that she was looking for anything romantic, despite her wandering thoughts. After Joe, that was going to be out of the question for quite some time. But the less he told her, the more she wanted to learn. He felt like a challenge, one she couldn’t refuse.

“Oh, so you want to know more? I didn’t think you were interested?”

“Just spill it.” Nat sighed, barely able to contain her impatience.

“Actually, it’s nothing very exciting, if I’m honest. His social media accounts are completely locked down. The only reason I saw a photo was because they had his biography on the website for a conference he spoke at a few months ago.”

“Oh.” A tiny flutter of disappointment settled in Nat’s stomach. “He really is a closed book.”

“I bet you want to slip inside his covers, though!”

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