Page 109 of The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love

I glance heavenwards and mutter a ‘so not helpful’ under my breath.

‘Hey,’ George says, as he puts down his plate and looks around. ‘Why are all these containers from Oscars?’

‘If you head back out to the party to join the other guests, I’ll make sure Oz boxes you up another slice of the roulade.’

‘The food tonight is all from Oscars? Oz is from Oscars?’

‘Oz is Oscars. One half of it anyway. The other half belongs to Carlos.’

‘The light dawns. You know them. You put them in touch with Mrs. Lundy. And then you got them this gig?’ He pauses but doesn’t leave room for me to reply before he’s adding, ‘You know I’m seriously thinking of suggesting to Mrs. Lundy she makes it official.’

‘Makes what official?’

‘You, as her apprentice.’

I stare at him, my mouth hanging open. ‘You think of Mrs. Lundy as some sort of “fixer” because of her networking get-togethers and I get that. But I am not that. The only way I help people is by making sure their homes are clean. It’s that simple. I guess if you want to help me out though, you could put yourself on the other side of that…’ and with my hands still in the hot water, I turn my body sideways to indicate the kitchen door.

‘No can do. I’ve claimed this as a safe space.’

‘You’re hiding in here?’ I try to make it sound like I think he’s a coward but in the short time I’ve known George, with everything he’s overcome in his life I get the impression he faces things, rather than turning his back on them.

‘Damn right I’m hiding in here. The guy that was sitting next to me is Kyle Denton, Head of Cardiology at Memorial. For the last ninety minutes he’s barely drawn breath and his sole topic of conversation has been getting me to work for him.’

‘I feel so sorry for you what with you needing a job and someone sitting next to you at a nice dinner being in a position to offer you one. An interesting job you could do standing on your head.’

‘That’s not the point.’

‘No?’

‘The point is that this is all your fault so you have to help me.’

‘Oh, now you want my help?’

‘What happened to being responsible for me after saving me?’

‘You mean apart from the fact that you gave me, and everyone else at the table, the impression you’d had it up to here.’ I withdraw a hand from the water, spraying a few suds as I indicate somewhere around his nose height. ‘With my help. Or was it simply that you don’t think the hired help should speak?’

‘Of course that’s not what I think.’ He bows his head to stare at a lone soap bubble drifting down to the floor. ‘You know me better than that,’ he adds softly.

‘Do I?’

His head whips up to regard me. ‘How can agreeing to go on sightseeing tours with you, be treating you like hired help? And what’s up with you welching on that, by the way? Where’s my promised cheese?’

‘I did not promise cheese.’

‘I believe the exact phrase was “prepare for so much cheese”.’

‘You’re obsessed with cheese,’ I say, but there’s a grin forming on my face.

‘And you’re obsessed with helping people. It’s who you are, so I’m thinking I should simply accept it.’

My smile fades. ‘Wow.’

‘So, help a friend out and let me hang out in here for a while?’

‘You do know you could head back to your own apartment?’

‘Yes, but that would spoil all the fun you and I are having.’

---