Page 14 of Forever Mr Black

I sigh. Sometimes, I do wish she’d rein in her overactive imagination. “That’s absolutely not what Art should do. He’s been to prison once, Luce. I don’t want the remotest hint of a risk that he’d ever end up back there.”

She shoots me a guilty look. “I suppose that might be a bit heavy-handed. Not that Theo doesn’t deserve it.”

I pick up the Biro from my desk and twiddle it between my fingers, awkward in the knowledge that Lucy doesn’t know everything that happened between me and Theo. I can’t begin to imagine her reaction if she did. In fact, I think she’d probably hire a hit on Theo herself.

“Can we stop talking about him, please?”

Lucy nods. She’s known me too long to know when not to push things, especially where he’s concerned. “What about your engagement party then? I’ll be well miffed if I’m not invited,” she teases.

“Of course you are. And Big Steve.”

The trill of the reception bell echoes down the corridor and signals someone’s waiting at the desk.

“Fantastic.” Lucy pushes herself off the desk and gives me a cheeky smile. “I’m thinking of asking if he wants to come with me … so, you know, we go together.”

I’m pleased that he makes her happy, what with all the shit she’s dealing with at the moment.

Her cheeks flush as she grinds to a halt by the door, gazing off into the distance. “I wonder if he’ll wear a suit. I can’t wait.”

I clear my throat. “Luce? Reception.”

She snaps out of her daydream with a jolt. “Oh yeah. See you later.”

I can’t help but smile to myself as she hurries out the door. She’s definitely got it bad.

The bar is empty, apart from a couple of customers sitting at tables, making the most of the guest Wi-Fi. The dull ache at my temples tells me I should have stopped for lunch sooner. I need a break.

“Hi, Olly. Can I have a latte, please?”

He looks up from cleaning a pint glass and smiles. “Of course. Busy morning?” He puts the glass down on the countertop and walks over to the coffee machine.

“Very.”

He positions a cup beneath the spout of the machine and presses various buttons, making it whir to life. “I’m glad I’ve seen you actually.”

I rub my fingers in circular motions at my temples to try and relieve the ache. I read about this somewhere as a strategy for getting rid of headaches—something to do with pressure points. I’m not convinced it works. I hope Olly doesn’t want anything too taxing because I need caffeine.

“What’s up?”

He places the frothy latte down on the bar in front of me. “I just wanted to say, congratulations on your engagement.”

I smile, pleased that the awkwardness between us has gone. “Thank you.”

He blushes and scrapes a hand through his hair. “Actually, I’ve, erm … I’ve met someone. It’s still early days, but we’ve been on a few dates, and I really like her.”

My smile widens. “That’s great. I’m really pleased for you.”

“Is everything okay?”

I feel a large hand press against the base of my spine and hear the soft, deep voice at the same time. Art’s beside me, looking at me and Olly expectantly.

“Olly was just congratulating me on our engagement.”

On cue, he sticks out his hand for Art to shake. “Yes, congratulations.”

Art shakes it. “Thank you.”

“You’re a lucky guy.” Olly nods his head in my direction. “But I guess you already know that.”

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