Page 67 of Fundamentals in Flirting

Gently, Teddy placed me back on the ground at the foot of the ladder. “I’ll go first and check it’s safe, then follow me up?”

“In these shoes?”

Bending down, he crouched at my feet, gently wrapping a warm hand around my ankle and unbuckled the strap, easing my foot out of one sandal and then the other. He held them reverentially in one hand and drew me towards the tree.

“That should be easier.”

He scaled the ladder with effortless grace. At the top, he turned on the platform and gestured for me to come up too. The trailing lengths of my dress were going to be a hinderance, so I tucked the excess material into the waistband of my knickers and tentatively gripped a rung of the ladder and began my ascent, questioning my sanity with every step. Eventually, I grasped Teddy’s outstretched hand at the top and he helped me over the edge.

From the treehouse platform, we had an unobstructed view of the garden party in full swing, its golden light bathing us and casting tree branch shadows all around. I turned in a circle, taking in the monochrome Cotswolds countryside that stretched out to meet the twinkling streetlights of Chipping-on-the-Water in the distance. It was magical.

Teddy had taken off his jacket and was untying his bow tie, pulling the ends free from the collar and undoing the top button. I watched, entranced, as he sat on a rickety wooden swing, gesturing me to join him on the other one.

“It’s perfectly safe. My dad’s a very good architect,” he said with amusement at my indecision.

“Are you a very good architect too?” I asked, perching on the little wooden seat, my bare toes pushing against the treehouse boards to swing gently, the silk of my dress sliding over my thighs as the hem pooled on the floor.

“I don’t know.”

The sudden humility and echo of self-doubt in his voice hit me in my heart. I hadn’t expected that. I’d expected an arrogant and confident response.

“Oh.”

Teddy laughed softly. “Did you expect me to brag about how great I am?”

“Well, yes.”

Blowing out a long sigh, Teddy looked away into the distance. “It’s all an act, Hannah.”

“An act?”

“Yeah. I don’t have a clue what the hell I’m doing most of the time. I’m just bullshitting my way through life.”

I let that sink in, keeping quiet, the faint music from the party and the soft creak of the swings the only sounds.

“You’re the only one who’s ever called me out, Hannah.” Teddy glanced at me. “You see through all my crap. You always have.”

“But you’re doing great, right?”

“I’m not so sure.”

“What impossible ideal are you holding yourself up to here, Teddy?”

“My father? Henry?” There was a bitter note to his tone.

“Have you and Henry fallen out?”

Teddy put his head in his hands and sighed. I watched, entranced, as he flexed his fingers in his hair.

“No.”

“So, what is it?”

“What’s what?”

“I’m definitely calling you out on your bullshit now, Teddy. I understand why you’d look up to your father and his achievements, but you’re just as successful as Henry, so what’s going on between you two?”

“I’m nowhere near as perfect as Henry. No one on this fucking planet is.”

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