Page 81 of Be More Lucy

The doorbell rang again. Longer this time. The delivery driver must be getting impatient. She buzzed them up. Adam was still standing in her hallway.

Lucy put her hands on her hips. ‘I’ve asked you to go, so go,’ she said loudly.

A familiar voice came from the stairwell. Someone who was definitely not the usual Chinese delivery man was running up the stairs. ‘You heard what she said. You should leave.’

Lucy beamed at him. ‘Mark! You have an impeccable sense of timing.’

He put his arm around her and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

‘Why are you still here?’ he said, scowling at Adam.

‘I recognise you.’ Adam turned to Lucy. ‘If you’re working your way through your exes, I guess it will be my turn in a couple of months. But don’t expect me to wait for you.’ He stormed out.

‘What was all that about?’ Mark asked.

‘That was Adam.’

‘The one with a family and another woman as well?’

Lucy nodded. ‘Apparently, he has neither now. ‘

‘My heart bleeds for him. Why was he here?’ There was a hint of concern in his tone.

‘Are you jealous?’

‘Slightly. But as you were in the process of throwing him out, not much.’

‘He wanted to surprise me on my birthday. He was hoping we could get back together.’

‘I’m glad you said no.’

‘And I’m glad you’re here. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’

‘It wouldn’t have been a surprise if I’d phoned ahead,’ Mark laughed.

‘Am I the friend you were visiting?’

‘Yes. Who else would it be?’ He looked puzzled.

She didn’t answer but kissed him instead.

The doorbell rang again.

‘Is that another ex?’ Mark murmured in her ear.

‘I hope not. With a bit of luck, it’ll be the Chinese.’

‘What? All 1 billion of them?’

‘What’s that?’ Lucy looked at the jewellery box on her pillow. It hadn’t been there when she went to the bathroom a few minutes ago.

‘Your birthday present.’ Mark smiled from the pillow next to it.

It was too big to be a ring box so he wasn’t about to do something stupid.

‘I thought you turning up was my present.’ She got back into bed picking the box up as she leaned back against the headboard.

‘It was one of them. I thought you’d appreciate an actual present as well.’

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