Page 113 of Obsession Under the Southern Stars

Fraser raises his cup and takes a long sip. “Will do.”

We study each other for a moment. “How are things going with Hallie?” I ask eventually.

He gives me a wry look. Then, without answering, he takes out his phone and studies the screen. “Text from the board chairperson,” he mumbles. “Give me a sec.”

I stand and walk over to the window to look out at the view. It sounds incredibly corny, but today I understand what people mean when they say it’s the first day of the rest of their life. Everything changed for me this morning. Instead of just living for today, I’m excited about the thought of what life is going to bring in a way I never have before.

Zoe’s done that for me. She’s helped me to break the hold that my father had on me, and to believe in myself. For the first time I feel as if I’m creating my own future rather than just reacting to whatever life throws at me.

I turn and look at Fraser. His brow is creased in a frown as he texts the person back, and I can’t rid myself of the nigglingfeeling that something’s wrong. But I can’t force him to talk. I just have to make sure that when he’s ready to open up, I’m there for him.

He puts down his phone, sighs, then looks up at me and smiles. “So when are you thinking of leaving?”

“No idea yet. We’ve only just talked about it. We’ll discuss it with Linc and Elora and see what date they’re planning on—we might even fly out with them. I’m suspecting it’ll be late Feb or early March because we’ll need time to wrap everything up.”

“So you’ll probably be here for Valentine’s Day?”

I know he’s planning a party in the museum to celebrate the Love Under the Southern Stars exhibit. “Oh yeah, I’m sure.”

“Well, that’s something.”

“All right,” I say, “I’m going back to work. I’ll catch you later.”

He lifts his coffee cup in a toast and returns to his desk.

I head out of his office, go back down the marble staircase, and then stop as I see Zoe standing in the doorway to the conservation room. She smiles and crosses the foyer when she sees me, so I think she was waiting for me.

“Hey you.” I slide my arms around her waist, not missing how relieved I feel to see her, even though we’ve only been apart fifteen minutes.

“I missed you,” she says, echoing my feelings, and she sighs in my ear. “Do you want to stay at my flat tonight? Elora’s staying with Linc at his hotel.”

“Mmm. Yeah. I’d like that.”

We stand there in the sunshine, just hugging. I glance at the reception desk and catch the two women who work there watching us, whispering behind their hands and smiling. My lips curve up, and I pull Zoe back behind a display of Maoripounamuor greenstone pendants, then close my eyes, concentrating on the feel of her in my arms.

“Did you speak to Fraser?” she whispers.

“I did. I told him our plans. He doesn’t want you to go, but he’s happy for us.” I nuzzle her hair, enjoying its strawberry smell. “Did Hallie say how things are going between them?”

“No, she said she’d rather not talk about it.” She moves back a little so we can look at one another. “I can’t believe how different the two of you are. He’s so stiff and formal, and you’re… not. I don’t quite know what she sees in him, actually. I mean, he’s a lovely guy, but he’s so… proper.”

My eyebrows rise. “I’ve never seen him like that. I have too many memories of him falling into rivers and forgetting lines on stage at school, and generally making an idiot of himself.”

She giggles, then says, “I hope whatever’s going on there works out, anyway. Hallie seems really keen on him.”

I consider telling her the niggling feeling I had that something was wrong, but I push it away. It’s too beautiful a day, and I don’t want to spoil it by worrying about something I can’t do anything about.

“So what ideas do you have for tonight?” I murmur, nuzzling her ear, then kissing down her jaw to her mouth.

“Stop it,” she protests, while clutching at my jacket and pulling me closer. “No PDAs.”

I kiss her, chuckling. “I think we should get a takeaway and eat it in bed. Preferably with ice cream for dessert that I can drip all over you and then lick off.”

“Joel!” She giggles and kisses me back. “If you insist. What flavor?”

I sigh. “Strawberry. It will always remind me of you.”

“Aw.” She presses her lips to mine, and we kiss for a long time in the summer sun, thinking we’re hidden from sight, and not realizing until we eventually separate and everyone in the foyer cheers that the wall next to us is a huge mirror, and we’re currently the most-watched exhibit in the museum.

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