Page 8 of Meet Me at the Metro

“You call that long?” Harvey smirks. “Evie takes two hoursminimumjust to do her hair, and there’s barely any on her head.”

I manage a smile as I scan the living room to find Evie, who’s on the main sofa, rolling her eyes. My eyes accidentally settle on Theo sitting beside her, though I only let them linger on him briefly.

“You can’t rush perfection, Harv. It’s a bloody shame we can’t all be this beautiful.” Evie jumps up from the couch, approaching the front door. She must notice the thread of tension connecting her tattooed friend and me because she asks, “So, I see you’ve met Theo?”

“I don’t know ifmetis the exact word I’d use.”

“She’s quite the roommate you two have found,” Theo says with a look so smug I want to slap it right off of him. “Real…American.”

“You guys didn’t mention you had a housekeeper,” I fire back.

Evie snorts at the subtle dig, but by the way the corners of Theo’s mouth drop, I don’t think he appreciates the jab as much.

“Andhow does Italian sound?” Harvey interjects, breaking some of the building tension in the room. “There’s this small restaurant we found right across fromTower Bridge. Delicious food and great sights all in one. And they make a mean lasagna.”

My stomach growls at the mere thought of food, so I say, “That sounds perfect. I’m just along for the ride, so whatever you guys want works for me.”

“Let’s get going then. London’s been waiting for you.”

I follow my two new friends and move toward the front door as Theo rises from the couch. I don’t dare glance back, but his presence is like a lingering black cloud behind me, enticing me to acknowledge it.

“How come that mouth of yours couldn’t be that agreeable with me?”

The words send a fierce chill up my spine, and I snap my head back in disbelief. He made sure to say that as soon as the other two were out of earshot.

“Excuse m—”

“You’re going to love the tube, Ellie!” Evie exclaims, cutting me off before I get another word in with Theo.

The city is sparkling tonight, illuminated by the glow of technicolor buildings, signs, and the full moon hanging in the cloudless sky. Evie’s arm is linked with mine, enthusiasm rippling off of her as she points out her favorite shops in the area while Harvey—and it, who shall not be named—lead the way.

Evie and I lose ourselves in a conversation for the next few minutes, but my attention is torn away from our talk as we reach the stairs leading down into the underground train station.

“Bloody crowded down here, isn’t it?” Evie chuckles, noticing my widened eyes. “Just stay close to me.”

I do as she says and remain close, holding her arm as she weaves us through the chaos of the busy train station. If it wasn’t for her, I know I’d be completely lost in the passing flocks of city-goers and the maze of tunneled pathways down here. I nearly lose her after I become entangled in a mass of quick-moving bodies, but she quickly finds me and helps drag me out of the madness.

I’m thankful it’s only a few more strides until we all finally reach the platform.

A blast of hot air hits my skin as a fast-moving train comes to a screeching stop before us. The bottom layer of my dress goes flying, and my hands frantically smooth the black, sheer fabric back down against my thighs.

I glance around to see how many people have noticed my near mishap, but I only find a single pair of eyes watching me.

Theo’s got a slight, satisfied smirk playing across his lips that tells me just how amusing he found my clothing misfortune. My chest heats with irritation.

Embarrassing people must be this asshole’s kink orsomething.

I huff out an annoyed breath and tear my eyes away from him as a loud beeping blares through the platform. All the train doors slide open upon the commotion, releasing some people from their packed carriages.

We climb aboard and squeeze into the empty spaces left for us as the doors shut, but I’m not prepared for the fast take-off down the tracks. I’m jolted as the train begins speeding down the railway, my feet losing traction against the floor. I reach for something to hold onto to steady myself, but all my hands find are air. I stumble back, nearly falling right onto my ass before a solid force catches my backside.

A strong arm wraps around my waist and pulls me close, stabilizing me.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!” I snap my head back apologetically but find myself utterly horrified to discover who caught me.

Theo unravels his arm from around my waist immediately. He grabs my hand and places it against the yellow handlebar to my right. “They make these for a reason, you know.”

“Yeah, thanks for the tip.” I grit my teeth and grip the cold metal passive-aggressively, leaning as far away from him as the two inches between us will allow.

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