Page 26 of Never Tell Lies

I'll be seeing you very soon.

A.

Oh sweet Jesus.

I gulped, reading the message over and over. This was getting way out of hand.

My head shot up at the knock on my door and Rosie blustered in. She wore her usual outfit of various layers of brightly coloured fabrics. Her beaded bracelets jangled on her wrists as she moved. Daisy lumbered in after her.

"Darling! Good morning! You're looking very well today, such colour in your cheeks! How flushed you are! Now, I just came to see if you'd heard anything about Harrington House yet?"

I knotted my trembling hands together and tried to keep my voice steady as I answered her.

"Not yet. I’m finishing the supply plan today and I'll email it to Mark to check over. Really there's not much I can do without him, everything needs his go ahead.”

She sighed and drummed her soil-covered fingers on the filing cabinet. "Yes, it's all very bad timing. Oh, those are just lovely!" she exclaimed, falling on my flowers and breathing them in. "Who are they from?"

"Just a friend."

"Alright alright, you keep your secrets." She winked at me. "How was your meeting with Mr Fitzpatrick?"

How exactly was I supposed to tell her that the meeting with Mr Fitzpatrick was actually with Mr Tell and it wasn't so much of a meeting as it was a make-out session?

“It was interesting."

"Good, good." She continued fussing with the flowers, and my fingers twitched with the urge to slap her hands away from them. I felt oddly possessive over them.

"Oh, I spoke to Mark again this morning. He wants you to go over in a day or two and give him a run down of everything. Also, he mentioned that it's the opening of the Serenity Gardens this week? I'd completely forgotten about it!"

I hadn't. The Serenity Gardens had been a massive project for us. It was an open botanical garden designed by the eccentric and brilliant Patrick Ferguson. The publicity for us would be huge and Mark’s expertise had been instrumental in its creation. I only wished I could have been more involved in the designing of it.

"Yes, it's on Saturday, right?" I asked, as if I didn't already know.

"That's right. Anyway, Mark was invited of course but he won't be able to go now, so perhaps you ought to go in his place. You know I hate those sorts of things and we do need a representative for the business. Would you go for us, darling?"

"Sure, I'd love to go!"

"Wonderful! Wonderful! Ta!" she called and wandered out of the cabin as if she hadn’t just handed me a huge opportunity.

After doing a little happy dance in my chair, I opened the order system and began reviewing stock and supply orders. It was tedious business and by mid-morning, the phone calls started pouring in. I dealt with them in my usual efficient manner, but my heart wasn't in it. It was still buried in the garden at Harrington House and what I would turn it into if the offer was still on the table.

By lunch, I'd just finished up with the thousandth inquiry that morning. I needed coffee again, and badly. I groaned as the phone rang for the millionth time.

"Good Morning, Rosie's Botanical Boutique," I answered as cheerfully as I could whilst wrestling my purse out of my bag, hoping I had enough change for another muffin.

"Have dinner with me tonight." My heart lurched at the sound of his voice. Did this guy never give up? "I'm sending Elliot for you after work."

"Mr Tell, I'm not having dinner with you and I'm afraid I have to get back to work. Enjoy the rest of your day." I hung up, and my mobile rang almost instantly, his name flashing up on my screen. I rejected the call and threw the phone in my bag.

I'd slipped up last night by letting him kiss me, but I wasn't going to do that again. I looked at the card he’d sent, re-reading it.Thiswas why he wanted me. Not because he liked me, but because he wanted to sleep with me. I'd turned him down, challenged him, and now it was all just a game to him.Iwas just a game.

My phone chirped and I cautiously pulled it out of my bag.

I won't lay a finger on you at dinner. I promise.

A.

Did that make a difference? I huffed and started typing, but instead of texting him, I texted Keira.

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