Page 11 of Fast Track to Forever
He starts the ignition and sets off, a silence hanging between us. I open my phone and check the opening times for the Christmas tree farm. “The farm opens at 10:30am. What time would you like to head down there?”
He bites his lip while he's thinking about it. “I need to do some gym training in the morning, make some calls. I could do it after lunch, maybe two o’clock?”
“That’s fine.” I already know I'm going to spend the morning fidgeting and counting down the hours. An idea takes flight. I'm going to make something for Will for Christmas. Something that he could keep close. A piece of me.
He grinds to a halt outside my parents’ house, and instead of kissing me goodbye, he picks up my hand and places the smallest of kisses on my palm. “See you tomorrow.”
I exit his car, steeling myself for the barrage of questions from my parents about dinner.
Chapter 5
21st December
Queenstown, NZ
Will
I'm out of my fifth cold shower since yesterday, but who’s counting. I punished my body in the gym enough but still can't shake this need, this ache. I slept like a raging bull, tossing and turning, dreaming about Kat. Te memory of kissing Kat, her legs wrapping around me, enveloping me.
My phone rings, and I put the dumbbell on the rack, wiping my hands on a towel. The screen flashes to my manager’s face and I sigh as I answer the video call.
“So, how’s it going, champ?” he says. “I bet you’re raring to go back on the track.”
I bark a short laugh. Sometimes Tom is such a dick.
“I've only just arrived a couple of days ago. No way.”
“Are you sampling the local delights?”
My brow furrows. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“Any girls that I should know about or pay off?”
This annoys me no end. “You know me. I’m not Rinaldi. It’s not my style.”
Yeah, but you’ve never gone on holiday before. Five years and no break may make Will a horny boy.”
“Cut it out.”
“Hey man, as long as you keep it out of the press, I don’t care. ”He shrugs, swiping some imaginary fluff off his chequered Gucci suit.
“Is that everything? I need to go to buy another Christmas tree.”
“For now. Stay out of trouble. Good luck, have a good one. Speak soon!”
The video call fades to black, and I slam the mobile phone down. I can't expose Kat to this world, I can't. I'll take her to that Christmas tree farm and tell her we can't go down this road. A holiday fling is out of the question. I care about her too much for that.
With a new found resolve, I put on my sneakers and a cap. In the car I even talk myself into not seeing her at all after today.
I mean, if the temptation isn't there, there's nothing to worry about. She'll have Christmas and New Year's with her family, I'll have them with my family, then we'll both go back to our respective lives, hers in England with her aunt, and me in Monaco or wherever the hell my manager thinks I should live next.
I pull up outside her house and she's already outside waiting. My jaw drops. She's wearing denim shorts, a flower print t-shirt and tennis shoes, and looks devastatingly beautiful. She climbs in and leans back. “Let's go.”
I blink and start the journey around the lake towards Glenorchy and the Christmas tree farm.
“How was your morning?” She adjusts the radio and my resolve starts to slowly evaporate.
“Not too bad. Did some training. Spoke with my manager. What about yours?”
