Page 87 of Ride the Wave

Yes, I did. I’m here another week

He’s still online and the ticks go blue straight away. He’s typing again.

Leo

We should celebrate. What are you doing now?

Writing about you actually

Or at least trying to

Leo

Study break?

Sighing heavily, I glumly type my response. I know I’m doing the right thing, but it really fucking sucks. Usually, I quite like being efficient and responsible, revelling in getting things ticked off my list.

Not today. Today, I want to be back at Leo’s flat, tangled up in his sheets.

I can’t My editor needs some pages by tonight

Leo

How far have you got?

I lift my eyebrows. ‘Honestly?’ I say out loud, before taking a photo of the blank page on my laptop screen and sending it to him.

Wow. My ego just took a bruising. Do I not inspire you at all, London?

His teasing message makes my stomach pool with a rich, comforting warmth, the kind you get when you’ve been out in the cold, braving the brisk, crisp air, and then you step inside and clasp the mug of a sweet, hot drink, and you take a sip and have that rush of heat trailing down your throat, making your toes bunch up in your shoes. Cosy, safe, secure. I’m not sure I even realised it, but today I’ve been missing him. I haven’t just been fantasising about the sex – which, obviously, I’ve been doing a lot of, because hi, I’m human – I’ve also been missing his company. Now I know he’s thinking of me and so everything is as it should be.

This crush isinsane.

You inspire me just fine I’ve been working on the structure Getting an idea of the order of things

Leo

Not one word on that page

I haven’t inspired ONE word

It always takes a long time to start The perfect first line will come to me. You’ll see

There’s a delay before his next message comes through. The ticks of my message are blue and it says he’s still online, but it takes a few moments before I see that he’s typing again. Then his messages pop up.

Let me come over. We can work on the inspiration together

Oh God. IwishI could say yes. But if he comes here, I won’t want him to leave and I have too much to do. I let out a groan of disappointment. I can’t let Toni down when she’s been so understanding about my change of plan. It’s only one day; I can see him tomorrow.

I type slowly, hating myself and unreasonably resenting Toni.

Maybe tomorrow? I have to meet this deadline tonight

Leo

I have a busy day tomorrow

Are you now trying to play it cool?

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