Page 39 of Bad Influence
‘Why are you up anyway?’
‘It’s lucky I was, isn’t it?’
‘Are you always this difficult to talk to?’
‘I’m sorry, I’m tired. I’m still waiting for a delivery for the shoot tomorrow.’ I looked at my phone. ‘It’s nearly half-past midnight on a Monday. Most people in this part of the world are asleep.’
Inside the hallway, Jimi pulled off his hat, turned towards the mirror, and gave his hair a ruffle. He was so attractive in such a classic, obvious way, it was momentarily paralysing. It didn’t matter that he was also as vain as a peacock.
I immediately felt a rush of self-consciousness stood there in my pyjamas, which were covered in dachshunds wearing scarves. They were a Christmas gift from Lucy, in lieu of my not being able to get an actual dachshund until Rob and I had bought a house together. Which brought me neatly back to the reason I was right here, right now, wearing said pyjamas.I am at work.I am being paid. Keep your eyes on the bonus and stop gawping, Amber.
I pulled my pyjama top back a little over my shoulders, in an effort to lift up the front and hide my braless cleavage.
As he unzipped his puffer coat, I clocked the Moncler label on the arm. And then I noticed the very manly shape of his arms within his also white Moncler jumper. He looked at himself in the mirror again as he passed it. His beauty was hard to miss, even to himself.
Slowly and surreptitiously, while Jimi was hanging up his coat in the boot room, I released the scrunchy which wasloosely tying my hair back and let my locks fall around my shoulders. This, at least, might make me look slightly better.
‘You probably could do with a night cap then, while you wait,’ he said, returning from the boot room, surprising me by this offer.
Within the next couple of minutes, we were sat in the drawing room with two tumblers of Disaronno over ice. After a short interrogation, I established some more information about Jimi. He was from Miami, and he was Jose’s younger brother by fifteen years, as they shared a dad but had different mums.
He had been getting cabin fever so had taken it upon himself to walk to the local pub this evening where he had enjoyed a few pints and a lock-in with some locals.
At close quarters, in the dim light of the drawing room, it was easy to tell that Jimi was related to Jose. He had the same warm, olive complexion and expressive dark brown eyes, plus Jose’s charisma when he spoke, in a way that made you stop and listen.Jesus, he’s so fit.
‘Anyway, you haven’t introduced yourself properly yet – I don’t even know your surname.’ He spoke with a ripple of amusement on his lips, which made me feel like we were flirting.
‘I’m Amber Green.’
‘Like the British traffic lights.’
I sighed. ‘I’ve never heard that one before.’
‘You haven’t?’
I yawned. He might be handsome, but he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the box. ‘To be completely honest, I’m alittle tired for this. I was waiting up for the courier and I’m kind of hoping it will be here any second so I can go to bed. There’s a big photoshoot here tomorrow, as you might remember.’ I swallowed my last sip of Disaronno.
‘Sure, sorry. I think I’m still on Miami time. Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you properly, Amber Green. Why don’t I wait up for the courier so you guys can get to bed?’ He directed that question at the dachshunds. I very obviously blushed.
We both stood up at the same time, and as I smoothed my pyjamas, he moved back towards the door to the entrance hall. As he stepped through it, the flickering of the chandelier in the hallway reflected in his eyes.
We paused and I pondered whether, like Jose, Jimi was also one for kissing goodbye on both cheeks, and how I would handle that. I was saved by a buzz on the intercom.
‘Parcel for Amber Green.’
Jimi let the courier in, and when he smiled, I noticed how straight his teeth were on the top and the bottom.
He took the parcel out of the courier’s hands and read the label.
‘The one and only Amber Green, lady of the manor, is right here,’ he said grandly, turning to me with another butterfly-inducing smile.
‘That’s me,’ I said to the courier, embarrassed. I took the parcel from Jimi and signed the docket in the same way I had done at least a dozen times throughout the day. Only this time, my hand was a little shaky and my pulse a little faster.
‘I’ll see you in the morning!’ Jimi called, heading down the hallway towards the central staircase.
I felt a little flower of interest unfurl within me.
When I closed my eyes at around one a.m, I only reached a faint veil of sleep, because I’d forgotten to put my phone on silent.That was me feeling hopeful Rob might message.
