Page 38 of Best Mistake Ever
He cocks an eyebrow and for a second, I think he’s going to tell me to mind my own business.
‘I dunno. I guess I can be a really grumpy bastard sometimes.’
I can’t stop a grin from breaking across my face. ‘No kidding.’
‘Okay, no need to agree quite so readily,’ he says, but the tone of his voice is light and teasing.
‘Sorry,’ I say with a laugh.
Bless him for attempting to make me feel better. It’s not something I would have expected from him.
‘I can be upbeat,’ he points out. ‘It just doesn’t come as easily to me as it does to some people. I guess I’ve always put up this barrier around me,’ he swishes his hands through the air in front of him, as if he can touch it, ‘and it comes across as aloofness. But I’m not really like that.’
‘I’m starting to see that.’
‘I can be fun.’
‘I know.’
We look at each other for a moment and our gazes lock. His eyes seem to darken as his pupils dilate and I see his expression soften.
A strange sort of buzzy heat rises from my chest up to my throat. Oh no, not again. I really shouldn’t be encouraging further closeness with him.
Tearing my gaze away, I stand up from the chair, closing my eyes momentarily as a wave of dizziness descends on me. But I’m okay; it passes quickly.
‘Er, perhaps I should go and check on the guy who hurt himself?’ I say, deciding I should probably put some distance between myself and Jonah now. His attentiveness is making my good sense wobble.
‘No,’ Jonah says forcefully. ‘He’s fine. I dealt with it.’
‘Oh. Okay. Great. Well, thanks.’
‘Why don’t we go out to the fire pit and get you some fresh air for a few minutes. I’m guessing you haven’t taken a break for a while?’
‘I’m fine. Really. You don’t need to look after me.’
‘Don’t argue. You need a break. Come and have a drink by the fire with me.’ He signals for me to follow him out of the room and I realise there’s no way I can refuse without seeming either rude or insubordinate.
Sucking in a steadying breath, I follow him down the corridor to the kitchen, where he makes us both a cup of coffee. Handing one to me, he says, ‘Right, let’s see what we’re missing outside.’
I walk with him to the door to the staff exit, my whole body jittery with nerves, and emerge into the fresh air. It’s just as noisy out here and we dodge our way through groups of people dotted about the lawns surrounding the house, all chatting animatedly or dancing to the low beat of music coming from the ballroom where a drum and bass DJ is pumping out tunes.
There are solar-powered fairy lights strung from every available surface, including the manicured shrubs and trees next to the house, turning the garden into a Winter Wonderland. Laughter floats over from the hot tubs and I wonder how people can bear to get in and out of them naked in this plummeting temperature.
We turn towards the front of the house where a large fire has been lit in the sunken pit at the end of the terrace. There are usually tables and chairs arranged around it for guests at the hotel to sit and have a drink in the summer months, but right now it’s ringed with large blankets, beanbags and cushions. The fire is blazing away with sweet-scented fallen branches which have been gathered from the woods on the estate. The air is crisp and cool, but as soon as we sit down in a space close to the fire, my skin begins to heat from the gentle warmth the fire’s giving out.
We sit quietly for a few moments, sipping our coffees and staring into the flames.
‘You know,’ Jonah says, turning to look at me, ‘it’s great to see the house come alive like this. The parties I used to hold herein my university holidays were legendary. They got pretty wild. But it’s all been a bit sedate around here recently.’
‘I imagine they were a lot of fun.’
‘Yeah, sometimes. I used to get fifty or more people turning up. Not that I invited them all.’ He raises an eyebrow, then looks back at the fire. ‘A lot of people were fascinated to visit a house that my dad owned, I think. Not that he ever came here.’
‘It must be strange, having a dad that’s as famous as he is.’
‘I guess I’ve never found it strange because I grew up with it. But it’s definitely been stressful at times. People expect things of you when you come from a family like mine. Things you can’t necessarily live up to. As I mentioned the other night, my whole status and success in life has always been tied to and compared with my old man’s. Which sucks, because that’s a ridiculously high bar to reach.’
It suddenly occurs to me that I might find my father a tough act to follow, but at least I don’t have to do it whilst being scrutinised and judged by strangers, then publicly torn down if I fail.
