Page 14 of The Wedding Pact
‘You can’t be that specific, Mum, that’s not how it works. Please tell me you haven’t been turning people away for that reason again.’
‘It’s my house, I should be allowed to decide who lives here. I want someone who will be around for a long time, I don’t want ancient people who’ll be carted off to the funeral parlour in six months. I don’t want flighty singletons coming and going at all hours, moving in and out, bringing home their sexual conquests.’
Wow. The landlady was a tough cookie. August stayed silent, though her heart was sinking like an anchor in the ocean.
Mrs Haverley continued. ‘I don’t want somebody constantly ringing on my doorbell asking me to fix this, and fix that. A nice couple will be able to maintain the place by themselves.’
‘You don’t know that,’ Abe replied.
‘Well, it’s a good bet,’ snapped Mrs Haverley. ‘And that’s what I want. Married. Solid. Dependable. I’m too old to have to deal with anything else.’
But August knew shewouldbe in it for the long haul. Shewouldn’tbe moving in and out. Shecouldhandle maintenance on her own (or at least she’d rope in Bel and give it a good go). She’d be Mrs Haverley’s ideal tenant, if only she could see past her lack of a husband, or wife. It was just so outdated, and so unfair.
August heard Abe sigh, in a way that indicated this was a bigger conversation he’d had with his mother many times. He then said, ‘Well, there must be twenty or so people in there, and quite a few are couples. I showed a couple up here only about ten minutes ago, have you spoken to them? Short girl and dark-haired chap?’
Now hang on, thought August. Were she and Flynn the short girl and the dark-haired chap? Her eyes darted to other couples moseying around and they certainly seemed to fit that description the most closely.
Mrs Haverley sighed one of her resentful sighs again, and said, ‘No, and I suppose I’d better go back inside, otherwise this blasted morning will never end.’
August tiptoed away from the door quickly. An idea was forming in her mind, a spark that hadn’t quite had time to burst into flames, but was thinking about it, reaching out ready to ignite. But she needed to find Flynn.
Spotting him by the window in the master bedroom, she started towards him and then paused. ‘Oh, crap,’ she whispered, realising she had some backtracking to do. No, she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t askhimto do this. Could she … ?
But if she didn’t … it would be game over.
Chapter 10
Flynn
Flynn walked away from August, shaking his head. Luckily, he didn’t think the landlady had heard August basically shout to the entire room that he was a mess – which had beenher fault– but even so, he felt self-conscious. He really needed to make a good impression and stand out in front of all these people … and not because he looked like he had a problem getting a cup of coffee safely to his lips.
He’d enjoyed chatting with August this morning – in fact it had been quite the tonic he needed after the past forty-eight hours – but it was definitely time to cut ties. He hadn’t missed the faraway look in her eyes when she spoke about the house, the history, what it meant to her this morning. She wanted to build on those memories, she wanted to be happy, and although part of him wanted that for her, she had a home already. He didn’t. He could step back now, but for what? A stranger?
In normal circumstances he would be that person. He would take himself out of the running. Acts of kindness keep the world turning, right? He just didn’t have the luxury to do that this time. The cold hard truth was that if he didn’t find a place to live today – and being a Sunday he wasn’t going to have a lot of luck using an estate agent today – then who knows when he would next fit in a house-hunt.
Though, looking at all these people, the whole thing might be a moot point anyway.
And then suddenly, there she was again.
‘I need to speak to you,’ August hissed, leaning into Flynn and putting her hand on his upper arm.
‘Oh no you don’t,’ he took a step back. ‘For all I know you have another coffee stashed, ready to lob on my crotch and tell everyone I wet myself.’
‘Nothing like that,’ she smiled sweetly and shuffled closer again. He eyed her with suspicion. What was with the fluttery eyelashes?
‘What are you doing?’ he asked.
‘Nothing,’ August replied, taking her hand in his.
What on earth was happening now? ‘Are you trying to flirt with me to get me to back off the flat? It’s not going to work. Have you seen this place?’
‘Yes, it’s beautiful, come with me and I’ll show you it from a different angle.’ August gripped his hand even firmer, and he saw her teeth grit through her smile.
Flynn shook his head and tried to pull his hand away. ‘August, I’m sorry, I know you want the flat, but I really need a fair shot at it too—’
‘Please, give me just one minute. Please.’
The way she looked at him, a sincerity in her eyes, is what made him follow her. If she hadn’t dropped the bravado, and the gentle rivalry, for a second, he might not have relented, and all that happened after would have been nothing more than a what if.
