Page 29 of The Wedding Pact
Flynn followed her gaze up to the top floor and then blinked at Callie before pulling himself together and sticking out his hand. ‘Hello, I’m Flynn.’
‘Great to meet you,’ Callie replied. ‘Would you like a cuppa? Or a hand bringing in your things?’
‘I’m fine, I just filled up on coffee,’ Flynn replied, with an easy smile. August watched him, happy to see his face again, glad it was still as friendly as she remembered and it hadn’t just been a trick of the light across his jet-lagged five o’clock shadow.
‘And we can manage bringing these things in,’ August added. ‘I guess we didn’t have a lot of stuff between us, once it’s all in boxes.’
‘Did Mrs H let the flat to you furnished?’
‘Partially furnished,’ August answered.
Callie nodded. ‘Makes sense. The older couple that lived here before made a move to a retirement village near their kids, which probably would have had some furniture in already. They still went off with a whole removal van though.’
‘I’m looking forward to seeing what’s been left,’ August said, excited to get inside and start flinging her colourful wares about the place.
‘Before we do,’ said Flynn, putting an arm around his ‘wife’. ‘Let’s just take a moment to take it all in.’
Callie picked up her tea and the sugar bag and said, ‘That’s my cue to head back inside, I was just about to force my mum to take a yoga sesh with me so I’ll catch up with you love birds later. August, just pop the mug outside my door when you’re done.’ She waved at them and disappeared back into the house, and Flynn and August turned, arm in arm, to look out across the view.
‘So our landlady lives here in the building?’ Flynn asked quietly, glancing towards August with an amused smile.
‘Apparently so,’ she agreed. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise. It’ll be okay though, right? How often do people run into their neighbours anyway?’
‘Well, we just ran into one and we haven’t even moved in yet. So what are we doing, pretending to everyone that we’re married, or asking everyone else to pretend to Mrs Haverley?’
‘I don’t think we should ask anyone else to lie,’ August replied, chewing on her lip. ‘Let’s just not make a big deal of it to anyone else. If we just act like close friends who are a bit touchy-feely, will they really know any different? I mean, my friend Bel and her fiancé have been together for years and it’s not like I’m always catching them snogging, and they don’t talk dirty to each other when I’m there.’
‘Friends who are touchy-feely?’ he clarified, and laughed.
‘In front of other people,’ August stated, firmly.
They made their way in through the door and up the stairs to the flat, murmuring quietly about the small fly in the ointment, and August was about to open their new door when a man stepped out wearing a baseball cap and a hoodie, looking down at his phone. August shrieked, causing him to drop his phone. He looked up, startled, and she realised it was Abe.
‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry!’ she said. He looked so different from the stuffy, suited Abe they’d met two weeks ago. This was off-duty Abe, she guessed.
‘Hello,’ he said, a little bewildered. He cleared his throat, bringing himself back to the ‘Business Abe’. ‘Just doing a final check that the lights were all working, before I catch a train back to London. Again. I wasn’t expecting you here so early.’
‘Oh, no problem, sorry about that,’ August said, and reached behind her to hold Flynn’s hand, hoping Abe hadn’t heard anything they’d been saying.
‘That’s okay, I’ll leave you to it.’ He nodded a smile to both of them and high-tailed upstairs.
When he’d gone they stepped into the apartment, both being hit by the wonderful light streaming in through the windows again.
‘Is this okay?’ August asked Flynn. ‘All this, I mean? I’m sorry it’s more complicated than we – I – thought it would be.’
She watched as Flynn breathed in and savoured the moment. She imagined he was probably just glad to have a day off work, and to be finally out of the hotel. ‘This is more than okay,’ he confirmed. ‘I just can’t wait to have a bed of my own tonight.’
‘Uh-oh.’ Turning, August and Flynn noticed the problem at the exact same time.
Chapter 21
August
From the living room August and Flynn had a perfect view into the two bedrooms. One of them had a large, solid oak, king-sized bed that appeared to be brand new. The other: as bare as a naked lady. No bed, no furniture, nothing. One bed. Two people.
‘Crap,’ said August. ‘I thought both beds were included.’
‘Me too,’ replied Flynn, and noticed a handwritten note atop the one bed. ‘Look at this.’
