Page 16 of Made Up for Love
“I was. Then I got stuck because all the flights were cancelled.” He briefly filled Luke in on the story. “I think I like her.”
“After everything you went through with Zara, you deserve a bit of fun. I’d say, go for it. Sophia will be pissed though.”
“What’s Sophia got to do with anything?”
“You mean you haven’t noticed the massive crush she’s got on you?”
Joel hadn’t. He was totally oblivious to his PA’s affections, but it certainly went some way to explaining why he always got his expenses paid quickly, and the presentations or documents he needed her to format magically appeared in his inbox only a couple of hours after he’d requested it. Plus, her willingness to sort out a flight home for him and her subsequent suspicion when he’d asked about a second ticket. That reminded him; he needed to send Sophia the details she’d need to book Lydia a seat.
“Guess I must have missed the signs.” He could almost visualise Luke rolling his eyes at him.
“What are you going to do?”
“Lydia and I are having dinner again tonight. I know she lives in or near London, so maybe when we get back, I could ask her out properly.”
“Two dinners in two days? That’s pretty serious, Joel,” joked Luke.
Serious or circumstance,Joel wondered. He knew the bubble they currently existed in would burst, probably all too soon. “Hardly, it’s not like there’s much option.”
“You could have ordered room service.”
Room service wouldn’t have been as much fun as chatting with Lydia had been the previous evening. And after the day they’d had together—in spite of Lydia’s squealing every time she thought she was going to fall over—it wouldn’t be right not to spend the rest of it with her. Hopefully, she felt the same.
“Like I said, after Zara, it’s probably time for you to move on.”
That had been Luke’s second mention of Zara in quick succession. What wasn’t Luke telling him? “Why have you brought her up again? You know I don’t want to talk about her.”
There was a pause before Luke spoke again. “Mate, I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, but she’s getting engaged again. I bumped into her and her workmates on a works do last night and she was flashing a massive diamond as if she were the first person ever to get married.”
Joel fell silent. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that news.
“Joel? You still there?”
“Is it to the guy she left me for last year?”
“Um.”
Luke’s reticence to elaborate further immediately made Joel suspicious. “She’s already on to someone else, isn’t she?” His image of Zara, the woman he’d been prepared to marry, was shattered.
“Sorry, mate. Apparently, it’s someone from work—a guy who started there a few months ago. Seems she moved fast.”
The image of Zara and his best man, Greg, who he hadn’t spoken a single word to in almost a year, flashed through his head. Now he wasn’t the only person Zara had played. He almost felt sorry for Greg. Almost, but not quite.
“Thought you ought to know though. I didn’t want you coming back and bumping into them at the rugby-club party.”
“I’m still not going to that, and now I have even more reason to avoid it.”
Luke sensed Joel’s mood and sensibly changed the subject. “You and this Lydia then. Do you really like her?”
Mentally, Joel compared Lydia to his ex. Despite knowing her for less than two days, he already knew that she was poles apart from Zara. That was definitely a good thing. Maybe Luke was right, he should go for it and have some fun.
“I do. So, I’m going to have dinner with her this evening, and then I’m going to ask her out on a proper date when we get back to London.”
“Atta boy. Let me know how it goes?”
“Of course. We’ll get some beers as soon as I get back, whenever that might be.”
“Could be as soon as tomorrow, if you’re lucky. Weather looks promising, check the forecast. Got to go, call me when you’re back?”
