Page 54 of Promise Me Ever After
She tensed, sucking in her lips. “Until I give up again, no.”
My eyes narrowed. “I thought we’d had this conversation. You don’t need it.”
I closed the distance between us and plucked the lit cigarette from her fingers, then dropped it on the ground. My mouth hovered inches from hers.
“We should get going if we want to get the best out of today.”
Disappointed, I drew back. Decorating it was then.
25
Georgie
We walkedout to the car and I restrained myself from holding Alex’s hand. It would have been the most natural thing in the world to slip mine into his, but… I held back. I slid into the front seat, squinting against the sun that streamed through the windscreen. It was another glorious November day, crisp, chilly and bright. I reached into my bag and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, slipping them on. It gave me the perfect opportunity to glance at Alex and check him out without him knowing. I bit my bottom lip as I did.
Alex looked briefly towards me. “Can you do me a favour and see if there are any sunglasses in the glove box?”
“Sure.” I leaned down, opened the compartment and started digging around inside. “Um…” I held up a box of condoms. Was Alex the kind of guy who hooked up with girls in his car? Given his reputation, I wouldn’t have been that surprised.
The car swerved a little to the right as he took in what I had in my hand. “It’s not my car,” Alex said, hastily. “I borrowed it from my sister.”
“And that makes it better because?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Shit, no, it doesn’t, does it? Amber’s my little sister and her boyfriend is my best friend.” He shuddered. “Couldn’t get any grosser, right?”
I dropped the box into the holder in the door and leaned forward again to rummage through the contents in the glove box. “I bet your mind is reeling now.”
He grunted, which I took as a yes.
“Okay, so these look like something your sister would wear. But I guess they’ll do the job.” I handed Alex the sunglasses I’d found. They had pink rims and glitter on the arms.
Without taking his eyes off the road, he took them from me and slid them on.
I chuckled. “Oh, they suit you!”
“Thank God none of my friends can see me now.” He pulled down the sun visor and checked himself out. “You’re right, they do suit me.”
For the rest of the journey we chatted about work, my birthday party and the things we’d need to buy from the shop. Sorting out decorating materials was one thing, but choosing a bed with the man I was currently sleeping with? Nerves suddenly bundled in my stomach and I hoped it wouldn’t be too long before we stopped so I could have a cigarette.
Five minutes later we were in the car park of the DIY store. Alex killed the engine and went to get out.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I pointed to his sunglasses. “Much as I would love to see you walk around the store in pink sunglasses, I’m not that much of a bitch.”
He pulled them off and tossed them into the compartment between the front seats, while I got out of the car.
He locked up and we walked towards the entrance and I reached into my bag, hand closing over my cigarette packet. I drew it out, ready to light up, but Alex grasped my wrist.
“Stop, you don’t need it.”
His concern touched me. I remembered how he had teased me at the Fortunes for Favours event, using the cigarette to get close to me. A ripple slid down my spine.
“I mean, I may be a weirdo who loves the smell of a freshly lit cigarette, but I wouldn’t want to lose you a minute sooner than I had to.”
Alex’s words hung in the air between us. I caught my breath and tried to lighten the mood.
“You have no idea about addiction, do you?” I shook my head and slipped the packet back into my bag. “You’ll change your mind when I’m cranky because we haven’t been able to find the right shade of white paint.”
He grinned. “I’ll take my chances. Now let’s go shopping.”
