Page 80 of Charlie Sunshine
“I do alotof work,” he says indignantly. “Which you’d know if you looked up what hedge fund managers actually do.”
Jackie pats his arm. “At least you don’t have to mow the grass at this time of the year.”
I laugh, and Misha shakes his head before going over to hug his sisters. I watch him go, idly appreciating the taut firmness of his bum. He puts an extra sway in it and shoots me a look over his shoulder. When I shake my head reprovingly, he laughs.
I look up, and Jackie is regarding me steadily with one eyebrow raised. I blush and immediately leap into speech. “Have they got our suits? I’m so pleased to be an usher. I’ve never been one of those, and it always looked really glamorous at weddings when we were kids. They were always standing outside the church laughing and drinking from hip flasks and—” I pause. “Not that we’ll be drinking from hip flasks. We will, of course, take it very seriously and?—”
“Charlie, what’s going on with you and Misha?”
“With Misha andme?” My voice has gone slightly high, and I cough and clear my throat. “What do you mean?” Misha looks up, and I signal with my eyes wildly. His mouth quirks, and he stays where he is. Bastard.
Jackie shakes her head. “Don’t bullshit a bullshitter, Charlie Burroughs. What’s going on?”
“Nothing is going on,” I squeak. “Where did you get the silly idea that something is going on?”
“From the fact that I just stood and watched you get out of Misha’s car and kiss each other.”
“Oh.Oh.” I grimace. “I thought that was reflective glass in the shop window.”
“Obviously not.”
“But there should be. Think of the fading. Of the gowns,” I say faintly.
Her mouth quirks.
“What’s up?” Misha asks, walking over.
“Your mum seems to think that we’re together,” I say with a great deal of emphasis. “I was just telling her she was wrong, but she saw us kissing and?—”
“Yeah,” he breaks in. “Charlie and I are together.” He pats me on the bum and gives his mum a kiss.
“Oh. Oh well. It’s good that we didn’t have a plan or anything,” I mutter.
Misha grins. “Know when you’re beaten,” he advises me. “We were standing outside the shop window when you laid one on me.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“I started to eat my croissant, and then you started talking and talking, and talking some more. You didn’t seem to need my input in that word vomit,” he says primly. “Let that be a lesson to you.”
I can’t stop my smile, and he hugs me tightly to his side, kissing my temple and nuzzling into the hair there.
Jackie gives an excited squeal and claps. “This is amazing. I’m sothrilled.”
“Why are you hugging Charlie?” Anya calls. “Are you boyfriends now?”
Teddy looks up with interest.
Misha smiles. “We are.”
The girls stare at us. “Cool,” Anya says before turning back to her phone. Teddy nods kindly at us and goes back to her book.
“Do you know what all this is telling me, Charlie?” Misha says.
“That no one is interested in our lives?”
He shakes his head. “No. It’s telling me that at least in this tiny corner of London no one has been betting on our relationship.”
“Speak for yourself,” his mum scoffs. “I’ve had a bet with Sam, Aidan, and Kate since you were thirteen.”
