Page 106 of Red Flag
“Fucking hell,Livie! What have you got yourself into?”
“It sounds serious, but it’s not! He’s bought a flat in London and it’s not furnished… and I need somewhere to stay, and I don’t want to part with my furnishings…”
Ben’s palm slammed into his forehead. “Livie, even for you, this is fast.”
“It’s not like we’re moving in together,” I argued. “That’s not it.”
“It’s what it looks like.”
Griff subtly lifted a finger to his lips and glanced behind us as someone approached. One of the waitresses with a tray. She set down three glasses of champagne, a bottle and then three plates of samosas,aloogobiand salad. “Compliments ofArmas,” she said with a nod before briskly walking away.
Griff looked in astonishment at our table of treats. “Did I say I love this man?” He took a large bite of a samosa. “Because I love this man.”
“I can’t be easily fooled by a samosa and an overpriced bottle of champagne,” Ben deadpanned.
With his mouth full, Griff said, “You haven’t tried them yet.”
Ben ignored his boyfriend. “Livie, what are you doing? This is your shot. You’ve been doing so well. I’ve never known two riders to be in the public eye for such positive reasons. They made it on the BBC!”
I went to speak, but I had nothing to say.
“You’re proving yourself so worthy,Liv. Yet, here you are… risking it all. For some guy, who, what? Will be done with you in a month?”
I knew it came from a place of love, from a protective stance, just like when my dad questioned every man who had ever picked me up from home, but…
“You don’t know him,” I snapped. “Would he really buy me a flat if he was only going to like me for a month?”
“So hedidbuy you a flat,” he sighed. “We’re getting somewhere now. He’s probably going to use it to manipulate—”
“Don’t.”
His mouth opened and closed as he pursed his lips together in pity. The exact expression Dad gave before cuddling me on the sofa after a boy broke my heart or I’d fallen out with a friend.
But it was my brother’s voice that said, “Livie, please—”
We were interrupted by Griff clearing his throat. Good time too, becauseSalihawas over my shoulder, standing with a gormless smile. “Hi, Ben, Griff. Family reunion,” she said, clasping her hands together. “Love that. Though I may have to cut it somewhat short. Clara isn’t here.”
I whirled. The grid girls were my domain. They were important for our media campaigns. “What?”
“She stayed with her family in Essex last night and it’s quitea drive. She’s late. Need the grid girls out soon and… well, Abbe made the point that everyone thought you were a grid girl at first…”
Oh, god. God, no.
“You’ll have to change out of the pink,” she said with an apologetic smile and chucked a redCiclatitop onto my lap. “But they’ll need you in five.”
Griff was howling, trying to shovel the rest of the samosa in his mouth. “Oh, this is class! We’ve picked the best weekend to come for a live show.”
I groaned and picked up the top. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Wait,” Ben called and waited forSalihato walk back the way she had come. “Just… if he’s serious about you… get him to stay with us at Mum’s. I don’t want you moving in with a stranger—”
“He’s not a stranger.”
“But youaremoving in with him?” Griff asked and took a sip of his drink.
I shot him a look for taking my brother’s side. He shrugged in dismissal.
“If you don’t want me to grab your things from your apartment and move them to ours, bring him to Mum’s. You were coming for her birthday anyway, weren’t you?”
