Page 41 of Love, Academically
Two weeks on Saturday? Goodness, that was soon. Just as well she didn’t book those Susie Dent tickets, they would have clashed.
“Yes okay,” Lila pinched her lip between her teeth. “What do I wear? What’s the dress code?”
Unless it was skinny jeans and a nice top, or a sundress (in which case she’d be freezing because it was late autumn), then she would definitely need to do some shopping.
He sat down behind his desk and looked at his computer screen. So dismissive. Lila raised an eyebrow.
“We’ll go for dinner after work and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
Firstly, that was not an answer. Secondly, that was most definitely not a question. Rhys was making an assumption that she would just go along with him, literally dismissing her like a minion. Uh, no thanks. She’d had enough of that.
“Rhys?”
He turned his head towards her, but his eyes were still on his computer screen. “Mmm?”
“Rhys!” she snapped. There was no way she was talking to his side face. “Attention over here, please.”
His lips parted in shock, as if no one had ever talked to him like that. He was probably so used to having everyone do his bidding that any kind of pushback was a shock.
“Look, I know you’ve done a lot of people-ing today with the seminar and all, so I’m going to give you another chance to get this right.” Her smile was a stretched non-smile, because there was no way Rhys deserved a real smile right now. “Think about what you just said and how you said it, and try again.”
She must have lost her ever-loving mind to have said that to Rhys. But here she was, clutching her hips tightly to stop herhands from shaking. He wasn’t that scary, he was just a man. Like he said the other day, the only person who could make her feel worthless was her.
The muscles in Rhys’s jaw bunched together as he snapped his mouth shut, his emotions so easy to read on his face. Anger, with his eyebrows drawn in and those pouty lips turned down. Then confusion as his eyes skirted his desk. The relaxation of his forehead and jaw into realisation and then the slow slump of his shoulders in defeat.
He passed a hand over his face and his throat worked as he swallowed.
“I’m sorry. Would you like to come for dinner with me tonight, if you’re not busy? We could talk.”
“That would be lovely, thank you. I’ll cancel my Uber.” She rewarded him with a tiny, satisfied smile.
“You’re getting an Uber? Where? Do you have plans?” Rhys asked, his eyebrows screwing together.
“No, no plans. I don’t feel quite up to driving yet,”
He leant back in his chair, assessing her. “And your friends couldn’t help you? Sue?”
“Jasmeet is working and busy. I can’t ask Maddy or her wife, they’ve got the baby. Sue lives too far away.” And Sue wouldn’t. Lila rubbed her ring finger and her thumb together. Explaining herself to Rhys Aubrey was not on her schedule for today.
“Why didn’t you ask me?”
“I’ve put you out too much already. I can’t ask you to ferry me back and forth to work as well. I’m sure I’ll feel able to drive in the next couple of days.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you must have spent a fortune on taxis.” He pursed his lips. “You should have said.”
“I’m not going to argue with you about this, Rhys.”
“I’ll dri—” He stopped and tried again. “Please may I drive you home after dinner tonight?”
Lila’s heart stuttered ever so slightly, because Rhys was trying. He was really, really trying.
Chapter 7
Adumbrate(noun) ad·um·brate
To foreshadow vaguely
