Page 94 of Wilder at Heart
Usually, I’d obsess over it. The meaning of the invitation. The odds of him wanting to get back together. The significance of the single kiss. But I haven’t really had time. I also haven’t replied. I suppose I should. I think I’ll wait till I go back to Elle’s.
I’ll have a clearer mind then.
THEO
‘Is Elle’s place inhabitable?’ I ask Nora as we finish off the delicious chicken salad she made.
‘Yeah.’ She looks at her plate. ‘She confirmed I can move back in tomorrow if I like. They’re doing some final snagging, but it’s basically done.’
My stomach lurches, and I grip my fork more tightly.
‘Right. Well, that’s good for you. And Olive.’
She stares at me. I get the impression she wants me to say something else. To tell her she should stay, maybe.
‘Theo. I’ve had such a lovely time here. You’ve been so kind, taking us in.’
I reach over and take her hand. Rub my thumb over her knuckles.
‘You kind of made it worth my while,’ I say, and she snorts.
‘Youkind of offered me a much wider range of… hosting services than I was expecting.’
‘I like to offer my most beautiful guests averyfull suite of services.’ I’m grinning now. ‘Though I’m going to have to charge you for damaging my property.’
‘Damaging?’ She raises her shapely eyebrows.
I jerk my head towards the other end of the room. ‘The rug. Totally covered in jizz.’
She laughs, puts her hand up to cover her mouth. ‘Last I checked, buddy, I don’t jizz. Nice try, though.’
‘I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one ejaculating that night.’ I take a breath. ‘I want to ask you to stay. I really do not want you to walk out that door, baby. But it’s getting… messy. We’re both too attached, and it’s not doing either of us any favours. So I think we should make a clean break of it. Just… not see each other after this. It’s too hard, otherwise.’
I grab her hand more tightly. Those huge blue-green eyes are as wide as I’ve seen them, and more full of despair than I can bear. She doesn’t say anything for a moment, and I know she’s weighing my words.
She bows her head, her shoulders slumping forward. I barely hear her whisperedyeah.
‘But what about the wedding?’ she asks.
I rake my hair back. ‘Realistically, you’ll be working hard that weekend, anyway. I think you should still be my date to keep the family quiet, but mainly so no other fuckers can have a crack at you.’ There is no way I can stand being there and staying away from her.
She gives me a wan smile. ‘I think it would kill Saoirse and me to make another change to the table plans.’
‘There you go. Exactly. And if I have to grope you shamelessly on the dance floor to make Holmes jealous again, that’s a hardship I’m definitely willing to endure.’
‘What about the… bedroom situation? All the rooms are taken.’
‘Didn’t you say we have a cottage? I can sleep on the sofa if it makes you feel better.’
She doesn’t answer, but takes the hand holding hers and turns it over, pressing the sweetest kiss to my palm.
I’d like to tell you that I take her to bed right away and fuck her, hard, but it’s not quite accurate. I’m inexperienced in this area, but I suspect what we do would more accurately be described as making love.
The dayafter I drop Nora and Olive and all their stuff back at Elle’s immaculately redecorated townhouse, and kiss Nora goodbye to within an inch of her life, I’m due to present to my parents and Miles on the Manhattan opportunity.
I’m uncharacteristically over-prepared, thanks to having had nothing else to do last night in my empty flat except pour over the presentation. I’ve asked Holmes to sit in on the meeting in case the others have hardcore finance questions I can’t answer.
If I say so myself, I nail it. Thanks to Holmes, I’ve got clean numbers for every part of my proposal, with risk assessments, capital requirements, scenario analysis and breakeven schedules. This way, my parents—and Miles, but particularly my parents—can get comfortable with each discrete part of the plan without feeling overwhelmed or ambushed by its scale and ambition.
