Page 55 of The Moon Also Rises
“Says his name is Lionel and if you’re free he’d like to take you both out for a coffee.”
“Oh, fuck,” says Jake. His eyes close as he sinks back in his chair only for them to spring open a beat later when he jumps forward in an almighty sneeze.
Chapter Sixteen
Jake
“Lionel!” I call out as I cross the marble-floored foyer. When he turns to look at me, I am struck yet again by how handsome and familiar he looks, but how I don’t feel a warmth in my gut like I used to. Rather, it feels now like I’m just seeing an old friend, an old and very good-looking friend. Even if he is possibly the last person I want to see right now.
“Jake!” He walks towards me, arms open.
We embrace for a few seconds, and when I pull away, I curse out how well-rested he looks. I step back when I need to sneeze into my elbow, feeling my eyes water. I can only imagine how awful I look.
“Sorry,” I say with a sniff. “Hay fever. Left my drugs at work yesterday.”
“Oh, that’s unfair, care bear,” he says and rubs my upper arm.
“And I’m ever so sorry, Lionel, but I don’t have time for a coffee right now.”
“Oh, buttons, that’s a shame,” he says and he really does look disappointed. “Rami too?”
“Yes, he’s also rather busy. We have a board meeting in an hour that we need to prepare for,” I say, not adding how personally, my preparation will be all mental, in other words, lying under my desk in the foetal position while waiting for my drugs to kick in. “Besides, shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon?”
“We leave on Saturday. Luigi had a launch he had to be in London for this week, and we both wanted to take a bit of time after the wedding to decompress, you know, journal about our feelings and reflect.”
Had anybody else in my social circle uttered those words I would be bending in half laughing at them but because it’s Lionel, I bite back my cackles.
“If I’m honest, I’m a bit restless,” he continues. “Sitting at home while Luigi is out all day is getting a little boring. I probably shouldn’t have taken the time off work, but then this morning I thought I’d come up and see where you work. I’ve been curious for so long, you know,”
I’m not surprised. Status Hotels is the kind of company Lionel and I both talked about wanting to work at for years.
“Well, I would offer you a tour but I really do have to get ready for this meeting,” I say apologetically.
“Of course, of course! I shouldn’t have shown up unannounced, but I was so delighted we cleared the air on Saturday, and my parents are simply in love with you and I just felt all these warm and fuzzy things about us being friends again.”
My cold, stone heart beats a little faster hearing these words. And some of my frown disappears as I take in how happy Lionel looks.
“I’m happy we are friends again too,” I say with a smile.
“So how about dinner? Are you and Rami free one night this week?” he asks, still beaming.
“What?” I sound as shocked as I feel at the prospect.
“Dinner, with Luigi and me? We’d love to see you both before we jet off to Bora Bora.”
Bora fucking Bora. It makes complete sense that they’re going to my dream honeymoon destination. I hope my scalding jealousy isn’t obvious as I try my best to pull my lips out of the distasteful pout they want to jump into.
“You know, this week is a bit busy and…” I begin but then I see Lionel’s face fall. A face I have made fall one too many times before. The instinct to undo his frown forces words out of my mouth, words I apparently have no control over. “But how about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow’s perfect.” Lionel’s broad smile is like sunshine, as it always is. “And Rami will be there?”
“Well, I’ll have to check because he’s also pretty busy—”
“Oh, I really hope so. We already have some of the photos from the wedding to show you. You should see some of the ones of him dancing, and DJing too, and there’s also this one of him during the speeches when he’s got his arm around the back of your chair and his eyes are on you and—”
“I’ll go and ask him right this minute,” I interject unable to hear another word about how photogenic and attractive and fucking perfect Rami is.
“And you’ll text me to let me know what we can bring? Luigi should be all done by seven so we can be at your place around eight?”
