Page 10 of Clause & Effect
She lives in England. I live in Florida. Do the math. That’s too long of a distance for her. And for me, for that matter. I’ve just settled into there being no choice for us.
Grace is another beast altogether… to be honest, she’s kind of an alien in that way—the way she thinks and makes things happen. She’s a manifester. She just moves through life like magic.Abracadabra… and there you have it!
I wish it was so easy.
Her dream in life would be for me to move across the pond and live right next door to her.Ummm…like that’s a real option considering the criteria to live next door to her would be as follows: I’d have to either a) win the lotto, and I’m not talking the ten million scratchers… I’m talking a real one with at least nine digits. Or b) marry someone who’s young, attractive and worth at least half a gazillion dollars. Normally I’d be rooting to get it myself but the pay from editing books is not helping—I couldalways press my luck and try writing an international bestseller myself, but that’s equivalent to winning the lotto kind of luck. And trust me, I know what’s going on out there. There are so many talented writers with books that are awesome, and they don’t hit. I’ve seen it happen so many times. So I know what the winning formula is—talent, luck and opportunity meeting at one glorious moment.
Basically… luck.
I watch Grace size Stetson up. She doesn’t aim low; I’ll give her that.
I steal a peak at Stetson again, I guess if he’s part of her dream, I’m here for it.
“He lives in Chelsea,” Jayson nods at Stetson and spills the beans. “And me and the wife are in Mayfair.”
Lots of nods in the group.
“I take it from some of your accents some of you are from the UK as well?” Jayson states the obvious.
“I’m a proud Brit and I married my American girl,” Devon smiles fondly at Grace, who pretends to be embarrassed by the attention. Please. She loves when all eyes are on her. She’s the opposite of me. She gives Devon a flirty wink.
Even after all the years they’ve been together.
Nauseating… but let’s be honest— goals.
“Charlie lives in Naples.” Grace points at me and provides the unsolicited piece of information.
There’s an awkward silence after she throws that out there. She has no shame.
“I love Italy.” Jayson replies politely as he cocks his brow in surprise.
Ugh.
Here we go…
“Naples,Florida, luv,” who knew Ellie remembered where I was from. “Kind of different.”
What a bitch.
I think the words and Grace wears them on her face.
“Naples is beautiful,” Stetson says to my complete and utter surprise. “I’ve been quite a few times for work. The rooftops remind me of a mosaic of shiny terracotta.”
Huh.
I’ve never heard anyone… and I meananyonedescribe the rooftops in Naples, Florida in quite that way. Shiny terracotta? What in the bird’s eye view is he talking about?
“Rooftops?” Devon smiles. “Given your propensity to face off with polar bears I’m assuming you were hang gliding over the city?”
Stetson’s laugh is smooth, enticing, his eyes seem to hold a secret while he bites down on his lower lip.
“Not quite that,” he shakes his head and then says something even stranger. “But the waterways are very reminiscent of Venice, Italy.“If you say so,” Ellie rolls her eyes.
Stetson captures my gaze with those crazy blue eyes of his.
“I do.”
CHAPTER FIVE
