Page 56 of Sparks Fly
“Talking of something new, did you know that Monégasque people can’t gamble? It’s part of some old law to protect them financially.”
“I didn’t know that, no.”
“Well, right back at you. Learn something new every day.”
“So, Charles couldn’t gamble.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Huh.” Her voice lifts higher.
“Why don’t you come out and see me? Spend the weekend here before the summer break ends.”
“I can’t just fly out. I am not sure if it has occurred to you, but I am still dealing with a messy public break up.”
“It wasn’t messy, surely there cannot be that much to sort out.” I roll my eyes and flop down on my bed.
“It wasn’t clean, was it?” She tuts. “You, blubbering in the pit lane, Royce looking like the bad guy as you begged him not to leave you.”
“All right, all right, I don’t need to relive it, thank you.”
“Just reminding you of how it was, in fact, messy.”
“Hate you.”
“I love you, too.”
Silence crackles for a moment
“I will check some flights out, I’ll let you know,” she says softly and my heart thumps.
“Miss you.”
“No, you don’t, you have Rue.”
“Bye, Nora.”
“Bye, my love.” The phone goes dead.
Smiling, I push up from the bed and get ready for the day. I will not let my little embarrassing moment keep me locked in my room. I am a twenty-six-year-old woman. I can own it.
Dressedin light denim high waisted, mom jeans, an orange and cream striped cropped tee, and black Hermes sandals, I finally emerge from my bedroom to see Creed and the three others sitting there.
“I just wanted to apologise for my interrupting this morning.”
Creed holds his hand up shaking his head.
“No need to apologise, Anaïs. You weren’t to know.”
No, I wasn’t.
I smile at the three of them and tuck my head down as I walk towards the kitchen to make myself a coffee.
Lifting the pot, it’s still warm, so I pour out a black coffee before adding a dash of milk and two sugars. I look over quickly to see that their cups are still full, so I don’t offer them one.
Taking my coffee back into the bedroom, I swipe my bag and my phone and move towards the penthouse lobby. I stand there, listening to the idle chit chat between them to see if I can decipher any of it but it all sounds pretty mundane. Finishing my coffee, I leave the empty cup on the side table and see myself out.
I need food and I want to go and hang with Rue for a while, maybe browse the books. I feel like I need to stay out of Creed’s way today and I’m worried that we may fall into something we shouldn’t.
