Page 44 of Love Is: Two Bodies One Soul

To: [emailprotected]

Title: Sorry

Content: I was out of order on Monday. I’m sorry. Can we start again?

O

Lexie hit reply and typed:

Out of order!? Is that your alternative-speak for rude and misogynistic? Everyone here (except me) thinks the sun shines out of your backside. After Monday, I know better.

She pressed send and immediately regretted it. She’d been rude. That made her no better than Owen, and he had tried to apologise. Her computer pinged again.

A reply to her reply:

That’s me properly told off. I guess you’re still angry with me, Lex.

Can’t say I blame you. I know I was an arse on Monday. No excuses. There are none for my intolerable behaviour. I overstepped the mark. There’s no reason you should agree to a truce, other than I’m guessing you are a kind person. I hope so. Can we make this reset Wednesday? I am genuinely sorry I made your first assignment with me miserable. Am I forgiven?

O x.

Lexie stared at the sign-off. What made him think he could send her a kiss? That was way too intimate and he was the last man on this earth she would want to kiss her.

She typed an answer:

How can I refuse your old-world charm?

(That’s sarcasm – in case you didn’t realise).

And by the way, my name is Alexandra, not Lex. Alexandra Victoria Scott. You can call me Ms Scott or Alexandra if you must get personal.

Lexie re-read what she’d typed. She never used her full first name. Only her father did that. Apart from Dad, most people called her Lexie. Only she referred to herself as Lex. Owen using it seemed personal, like they were friends … perhaps more. Oh, what the hell? She hit send.If he’d bothered to talk to her like a human being on Monday, he would know these things and they wouldn’t be having this stupid email string.

She waited. No instant reply, not even a delayed one.

Lexie stared at her inbox, and in place of the triumph she’d expected, she felt oddly hollow and depressed again.

‘Doughnut?’ Kate appeared at Lexie’s side, holding out a pile of napkins and a plateful of sugar-coated jam doughnuts.

‘Thanks.’ Lexie took one, not to offend. ‘I’d better get a coffee to go with it.’

‘All brewed.’ Kate dropped a napkin beside Lexie’s keyboard, adding, ‘You know where the kitchen is.’

‘Make sure you save one for George.’ Owen’s voice made Lexie jump. She glanced past Kate and saw him approaching; long strides, lithe movement. He would be at her desk in a moment. No!

Lexie hurriedly placed her doughnut on the napkin, swivelled around and stared hard at her computer screen, hoping if she ignored Owen, he would go away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kate offering doughnuts to him. No!

‘No thanks. No spare hands.’ Owen raised his hands as evidence he was holding steaming mugs.

‘I’ll leave one on your desk,’ Kate argued, adding. ‘You need to put some weight on, Mr Kingsley.’

‘Do I?’ He sounded surprised. ‘And there was I, thinking I was perfect.’ The lilt of his subtle Welsh accent, unusually clear, did strange things to Lexie’s insides.

Ignoring the shimmering sensation running through her skin, trying to maintain her irritation, Lexie drummed her fingers on the desk as she tried to make sense of his words. Was he being ironic? Maybe not! Perhaps he did really think he was perfect. Ha, the arrogance of the man! She opened Victor’s email, full of gossip and glowing thanks for their day together.

Behind her, Lexie heard Kate laugh. ‘Almost, Mr Kingsley … almost,’ she said.

Lexie peeped sideways and saw Kate setting off to distribute the rest of the doughnuts.

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