Page 35 of He's the One

“They won’t do anything.” Col pulled himself together. “Maybe he’s got the message now. Lucky you’re a black belt.” Though Col doubted he was.

“Oh shit, I forgot. I’m not wearing it today.”

“Hmm.”

“He’s good-looking,” Theo said.

“A good-looking arsehole. I feel so stupid.”

“What did he do?”

Col stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Didn’t tell me he was married with kids. I lived with him in his flat in London, and every weekend he went back to his family when I thought he’d been going to look after his elderly parents. I spotted him and his wife and kids by chance. Then I left him. I thought that was the reason Nyman sacked me. Robert’s wife might have told him I’d been having an affair with her husband.”

“Is Nyman homophobic?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, it still might be Dastardly…I mean Darnley’s fault and you shouldn’t feel stupid.”

“It’s hard not to.”

Theo huffed. “I’ve decided he’s not a good-looking arsehole. He’s just an arsehole.”

Col smiled.

“So… Are you off all men or only him?”

All men until I met you.“Only him.”

“So you’re not going to get bent out of shape if I ask you out for a drink? I wish I could come up with something more exciting for a first date, something like caving or bouldering or rock tumbling or cement mixing—I can’t think of anything else that involves stone, but maybe we wait for the second date for those. Maybe…you could give me a try and see if you can cope with me. I’m aware that I can be a bit much.”

The pause was brief. “Am I a bit much? But I’m not married. I don’t have kids. I’m not in a relationship with anyone. I do talk a lot. I have a pain in the neck family and a difficult job and a few strange habits, but I’m not bad company. There are never any awkward silences with me, I can promise you that. Well, unless I wasn’t listening.”

Col blinked, still trying to get his head around being asked out, along with wondering whether there was another meaning to cement mixing. “You want… You… Me… A drink?”

Theo mock-gasped. “You’ve lost the ability to form complete sentences. What’s happened? Oh shit! Delayed concussion from this morning? That rock I made you bang your head on. Do you need mouth to mouth? Though I might have to drag you somewhere private because I could easily get carried away and I can guarantee that my arsehole of a boss will pop up like an evil genie and won’t be offering three wishes. Just curses.”

Col laughed. “I’m just…” He gulped. “You work for a marquess. You’re wearing a smart suit. I don’t have a job, let alone a suit.”

Theo gulped and didn’t say anything for a moment. “Is that all that’s stopping you from saying yes? Shall I give you a list of reasons why you should? Well, I’ve already given you a few. I’m not married, not in a relationship, etcetera. I take it I don’t need to add devastatingly handsome? You, I mean, not me. Shut up, Theo.”

He took a deep breath. “I’ll pay for the drinks. I might throw in peanuts if you play your cards right. I like you. You’re interesting. Actually, we could have a meal. It would give me a bit longer to convince you I’m not insane and for you to talk me out of base jumping for our second date. I’ll get a table. The Plough in the village. You know it? Seven thirty. What do you think? Say something and stop me gabbling before I blurt out something I shouldn’t have said… Arrgghgh. You’re not talking to me. I can cope with a hand over my mouth. Your hand anyway.”

“You didn’t leave any gaps for me to say anything.”

“You had a gap and wasted it complaining. I don’t leave gaps very often. You have to learn how to make the most of them.”

“Okay, then,” Col said. “I like peanuts. So why not?”

“You don’t want me to answer that do you? Because I could list the reasons why not as well.”

Col smiled. He liked this quirky guy.

“Let’s swap numbers in case an alien abducts you and you can’t meet me tonight.” Theo beamed at him. “The only acceptable excuse.”

“Because I’d still be able to use my phone in an alien spacecraft?” Col took Theo’s phone and tapped in his number.

Theo clapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide with horror. “Oh my God. I never thought of that. Damn it.” He called Col and once Col’s phone rang, he ended the call. “What are you going to store my number under?Accident prone-man? Guy who can’t keep his mouth shut? Man who talks about base jumping but wouldn’t do it?”

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