I click it shut immediately. How does he know that? I’ve not given him any reason to believe I’m interested in him.
Shit. I stare at my computer for a long time.
What do I write back? I think for a moment.
Dear Mr Spencer,
Thank you for taking the time to outline your personal attributes, which I must say, are very impressive indeed. However, unfortunately, at this time, your application for a dinner date has been unsuccessful.
I wish you luck with your future endeavours.
Santa Claus’s navigation team? You really are an inspiration.
I must go as I’m typing this with my nose due to my severely
broken fingers and I am in terrible pain.
Lottie: xoxo
I hit send with a hint of sadness. Damn it. I hate that my pride won’t let me go out with him. He has no idea how much he kicked my confidence to the kerb.
And besides, I’ve only just started to have fun. If I begin to run around with him now it will just bring attention to me, my plan, my job, and my time in London will come to an abrupt end.
It’s a hopeless situation, anyway….it is, what it is.
Now is not the time to start something with Mr Spencer.
My email pings.
Dear Miss Charlotte,
I reject your rejection: Give me your phone number immediately or I’m calling you at work on your work number and asking for Charlotte Prescott on 07826653350
My mouth falls open. He wouldn’t, would he?
“W-what’s our work phone number?” I ask, trying to act casual.
Paul looks up. “07826653350.”
My eyes widen, shit…. he knows the number. I immediately type back.
Don’t you dare call me at work!
Sarah is sitting beside me, and she is waiting for you to call her.
But of course, you are too much of a coward to do that.
I hit send in a fury. God, this man drives me mad. I close my email in disgust.
Sarah’s phone immediately rings, and my heart drops. Damn it, what have I done?
My phone rings at the same time, shit.
I quickly answer it. “Hello.”
“Hello, Charlotte. It’s Alexander,” the deep voice purrs down the phone.
Alexander is Edward’s best friend. Edward said he would be checking on me. I glance over to Sarah to see who she is talking to.
“Hello,” she answers, and her face breaks out into a smile. “Hi, Spencer.”
It’s him.
“How are you?” Alex asks me on my call.
“I’m great, busy with work,” I add. “And you?” I glance back at Sarah.
“Oh, that’s okay, I know you’re busy,” Sarah says. She listens for a moment. “Oh.” She sighs.
Damn him.
“We need to catch up while you’re in London,” Alexander says.
What I really need to do is hang up so I can listen to Sarah’s conversation properly. “Yes, we do,” I agree in a rush.
“What are you doing Saturday night? I have my mother’s charity ball on. You must come,” Alexander suggests.
Sarah drops into her chair. “Oh, I see.” She smiles sadly. “She’s a lucky girl,” he says.
What the hell is he saying to her?
“Of course, Alex.” I exhale. “I’m really busy though, I’m at work.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go. I will message you with the details.”
I watch Sarah, and she frowns as she listens. “He said that?”
I need to end this call. “Yes, Alex. Sounds great, see you Saturday.” I hang up in a rush.
Sarah is smirking as she stares down at her desk.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She smiles. “I’ll have to think about it.” She listens for a moment. “Thanks for letting me know. Yeah, it’s okay. I completely understand.”
She hangs up and turns to me. “Well, that’s that.” She throws her hands up in the air. “Spencer Jones just dumped me.”
“What did he say?”
“He said that he wasn’t over his old girlfriend and it wasn’t fair to start something with me.”
I stare at her. That was the last excuse I ever thought he would give. “Oh.”
“He said that Richard had asked him if he could call me because he felt that he and I had hit it off.”
“Really?” I smile in surprise. That was nice of him to say that to boost her confidence.
She shrugs and tries hard not to smile, but I can tell she’s flattered. “I don’t think I’ll go out with him, though. He isn’t really my type.”
“I thought Richard was hot.” I smile.
“Really?” She frowns.
“Yes, really.”
My email pings again.
Lottie,
I need to talk to you. You are worrying me. I don’t understand what’s going on???
Please give me your number.
Spence
I blow out a dejected breath. He doesn’t know what’s going on because I hardly know myself. I loiter around work for a half an hour, and finally come to a conclusion: there’s no harm in talking to him I suppose.
Mr Spencer
My number is 07712345678
A reply comes back immediately.
I have a business dinner on tonight. I’ll call you when I get home around 9pm.
Spence: xoxo
I stare at the hugs and kisses, and I feel my heart flutter. He’s calling me tonight. I want to spin around on my chair in excitement.
I won’t, of course. I’ll pretend, even to myself, that this is an inconvenience.
I click the email closed and turn my attention to Sarah and Paul. “You guys want to go to the pub for drinks after work?” I ask.
Paul shrugs. “Yeah, why not? May as well. I’ve got nothing but mouldy cheese in my fridge at home, anyway.”
Sarah smiles and types away on her keyboard. “Yes, but can we go to the Grange?” “Sure, but why?”
“That place is Hot Dick City.”
Paul rolls his eyes. “I take it you’ve gotten over that other chump in the last half an hour then?”
“God, yes.” She fixes her hair. “His loss. I’m way too hot for him, anyway. Spencer bloody who?”
*
I glance at my watch: it’s 9:30 p.m. Maybe he isn’t going to call after all.
I make myself a cup of tea and sit at the kitchen island. I love this apartment. It already feels like home.
My phone dances across the bench and an unknown number pops up.
It’s him.
My heart begins to race, and I blow out a deep breath to try and calm myself down.
“Hello.”
“Hello,” his mischievous, deep voice says down the phone. I find myself smiling just from the sound of his voice.
“Hello, Mr Spencer.”
He chuckles. “Always so formal.”
I press my lips together, too nervous to speak in case I say something stupid.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
“Nothing serious. I just wanted to see what it was like working in another environment where people didn’t know my father. You won’t say anything, will you?”
“To who? I don’t know any of your family’s aristocrat peers.”
“I know,” I murmur, suddenly feeling stupid.
“Does your father know where you are?”
“He knows I’m in London, but he thinks I’m working at my regular job. Edward and Dad are overseas for six weeks. I thought it was a good opportunity to have some fun.”
He inhales sharply. “By fun, you mean sex?”
I smirk. Why does he always have to be so upfront? “No, I mean spend time with Beth, my friend. Work a different job. Meet new people, things like that.”
“Haven’t your guards snitched on you?”
“No, they don’t know what I’m doing, either. They stay on the ground floor of my office building and meet me on my breaks or when I finish.”
He hesitates. “Let me get this straight—you’ve moved to London for six weeks and are pretending to be someone else and nobody at all knows?”
I run my finger along the edge of the kitchen counter. “Beth knows, and now… you.”
“And what about him?”
I frown. “Who?”
“The man you slept with?” He’s clearly annoyed.
“Oh.” I scrunch my eyes shut. God, this is the biggest lie I’ve ever told. “No, he doesn’t know.”
“So, he’s still communicating with you as Charlotte.”
“Yes.”
He stays silent for a moment. “I take it you are in a relationship with him then?”