“I’ll leave you to it then,” she said, sauntering out of the room, trying, and succeeding, to look sexy.
Considering I’d missed some wet naked time I was in a really good mood. And it wasn’t just the sex last night either. Things were finally back to normal between us. There’d been something missing for a while, she was distant, and I’d stupidly doubted her but she’d just been stressed and overworked. We had one last thing to discuss now things were back on track – children.
I made no secret of the fact that I wanted them immediately, but she’d said she now wanted to wait. I had to know if that was just the stress talking or if she really meant it. Either way was fine, but we needed to talk about this stuff.
By the time I was ready for work, Abby had left, leaving a note that she’d be home before me tonight and would cook my favourite dinner and then take me to bed. I didn’t mind that she hadn’t said goodbye. I couldn’t bloody wait for tonight.
“Morning,” I said, yawning as I walked into the building.
Holly looked up and smiled wide, lighting up her whole face.
“Good morning, Jasper.” She was very perky for half past eight in the morning. “Did you have a good weekend?”
“I had a good Sunday. You?”
She shrugged, blushing.
“I know that look,” I said, pointing my finger at her. “Who is he?”
“No one.”
“Bull. Details. Now.” I pulled up a chair next to her, grateful that no customers had come in yet but the early seven a.m. classes had finished by now, and the next ones weren’t until nine. I had about twenty minutes being me before I had to act professional.
“Nothing happened, but I met this guy and we’re going to lunch.”
“Oh yeah, where’d you meet him?”
“At the library.”
“What were you doing there?” I shook my head. “Forget him, he’s boring.”
She tilted her head, and her golden hair fell in her face. She sat back up. “Just because he reads doesn’t mean he’s boring.”
I raised my eyebrow. “Would you prefer him to read about an orgasm or give you one?” Her face turned the colour of the Santa’s hat that still sat behind the monitor. Me and Kerry couldn’t work out who took the hat out of the Christmas decoration box – I said her and she said me – so now it’s a battle, and there was no way I was putting the damn thing in the loft.
“You’re so crude,” she hissed, pretending to look at the booking screen on the monitor so I wouldn’t see how embarrassed she was.
Was that crude? “Sorry,” I muttered, trying to keep a straight face. “What’s his name?”
“Harry.”
“And where is Harry taking you?”
“Carlton’s.”
“Ooh the stuffy, posh place. Wanna take my number so you can text me to save you when you’re so bored you want to stab yourself with their shiny, fancy silverware?” Carlton’s was bloody boring. I took Abby there once, and I regretted it the second I stepped into the place.
“I think I’ll be fine, thank you.”
“You’ll be bored. Get him to take you to the diner, eat crap and have an ice cream fight.”
“I’m not eleven,” she replied dryly.
“Nope, you were definitely born thirty.” She frowned, and I knew I’d gone too far. “I didn’t mean that in a bad way. You’re not boring; you’re just too shy and too scared to let your hair down. When was the last time you did anything impulsive?”
She opened her mouth and closed it again. “So what. So I don’t have ice cream fights or jump out of planes, that doesn’t mean I’m–”
“You want to jump out of a plane?” I asked, shocked.
“Yes.”
“With a parachute attached, right? You’re not that upset by what I said?”
She rolled her eyes, and a small smile tugged at the sides of her mouth. “Of course with a parachute.” I would never have guessed she would want to do anything even remotely dangerous.
“If things go well with Harry, get him to jump with you.” She needed someone that was going to challenge and push her. Brad was outgoing, an idiot and would do pretty much anything for a twenty or a shag. I had no idea why Holly was so reserved.
“I don’t know.”
“Why not. You want to do it, and you’re an adult so…”
“Uncle Jasper!” Everleigh screamed, coming to Holly’s rescue. I shoved my chair out in time for her to leap up and land on my lap.
“Hey,” I said, rustling her hair and grinning like a moron. I really missed her. Oakley walked in behind, carrying Eveleigh’s Snow White bag. “Wait, have you just got here? And after all the crap you give me about being late.”
She let the bags drop down on the table and raised her eyebrow. “I was here at seven. Cole went into work late today, so I let Everleigh stay at home for a bit longer. I’ve just been home to get her before Cole leaves.”