Page 21 of In the Frame

“Why do you care about Florian’s love life?” Noah peers at me, clearly amused. “If he’s so rotten.”

“I don’t! I really, really don’t.”

“Afraid there’s evidence to the contrary, mate. And how.” Noah marvels at me as if he’s just made an incredible new scientific discovery.

“So… uh, to finish the story, that’s about when we ended the night. He got his suit back. One I dry-cleaned, with my limited cash, by the way, but I didn’t tell him that. London’s bloody expensive.”

“Like water is wet,” Noah confirms, still giving me an appraising look that makes me squirm in my seat. “Now, Matty.”

“What?”

“You’re into him, this Florian guy.” Noah shakes his head at me. He grins, cat-and-canary-style. “Obviously.”

“He’s an arsehole,” I say defensively. “I mean, we don’t get each other. He’s all about finances and profit, and I’m all about… feeling and creating. He’s rich. I’m poor. And we weren’t dating. We had one fake date, that’s it. We didn’t fake date well. End of story.”

“Is it, though?” Noah asks. “Seems like you have unfinished business.”

“We really don’t.”

“Sorry to say you were the arsehole, calling him out on his ex-boyfriend, which isn’t any of your business. I think you owe him an apology for that, if nothing else.” Noah nods to himself. “Yeah.”

I frown at him, starting to protest, then stop.

“I was an arsehole,” I admit sheepishly. “He may have said some stuff I didn’t agree with about art, but he didn’t say anything personally about me, that’s true. Except I took what he said personally. And I definitely said things to him that were clearly offensive. Shit.”

Noah nods. “Apology o’clock, mate.”

“And it gets worse.”

Alarmed, Noah sets his drink down. “How does it get worse? You told me that was the end of the date.”

“It was. It’s the suit thing that’s the latest problem. On the night we met, we swapped suits after I spilled the drinks because I felt so bad. I gave him his back after it was dry-cleaned… but he still has mine. Which I need back for Paul and Caden’s wedding this weekend. I can’t afford to replace it, even with a suit rental.” I look glumly at him.

His eyebrows climb, and his eyes glimmer. “I think he likes you. He doesn’t strike me as the sort of person to forget things, or about returning your suit, from what you’ve told me. He’s keeping the suit as a souvenir to remember you. A trophy.”

“No way! He’s forgotten because it doesn’t matter to him. We agreed to one fake date. That’s it. And he’s got unfinished business with the boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend. Maybe he’s what the art thing was really about and who Florian wanted to impress. Or make jealous. Whatever.”

Noah gives me a knowing look. “Listen, did he say he has unfinished business with the ex-boyfriend?”

“No…”

“Then that’s probably just in your head, which, by the way, is very interesting.” Noah pops a crisp into his mouth. “Jealous much?”

I roll my eyes. But this time, I keep from saying anything else that Noah might analyze. The man doesn’t need more material than what he has already.

“And he didn’t mention returning your suit?” Noah asks.

“No. He’s probably too busy to think about things like that. And he has this terrifying assistant who I’m sure would do it for him. It’s probably still at the dry cleaner. Or who knows.”

Noah sits up straight, counting off on his fingers. “First, you need to ring him and apologize for being an arse. Second, you need to make arrangements to get your suit back this week so you don’t go naked to the wedding and create more scandal. Third, you need to see him again on another fake date because you spoiled the last one.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.” I shake my head, grim-faced. “I can’t see him again. I’m too embarrassed. And I’m sure he probably hates me now, anyway.”

“I’m gonna wager that, in fact, he’s into you.”

“Not a chance. He thinks I’m a failed artist. And that I don’t know what I’m doing, fresh out of uni.”

“Did he say that?”