AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘What are you, deaf?’ Becker asks, and I cringe. The pub is still super quiet, all attention pointing at us. ‘I already told you, it’s not your concern. Run along now.’
‘I’m going nowhere.’ David laughs. ‘This is my local.’
‘Time to leave, David,’ Paul pipes up, walking around the bar. I follow his path and watch him open the door.
‘This isn’t done, Elle.’ David says, and I look at Becker briefly, as if checking he’s listening. ‘You know it, and I know it.’
I remain quiet, but Becker shifts on his stool, drawing breath. ‘Trust me,’ he says calmly, giving my ex a death stare. ‘It’s done.’ He’s his usual beautiful self, dressed to impress in a dark grey charcoal suit. I wish I’d never looked at him.
I turn back to face the bar and close my eyes to gather some strength, guzzling some more wine, hoping to douse the building unease simmering in my gut. ‘Please go,’ I murmur, hearing hushed whispers beginning to break out, no doubt everyone surmising who Becker is.
‘I’m going nowhere until you agree to come with me.’ I can feel his eyes drilling into my profile.
‘You’ll be waiting a long time.’
‘I’m in no rush,’ he whispers as his hand drifts over to my leg and rests on my kneecap. I whip it away, furious with my body for heating up with only a brief skimming touch. ‘I’ve spent years searching for a lump of marble that probably can’t be found, Eleanor. Do you think waiting for you is going to faze me?’ He finds my knee again and squeezes. ‘Especially since you want to be found, princess.’
‘I do not want to be found. I want to forget I ever met you.’
‘Liar.’
Paul presents himself behind the bar, eyeing my companion warily. ‘You okay there, Eleanor?’
‘Fine.’ All that held air in my lungs billows out. ‘He’s just leaving.’ I want to crawl into my wine glass and drown myself, especially when my mum hurries over. Oh my days, how am I going to explain him?
‘Eleanor, aren’t you going to introduce me?’ she asks, putting her hand out to Becker.
I watch as he takes it gently and shakes. I’ve lost the ability to speak, so I resort to watching helplessly as Becker bamboozles my mother with one of those disarming smiles and a flash of his sparkling angel eyes. ‘I’m Becker Hunt,’ he declares softly. ‘Eleanor’s boss.’
Mum breathes in her surprise and darts her eyes to me. The arsehole. I want to correct him, but my ability to talk doesn’t look like it’s returning anytime soon. I know what she’s thinking, and she would be right. I’ve managed to evade her questions but, thanks to Becker, I’m not going to be sidestepping them any longer.
‘Well, what a surprise,’ she gushes, nudging me in the shoulder. ‘Eleanor has told me so much about her new job, but she never mentioned you.’
Becker hums, and I contemplate ordering a bucket of wine so I literally can drown myself. ‘She likes to keep things business,’ he muses quietly, pulling my startled eyes to him.
‘And what about you?’ Mum asks cheekily. I’m suddenly swinging my incredulous look her way. She totally ignores my discomfort. What is she doing?
‘Mum,’ I prompt, but she flat out ignores me, too intrigued by the handsome man in our local. ‘Mum, it’s time to go.’
‘Well?’ Mum asks again, and I look at Becker, silently passing a message across, begging him to not feed her interest.
He looks at me and smiles, thinking hard about what he might say. It worries me. Then he sighs and returns his attention to my mum, who is still waiting for an answer. ‘I don’t want to keep it business, Mrs Cole. I want to be more than her boss.’
I should drop-kick his cheeky arse back to London. What the hell is he playing at?
Mum looks set to faint, her face going red with the pressure to keep her squeal of delight contained. ‘Get me another wine, Paul,’ she calls, patting the back of Becker’s hand. And I just stare at him, at a loss. ‘Eleanor, darling.’ Mum winks, her lips twisting into an excited smile. ‘You little bugger, you,’ she whispers, flouncing off to get her wine, lapping up the attention as she goes.
My body goes limp on my stool, and Becker leans into me, pushing his lips to my ear. I only just restrain my whimper as he breathes shallowly. ‘I’m going to wait outside for you, princess. If you’re not there in ten minutes, don’t think I won’t come back and collect you myself.’ He kisses my cheek gently and squeezes my knee. ‘Time’s up.’ He stands and walks away, fastening the button of his suit jacket as he goes. And what do I do? I join the rest of the women in the pub, including my mother, and admire his perfectly formed backside as he saunters away.
