“Sooo,” Jana’s voice perks up behind me as I return to the nurses’ desk. She’s sorting through paperwork, a gleam in her eyes. “You’re getting food delivery from hot footballers now, huh? Not a bad night to be Katherine Lennox.”
Rolling my eyes, I grab my next patient’s chart. “Shut up. He was just being nice. I told you, it’s casual.”
I turn on my heel and start walking away.
“Darling,” she calls after me. “‘Casual’ ended when he showed up with two fast food orders just to please you.”
I keep walking, pretending I didn’t hear her, but blast it—she might be right. I am falling for Archie in a very uncasual way, and that is a real problem.
Chapter 21
"Well, as placeholder-boyfriends go, I’d say I’m killing it.”
Archie
I’m slouched on my sofa, one arm slung over the backrest, as I fight to muster up the willpower to cook something that isn’t toast or cereal. The room is quiet, broken only by the low murmur of the match preview playing on TV, and the fading golden light of evening spills through the window.
Then, a knock.
My head shoots up. No buzz, which means that whoever it is already had access to the building. Considering I don’t know many people here, that narrows it down to exactly one person.
I swing the door open, already smiling.
“Kat, hey.”
She’s balancing three stacked pizza boxes with a triumphant grin. “I come bearing pizza,” she announces. “I hope you’re hungry.”
I let out a low laugh. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
Taking the boxes from her with one hand, I loop the other around her waist, drawing her into my flat—and into me. She’s soft against my chest. I press a light kiss to her lips, then plant another, slower this time, just under her jaw. Her laughter vibrates against my chest.
“Just repaying you for the outstanding meal you brought me a couple days ago,” she says, toeing off her trainers as she steps into the foyer. “It’s been a while since I’ve had such a nice break at work. Thank you again.”
She stands on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to mine, and I can’t help but deepen the kiss. I only saw her briefly yesterday, and I’ve missed her. I know we said we were casually dating, but isn’t that how all relationships start? Or are there really people out there who decide from Day 1 that it’s going to be serious?
“I was afraid you’d already had dinner,” she says, pulling back. “There was a long line at Pizza Express.”
“As there should be.” I nod solemnly. “And no, I was too lazy to get up from my sofa and make dinner. Tragic, huh?”
I stretch, pulling my arms overhead as I let out a yawn that makes Kat snort.
“Sorry,” I say. “Grueling training today. Do you want something to drink?”
I bring over two drinks, a stack of napkins, and the pizza boxes to the coffee table. Kat is already curled into the corner of the couch, legs folded beneath her, hoodie sleeves tugged over her hands.
“I was about to watch the Manchester-Liverpool match,” I say, picking up the remote. “But I’m sure we can find something better to—”
“No, we can watch it,” she says, flipping open the box closest to her and inhaling deeply. “I don’t mind. Never watched anyone but the Regents play. Maybe I’ll like this team better.”
My mouth falls open. “You didnotjust say that.”
She presses her lips together, her eyes teasing. “Why? It’s only fair to the other teams, don’t you think?”
“Nope,” I deadpan. “You’re with me—casual or not—which means you have no choice but to be a Regents fan. That’s just how it is.”
She arches oneperfectly shaped brow. “Mmm, I don’t know.”
“Well,Iknow, so trust me on this one.” I wink. “You don’t see me cheering on St. Jude’s surgeons now, do you? Only St. Mark’s. It’s called loyalty.”
