Chapter Twenty-Four
The twins left fortheir classes, and Freya resumed her work at reception after having folded the towels that Ciaran had thrown carelessly away.She was thinking just how good they both made her feel, and maybe for the first time she thought they had a future.She just didn’t know how, but they did seem to manage quite well in the present.
Would they be content in working at a gym all their life?Would they want more of life?Was she hindering them somehow?
Stop that!If they could hear you...
Luckily, like they never ceased to tell her, they weren’t inside her head, so they didn’t know the road her thoughts were taking.
A clearing of the throat caught her attention.Looking up from the computer, she met Jon’s embarrassed expression, who offered her a half-smile.
“Hi, Freya.Can I...Can we...”He cleared his throat again before blurting out, “Look, I’m sorry, I ...I was out of line.Can we please start over?”
He was so embarrassed that Freya smiled.
“Of course.”
He smiled as well, relief clear in his eyes.Then he asked, quietly, “Would it be too much to ask you out for coffee again?”
“Someday, of course,” she said, smiling brightly.His smile faltered.
“Someday, but not today,” he said, disheartened.
She smiled again and said, “No, not today.I already have plans for today, I’m sorry.”Dinner at Everly’s, more precisely.And she had the feeling that if she didn’t go, the twins would end up taking her anyway.
“Tomorrow, then?”
“Tomorrow at five,” she agreed.He smiled also, and his smile was so wide, so expansive, that it seemed to light up the room.That's how Declan found them, when he came to escort two young men who had just left the ring.
“You seem happy, little one,” he said in that deep voice that never ceased to give Freya goosebumps.“And who might you be?”he asked, his expression unintelligible.
Jon seemed surprised and said, stuttering a bit, “Didn’t we meet the day before yesterday?”
“We did?”Declan smiled, leisurely.“Don’t remember...”
Freya patted him lightly on the shoulder and laughed.
“Don’t be mean.Jon just asked me out for coffee again.”
Something changed in Declan’s eyes, but it was so fast, Freya doubted she’d seen what she thought she had seen.Jon already seemed uncomfortable under Declan’s merciless gaze and left, muttering something about having to go to high school.
“Isn’t he a little old to be in high school?”asked Declan, dragging his tongue as if he were tasting something particularly unpleasant.
“He’s a teacher there.And you, be nice.I already told you about him.”
“Actually, little one, you didn’t.Ciaran did.”His eyes softened and he kissed her cheek.“But I’ll let you go off the hook, this time.”
