‘When was the last time?’
Oh, what the hell. It’s not like I’m trying to impress him. ‘I watch it every day.’
He blows his cheeks. ‘Everyday?’
‘It’s my comfort watch.’
A thoughtful smile stretches across his face. It’s really beautiful. I kind of want to sit on it.
No.
‘You, Jules Butler, are nostalgic as hell,’ he decides, picking through my jewellery. He’s moving things and it’s stressing me out, but it’s not like he’d stop if I asked him to.
My voice is small. ‘A little.’
‘It’s ok, I am too. Nice to know your hobbies aren’t limited to stealing the Moon and leading an army of Minions.’
‘Hey!’ I retort, but it makes me smile.
‘How’d you feel about Disney Channel movies?’
I’m quiet and laughter builds in his chest.
‘You so watchedCamp Rocklast week.’
I fight a grin, anxiety from him running his fingers through my necklaces slinking into the background. ‘Did not.’The Lizzie Maguire Movieis a different thing.
‘DidThe Cheetah Girlsmake it to the UK?’ He moves onto my perfumes. ‘I remember liking the hot Latina.’
‘How do you know all this? You’re not exactlyThe Cheetah Girls’target audience.’
‘Hello, did you not hear Isa on the flight? What part of I have seven sisters is so hard to grasp?’
Sevensisters. I don’t think I’ll ever get my head around that. ‘But you also have four brothers,’ I point out.
‘Not near me I don’t. I’m in the middle of five girls, and the two above me are twins. Have you ever tried saying no to a Latina? You’ve met Isa, you get it.’
I’ll give: that is a rough deal.
‘Ok.’ Sober up, girl, you have a job to do. Focus on the agenda. ‘First up, let’s talk about what you’re wearing to the gala.’ I tap the back of an upholstered chair.
He’s moved on to perusing my books and distractedly mutters, ‘Sure.’
As much as Ihate him reorganising my stuff, I’m grateful for the distance. I can appreciate him without the proximity making me dizzy. I sit and grab my laptop.
He taps a framed photo of me, Minnie and Ash at a theme park for Minnie’s sixteenth birthday. ‘You look different here.’
On reflex, I say, ‘It’s the nose.’
My breath catches in my throat. I cannot believe I just said that to him.
‘I meant like…’ he rocks on his feet, ‘lighter.’
Oh god oh god.
Quickly moving on. ‘Or shall we start with Leone’s content strategy instead? In your voice note, you mentioned?—’
That sparks something. ‘Yes!’ He comes over and the scent of him blindsides me. Why couldn’t he smell like BO? ‘If I have to do one more dumbass TikTok for Leone, I’m going to rip my hair out.’
