Page 18 of From LA to London, With Love

Elliot lay on the floor in the living/dining area, watching us with interest while he chewed on a stuffed cow. I was enjoying our easy-going banter as we prepped the meal, washing and cutting vegetables, grinding the spices and making the lemon tahini dressing. We were a good team in the kitchen, although I kept getting distracted by my proximity to Sophie. She turned her head to smile at me, and my heart jumped. We bumped into each other reaching for the same knife, and a tingle shot up my arm.

Get a grip, Chris. She’s not available.

Since the picnic, I’d been trying to convince myself it was for the best she was gay. This way, there was no risk of me ruining our new friendship because of my feelings toward her, or having my heart broken again. All I needed now was for these damn feelings to disappear.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy. Sophie began telling me about her volunteering at the local youth LGBTQ+ center with her friend, Josh, her eyes flashing as she spoke enthusiastically about the young people she’d met. My chest fluttered. Damn, she was cute when she was excited.

Sophie stopped chopping and looked at me. “That reminds me, I’ve been meaning to ask…Would you have any interest in coming to karaoke with me and a few of my friends tomorrow night? We’re all terrible singers and have a tendency to get carried away, but it’s usually a lot of fun. No pressure at all if you’re not feeling it, but we’ve hired a private room at our favorite spot in Soho, so there’ll be a reasonable amount of privacy. We’re planning to meet at ten p.m.”

While pleased Sophie had invited me, the idea of going out in a crowded area like Soho and spending time with people I didn’t know, even if they were Sophie’s friends, sent my stomach into turmoil. I wondered if they’d seen the photos. I wondered if Sophie had seen the photos. I gave myself a mental shake.

Stop thinking about the photos.

But I loved karaoke. And I really needed to get used to being around people, especially strangers, given filming would start in a few weeks. And if Sophie’s friends were anything like her, I was bound to have a good time.

“That sounds fun. I’ve got a call with my family at nine p.m., so I’ll be a bit late, but I’ll be there.” My parents were having my half-sisters over for lunch, and I’d promised to Skype them all mid-afternoon Chicago time.

“Great! I’ll text you the details.” Sophie looked pleased. “Now, what do we need to do next?” She bent over the cookbook, studying it intently.

God, I loved the way she furrowed her brow and bit her lip when she focused on something. Snap out of it, Chris. She’s not interested in you, and she never will be.

A terrible odor, like rotting cabbage, hit me.

“What’s that smell? Something must have expired.” I started picking ingredients off the counter and sniffing them, trying to work out where it was coming from.

Sophie laughed. “Sorry, it’s Elliot. He’s been super gassy today. I gave him some beans last night for the first time, and his baby digestive tract is struggling. I’ll just check it’s not an actual poop.”

“I don’t know how something that small and cute can make a smell that bad.” I stared at Elliot, who looked back at me with wide, innocent eyes.

Sophie’s phone started vibrating.

“Tell me about it! Sorry, I’ll just get this.”

I returned to cutting carrots but looked up almost immediately when Sophie gasped. “Oh my god! Is he okay?” She paced around the open plan area, listening intently. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thanks for calling me.”

She put down her phone. “Shit!” Sophie looked at me while rubbing her forehead, concern splashed across her face.

“Is everything okay?”

“Josh was hit by an idiot on an electric scooter and is in hospital. It sounds like he’s concussed. They’re still doing scans to find out how bad it is. I’m sorry, I need to go to the hospital. His family cut him off when he came out, so I’m his emergency contact and the closest thing he has to family.”

“Of course. I’m so sorry. Can I do anything to help?”

Tears welled in Sophie’s eyes, and I fought the urge to throw my arms around her and comfort her.

She started packing up. “Crap. I wish my parents weren’t at work right now. I don’t know what to do about Elliot. It’ll take ages to get to the hospital on public transport, especially given how bad the weather is at the moment. It always slows things down.”

“How can I help? Can I call you an Uber?” I picked up my phone.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to get a taxi or an Uber with a child seat for him. And if I need to stay for a while, he’s going to get so cranky…If Josh has a head injury, the last thing he’ll want is to be greeted by a screaming baby.”

“Well, why don’t you leave him here with me? We can hang out together, can’t we, buddy?” I shot Elliot a tentative smile.

Elliot didn't look at all convinced it was a good idea. To be honest, neither was I. While I’d spent some time with my half-sisters’ kids when they were babies, I’d never been left alone unsupervised with one. At least Elliot seemed more comfortable with me since we’d played on the picnic rug yesterday.

“Are you sure?” Sophie looked at me as if she was sizing me up, trying to decide whether she could trust me to keep Elliot alive and well.

I nodded.