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Shooting a last look at Payne, I followed him out of the room. “I’m not really dressed for this. I’ve got gym stuff in my bag, though. Where can I change?” He directed me to the changing rooms and disappeared into the sports hall. Once I was changed, I entered the large hall, dropping my bag at the side of the room. This was all unexpected, but I guess seeing the way Payne had interacted with the kids had inspired me or something. Shaking out my shoulders, I joined the boys. If only I’d been aware of this place when I was their age. Maybe my teenage years would have been more bearable if I’d been able to escape here in the evenings.
We’d been playing for about fifteen, twenty minutes when my gaze was drawn towards the doors. I stopped and stared as Payne sauntered in and sat down on one of the benches at the side of the room, crossing her long legs. She gave me a small wave, and I waved back. From a distance, if I didn’t know it was her, I’d be really fucking tempted to give her my number. But this was Payne. I shook my head and focused on the game.
12
Olivia
A mixture of anxiety and excitement churned through me as I studied my reflection in the harsh mirror lighting in the work toilets. I smoothed down my white silk shirt, tucking it into my smart black trousers. My hair was down and straightened, my makeup expertly applied. I looked ready for business, even if I didn’t quite feel like it. Luke and I were meeting Henry James, CEO of Delny Drinks, to go through the work we’d done on their rebranding. Mr. James had a formidable reputation, so I was nervous about meeting him and hoping he would be happy with our changes.
“Olivia?” I looked up from my screen at the sound of Ethan’s voice. “Luke won’t be in today, so I’m going to need you to do this morning’s Delny meeting without him. Eddie can assist you with anything you need, and if you want me to sit in on the meeting, I can.”
“What do you mean, he won’t be in? Is this a joke? He knows how important this is.” I winced at the shrill note in my voice.
“Liv,” he said gently, “Martha passed away yesterday. It’s hit Luke pretty hard.”
My whole body stilled, and pain filled my chest. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, Ethan. I know she meant a lot to him, didn’t she?”
Ethan nodded, sadness in his eyes. “Yeah. She was the closest thing he had to a relative. A relative that cared about him, anyway.”
A bit of the ice surrounding my heart melted. “Does he have anyone there with him?”
“I don’t think so, no.”
“You mean he’s all alone?” My tone was horrified.
“He didn’t want me there, or Alex for that matter. He knows where we are when he’s ready.”
“But. He’s all alone.” I struggled to get my emotions in check. “Ethan, you’re a man, so I’ll excuse your cluelessness. But everybody needs someone to lean on when they’re in pain. Someone to support them and hold them up when they don’t feel strong enough.”
Ethan gaped at my impassioned rant, then studied me so intently I shifted, uncomfortable with his intense scrutiny.
“Okay. I’ll text you his address. You can finish at 4:00 p.m. today and make up for it by staying late tomorrow.”
“Sorry, what? You’re saying I should go over there?” I shook my head in disbelief.
“Yes. You said it, I’m a clueless man.” He shrugged. “Go, but I want you to promise me one thing.”
I gulped as his eyes narrowed.
“Do not upset him. If you’re right, and he does want or need company, then you give that to him. But you are not, under any circumstances, allowed to bicker, argue, or upset him in any way. Do I make myself clear?”
“Ethan, I’m not stupid. Fine, I’ll go there. And I would never intentionally upset anyone who’s hurting, and frankly I’m insulted that you would think me capable of that.”
Ethan sighed. “Sorry, Liv. I know you wouldn’t. Just…be gentle with him, okay? I know it doesn’t always seem like it, but he does have a heart.”
Concentrating on breathing in and out, I willed myself to calm down. When I was capable of speech again, I said, “I promise I’ll be gentle. Anyway, all this worry may be for nothing. He probably won’t even open the door to me.”
Ethan gave me an inscrutable look.
“Oh, I think he will.”
Luke’s flat was in a stunning red-brick converted warehouse in the Shoreditch district. I double-checked his flat number and pressed the buzzer, my heart racing. There was no answer, so I waited for a full minute, then pressed again, holding the buzzer down longer this time. Still no answer. I pondered on what to do next, awkwardly fiddling with my phone while I stood on the doorstep of the block of flats. The door suddenly swung inward, making me jump, and two women stepped through.
I grabbed my chance. “Excuse me,” I muttered and slipped through the door before it closed behind them. The women didn’t even notice me, too wrapped up in their conversation to be aware of their surroundings.
Taking a moment to get my bearings, I looked around the entrance hall and saw a staircase to the left. There didn’t appear to be a lift, and Luke’s flat number was 24a, which meant I had a long walk to the top.
By the time I reached Luke’s door, my thighs were burning and I was breathless. I guess I should start doing cardio one of these days. Composing myself, I took a deep breath and knocked, the sound echoing down the corridor. The door abruptly opened and, unprepared, I almost fell into the apartment. I managed to steady myself on the door frame and raised my eyes to meet Luke’s. The raw, unguarded pain in them took my breath away.
