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‘I can understand why you’re worried,’ she said.
‘Thank God someone agrees with me. Jeremy has some doubts, but he believes that they’re genuinely in love.’
‘It does happen, you know. People do fall in love.’
‘Not that quickly. It’s nothing but lust. Which is not a recipe for marital happiness. You need to be best friends as well as lovers. Soul mates, for want of a better word.’
‘In an idealistic world, perhaps. Life is not always quite so accommodating.’
‘I suppose so. I have an awful feeling that Sergio loves Bella, but that she’s only in it for the money. Being a billionaire is not always an advantage when it comes to finding true love.’
‘Well, you don’t have to worry about that, Alex. You’re not interested in finding true love.’
‘You are absolutely correct. That kind of love is not for me.’
Harriet wondered just why Alex was so against falling in love. He must have been badly hurt at one stage to feel so strongly about it. Before she could come to any conclusion, he turned and smiled at her.
‘The turn-off for Taree is coming up. What say we get off the freeway and go have some lunch?’
Chapter Fifteen
IT WAS AFTER five before Alex pulled up outside her flat. Harriet was annoyed with herself when she asked him if he’d like to come up for a cup of coffee. What had happened to her resolve to keep some control over their affair and her own silly self? To invite him into her home was a foolish move. But it was done now.
Of course, he said yes, that big, bad wolf smile on his face.
At least he carried her bag up the stairs for her, her flat being on the second floor of the rather ancient red-brick building. There were eight units in all, hers at the front of the building facing east, though not with an ocean view, being a couple of streets back from the beach.
‘Nice place you’ve got here, Harry,’ Alex said even before she’d shown him inside. He knew she owned it. She’d said so when he’d interviewed her.
‘I like it,’ she replied, fishing out her key and opening the front door.
‘Very nice,’ he said once he went inside and glanced around.
His compliment pleased her, Harriet being on the house-proud side, something she’d learned from her mother, who had instilled in her daughter good habits when it came to keeping her home clean and tidy. Harriet’s good taste in furniture and furnishings, however, was something she’d learned for herself after coming to Sydney. Selling expensive real estate did give one a yearning for having nice things around.
Her two-bedroomed flat wasn’t overly large, but by painting all the walls and ceilings white, and not overfurnishing the rooms, she’d achieved the effect of making it look larger than it was. Both the kitchen and bathrooms were white, but that was not her doing. They’d been renovated shortly before she’d bought the place.
‘Could you point me to the bathroom, Harry?’ Alex asked.
She did, reminding him that the light in there wasn’t working due to her poor DIY skills.
‘Give me a bulb, then,’ Alex said. ‘I’ll fix it while I’m here. You go make the coffee.’
He joined her in the kitchen a couple of minutes later. ‘All fixed,’ he said.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I didn’t realise you would be such a good handyman.’
He laughed. Not a happy laugh. More a dry one. ‘When you grow up living in government housing, you learn to do all minor repairs yourself. If there was one thing Dad did teach me growing up, it was how to change light bulbs and tap washers. I can also fix leaking toilets and blocked drains. So, if your kitchen sink ever gets blocked up...’ he added, smiling wryly.
‘I will call a plumber,’ Harriet finished for him, at the same time wondering if Alex had called his dad today like he promised last night. She hadn’t heard him do so. Still, it really wasn’t her business to remind him. It wasn’t like they were at work, when she often reminded him to do things. He could be forgetful at times. Oh, Lord, maybe she should say something...
‘You’re frowning,’ he said. ‘On top of that, you’ve stopped making the coffee. What gives?’
Harriet turned to look at him. ‘I’m worried that you might have forgotten to ring your dad. You promised him last night that you would call him today.’
Alex shook his head at her. ‘I should never have told you about him.’
‘Well, you did,’ she replied, feeling quite angry with his attitude. ‘And I’m glad you did. Now at least I know that you’re human, with personal problems like the rest of us.’
