AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He grinned and launched into a story about his job. Surprisingly, given that he was a financial services expert, he was funny and interesting. Aurora found the evening passed quickly, and though she felt nothing for him but amicable appreciation, she was glad to have another friend.
“May I see you home?” He asked, holding the door to a cab open for her. She slid in, and nodded up at him.
“No. I’ll drop you off. I’m out of your way.”
He paused and she rolled her eyes. “Hop in. It’s a non-date, remember? Usual rules don’t apply.”
“You’re the boss.”
6
“Everything will be perfect,” Aurora promised, but her stomach was filled with butterflies. With less than a week until the wedding, she and Beatrice had decamped to Farnley, to oversee the final wedding preparations. And when she should have been concentrating on string quartets and Salvia arrangements, she was instead constantly bracing herself for his arrival.
Leonardo was expected that day, and until she saw him, Aurora knew she would not be able to think of anything else.
“I know.” Beatrice smiled with total self-possession, her pretty face crinkling into a broad smile. “It’s all completely organised. I simply cannot wait!”
Aurora laughed. “You might be the happiest bride that’s ever been.”
“I think so,” she agreed. “How can I not be?” She looked down at her ring and sighed. “Isn’t Pete amazing?”
“He is,” Aurora agreed good-naturedly.
“How are things with Alec?”
Aurora lifted a sandwich and bit into it to save herself from answering.
“Rors? You guys have been seeing each other for a while. Is it getting serious?”
“Not really,” she said with total honesty. “We just like spending time together.”
In fact, Alec had been incredibly patient with her. In the almost six months they’d been not-dating, he hadn’t once tried to push their relationship to the next level. He’d been true to his word, as a friend and confidant, and now she wasn’t sure she could imagine her life without him.
“But you like him?”
She shook her head. “Yeah, of course. He’s a really sweet man, Bea. Just completely nice. Funny. Thoughtful.”
“And gorgeous,” Beatrice said with a pointed lift of her brows.
“Yes. Nice to look at.”
“And you have a lot in common.”
‘Yes, I guess so.”
Beatrice compressed her lips in silent exasperation. “I don’t get it? What’s the problem? Is he bad in bed?”
Aurora’s cheeks flushed. “Bea! Come on. We’re not… it’s not like that.”
“Not like what?” Her eyes narrowed. “You guys have been seeing each other, what? Most weekends for the better part of six months?”
“As friends.” She pretended fascination with a stubborn piece of ribbon on one of the flower girls’ baskets. “Just friends.”
Beatrice reached out and put a hand on Aurora’s arm. “Aurora Jones, look at me.”
Aurora bit down on her lip as she lifted her ice-blue eyes to her friend’s enquiring gaze.
“What the hell is going on?”
