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‘I’m glad I’ve made it all so convenient for you,’ she called to his back, but instantly regretted her words. Because, watching his demeanour change, she knew her embarrassment had made her lash out in a way that wasn’t fair.
Still, he quickly rallied.
‘Convenient?’ Galen checked. ‘That’s the last word I’d use to describe you.’ He looked right at her. ‘But do turn me into the bad guy here if it helps, Roula.’
‘Meaning...?’
‘Roula.’ Galen was sharp. ‘I have walked many people to their door, the lanes here don’t always allow for car access, and...’
‘And what?’
‘I’m saying that if, say, I walked Dora or Kristina to their door and they asked me to kiss them...’ He thought for a moment. ‘Well, the answer would be no. And I can’t even envisage a time I’d be lying in bed with either of them...’ He gave a little shudder at the thought. ‘I’m not a tap you can turn on and off. We had great sex and now, for whatever reason, you’re regretting it.’
‘I regret that you lied in the first place.’
‘I’ve already apologised for that,’ Galen said. ‘But I’m not apologising for kissing you, nor for our having sex. I gave up self-flagellation a long time ago.’
‘Along with your morals?’
‘I’m not the one wearing a wedding ring,’ Galen pointed out. ‘I’m not the one feeling guilty because I happened to enjoy it.’
‘Well, it won’t be happening again.’
‘Probably for the best,’ Galen agreed. ‘This Monday morning post-mortem kind of takes the shine off it a bit—even if it is a week late. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d really like to get on with my work.’
Yetstillhe couldn’t.
He had never second-guessed himself over sex but there he sat in his office, doing a Dora and pretending to work, but really he was just staring at the screen.
There was something wrong, something missing... It was a problem he could not solve, and for once it had nothing to do with numbers.
Kristina had had her baby—bang on her due date, of course—and it was Galen who told her.
‘Hey, Roula.’
He came to her door wearing a really nice smile. He looked all scruffy in black, and up-all-night-looking, and she wanted to run to him.
‘Yes, Galen?’
‘Kristina just called,’ he told her. ‘The baby is here...’
‘And?’
‘Sorry...’ He turned away. ‘I thought you would like to know.’
God, had she changed so much that he thought she would give such a surly response to the news?
‘Galen?’ She called him back. ‘I meant and is there more information?’
‘Oh, mother and baby are well.’
It was like trying to get mustard from an empty jar.
‘What did she have?’
‘A boy. But we knew that.’
‘I didn’t.’ Roula shook her head. ‘Do you want me to get a gift?’
