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On Daniil’s part, there was unease that he might care about her.
It hurt to care and he avoided that at all costs.
She went through her bag, where thankfully she had fresh underwear and she pulled it on as Daniil selected a fresh shirt and suit.
She tied up her hair and, even though she could feel his impatience, she took her time putting on her lipstick so she could at least look as if nothing had taken place.
She did that odd little wave at the door and got his grim smile in return.
She had that same feeling of having stepped out of a movie theatre as she came out of his office. Cindy’s desk was empty. Presumably she was at lunch and there was no sign of the client he was waiting for.
The worst thing about seeing him was the parting.
She never knew if this was it.
CHAPTER SIX
DANIIL DIDN’T CALL HER.
He woke one morning, more than a week after she had stopped by his office, and lay in his bed, thinking. He didn’t like how at any given hour his mind drifted to her, how he worried about whether or not she was okay, how he lay there wondering what she was feeling and also how he had to fight himself not to get in touch.
So after several moments doing his best not to think about Libby he went out and poured himself a long glass of water and checked his phone and scrolled through contacts.
Tonight he would go out, he decided.
Libby Tennent had occupied way too much of his headspace of late.
He pulled on some shorts and went into the room he hadn’t allowed her to go into.
No one came in here, not even his domestic. This was strictly his space and he took care of it himself.
It was more than a gym, it was his sanctuary. There were training mats, punch bags and weights. This morning he did consider going to the club that he went to on occasion—they knew nothing about him, there he was Dan the moody Russian.
There, he taught kids drills and could spar with others, but he didn’t feel like seeing anyone today.
He warmed up and then took a rope and skipped till he would usually be panting for breath, then he worked on some rhythm drills but he could not focus.
His mind was elsewhere.
He looked at the ledge and there was the thing she had brought him and next to it... Daniil took a drink and then walked over and picked up a very old photo.
Twenty years old, because he had been ten when it had been taken.
There he was, a slight smile on his mouth, excited that Sergio had brought in the camera, and that he was having his first photo taken.
Roman was next to him, unsmiling, and Daniil could remember every word of the conversation.
‘Come on, Roman,’ Sergio had said. ‘Smile, you’re going to be famous. This photo will be worth a lot one day—The Zverev twins.’
‘When do we get to fight?’ Roman had asked. That had been all he’d wanted to know.
‘Soon,’ Sergio had said.
For it had been a case of drills, more drills.
Daniil put down the photo and then picked up the card Libby had given him. He hadn’t read it while she’d been there, instead it had remained unopened after she had gone, but curiosity finally won and he opened the envelope.
Thank you for making my dreams a reality.
Libby
He read it several times, searching for the inference, the little trip of guilt, a demand for more.
Was she talking about the dance school or their night together?
He closed the card and went to put it back on the shelf and then he saw a little postscript she had written on the back of the card.
Both...
She had answered his question.
He could almost see her chewing her pen before adding it.
Yes, he wanted to call her.
Instead, he put on gloves and went to the punch bag and reminded himself why he would not.
He thought of the upcoming anniversary party.
His cousin would be there, of course, smarming up to them.
Daniil didn’t give a toss about the inheritance, more it was the thought of that greedy, cruel man getting a free ride that galled him.
‘Face it, Daniel,’ George had often said. ‘You just don’t fit in.’
Daniil could hear his cousin’s voice as he took his anger out on the punch bag.
From the day you got here Aunt Katherine realised her mistake.
Oh, the punch bag earned its keep this morning as he recalled George’s words.
Have you noticed how she blanches when she introduces you as her son?
But the worst one, the one that still hurt even now, especially now, was the one that held him back from pursuing a relationship—This used to be such a happy home until you came on the scene.
