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‘Single.’
A smile spreads across his face. ‘I guess not. Not any more, anyway.’
* * *
‘Tell me about the workplace romance thing,’ he says to me as I’m preparing dinner for us on Sunday evening. After a bit of negotiation, he’s agreed to give the caravan a try, and I’m a little nervous. The sex bit will be good, I know that, but being in the same bed as him all night is another big step we seem to be taking very quickly. What if he snores? What if I do, but Lee never noticed? He was always a pretty heavy sleeper.
I explain the rules that Orchestra had about workplace romances, and how Lee and I had to stay under the radar even when we lived together.
‘How does that work, though?’ he asks. ‘Surely people saw you arriving together and worked it out?’
‘We didn’t arrive together. On the rare days that we were both going to be in the office, he would drive in and I would take the bus.’
‘Sorry, are you seriously telling me that he wouldn’t even drive you in? What kind of man lets his girlfriend take the bus when he’s going to the exact same location? He could have made up a story about picking you up on his way in if you didn’t want them to know the truth. It’s weird enough that your employer gets to dictate who you can and cannot date, but when your boyfriend won’t even give you a lift to work, that’s proper fucked up.’
‘I get it when you say it like that. It seemed normal at the time.’
‘Hm. Are you up for a challenge?’
‘I’m not sure. What do you have in mind?’
‘I’d like to give you a lift to work tomorrow morning.’
‘I don’t know,’ I tell him. ‘Isn’t that being a bit provocative?’
‘Who would we be provoking, exactly? As I told you yesterday, most people will have worked it out on Friday, and I can guarantee that none of them will care. Those who do will probably be happy that everything is back to normal and they don’t have to walk on eggshells around us any more. Do you trust me?’
‘Of course I trust you. I’m not in the habit of getting naked with people I don’t trust. It’s just a big step, that’s all.’
‘So going to bed with me was an easy decision, but going to work with me is a big step that you need to think about?’
I consider what he’s said as I start to assemble the salad to go with the steaks I bought to soften the blow that he’s staying with me rather than the other way around. Rationally, I know that what he’s saying is true, but I’ve become so used to keeping my relationship under wraps that it seems dangerous to be so open, somehow. I decide to put it out of my mind for now and deal with it in the morning. Noah seems to sense that he’s gone as far as he can with this one, and also lets it drop.
‘Can I ask you another question?’ he says some time later. He’s washing up, and I’m standing behind him with my arms wrapped around his chest. We both know what’s going to happen when the washing up is done, and I am looking forward to it immensely.
‘Of course.’ I nuzzle the back of his neck and silently wish he’d just leave the dishes because the barely detectable scent of his shower gel is putting disturbingly graphic pictures of water cascading over his naked body into my mind and getting me more than a little hot under the collar.
‘I’m going to visit my parents next weekend. How would you feel about coming with me?’
I’m totally unprepared for what he’s just said, and it actually makes me a little uncomfortable. Although I know Noah pretty well, the romantic part of our relationship is still very new. If the tour of Kent and our first kiss was, say, step one, and going to bed was step two, meeting the parents has got to be step five or six. Noah is definitely jumping the gun on this one.
‘Oh, wow,’ I say, gently detaching myself from him. ‘It’s quite soon. Are you sure you want to be introducing me to your family so early? What if they hate me?’
‘Why would they hate you?’ He seems genuinely puzzled.
‘I don’t know, but it happens, and it would make things awkward, don’t you think?’
‘Is this all about your previous boyfriend, like the workplace romance thing?’
‘No. Lee’s parents loved me.’
‘And mine will too, I’m sure.’
‘I don’t know, Noah. This all seems to be going very fast.’
‘Hey, no pressure at all. If you’re not ready, that’s fine. We can do it later. I suppose I’m just keen for them to meet this amazing woman I’m dating.’
‘Dating?’ I can’t help but laugh.
