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‘She’s one ofthosegirls, isn’t she? She walks around like we’re all beneath her, and she gets everything she wants. All you boys are just lining up to help her, like she’s some broken bird, especially now that she’s single. Even Chris and Harry. She’s constantly up there, having meetings and doing whatever else.’
‘That’s because she’s leading the Zambia project.’
‘Exactly. Why’s she on the Zambia project? Jane has worked in events much longer than she has.’
‘Can we not talk about Ariella?’
‘This is my point. Why are you defending her?’
‘I’m not. I’m trying to spend time with you and not talk about my housemate.’
‘Wait. Am I here because she isn’t?’
‘Yes. I mean no. It’s just hard to do this with someone else in the house.’
‘I think I will tire of being your rag doll soon, Caleb. Everything you do to me, hurts.’
A silence falls between us, and we barely speak for the rest of the evening. It’s an experience I’m not keen to repeat.
I wake up the next morning to the sound of the coffee grinder and Nicole moving around the kitchen, wrapped in a towel.
‘Morning. How did you sleep?’ she asks, almost apologetically.
‘Good. It’s a comfy couch. There’s pain auchocolat in the freezer, if you want some.’ I grab my phone and see that it’s too late to go for a run. ‘I’ll shower in Ariella’s bathroom.’
Nicole laughs. ‘You can use your own shower, Caleb. It’s not like there are any surprises between us.’
I am rinsing the shampoo out of my hair when I hear Nicole and feel her place her hands on my shoulder blades. I turn to face her.
She perches on her tiptoes to kiss me. I kiss her back and her hands snake round my neck. Her perfect body presses against mine and the familiarity of her skin feels glorious. My hands caress her waist and stay there.
‘I’m sorry I was so angry with you yesterday. I was just fed up with the games we’ve been playing,’ she whispers.
‘I know. I haven’t been very good to you.’
Nicole’s hand moves down my back and makes its way round my hips. I know where she is going and I instinctively step back quickly.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asks with confusion flooding her face.
‘Things aren’t going to get healthier between us if we do this right now, Nicole. Let’s try without it?’
I know that I have bruised her as she silently leaves. I turn off the hot water and stand under the ice-cold spray for as long as I can take it. By the time I step out she is gone.
I purposely sit next to Nicole in the 10a.m. meeting. She is stony-faced until I drape my hand round her shoulders in front of everyone. She relaxes after a while and gives me a smile. I smile back, until I catch Lara scowling at us, a few rows behind.
‘You’re so cute,’ I exaggeratedly mouth at Lara before sending a wink and air-kiss in her direction.
She clenches her fist before flipping me off. Ariella, sitting next to her, catches her mid-offence and puts her hand over Lara’s finger to cover it up. She looks up to see who Lara is insulting and gives me an apologetic smile. Nicole chooses that point, of course, to look behind her to see who I am looking at.
Ariella gives her a small smile. The thunderous look Nicole gives me is no laughing matter.
‘Settle down, folks, let’s get to it!’ Harrison walks in, quieting the chatty room. ‘Caleb, this isn’t secondary school. You and Nicole can PDA elsewhere, and only after you’ve spoken to HR; though I understand that horse has bolted.’ Harrison shoots us a pointed look and the room chuckles. Nicole covers her eyes in embarrassment, even though I can tell she is delighted.
‘Right, I’ll start. We’re definitely going ahead with the Zambia project!’
The whoops and claps come thick and fast from the sales team. ‘I know – right?’ he follows up, looking pleased with himself. ‘But it’s a tough one. I’m off to Zambia with Ariella, over there, hiding in the corner, and we need to turn this thing round before the final client inspection in three months.’
Ariella shrinks in her corner as the whole room follows Harrison’s nose. I try not to laugh.
