Page 52 of Asking For a Friend

Lando’s face has turned almost as red as his hair. I don’t take my eyes off him as I answer the little girl. “It’s when you find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. It means you want to keep them.”

She studies Lando with a look of concentration that has her eyebrows virtually joining. “Are you Uncle Hesketh’s keeper?”

Lando hunkers down to Esme’s height. “I hope so.” He smiles and looks at me, then back to her. “Is that okay?”

She nods and claps her hands. “Yes, because I get to have another uncle, and I get to be a bridesmaid. Mummy says so.”

Sophie mutters words that sound an awful lot like ‘kill me now’.

“I would love to be your uncle, sweetie, but I don’t think Uncle Hesketh and I will be getting married soon. If we do, I promise you can be a bridesmaid.”

Esme throws her arms around Lando’s neck, almost knocking him on his arse, then rushes off, shouting out to her sister. I hold out my hand, which he grabs, and pull him upright again. “I’d marry you in a heartbeat,” I whisper to him.

“There’s no rush. Having you is enough.”

I kiss the soft spot below his ear, relishing the shiver that runs through him.

“Dinner,” Ellis calls out, breaking the moment.

Lando chats animatedly with Sophie’s mum, another fan of his books. It’s easy to see why his readers love him so much. If he reacts like this to them, he makes friends and fans for life. I’m sitting next to one of Sophie’s friends, Gideon, another retired model. He tells me about his travels with his husband, Theo. Would Lando like to travel? Maybe he’s too committed to his writing and publishing that he won’t take time off. Or he goes to so many book signings that he’s glad to stay home.

“It was the best thing we’ve ever done, and getting married in Hawaii was the pinnacle of the year. Although our friends gave us hell for it.” Gideon clasps Theo’s hand and kisses the knuckles.

Sophie’s dad, Graeme, says my name. “What have I done now?”

“Lando’s too damn good for you. We’re going to keep him.”

Lando’s cheeks are pink. It could be the wine, but he looks happier than I’ve ever seen him. Surrounded by people who love and accept him. He sure is a keeper. “I don’t think you can keep him as satisfied as me, old man.”

“Hesketh!” Lando hisses.

“Just keeping it real, babe.” I blow him a kiss.

“I’m too drunk to make it up the stairs. Gonna sleep on the sofa,” Lando slurs as his foot misses the bottom step for the third time.

“Nope, c’mon, I’ll help. Just think how comfortable your new bed is. It’s waiting for you, baby.” I coax and cajole him up each step until we make it into his bedroom, and he collapses face down on the bed, his legs hanging off the edge.

“Great day, Hesk, bloody brilliant day.” And he passes out. I strip him out of his clothes and wrangle his body into the bed, unable to keep the smile off my face.

After setting the alarm on my phone, I climb in next to him and fall into a deep sleep.

“Make it stop.” A muffled groan comes from under a pillow. “I’m dying, and I hate you and all your friends.”

I peel a corner of the pillow away from Lando’s face. “No, you don’t. You love me, and I’m sorry to tell you, but we have to get up. We have a holiday to get to. Just think, winter sunshine and our own villa to sprawl out in.”

“I’ve changed my mind. It was a terrible idea.” He opens one eye and groans again.

Lando has arranged for Connor to come and house-sit and look after Flanaghan, and we have time to get to my place and sling some summer clothes into a case and get to the airport. I push the pillow away from him, earning a glower and a pout. I didn’t even know that was possible, so I drop a kiss on his nose. “Go and have a shower. You’ll feel better after.”

Ten minutes later, Lando shuffles into the kitchen, sags down on one of the chairs, and lets out a satisfied sigh as he picks up his tea. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“You look better. How’s your head?” He rocks his hand from side to side, so I push a packet of paracetamol towards him. “Do you want some breakfast?”

“Not yet. This is enough for now.” He lifts his face for a kiss. “I had a great time yesterday. Thank you for including me.”

“They loved you. I think you may be their new favourite. Finish your tea. We have to go.”

By the time we reach Heathrow, Lando is back to his normal self and positively vibrating with excitement. And not only because we’re going on a holiday. He’s keeping something from me. It becomes apparent when he opens his phone at the check-in desk and gives me a wink.

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