Page 31 of Long Story Short

I couldn’t look at Jake after Liv’s comment about Jake being like my client while we were here. It made our kiss feel inappropriate.

‘Well, anyway, we should probably prepare for the panel.’

‘Sure. I’m looking forward to it. Writing meet-cutes are my favourite part. I’ll save you a seat,’ Liv said. She turned to Jake. ‘Good luck!’ Then she faded away to the breakfast buffet.

I sagged in my chair. ‘Is it me or did that make you feel worried about what happened with us last night?’ I was nervous to ask, afraid he would say that we couldn’t kiss again, but also because that seemed like the right thing to do.

‘You’re not my agent but yeah, we are working together. I don’t want to hurt your career, Freya. I feel really bad that Hayley is so pissed off.’ Jake sighed. ‘But I can’t deny that I would like to kiss you again.’

‘Shh,’ I hushed him, looking around anxiously in case someone had heard him. ‘This is too public. And we should prepare for the meet-cute talk.’

‘Didn’t you say that your arrival at Heathrow would have made a good meet-cute?’ he asked. His eyes were twinkling again. I liked seeing this other side to Jake Richards. Although it was making me more attracted to him, which felt dangerous.

‘What when I was sprawled on the floor in front of you?’ I shook my head. ‘I can’t believe that didn’t put you off for life.’

‘It was the penis pencil that got me,’ he said, chuckling.

‘Yeah, my humiliation is hilarious,’ I said with an eye roll. But I couldn’t not smile back. ‘I’m glad it didn’t put you off.’

‘I told you – I’ve never met anyone quite like you.’ He looked at our empty plates; breakfast had passed by in a flash. ‘Come on, let’s plan this panel and then we can talk more about us.’

The word ‘us’ lingered in my brain.

21

The ‘From Meet-Cute to Happy Ever After’ panel was in an even larger conference room to Jake’s first panel. The conference administrator said a lot of people had expressed interest in coming along so they had moved it to a larger room. I wished it was because Jake had won people over but after what Liv said, I was betting it was so they could watch it first-hand in case Jake made another shocking confession or revealed what he was hiding about that conversation with Davis. I felt nervous about that. Jake seemed determined to make this panel go smoothly but I had no idea if that would be enough. There had still been no more contact from Hayley so Jake’s publishers can’t have said anything about a new book deal. Everyone, it felt, was still on the fence about Jake.

And I supposed I was too.

We had half an hour to wait before it was due to start so we sat in the empty room and went over the questions, and what Jake was going to say. Talking about writing romances was easy for him.

‘It all sounds great,’ I reassured him once we’d gone over it all. We sat side by side at the table the panel would sit at. I looked out at the empty room full of chairs and thought about how they would all be filled with people shortly. ‘As long as you don’t get wound up by another author again,’ I added.

‘I will stay calm, I promise,’ Jake said.

‘I could never do something like this,’ I admitted, gesturing to the room.

‘Of course you could; you’re really confident.’

‘No, not for public speaking, and not really at work… yet. I am trying. But I really admire the fact you can do this.’

‘I do get nervous, though. I mean, I bottled it yesterday, didn’t I? Talking about personal things is hard for me.’

‘It’s hard for everyone,’ I told him. ‘Opening up and being vulnerable is difficult.’ I longed to feel that comfortable with a romantic partner that I could share secrets with them.

‘It is. Talking about my work is far easier because I am passionate about it.’ Jake looked at me. ‘I feel like you could open up easily, though. With the right person.’

‘Maybe,’ I whispered. I let myself have a quick fantasy that I could open up to Jake, and that he would open up to me.

We couldn’t say any more as people then started coming in. I got up and found a seat, leaving Jake at the table to greet his fellow panellists and the chair.

Liv found me five minutes later and sat down next to me while the room filled up. ‘Uh-oh,’ she said in a low voice. I followed her gaze and my heart sunk to see Davis Mulberry slink into the room. Then he spotted us and came over.

‘Mind if I join you?’ he asked, gesturing to the empty seat beside me and then promptly sat in it without waiting for me to respond. ‘I couldn’t miss witnessing another car crash by Jake Richards.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘The only car crash here is you.’

Davis turned and raised an eyebrow at me. ‘Don’t tell me, he’s worked his charm on you, Freya? Aren’t you fifteen years younger than him?’

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