Page 58 of London, Love, & A Little Something Irish

I nod. “I will.” Then, grinning, I add, “But don’t watch any moreSuitswithout me.”

His lips curve. “No promises.”

I groan, swatting at him as I walk away.

I immediately pick up my phone to text Chantelle. I NEED to tell someone about this kiss. I can't stop thinking about it.

Me: Chants. I may or may not have just kissed Nathan.

Chants: !!!

Chants: This is not a text convo.

My phone buzzes. I laugh and pick up.

"Hey girl!" I say.

"SPILL."

I grin. "Okay, so I was having dinner at his house, and then he pulled me up off the table and he kissed me. But it wasn't just any old kiss. This was a ‘my-knees-are-weak-someone-make-sure-I-don’t-turn-into-a-pile-of-warm-cookie-dough’ kind of kiss.”

"OOOOO! The best kind of kiss. I remember my first one with Mark. I think the fireworks were so loud the dog next door started therapy.” (Mark is her fiancé—recently engaged, sickeningly in love, and exactly what Chantelle deserves.)

I dissolve into laughter.

"So what does it mean?" she continues.

"I don't know yet. But I'm pretty sure it means we're seeing each other now? I know he's trying to take it slow," I say.

“Take it slow? Pfft. That man just rewrote your brain chemistry with a single kiss.”

I giggle. “You’re not wrong.”

She softens. “Okay. For real? I’m happy for you. This all feels fast, but fast isn’t always wrong. Just make sure it’s right.”

My heart swells. “I will.”

“And I want to know every detail! Keep me in the loop!”

"I will," I laugh. "I'll text you."

But before I even step onto the train, my phone buzzes.

Nathan: I’ve loved tonight. I can’t wait to see you again.

I smile.

Yeah. Me too.

24

Nathan

It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve started seeing each other. Since that night I cooked her dinner, my phone has been lighting up constantly—and it’s always Nataly. I love it. We’re texting back and forth all of the time. Even when work keeps me busy, I find myself reaching for my phone, scrolling through our messages, rereading the last thing she sent me, just to feel close to her.

Work has been extra busy though. Being a project manager for a marble company based in Northern Ireland means I have to be on-site for some of the most highly sought-after hotels in London. The Shangri-La London, Claridge's, the Berkeley. All high-end, luxury hotels fitted with the finest marble. It’s pretty cool being able to see these different places getting decked out.

Managing the projects has also meant I’ve had to make a few trips up north with some marble. I have to take the work van and drive all the way up from London to Holyhead in Wales, get the ferry across, and go from Dublin to Banbridge, just near home. There’s always materials or supplies that they need transportedacross for each project, and since I’m the guy managing the site, the responsibility falls on me to transport them back and forth.

---