Page 38 of Love Spell

Equally obvious, he’d been played: Julian had kept asking what Timo thought was wrong, relying on questions to get Timo to explain himself, not unlike a fortune-teller using apparently innocent questions and simple observational skills to say whatever the victim wanted to hear.Just basic cold reading.

What Timo had momentarily forgotten was that he, and only he, was in control over his own emotions, life, and destiny.And yes, how he felt, by his own free will and free desires, was utterly consumed and enthralled, which was a perfectly normal thing to happen to anyone.Nothing wrong with that.A robust, healthy way to feel, in fact.

All he had to do to put this right was embrace it, make it his own: take charge.

If there was a spell on him, which there wasn’t because that was impossible, but if therewasa spell, and if someone like Julian had put it on him, it all came to the same thing.He had to prove he was the better man, the one in control, the one who could spin shit into gold.Two could play the proverbial game; and if Timo was going to play, he was going to win.

What did winning look like when someone, no,something, inexplicable had overrun his mind by making him fall for someone who was avoiding him?

Timo swivelled his office chair back and forth, back and forth at his desk.

His positions were closed and he should be taking the time to check in with others.He’d been in his office all day, sitting or pacing.Instead of trades, he had Julian’s webpage up on his master screen.Lunch had come and gone.He never felt hungry these days.A protein shake, dinner out of habit, but how could he eat when he was suffering a bereavement by the love of his life shunning him?

He was losing weight, which meant losing muscle, and that had to stop.Just another example of how what was happening to him had shunted him to the back of the field and he had to shift strategies if he ever hoped to win this.

He let the chair come to a stop, imagining first kisses with Noah.At home?A club?Here in the office?While walking through a museum together?In Paris?

None of that.That was how he became distracted and failed to find his way to the front of the field.What was he missing?

Timo drummed his fingers on the desk, pulled apart the magnetic beads there and popped them back together with satisfying clicks, morphing the lump into several positions while he imagined several positions with Noah, then again shook himself out of the reverie.

“Timo?”Spencer in the doorway.

“Not now,” Timo said absently, never glancing around.

Spencer vanished.

Timo popped the beads, spun the chair around, wondered if there was anything Noah liked to do for fun that was actually worthwhile.He was a good biker but out of shape for it.You had to be in practice to tackle real hills.Although he’d managed well for someone who’d not been on a mountain bike in years once the likes of Arthur hadn’t been slamming on the brakes in front of him.

Perhaps Timo could talk Noah into local rides together?Just the two of them, start to get Noah back into it?Surrey Hills?Less than an hour from London with mixed but easy trails compared to Snowdonia.Saturday?

Noah would never go for it.

He might if Timo kept being chill at home and Noah also relaxed.Timo should get him a bike.

But it wasn’t all about gifts, was it?Noah hadn’t even wanted the hotel room.Run away to get the dog to chase you.

He was distracted again.What about winning?How could he beat this?

Timo’s fingers stilled on the magnets.He rested them on his desk.His feet stilled on the floor and he faced his master screen.

How did you beat someone at their own game?

Step one: know the game.Step two: know the rules.Step three: play the game better than anyone else at the table.

Timo rested his fingers on the keyboard.He paused.

He opened a new browser window.Another pause.

Carefully, he typed in,How to make someone fall in love.

* * *

“Timo?”Noah tapped at the office door before opening it.Timo wasn’t there, screens still lit up.Probably a nosebleed.

“He’s gone,” Spencer said and Noah turned.

“Is he?”Noah frowned again at the office.“In a bit of a hurry looks like.Where to?”

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