Page 44 of A Colourful Country Escape
As they negotiated the gooey pizza, they went through their usual weekly updates. How the blog was going, what the stats were like for the website, what had been happening on social media. Things were looking positive. Perhaps that was why Mrs Carrington-Noble was just about putting up with Lexie’s presence. Drawing in and nurturing clients improved revenue, and the woman couldn’t resist more pounds in her Chanel-lined pocket.
As Lexie watched Ben handle his wildly brave lunch, she couldn’t help thinking that with each meeting, he seemed to relax a little. Was he beginning to trust her judgement? Maybe it was a good time to tackle him on her next issue, while he had his hands full.
‘We’ll be in London for the paint conference when our next weekly meeting is due.’
‘Did I even agree to you coming?’ He narrowed his eyes.
‘You were saying we should do a field trip abroad when we were chatting in Tom’s secret garden. Consider London your trial run.’
‘But … ’
Lexie held her hands up. ‘Feel free to do your own social media promotions if you prefer. Or waste a massive opportunity to showcase what you do to your audience.’
He nodded cautiously, his mouth full of pizza.
‘Maybe you can entertain me with the gossip on your matchmaking dates while we’re there. You’ll surely have been on at least one by then?’
Ben quickly swallowed his mouthful. ‘What? Why? Doesn’t this count?’ He gestured between them.
‘We find each other aggravating and I’m thankfully too skint to meet the criteria, so, no, actually.’
‘You’re not always aggravating,’ he conceded.
‘But I am always poor.’ She didn’t wait for the inevitable awkward silence. ‘If you want my opinion, I’m vetoing Bug Lady. I can’t see that you have anything in common other than money in the bank and a lack of things to talk about, and your mother doesn’t want all those dead critters in the house.’
Lexie gave him a moment to fight for his queen of the cockroaches, but he just gave a disinterested shrug. Well, that answered that question.
‘Anyway, I’m vetoing Grace,’ he responded.
‘You’re suddenly so fussy that not even Grace is good enough for you? What’s your big problem?’
‘No big problem,’ he said. ‘I just don’t want to marry her.’ His tone was nonchalant, as though they were discussing what to have for pudding.
‘Of course you don’t – you barely know her. Maybe you just need to spend time with some of these women.’
‘Sounds exhausting.’
‘Maybe your mother could do that bit for you too.’ Lexie flicked her eyes skywards. ‘And don’t even bother doing that twitchy smile thing.’
He raised an eyebrow.
‘I mean it.’ She pointed a finger at his mouth.
They held their position for a moment, Ben clearly trying hard to keep his mouth still, and Lexie feeling sure she could see that sneaky smile peeping through his eyes instead.
‘You don’t just see someone and decide you want to marry them. It doesn’t work like that,’ Lexie said, returning her digit to the rest of the pack and grabbing her wine.
‘It doesn’t?’ he asked, with his best innocent look.
Lexie thought back across her past landscape of failed relationships. She’d never quite believed she’d marry Inkie or Drew, so how could she say what a proper match was meant to look like? Maybe she was out of her depth trying to advise anyone.
‘Then how do you know when the right one arrives?’ he continued. ‘Will there be some sort of sign? Will she arrive in a great puff of diesel smoke, with a fanfare of peacocks?’
‘Yes, very funny.’ She could do without being mocked. ‘Maybe your princess would arrive in a Bentley dressed like she was ready for the ball. Although if you don’t keep your eyes peeled, you won’t even notice.’
‘If you’re so keen on Grace, maybe you should go out with her yourself.’
‘Maybe I will,’ said Lexie, grabbing another slice of the communal pizza.
