Page 24 of Just Like You
If he didn’t stop, I’d grow a boner, and I definitely had no room for that in these uniform trousers. I should have swatted his hand away, which was my plan, but instead he just took it. Held my hand like my mother had done when I’d been a small child, riding the bus to the shops for a day out.
Ridiculous. But strangely, soothing. Like he calmed my nerves, just by holding my hand.
I didn’t do this. Hadn’t asked for this. Was in way over my head, and we hadn’t even got to our room.
Our.
Room.
I breathed out and closed my eyes.
“It’s fine,” he whispered into my ear. “It will all be absolutely fine. I promise you.”
He sounded more like he was trying to calm himself than calm me, but it was welcomed. Appreciated.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion, my usual spiel falling out of my mouth with ease as we got everyone sorted with rooms, pick-up times and the usual WhatsApp group to communicate through the week. People were talking about snorkelling trips andexcursions, but I stayed silent, glancing over at Kieron, who was casually sat on a chair, chatting animatedly with someone’s mum.
My Kieron.
Oh for fuck’s sake!
I excused myself, key in hand and, dragging my bags behind me, gestured for him to follow. Like he was a dog. He got up and did, being the good boy that he…apparently was.
How ridiculous. How droll.
A beach buggy ride came next, of course, him next to me, a bag of duty-frees on his lap.
“For my PA. I made a mistake, ordering it for the outbound instead of the inbound. She’ll kill me if I don’t bring her back the right whiskey.”
“Your PA?” I questioned.
“In her fifties, very smart and incredibly manipulative.”
“Like you.”
“Indeed, we’re the perfect match. She calls mechildand threatens to smack my arse. In return, I buy her whiskey and pay off her parking fines. We make a good team.”
Why did he make me laugh? I had no idea, but this man next to me, was smiling contentedly into the warm sun. Looking miles away from the arsehole I’d met in 44J last week, and I didn’t know how to deal with that.
Our hotel room… Again. Our.FUCK!Was like all the others, a small beach villa right on the water. Veranda at the back, leading straight into the crystal-blue ocean, surrounded by privacy screens and palm trees. My colleagues would be in the surrounding villas, and here we were. Paid to sit on a beach for a few days, waiting for our ride home.
And here was Kieron, taking the key out of my hand and unlocking the door as the beach buggy drove off in the distance. I almost wanted to call the driver back. Tell him to take me home or at least take the idiot away.
“Do I need to carry you across the threshold?” He winked.
“This is a repeat hook-up.” I rolled my eyes. “Not a honeymoon.”
“Oh, so we are hooking up?” He smiled. “All my prayers answered.”
“You are such an idiot.”
“Which is why I am here, when I should be in a meeting in South London. I know where I’d rather be.”
He was already ahead of me, walking through the spacious bedroom, opening up the curtains where the light was already blinding as he swung the patio doors open.
Warm air.
I was soaked with sweat, having stood around in a polyester uniform for far too long. I was tired and weary, and I wasn’t quite myself.
