Page 37 of Reckless Intentions
Chapter Nineteen
The meetings in London had gone well and Brody was hopeful of getting a couple of new clients from it. They could mean he’d need to spend more time in the UK, and more specifically North Ridge. Then, he’d be able to spend a whole lot more time with Olivia.
That thought was keeping him going, as it was their last night together before he had to get back to Mallorca to finalise the reopening for The Roca Bar. He didn’t know when to tell Olivia that he was going to around more permanently, but he hoped she would be pleased.
The past couple of days had been amazing. They’d spent as much time together as they could, outside of work, being careful not to arouse Caro’s suspicions. He’d met Eva, Olivia’s colleague at The OC Consultancy. He’d even flirted a little with her to keep up the pretence. Maybe one day soon, they would be able to be open with their friends.
He was currently in The Indigo Lounge, waiting for Caro for some final discussions before he headed back. As he waited, his gaze scanned the room, coming up with some plans to make it even more amazing than it already was. Given that it was newer than The Roca Bar, there was less work to be done. From what he could see it would mostly constitute cosmetic changes. That was always easier, plus painting and decorating contractors were cheaper. Brody jotted a couple of notes down before he forgot.
“Are you still waiting for Caro?” Nic appeared in front of him.
Brody nodded. “I am. Any clue where she’s gone?”
“She said something about meeting Alik for lunch, so I’m not sure.”
Brody glanced at his watch. It was close to three, and he’d promised to meet Olivia at five. His flight was an early one the next morning and he wanted to make the most of the time they had together.
“Ah, the old long lunches,” he said. “Eking out the time with your girlfriend and trying to not upset the boss.”
Nic sat down at the table with him, tossing his pile of papers down. He laughed. “I remember that. Usually only happens in the early days of the relationship though, right?”
“Absolutely.”
The other man traced a circle on the table with his finger as he looked down at the surface. “It’s been a long time since the early days though. I recently broke up with someone.”
“Sorry to hear that. Were you together long?”
“Years. I was stupid though, should have made it clearer about how I felt. Shown more commitment. Although I’m really not ready for marriage yet.”
Nic’s words struck a chord somewhere deep in Brody’s brain.
“How about you? Are you seeing anyone?” Nic grinned. “I bet you get a lot of opportunity over in Mallorca.”
It was Brody’s turn to laugh. “You’re not wrong. Plenty of chance to meet someone for a week or two.” His tone turned serious. “Though I met someone a couple of weeks ago who is making me rethink my whole playboy lifestyle.”
“Really?” Nic quirked a brow. “A holidaymaker is making you change your ways?”
“She wasn’t exactly a holidaymaker.” Brody hesitated, not wanting to spill the beans about his relationship with Olivia. He’d been planning to speak with her that evening about the future, and what that might look like for them. They hadn’t agreed it would be a relationship, or indeed anything long-term. “She’s amazing, beautiful, smart, sexy, and…” Brody tailed off, not wanting to reveal to Nic exactly what Olivia was like in bed. He didn’t want things to be difficult if she was still going to be working with Nic.
“Fair play though. If you find someone who makes you feel alive, it’s worth it. Isn’t it?” Nic sighed. “I really should have made more of an effort. I tried to talk to her, tell her that I wanted her back. But she wasn’t having any of it. I thought her being away for a while would make her see we were right for each other, but she came back from Mallorca like a different person.”
For the second time, Brody’s radar twitched. There were a few things Nic was saying that was pointing in one direction. And if he wasn’t mistaken, he was talking about Olivia.
“Mallorca?”
“Yeah, Olivia’s my ex. I thought you knew that?”
Suddenly everything fell into place. All the times Olivia had referred to an ex treating her badly, not wanting to marry her. How she’d only gone out to The Roca Bar to help Caro… It had all been Nic’s fault.
He regretted his decision to open up to Nic, and at the same time was eternally grateful that he hadn’t identified who he was seeing.
Although right now, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted that to continue.
Olivia hadn’t been honest with him about her past. Sure, she’d said that there had been a boyfriend, but she had omitted to say who it was. And given that Brody was about to embark on a project with said ex, surely it would have been nice to have had some warning?
All at once, he began to question himself and how he was prepared to change for someone who had basically lied to him. If he’d stopped to think he’d see how hypocritical his thoughts were. He wasn’t always open to the women he’d been with. He’d never led them on though, had always been up front to say there wasn’t a relationship in it, no matter how much they wanted it.
Could it be possible that Olivia had given Brody a taste of his own medicine? Offering herself for a holiday fling while he found himself falling deeper? He tried to shake the thought.
