Page 33 of Love Me Ever After
We perched on high stools at the breakfast bar which looked out onto the industrial estate—hardly the same view you got from the Ealynn Marina Hotel gym.
“Are you sure you’re not making a mistake in getting back with Ems?” Luke stirred his super berry smoothie with his straw, sucking some from the end. “You’re not just after a quick shag?”
If I wanted something purely sexual, I wouldn’t be going anywhere near Ems. She and I had too much history, too much invested in each other to simply fuck and move on to someone else. “Look, I know it seems strange but we’re both consenting adults. Neither of us has any ties and what we used to have was amazing.”
“Usedto have.”
“Fucking hell, Luke. Why the sudden interest in my love life? You and Tasha not getting on so well now you’re living together?” I flared quickly, snapping at Luke as he made me question my own motives.
His face fell. “It’s different. I guess if you’re not sharing a room with Ems, you don’t get the full extent of the female rituals. Seriously, I’ve started lying about what time we’re going out just so we won’t be late.”
I laughed. Ems had always been pretty chilled when it came to that sort of thing. But to me she looked absolutely stunning no matter what she did. “Unlucky, mate.”
“Seriously though, it’s going okay. We’re working out our boundaries, like I now know not to speak to her while she’s watching Made in Chelsea. And similarly, she won’t disturb me when the football’s on.”
In the short time Ems and I had been housemates, we’d barely been around each other long enough to find that out. On the few occasions we’d all been home, we’d ended up watching reruns of Friends or The Big Bang Theory, most of which we’d seen so many times before it didn’t matter if we chatted while they were on.
“What does Sara think about you two? She must feel like a right spare part.”
“She’s never there anyway. She and Noel are pretty tight and she spends a lot of her time with him.” I sipped my ginger shot, not having the nerve to down it in one.
Luke nodded. “Guess it’s going to take some getting used to.” He punched my arm. “I don’t see you for a year and a half and it looks like our boy’s nights out are a thing of the past.”
“Never.”
“Good, then let’s sort one out. We can go to Vaughans. It will be like old times.”
Hah. Old times.It was already as if I’d turned the clock back.
When I got home,I had a quick shower, pulled on a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt, then settled on my bed to video call my parents. We’d chatted a couple of times since I’d been back in the UK, but it was the first time seeing them—albeit on screen—in a while.
“Mason! How are you?” Mum blew kisses at the screen.
I could tell from the screen she and Dad were outside on the terrace. Luckily, I couldn’t see the pool from this angle and get jealous I wasn’t there.
“All right, son?” Dad waved his beer towards me and I wished I’d got one too.
“It’s been a good week,” I said. “Big work thing and I got to talk to the CEO.”
“Oh, hobnobbing with the bigwigs now?” Mum winked. “Does that mean you’ll get another secondment somewhere glamorous? Like Paris?”
“Doubt it, although I think there is a Lane & Parks office out there. But it might be more the management consultancy side of the business.” Paris didn’t hold any interest for me in terms of work. Somewhere I’d whisk Ems away to on the other hand…
Dad frowned. “Don’t dismiss opportunities like that. Look what New York has done for you. I’m assuming if you stay with this company, you’ll want to make a proper mark.”
Sometimes, I wondered where I got my interest in business from. Then, shortly before I was due to take my A Levels, I had a conversation with my dad, and everything became clear. He’d been a management consultant and had piqued my interest in that line of work. I’d sort of fallen into the recruitment and head-hunting world, and enjoyed it, developing relationships with clients and candidates alike, then matching people to their ideal roles excited me. The satisfaction in everyone coming out of a recruitment process completely happy almost pipped the juicy commission payments. Almost, but not quite. I could be quite mercenary when I wanted to be.
“I won’t. But I doubt there will be anything else coming up for a while. I’ve only just got back and I’ve got some relationships to rebuild.”
“Talking of relationships…” began Mum.
Oh God, here we go.
Rather than letting her interrogate me about who I was seeing, I decided to bite the bullet. “Let me stop you there,” I said. “Remember Ems?”
Mum’s face broke into a smile, no doubt fondly remembering Ems. They’d always got on so well. “Of course we do. Such a lovely girl.”
“Then you’ll be pleased to know we’re back together. It’s all been a bit quick.”
