Page 130 of Never Tell Secrets
I blinked in surprise. That seemed like huge news to me yet he hadn’t mentioned it. It was beginning to dawn on me thatthere was still a whole layer of Alfie’s life I had nothing to do with. Priya held her gaze on him, not saying a word.
“I don’t think that's what she had in mind,” I muttered.
“She’s right. I wanted you to build on something for yourself, outside of work, outside of Lola, just for you.”
“Like what?” If Priya noticed the edge in his voice she didn’t mention it.
“That’s up to you. Explore your interests.”
I snorted and she eyed me. I shook my head, not wanting to get into what I thought of Alfie’s interests.
“She’s thinking about the club,” Alfie supplied. “I built that because it interested me.”
“Does it still?”
“The lifestyle of the club, no. That style of sex, yes.” He shook his head. “I don’t have other interests, other hobbies. I just think about Lola, I just want to be with her.”
“You’re supposed to be doing something for you, Alfie.” I kept my tone soft, hoping he wouldn’t feel ganged up on.
“You are for me,” he snapped, not seeming at all happy about it. “What do I want outside of work and you? I want a family and I want to be a good man, that’s it.”
“Lola, have you and Alfie ever discussed having a family before?”
“Not explicitly.” Us breaking up because he stole my birth control didn’t count.
“Do you think Alfie would be a good father?” That was a huge question and Alfie’s piercing gaze had me all too aware that my answer had the power to do him great good or great damage.
“In theory, yes. If he continues to work on himself. I’ve never been interested in being a mother though,” I admitted. That was a fact I’d known about myself for as long as I could remember.
“Children aren’t a dealbreaker. I’d rather have you.”
“And that family you just mentioned?” I asked, fearing his answer as much as he’d feared mine.
“Family is subjective.” He waved a dismissive hand. “My mother, father and siblings were never family. You’re my family, Elliot and Ada are family.”
I searched his face, trying to find the lie, but all I found was truth. Alfie was thirty six years old, old enough to know how important children were to him.
“Perhaps that's a subject for another time. Alfie, let's circle back to helping you reach your goal of a life outside of Lola.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Alfie and I had enough on our plates without adding hypothetical children into the mix.
“I have a life outside of Lola, I have my company.”
“Which you hate,” I muttered, unable to help myself.
“What would you have me do, Lo? I don’t care about hobbies. I already know how to sail and ski. I box, I work out. Unless you want me to take up embroidery, I’m not sure what else I can do.”
Priya studied him, her expression unreadable. I bit my lip, wondering how well he was going to take what I was about to suggest.
“I think you should do something important. Put your resources to good use.”
Alfie’s brows knitted together in confusion. “For who?”
“For whoever or whatever is important to you.”
“You want me to start a foundation?” He said the word like it was dirty. I’d never met his father but every now and then I swear I could hear him speaking through Alfie.
“Why not? You have so much money, use it. You’re the smartest man I know, you built a multi-million dollar brand by the time you were twenty one that is still going strong today. You took your fathers hotel chain at twenty three and grew it by billions. You want to be a good man? Good men do good things.”
