Page 36 of Away With You
How is this my life?
“Kitty Kat? Are you coming in?”
Nathan’s deep voice startles me from my inner panic, and I glance up at him. Tonight, he’s left behind the peacoat (shame) and is wearing dark jeans and a blue jumper. It’s giving a casually hot vibe, and when combined with his 5 o’clock golden stubble and his wind-swept hair, he looks good enough to eat.
Or perhaps I’m just hungry?
“Yes,” I nod, gingerly placing my hand on his outstretched one, butterflies fluttering in my belly at the contact. If we’re going to do this whole fake dating thing, I guess I’m going to have to get used to it. To all the lovely touching.
Because this is what couples do, right? They touch. They hold hands. They kiss—
“Are you doing okay?” he asks, looking back at me, his brows furrowed.
I swallow down my panic and nod.
“Not really.”
He stops walking, and I bump into his back. “Hey, remember, we don’t have to do any of this. If you want out, we can turn back around and leave.”
His words settle me. I smile up at him, glimpsing red in the distance. I know that colour. Cherry is here.
“No, no. Let’s go meet Cherry.”
His grin tells me what he’s thinking about this reaction. How much he loves me fan-girling over her and not him. Or Nicky, for that matter, as gorgeous as he is in real life.
Which, upon close inspection, is an unfair amount of gorgeous. All that gorgeous dark hair. And those dark chocolate eyes.Yummo.
“Nicky. Cherry. Meet Katie.”
The couple glance up with smiles on their faces. Nicky’s is slight, but genuine, while Cherry’s is wide and inviting. She looks thrilled to meet me, and I love her already.
“Katie! We’ve heard so much about you.”
I throw Nathan a questioning look. He shrugs.
“Um, hi. It’s so nice to meet you. Big fan,” I say, pointing to my chest.
Cherry giggles while Nathan pulls the chair out for me, leaving me to sit across from my new best friend.
“I just have to say,” I lean over and whisper loudly, “I love your Insta page andCherry’s Corner. Your photos are incredible; you are so talented.”
Her cheeks glow bright, and she ducks her head. It’s the same thing I do whenever I’m on the receiving end of a compliment.
“Wow, thanks. I love hearing that. And I hear you’re a brilliant scientist who’s going to cure cancer. That sounds very impressive.”
I again throw Nathan a look, a darker one this time.Way to talk me up, buddy.
“I am a research scientist but I’m not curing cancer. As I told Nathan, I’m a minor cog in a very big cancer research wheel.”
Nicky and Cherry lean closer, like they want to hear more, and I find myself talking about my work, and the focus of my research project, and my most recent publications. Without even realising it, I’m the centre of attention.
In this group of people. It’s mind-boggling.
“But enough about me,” I insist twenty minutes later, my mouth dry and my mind empty. “Tell me more about this move you’re making to Monaco.”
Nicky’s arm, which has been pressed around Cherry’s shoulder since we arrived, tightens, and she leans into him. “I’m so excited,” she gushes.
“And it’s about time,” Nicky growls.
