Page 108 of One Night Only
His hands are all over her. Touching her waist, her arm, her hair. He’s looking at her, he’s smiling at her, he’s definitely at a three point five if not a four by this stage. Which, to be totally honest, I don’t think the situation calls for.
“This is fun,” Will deadpans, appearing before me with fresh glasses of champagne. “Why haven’t we done this before?”
I push him to the side so he’s not obstructing my view. “If you knew you wouldn’t like it, why did you come?”
“I thought at the very least you’d talk to me.”
“I am talking to you.”
“No, you’re not. You’re standing there sulking. And stop fidgeting,” he adds, handing me a glass.
“It’s these shoes,” I grumble, shifting my weight. “They’re killing me.”
“You’d make the worst prom date, you know that?”
“I would never have gone to prom with you. I was extremely popular in high school.”
“No, you weren’t. Popular girls don’t run away to New York. They stay in their hometowns and have lots of babies.”
“What’s it like inside your head?” I wonder out loud. “With everyone in their neat little boxes, all equally hated by you.”
“It’s organized. And uncomplicated. And I much prefer it to whatever melodrama is happening inside of yours.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? You still like the charming Irish man.”
I don’t answer and turn instead to face the panoramic views of Central Park’s treetops and the famous skyline beyond. It’s a view that should have awed me, no matter how many years I’ve lived in this city, but instead all I want to do is turn back around and continue my Declan watch.
“I’m sorry I made you cancel on your dentist,” I say after a minute.
“That’s okay,” he says with a sigh. “The thought of sleeping with someone who knows that much about my teeth freaks me out a little.”
I laugh and take a sip of my champagne. “I appreciate it nevertheless.”
“Yeah well, Amal said she liked my tie.”
“It’s a lovely tie.”
“Matthias came to see me the other day.”
I blink at the change of subject. “About what?”
“You. He wanted to know ‘how you are doing.’ That last bit is a direct quote.”
I frown, confused. Matthias has barely spoken to me since I turned him down for our drink redo. He’s been polite in the office but the way he’s avoided me more or less made it clear he wanted nothing more to do with me. Especially since I’ve taken on Declan’s project.
“What did you say?”
“That you were just fine,” he says seriously. “No thanks to him.”
“You didn’t.”
“Not the second bit.”
“I don’t know why you don’t like him,” I say, exasperated. “He’s a good guy.”
“If you believe that, you’re more naïve than I thought,” Will says, but he turns before I can ask him what he means. “Lover boy’s coming.”
