Page 68 of Just Say Yes
‘Clearly not.’
‘What sort of person doesn’t?’
I let out a sigh and reached down into my bag to pull out my laptop that I’d plugged in last night so that it would be fully charged for today.
‘How long do you think you’ll be?’ I asked, checking my watch and signalling the previous conversation was well and truly closed. I certainly wasn’t about to tell Lorcan that once upon a time I’d been far more free-spirited and had loved surprises. Our whole family had been the type to wake up on a Sunday, randomly pick a place on the map, grab a picnic and go. One time we’d even just driven to the airport and asked what flights they had. Mum had packed some cold-weather clothes and some warmer-weather ones, hedging her bets, and we’d ended up with ten days in Montana, somewhere we probably would never have gone if we’d sat down and thought about it. But that was then. Things happen. Things change. Now planning was not only my career – it was my coping mechanism for life.
23
‘You going to jot that down in one of your notebooks too?’ Lorcan asked.
‘No. Just in my phone so I know when to be ready to leave.’
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘A couple of hours. I don’t know exactly.’
‘Oh. I see. Well, that gives me some idea.’
‘It doesn’t matter. The café stays open late and I’ve set up a tab so you can get as many drinks or anything else as you’d like.’
‘You really don’t need to do that. I’m quite capable of paying my own way.’ I kept my head up and tried to ignore the fact that Lorcan had already been witness to the state of my roof. It hadn’t been spoken out loud but I got the clear feeling he knew I couldn’t be wasting any money on indulgent cups of gingerbread steamers or slices of cake, despite how delicious the last ones had been.
‘I know,’ he said, ‘but it’s my fault you’re stuck here instead of us being able to get an earlier flight so I’d prefer it if you used it.’
‘We’ll see,’ I replied. ‘But thank you for the thought. That’s very kind.’
‘Right.’ He glanced at his phone. ‘I’d better head off. If you need me, just call, OK?’
‘I thought you had meetings.’
‘I do. But if you need something, just call. It doesn’t matter.’
I tilted my head at him. ‘If you’re worried about Bod, I won’t be offended if you prefer to take him with you. My only real experience of dogs has been this weekend, so I quite understand if you don’t feel comfortable about it.’
Lorcan let a smile slide onto his face. ‘Yeah, he looks really stressed. Perhaps I’d better take him after all.’ We both looked down to where Bod was now asleep on my lap, pressed up against me with all four feet in the air. I returned the smile. ‘And I was talking about you needing anything, not the dog.’ I opened my mouth and he held up a hand. ‘Not that I’m saying you’re not independent or capable of doing anything and everything yourself, I’m just saying if you need anything, ring me. Even if it’s just to pick up another notebook for you.’ He glanced down at the pile I’d now neatly stacked on the worn mahogany of the coffee-shop table.
‘You can never have enough notebooks.’
‘I’d beg to differ but somehow I think I’d lose.’
‘You would. Obviously.’
‘Obviously.’ He remained where he was.
‘Not that I’m hurrying you out the door or anything, but didn’t you say your meeting was at two? It’s five to now.’
He jolted out of whatever thought he was contemplating. ‘Oh, shit. Right, yeah. OK. I’ll be back as soon as I can.’
‘Don’t worry,’ I replied, half laughing. ‘I’m fine. I can’t go anywhere anyway. You have the tickets.’
‘This is true.’ He dashed towards the door, drawing a few admiring glances as he did so. With his size, he was hard to miss. Add unreasonably good looks to that and it was almost impossible. Turning at the door to pull it closed behind him, he noticed me still watching – something I hadn’t planned on. He raised a hand in a brief wave and gave me one of those winks that I had already told myself was not at all sexy. Nope. Not in the slightest. Despite the fact on the odd occasion he did it, an uninvited tingle never failed to trickle itself down my spine and detour to areas it really had no place being!
I looked down at Bod, who chose that moment to let out a very polite and dignified fart, which did an excellent job of breaking the spell. I could have done without the accompanying pong, but it was still a job well done. Much to his tired disgust, I moved him onto a little blanket on the floor by my feet, where he curled back up, resting his head on my feet. Lifting my first notebook onto my lap, I checked a few colour-coordinated, bulleted points then picked up my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found the one I was looking for.
‘Isobel Designs. How may I help you?’
‘Hi. This is Madeleine Hart. Is Izzy around?’
‘I’ll just check for you. Could you hold the line, please?’
