Page 35 of Just Do It
‘You. This morning. You’re all cheery and then Bella comes in all guns blazing and you’re there backing her up.’
‘So saying good morning and getting a coffee for the person I’m sharing an office with as I’m already getting one for myself is now suspicious?’
‘A bit, yes.’
‘Fine. I won’t bother again.’ I turned away. The coffee thing actually hadn’t been part of my plan. It had just seemed like a nice thing to do.
‘It’s not that I’m not grateful.’
‘You could have fooled me,’ I said, thankful for the lift reaching the basement and the doors hauling themselves open.The building was old and the lift had been installed decades ago. It was serviced but I still opted for the stairs as often as I could, just in case.
Finn caught my arm as I exited. ‘I’m sorry. It just seemed like you and Bella were…’
‘Well, we weren’t.’ Which wasn’t a total lie. Yes, both Bella and I clearly had the same end game in mind but it wasn’t the joint effort Finn was suggesting which I felt justified my mildly haughty exit, causing him to drop his loosely wrapped fingers from my wrist.
‘Great, thanks, Lizzie.’ Mike, Finn’s second in command was a man ten years his senior with a cheeky smile and a broad, Northern Irish accent. ‘It’s good to double-check these things, just to be sure.’
‘Definitely. Especially with my boss off. If something goes wrong on it now because of something I did or didn’t say…’ I drew a finger across my throat and hung my tongue from the side of my mouth.
‘Ah, you’re grand. Don’t you worry. If she’d had any doubts, she wouldn’t have left you in charge.’
‘I don’t think she had much choice.’
The older man gave me a wink. ‘People always have a choice. Even if that’s to make no choice, isn’t that the truth, young Finn?’
‘I suppose so,’ Finn replied, his tone non-committal.
‘I’ll head back upstairs then, if that’s all?’ I said.
‘You all good, Finn?’ Mike asked.
‘Yeah. If you’re OK to get on with things here, I’ve got some stuff back at my desk that needs my attention.’
His colleague nodded and Finn followed me back towards the lift, our actions reversed from the trip down. We rode in silence for a few seconds and then Finn suddenly moved across me, his palm punching the button that halted the lift. We came to a shuddering halt and I felt a shiver of panic rush down my spine.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ I snapped, my hand already reaching for the controls, desperate to start the tiny metal box back on its journey so that I could escape from it. Finn caught my hand and then the other as I changed tactic, holding them either side of me.
‘I could ask you the same thing.’
‘You already did and I answered you. Nothing. Now please start this bloody thing again.’
‘No. Not until you tell me why you’re so desperate to set me up with Bella.’
‘I’m not desperate. Don’t flatter yourself,’ I said, anxiety firing my emotions. ‘She likes you and I thought it would be nice to help her.’
‘Not when there’s no chance of success. I already told you, I’m not interested.’
‘Unfortunately, your smile says otherwise whether intentional or not.’
He shook his head, frustration tensing the clean-shaven jaw. I’d noticed it started the week like this, lasted a couple of days as dark stubble shadowed his jaw and then the next day appeared clean shaven again. I wasn’t sure which I preferred. Both were pretty damn hot.
No! Lizzie! That wasn’t the way to think. Not when this idiot had purposely trapped you both in a lift!
‘Like I told you, she’ll get the message, but not if you start suggesting that we have things in common and building her hopes up. It doesn’t do her, or me, any favours.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Yes, Elizabeth, you do.’
