Page 25 of Night and Day
Chapter 12
Izzy swallowed theremnants of the antacid tablet, trying to ignore the volatile energy vibrating through him. Had she just said ‘take me anywhere you want’? Did she not understand that she wasn’t allowed to use language like that around him? He already worked full time to keep his dick from getting the wrong idea, to respect the fact she was involved with someone else. Had he been alone in the car, Izzy would have rolled down the window and stuck his head out into the cool night air – anything to sober up and stop inhaling her scent. Her wispy, blond hair glowed in the light of the streetlamps like she was some kind of mythical creature.
“May I use your phone now?” She asked, her voice wavering.
“Sure.”
Izzy unlocked his phone and watched from the corner of his eye as she opened a browser window and navigated an orange website he’d never seen before. After a moment, she blew out a deep sigh.
“Bad news?”
“It’s just... I left a message for Mikko through this newsletter site, because I couldn’t get into my email, but he hasn’t seen it, I think. There’s no response. Nobody has edited the template I created.”
“You created a newsletter template to contact your boyfriend?” Izzy forced himself to use the word ‘boyfriend’, hoping his body would get the message.
Mia shifted in her seat, dropping his phone on the middle console. “Yeah, I had to get creative. But clearly it wasn’t the best idea.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what did you ask him to do? Can he somehow get you a new passport or something?”
Mia shook her head, her mouth curving into a sad smile. “No. To be honest, he can’t do much from Finland. I was just hoping he could wire me some money. I didn’t really want to contact him. Not like this. I’m supposed to let him know when I’m ready to sign the contract and start my job. It’s a bit awkward. I’m afraid I’ll—”
“Feel obligated to take the job if you accept his help?” Izzy finished for her.
“Yes! I hate it.” Mia gathered her knees against her body and dropped her chin against them.
“In that case, don’t worry about it. I’ll lend you whatever you need and you can make an unbiased decision.”
Izzy held his breath, letting the suggestion hang in the air. For a moment, Mia sat in silence, staring out the window. Izzy tried to focus on driving and not on how much he wanted her to say yes, how much he wanted to cut those ties to the man on the other side of the world who could probably offer her far more than he ever could. Even if rejecting the job didn’t really make her single or available. But still...
“Okay. Thank you,” she finally whispered, lifting her eyes to him. Izzy only allowed himself a brief glance at the picture perfect face framed by dreamy blond hair. Any longer, and he would have driven off the road.
“I love that house!” Mia pointed at the old fashioned villa behind a white picket fence. It was one of the nicer ones in a fairly rough neighbourhood. She sounded happier, lighter.
Izzy smiled at her enthusiasm, turning onto a quiet road that led towards the edge of town. He’d been gathering courage to ask her to pose as his girlfriend, but so far, hadn’t found the right moment. The longer he waited, the weirder it would sound. The more he offered her money and help, the more it would sound like a transaction. Izzy ran a hand across his face, grimacing. It would be weird either way. He could tell she still felt unsure about him. Deke’s comments hadn’t helped.
He decided to wait until they were out of the car, so she didn’t feel trapped with him and had the option of walking away. Although, where could she go? He wouldn’t let her run off. It wasn’t safe. How could he ask her without making her feel like she was obligated to help him? And why was he agonising about this so much? If she felt obligated and ended up helping him out, wasn’t that a great outcome? Izzy felt like shouting.
“Are you okay?” Mia asked.
“Yeah.” Izzy scratched his beard. “I just want to make it clear that accepting my help doesn’t obligate you in any way. Do you understand me?”
He sucked in a sharp breath, glancing at Mia’s huge eyes. They flickered in the flashing night lights, her lids dipping slowly, as if in a daze. She looked tired and overwhelmed, but nodded. “I understand.”
Izzy parked at the side of the road, grabbed the picnic blanket from the car boot, and they headed to the quiet, dark reserve. There were hardly ever people around Till’s Landing. Locals walked their dogs up and down the hill in the daytime, but at night, only thick humidity and silence hung in the air. They stopped under the last street light at the end of the cul-de-sac, staring into the pitch black ahead.
“It’s a short walk, but pretty steep.” Izzy glanced at Mia’s flimsy sandals. “And there are no lights, which is kind of the point, but...”
Mia rubbed her arms, glancing at the dark hill. “Do you think it’ll get a lot colder?”
Izzy’s gut tightened. He mostly ran too hot himself, but hadn’t considered Mia’s outfit. Her micro shorts and flowery top didn’t look like the right gear for this. “You might get cold.”
