Page 18 of Once Upon A Player
“Uh-huh.” She nods, but the skeptical expression on her face belies her response.Your bedroom’s not a high traffic area? Really?
I’m not sure why that stings, especially since she didn’t even say it. She might not have even thought it, but considering my so-called playboy rep, it’s not much of a leap.
Not far from the truth, either.
Violet clears her throat, which basically confirms my suspicion. “Well, anyway, I agree. These are too valuable to stay in here where they could get easily damaged. Your bedroom, or maybe the spare room, would be perfect.”
“My room.” I grip the back of the chair as childhood memories of Mum sitting in the chair in the evenings, reading her academic journals, flood through me. It’s been six years since she died, but sometimes it feels like just the other week. A familiar hollowness fills my chest, and I shove the harrowing images of her lying, ghostlike, in that hospital bed to the back of my mind where they belong. “Family heirloom.”
She gives me a probing look, as if something in my tone gave away more than I intended. I’m not even sure why I told her that. In the past, some girls have commented on the chair, but I never felt the need to explain its origins.
But that’s the thing with her. I can talk to her as easily as I can Yolanda, except I want so much more with Violet.
What do I mean by that? I only do casual. But I can’t get it out of my head.
Do I want what Harry has with Alice?
Chapter Seven
Lucas
A couple of hours later, and the place is unrecognizable. Violet moved with a calm determination, going from room to room, removing objects, holding up color swatches, and measuring floors and walls like there’s no tomorrow. After taking some photos for her portfolio, she gives the chair and ottoman a lingering glance. I moved them to the door, so they were out of the way, and neither of us suggested seeing how they looked in my bedroom. Seems that room is off-limits when it comes to Violet’s professional expertise.
“I suppose I better get going. You’ve probably got heaps to do today.”
Only my usual daily physio session this afternoon. There’s plenty of time to stroll into the Village and have lunch first, but there’s no way she’ll agree to go with me. Especially, if she met some guy last night.
Fuck, maybe that’s the reason she’s rushing off now, to meet him.
Why do I fucking care?
I could go out with the lads tonight and a dozen girls would be more than happy to spend the night with me.
Yeah, sure. Except I don’t want a girl who looks at me and seesUnited’s brightest star. I want them to just seeme.
The way Violet does.
I’m seriously losing it. “Just stuff. What about you? Doing anything exciting?”
“If you call slogging over my assignment exciting. Well, I mean Ienjoyit, but it’s still a lot of hard work pulling it all together.”
Not seeing another bloke, then. “You know what they say. All work and no play.”
“I did play last night.”
Like I need reminding. “Where did you go?”
“Aphrodite’s. It’s not that far from here.”
I’ve heard of it, although I’ve never been. When we go clubbing, we always go A-list.
“Do you recommend it?”
She pulls a face. “It’s not a celebrity hot spot. But my friend Katie goes there a lot, so I thought, whatever.” She shrugs. “I’ll probably go again, but not every week.”
“What d’you like doing, then?”
“Lots of things.” She sounds defensive, which isn’t how I want her to feel at all. But before I can pull my foot out of my mouth, she adds, “Well, there were heaps of parties and stuff when I was with my ex, and before I started going out with him, I was still at school, so I couldn’t get into any of the clubs. I suppose that makes me kind of boring.”
