“That’s probably Isobel wondering where we are.” He stepped back and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “Hello,” he answered. I could see him tense from here and I knew that our plans for the day might have just been changed. “Fuck sake. Are you joking?” He turned to face me as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. “It’s Isobel,” he said away from the speaker. “I have to cover someone today.”
Fucking great. My shoulders slumped at his words. I had been looking forward to spending the day with him.
“Isobel asked if you’d like to keep the plans of some shopping. She said she’d take you to a few must-see spots of the city.”
I widened my eyes at him in an‘are you fucking kidding me?’way before a devious smirk appeared on his face.
“He’d love to!” he said to Isobel. “He’ll meet you outside the hotel in an hour.”
I leaned my head back and blew out a breath. Fucking great. Stuck with the crazy one for the day.
“It’s not that bad,” Freddie stated after he hung up the phone. “You’ll like Isobel and this will be the perfect chance for the two of you to get to know each other.” He stepped back to me and stroked his fingers through the sides of my hair. “Please?” he asked, using his chocolate eyes on me again. “It’s important to me that you and her get along.”
I rolled my eyes at him. We both knew that he had already gotten his way.
“She’s scary when she shouts,” I muttered.
He threw his head back, laughing when I said that. “Just don’t flirt with any other guys and she won’t shout at you.” He leaned down to kiss me. “She only shouted at Mark because she expected better.”
“Is he an ex?” I asked him. I didn’t like the jealousy I felt at the idea of him and Mark together.
“No.” He smirked at me. “He’s my brother.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. “Well, I really picked the wrong one to use to make you jealous, didn’t I?”
“Yes.” He chuckled at me before his eyes softened. “But it worked, didn’t it?” He pressed his lips softly to mine. “You got me in the end.”
“Yes, I did,” I whispered. I fisted his t-shirt and pulled his lips back down to mine, needing one last taste of him before I took off for the day and went shopping withPsycho Barbie.
* * *
Standing outside the hotel, I looked at my watch. “Twenty minutes late,” I said again down the line.
“Fucking hell, man,” Thomas answered. “Take a chill pill. She can’t be as bad as you are making her out to be.”
“I don’t know, man. Today may end in bloodshed.”
He laughed when I said that. “Well, just try and remember that she’s important to this new guy of yours.” He stopped speaking for a moment. “Speaking of, when do the rest of us get to meet him?”
“Well, with you and Lauren being in another country, that’s kind of hard to do,” I mocked.
“Bring him back home with you when you come and see the baby.” He paused. “Whenever the baby does come, that is,” he muttered. “We can talk about stuff then and —”
“Stuff?” I asked, cutting him off. “What stuff do we have to talk about?”
“Come on, man. You went off to see the world and now you’ve met a guy that’s made you stay in the Big Apple for longer than you had planned.” I went silent at his words. “I want you to be happy, man. Whether that’s there or here.”
“It’s a bit early to talk like that, Thomas.”
“I know, Luke. I’m just saying… You’re my best friend and your happiness is important.” He stopped for a moment. “And there’s no fucking way I am introducing you to your niece or nephew over Skype. When she goes into labor, I’m going to want my brother here. Okay?”
“Of course.” I blew out a breath. “If I survive the day with Isobel, that is.” He laughed at me again. “She’s scary!” I quickly defended myself.
I froze when I heard a feminine laugh come from behind me.
“Scary, am I?” she asked me as I turned to face her.
“I gotta go, man.” I hung up to Thomas’s laughter echoing down the line before I placed my phone in my back pocket. “Uh…”