Good luck, sweetheart.
The waiter came back with the latte, triple checking if the grilled wrap that I polished while waiting for Chrissy was satisfactory before he attended to other guests.
“Before Jane introduced us, she told you about my girlfriend, right?” I began, getting straight to the point.
There was no reason to stall. The sooner I would get it over and done with the sooner Nadia would stop feeling insecure.
Chrissy’s features pinched. “You mean Nadia? Yes, although Jane said she’s yourex-girlfriend.”
“Not anymore.”
She crossed her arms, hurt clear on her pretty face. It morphed to defensiveness quickly. “So,” she clipped, her tone sarcastic. “She runs off to her ex, comes back all needy and hurt, and that’s all it takes for you to take her back? Have you no pride, Thomas?”
My jaw clenched, and I leaned over the table. “You might want to watch the way you speak about Nadia. She’s the only reason I haven’t cut you lose over the phone.”
“Oh, so I should be grateful you’re dumping me face to face? Tell herthanks.She made my day.”
“Dump you?” I poked a few lone crumbs on the plate with a fork. “What made you think we were dating?”
Chrissy pursed her lips, her attitude like a ticking bomb.
Jesus, and to think I considered her easy-going.
She tapped her index finger on her lips, bitch face on display. “Let me think. How about the fact we spent every evening together? How about the fact you kissed me every chance you had, how about…”
“I kissedyou? Think about it. I kissed youback, sure, but you were the one to seize every opportunity.” I scratched my head, the annoyance evaporating when her face blanched with shame. “Listen, you’re a nice girl. There are hundreds of guys who’d give their arm for a chance to date you, but I’m not one of those guys. I have my eyes on one girl. I’m sorry if I hurt you, but don’t act like I promised you anything.”
Chrissy clutched her bag and rose to her feet, draping the coat over her arm. She was hurt, and it made me uncomfortable—yet another humane reaction that would never strike me if I hadn’t met Nadia.
That girl rewired my brain.
“Well, all the best to you, Thomas,” Chrissy seethed, then turned on her heel and stormed out of the restaurant, her hips swaying.
My wristwatch showed fifteen past noon. Nadia’s session with James was over, and when I fished my phone out of the pocket, a text message waited on the screen.
I’m heading home. Call me when you can.
I had a better idea.
Go back to my place. There’s a spare key under the plant pot outside the front door. I’ll be there soon.
I grabbed my coat, threw some cash on the table and pressed the cell to my ear to clear my afternoon schedule.
“What’s up?” Nick answered.
“Do you need me back at the office today?”
Christmas was three days away. There was quite a bit of work left, but I could dump it on my assistant. Nick and I spent the morning triple checking the accounts and discussing possible job openings and plans for the upcoming year.
All the singles were out, concerts were booked, and nothing was on the agenda until January. An office Christmas party was tomorrow, but the whole thing was organised by Amelia, so neither Nick nor I had much say on the subject.
“I’m not even there anymore,” he said. “I’m heading home. Why?”
I reached the C&G carpark and jumped into my car.
“I’ll take the afternoon off. I might not show up for the party tomorrow, either, but I’ll leave that up to Nadia. Whatever else needs doing will have to wait until after the weekend.”
His chuckle filled the car when the hands-free system activated.