Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 134212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 671(@200wpm)___ 537(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 671(@200wpm)___ 537(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
“So you not only nearly killed her, you nearly killed her dog too?” Todd falls apart, like it’s amusing. It isn’t. “Jesus, Luke. So, after nearly running said woman down and nearly killing her mutt, you felt some kind of need to repent your sins?”
I roll my eyes. “I was doing what any decent man would do.” Not that I’d expect Todd to understand. The man has skin as thick as an elephant’s.
“I agree,” Todd replies sincerely. “So you dropped her off at the vet, said your goodbyes, and parted company.”
I give him a tired look. I should have kept my mouth shut. I don’t know why I expected my best mate to understand Lo’s and my relationship. Women serve one purpose to him. Pleasant conversation isn’t it. “She needed my help. We got chatting. She listens to what I have to say. I listen to her. It’s a general scenario when two people get along.”
Todd lets his forehead drop to the pool table and bangs it a few times. “You’re doomed. Wait.” His head flies up. “I’m sure I’ve heard your granddad telling a story of a time he nearly ran over a woman.”
My jaw tightens of its own volition. “1946,” I confirm. “But he was on a bicycle.”
“And he fell in love with her, right?”
I scowl. I’m now royally pissed off with the conversation. It’s true, though. My grandad tells the story every single time he’s drunk. Milly Rose was her name. My granddad’s first true love. The woman of his dreams. “Head over heels in love,” I confirm. “But once again, Todd, Lo is a friend.”
“Idiot,” he mutters, taking a shot and missing.
I glare across the table, not bothering to put him straight. It’s obvious there’s little point. So I finish my beer and get another.
“Fuck it.” Todd tosses his cue on the table. “Let’s go out and get wasted.”
“Not tonight,” I say offhand, feeling his incredulous look punching into my back.
“What? Why?”
“Because, my friend, you’ll get me into trouble, and I have an early start in the morning.” I had to move my meetings forward if I was going to make it to lunch with Lo. Because, and this is something Todd would not understand, when a woman means something to you, in a friend-to-friend way, that’s just what you do. I think. “I need a reasonably early night.”
“On a Thursday night?” Todd questions with all the disgust he should. “Fucking hell, Luke. Get a pipe and slippers, why don’t you.”
I ignore his sarcasm. “I will bid you goodnight.” I bow my head, finish my beer, and slam it on the bar with a bang. “The door’s that way.” I leave the room, knowing full-well that Todd will be on the couch come morning.
Chapter Eight
I exit the boardroom at 12:55 without debriefing my staff and make my escape from the office before someone can stall me. I wriggle my jacket on as I go, ignoring the look of shock from my assistant as I pass her desk. “Back in an hour,” I call.
The masses of people crowding the doors of the elevators diverts me to the stairwell, and I take the steps three at a time down the five flights, landing in the lobby, too breathless for my liking. Jogging down the street, I feel around in my pocket when my phone rings. I smile. “Amanda,” I answer, keeping up my pace.
“Are you okay?”
“Late for a lunch meeting,” I tell her, checking the road for traffic before I jog across.
“Oh, that’s a pity. I was going to see if you’re free for lunch?”
I slow my jog to a walk as I near Nero’s. Dropping lunch with Lo for sex with Amanda should be an easy decision. It is an easy decision. “Sorry, I can’t cancel.” I reach the door and stop, spotting Lo by the fridges looking at the selection of sandwiches. She kills me, spending at least five minutes pondering her choice each time we’ve met for lunch. It’s tuna every time.
Lo turns a fraction, bringing her profile into my view, and I see the sadness I hate so much as plain as day on her face. “Maybe Monday?” I suggest. Amanda and I had great fun once we stumbled home after meeting in a bar last Friday night. Great fucking fun. So much fun, I saw her on Wednesday too.
“Or this weekend?” Her hopeful voice makes me wince.
“Amanda, I’d love to, but I have a date with my grandfather, a shit ton of work to get through, and an employee’s fortieth birthday party.”
“Oh.” Disappointment. I seem to hear it a lot from women. I can’t say I like it.
“Monday, yeah?” I push, keen to get into the café. These lunch hours pass by in the blink of an eye, and I’m out here wasting that time trying to pacify a woman I’ve slept with. Lo looks a bit down. I need to crack a few jokes and raise that smile I love.