Chapter Nineteen
Genevieve didn’t have to put much effort into tidying her house. It was always social media perfect to the point of looking unlived in. She’d taken Mitzi for a brisk walk and settled her in her basket. Now, everything was ready to be photographed. Emelie Bright, the estate agent, was someone she’d met occasionally before. She’d handled property sales for Geoff, and Genevieve knew her to be efficient and timely. She’d unofficially nicknamed her Bright by name, bright by nature. Finlay would probably call her something similar and his voice seemed to say it in her mind, tinged with his wry tone.
She adjusted two cushions and stepped back to examine the effect. Why could she think of nothing but Finlay? Her followers were wild with excitement about her reels from the retreat and Flora had already had dozens of people calling her, asking to book the castle. Hopefully that would coin some favours for her dad. But it didn’t solve the biggest problem, the one she hadn’t shared with anyone except Mitzi. And even then, she could hardly bear to talk about it because it hurt so much. Lovely as it was having everyone telling her what an amazing catch she’d made, they didn’t realise how every word cut her deep. Finlay wasn’t hers. Not really. And no matter how much she wished he was, she knew it wasn’t going to happen. He was sticking to his plan and going to Dubai.
The doorbell rang. Emelie was early, but that was good. It would get this part out of the way. Genevieve’s stomach was tugged by irrational nerves. She’d never done anything like this before, not without support from her parents. She hadn’t wanted to ask them this time because they’d wonder why Finlay wasn’t around to help. Mitzi lifted her head, but was too tired to do anything else. Genevieve pulled open the door and stepped back in surprise.
‘Finlay. What are you doing here?’
He ran his hand around the back of his head and ruffled his hair. ‘Thought I’d drop by in case you wanted moral support. I got the impression you weren’t that thrilled about being here on your own.’
‘Did I give that impression?’
‘Subtly.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Though I’m not sure why. You’re the queen of real estate, remember?’
‘How could I forget? But it’s easier to be objective about other people’s property.’
‘This place is like a show home. It’s not like you’ve got anything to worry about.’
She stepped back to let him in and Mitzi came bounding up for a tummy rub. Genevieve understood that feeling all too well. She’d happily lie back for him too. When they’d been together at Flora’s castle, he’d opened doors to new possibilities that were hard to walk away from.
Discipline.
If she could just control herself for the next few weeks, he’d be gone from her life and she could start rebuilding it without him. He was a blip and she’d get over him. It was just a game after all.
He strolled into her hallway and looked around. Her resolve faltered. When he was so close to her, she wanted to yield to the comfort of his arms, even if she knew it couldn’t last and it wasn’t real.
‘I’m not going to add anything to the décor, am I?’ He squinted into the living room. ‘I hope I haven’t left footprints on the rug.’
Genevieve couldn’t help herself from checking. He chuckled and she threw him a look.
‘Got you,’ he said.
‘Please behave, especially when the estate agent is here.’
‘You know me. I’m always on my best behaviour.’
‘Yeah, sure you are.’
‘Smells nice in here.’
‘That’s my wax melts.’ The bell rang again before she let on how much she loved that fragrance – eucalyptus and mint – because it reminded her of him. She opened the door to a neat young woman in a sharp suit, holding a folio under her arm. Her poker straight auburn hair sat perfectly trimmed on her shoulders.
‘Genevieve, hi, nice to see you again.’
‘Hi, Emelie. How are you?’
‘Excellent, thank you.’ She glanced around. ‘You’ve got the place looking stunning. I don’t think we’ll have any problems selling it. I’ll need to have a proper look and get some measurements and pictures, then I can give you an idea of market prices and once the surveyor has done the home report, we can set the asking price.’ She made her way into the living area and came face to face with Finlay. ‘Oh… Are you the surveyor?’
‘No. I’m Finlay. Genevieve’s…’
‘Oh, you’re together. So sorry.’
‘It’s fine,’ Genevieve said.
‘So, do you both own this house?’
‘No. I have my own house.’
‘Is it on the riverside?’
‘Yes.’
‘I remember valuing it a few weeks ago. So, do you have your eye on somewhere together?’
‘Nothing yet,’ Genevieve said.
‘Well, if you want any recommendations, you know where to come.’
‘We will.’ Finlay sat down and rested in a perfect manspread. Mitzi lay down at his feet and he tickled her. Genevieve sat beside him and Emelie took the other sofa, opening the folio on her lap.
‘Now let’s go through the questionnaire,’ she said.
Having Finlay beside her was like having an invisible force field. He said nothing and sat quietly tickling Mitzi. Genevieve couldn’t explain why his being there was any better than being alone but it was.
After answering all Emelie’s questions, Genevieve caught Finlay’s eye and he smiled at her. She’d miss that smile. His thigh brushed against hers and the sense of familiarity struck her. Soon she’d be alone again and this fake reality would be nothing but a memory.
‘If you don’t mind me getting some pictures and measurements now,’ Emelie said.
‘Of course.’
Genevieve got to her feet and Finlay followed, chivvying Mitzi into the hallway while Emelie photographed the living space.
‘We’re back to selling houses and being all domesticated,’ Finlay muttered.
‘You’re the one who chose to come.’
He smiled. ‘Glutton for punishment. That’s me.’
But she had the impression he quite liked it. Maybe he liked her company. Why else would he have come?
The doorbell rang again and Finlay shook his head. ‘You’re very popular.’
‘Tell me about it.’ She turned to the door and opened it. A spasm of tension gripped her chest at the sight of the two people on the doorstep. Hayley and Elise. ‘Um… Hi. Why are you two here?’
‘We need to talk,’ Elise said.
Hayley smiled. ‘I’m just here to see you’re ok. I’ve hardly seen you and…’ Her eyes darted to Elise and Genevieve guessed she wanted to say some hard words. Hayley was there to soften whatever it was.
‘Hayley.’ Finlay stepped up behind Genevieve, placing his hand on her shoulder and she was enveloped by his soothing fragrance. ‘And…’
‘Me,’ Elise said.
‘Listen, this isn’t a good time, girls.’ Genevieve looked behind into the lounge. ‘I’ve got an estate agent here to value the house.’
Elise folded her arms and stood her ground. ‘We’ll wait because this is important.’
Genevieve let out a sigh and Finlay’s grip tightened on her shoulder. ‘Whatever it is you want to say to Genevieve, you can say it in front of me too,’ he said. ‘I’m not going away so you can slag me off.’
‘Like I’d do that,’ Elise said. But Genevieve would be shocked if she didn’t say something about him.
Hayley held out her hands and shared a helpless glance with her brother.
‘Well, I assume Hayley’s only here to stop you saying anything too upsetting to Genevieve and I’m not going to let you do that either.’
‘Why would I do that?’ Elise said. ‘I don’t want Genevieve to get hurt. She’s my friend, so I wouldn’t say anything with the intention of upsetting her, but what about you?’
‘What about me?’
‘Can you honestly say you don’t want to hurt her?’
‘Just butt out, Elise,’ he muttered. ‘I’ve never in my life wanted to hurt anyone.’
‘Let’s all be nice,’ Hayley said. ‘How about we wait out here until you’re finished with the estate agent? We’re just here for a friendly chat, that’s all.’ Hayley linked her arm through Elise’s and pulled her away.
Genevieve closed the door and stared at Finlay. ‘What are they playing at? How embarrassing when Emelie is here. I hope she didn’t hear that.’
‘She’s in the kitchen, so I don’t think she would have.’
‘I know Hayley is off on Tuesdays, so maybe they just want to see me, but they could have let me know.’
‘Excuse me for not trusting Elise, but it unfortunately goes with the territory.’ Finlay huffed out a low growly sound and mussed up his hair.
‘Let me handle her, ok?’
‘Yeah, yeah, ok.’
Genevieve grabbed his arm. ‘I mean it, Finlay. I can handle her. She’s here to see me, not you.’ And while she appreciated him standing up for her, she had to face this.
‘I’m aware of that, but I know firsthand how cruel she can be towards people who think she cares about them.’
She swallowed at the look of hurt in his eyes. This was why he was leaving and going somewhere he wouldn’t run the risk of bumping into her again.
A slight cough caught their attention. ‘I have everything I need,’ Emelie said, folio under her arm. ‘I’ll be in touch shortly once we have the floor plan and the sales page made up. Hopefully, the surveyor will be around this week and we can get the home report sorted and check the valuation.’
‘Thank you,’ Genevieve said. ‘That’s great.’
‘No problem.’ Emelie put out her hand and they both shook it one after the other. ‘And if you need any help with the house hunting, drop me a message.’
‘Sure will,’ Finlay said, leaning on the living room doorframe, with his arm up high, in the same casual way he’d done in his flat on the day the fake engagement started.
Genevieve walked Emelie to the door and followed her out. Close to the fence, Hayley and Elise stood side by side. Hayley looked like she was trying to show Elise something in the garden but Elise was stoney faced.
Emelie Bright climbed into a gun-metal Hyundai Tucson and drove off with a brief wave. Elise wasted no time in marching over.
‘Oh my god,’ Elise said. ‘Genevieve, are you ok?’
‘Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?’
‘Because this engagement isn’t real.’
‘Pardon?’ Genevieve stared at her.
Hayley looked away and picked on a nail. ‘Do you realise how insulting this is to my brother?’ she muttered.
‘I’m sorry, Hayley,’ Elise said. ‘And I don’t mean it to be at all insulting. Finlay’s a good guy and I was awful to him. I’m not denying any of that, but what he’s doing to Genevieve is just as bad.’
‘He’s not doing anything to me.’
‘He’s using you to get at me.’
‘No, really, he isn’t.’
Elise gave her an almost pitying look. ‘It’s so obvious. Why won’t you believe me? Why else would he get engaged so soon after me? Why propose to you on the same day you came to his flat with me? I saw the two of you together and there was no clue that he even liked you. So, I guess the two of you must have got completely rat-arsed, and he proposed for a joke or a dare or whatever. Why the hell did you say yes though? I don’t get why. Are you that desperate?’
‘Not nice,’ Hayley said.
‘You know what I mean,’ Elise said. ‘Not desperate as in you’ll settle for anything but desperate to be engaged. And if you said yes because you were drunk, why go along with it now? You’re even selling the house. Does that mean you’re going to Dubai with him?’ She held up her hands like she was grappling with something. ‘I have so many questions.’
Genevieve gave a little shrug. How could she begin to answer them? Elise made some good points.
‘Elise,’ Hayley said softly. ‘Finlay is nice. He always has been. There’s no reason why Genevieve shouldn’t like him. I know you and him didn’t work out and you didn’t actually love him, but you liked him. You knew he’d be trustworthy.’
‘I did,’ Elise said, and her expression drooped slightly. ‘That’s why I don’t understand why he’s doing this.’
Is it so hard to believe he actually likes me?
Yes. Because it was all a lie.
Having Hayley list all the reasons Elise had chosen him for her deception in the first place knocked a guilty nail into Genevieve. He had a good nature and a soft heart – so easy to take advantage of and to hurt. She almost berated herself for doing the same thing, only this time Finlay understood the rules.
‘I still don’t get it,’ Elise said. ‘Why are you going along with this?’
‘Because…’
‘Finlay might be good, kind or whatever,’ Elise added, ‘but he’s also—’
‘Standing right here? Listening to every word?’ Finlay’s voice said from the door.
Genevieve barely turned around, only enough to glimpse him casually leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed.
Elise shook her head. ‘This would be better without you.’
‘Oh, I’m sure it would be,’ he said, making his way over. ‘But I’m not going anywhere unless Genevieve tells me to go.’
‘She calls the shots, does she?’
‘She’s my… partner,’ Finlay said, putting his arm around her shoulder. ‘I’ll do what’s right for her and whatever she needs me to.’
Elise shook her head. ‘I have no idea what game the two of you are playing, but I really don’t get how you went from nothing to engaged in one day. Someone’s going to get burned really soon. I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.’
‘How noble,’ Finlay said. ‘Because you would know nothing about hurting anyone.’
‘I didn’t set out to hurt you.’
Hayley pulled a helpless face at Genevieve and reached out to pat Finlay’s arm. ‘I’m so happy for you both. If you say everything’s fine, then I believe you. I also understand your misgivings, Elise. I know it’s been sudden, but sometimes it happens.’
‘What does?’
‘Love at first sight.’
‘But Finlay’s seen Genevieve loads of times. It was hardly first sight.’ Elise’s jaw set and it looked like she was working hard not to say something else, but her resolve obviously cracked when she added, ‘It’s not like this is the first time you’ve done something like this either, is it?’
‘Pardon?’ Genevieve glared at her.
‘Well, you pretended to be with James Charlton to get your parents off your back and then you tried to draw that out into something that it wasn’t.’
‘Um… What?’ Finlay said.
Genevieve slowly raised her gaze to him.
‘Didn’t you know?’ Elise said.
‘This is different,’ Genevieve said.
‘And real.’ Hayley smiled.
‘Look, I don’t know anything about this James person,’ Finlay said to Elise. ‘But you’re right, it wasn’t love at first sight. That would be insane because I first saw Genevieve when she was roughly twelve and I was seventeen – she definitely didn’t float my boat at that age. But after you left her at my flat that afternoon, we had a realisation.’
Hayley smiled and cocked her head like this was the sweetest thing she’d ever heard.
‘Really?’ Elise said.
‘Yes. I realised I’d been attracted to Genevieve on some level for a long time and when she invited me to go to the party with her, it was clear she liked me too. Things were so easy between us, there didn’t seem any reason to wait any longer.’
‘Right.’ Elise arched an eyebrow like she didn’t believe a word of it. Genevieve didn’t blame her. It sounded pretty ridiculous, but her heartrate sped up at the thought that Finlay’s words might be close to the truth. Could he have been attracted to her for a long time? Almost instantly, she dismissed the idea. As if. He was making up bullshit to throw them off the scent. His physical attraction to her at Flora’s castle had been real, but that was just sex, right?
‘Listen, Elise, give them a break, ok?’ Hayley said. ‘Not everyone’s relationships will be the same.’
‘Sure. I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. I can just see this going all wrong. I’ll message you,’ she said to Genevieve. ‘And I truly didn’t mean to offend either of you. I just… Oh, never mind. Whatever I say, I look like the bad guy.’ She turned and marched off. Hayley followed her and said something before returning to Genevieve and Finlay.
‘I’m not going back with her. Can I come in for a minute?’
‘Sure,’ Genevieve said.
‘Are you going to get on our case too?’ Finlay said.
‘Yes, but about something completely different.’
‘What now?’ he asked.
‘Mum wants to know why you haven’t brought Genevieve around yet or invited her to meet the two of you together. She doesn’t want to invite herself either, in case she looks too pushy.’
Genevieve led them into the house and gestured for them to take seats. Mitzi pounced on Hayley, who laughed and tickled her.
‘Your mum has seen me before,’ Genevieve said. It was one big difference between her parents and Hayley’s mum. While Geoff and Hilary Harrington took very little interest in their children’s friends, Lisa McBride liked to know everything about everyone. More often than not, Genevieve and Elise had ended up at Hayley’s house as teenagers. Lisa was the mum who taxied the friends everywhere and would dot in and out of Hayley’s room, bringing them snacks and drinks, pretending to hang up laundry or put things away, when really just wanting to be part of everything. They’d learned to not stop talking and to let her in on the chats. Maybe that was another reason why crushing on Finlay as a teenager had been something Genevieve had to keep locked away. Lisa might not have minded, but the embarrassment would have been horrible. Even now, her face and neck felt hot at the thought.
‘Of course she’s seen you,’ Hayley said, still scratching Mitzi’s tummy. ‘But she wants to see you together. She’s already upset that she hasn’t seen you, Finlay, for ages and you’re going away soon.’
He dropped his head into his hand and sighed. ‘Yeah, I know. I’ve been so busy.’
‘So’s she. She’s hoping to cut her hours at work, but you know what she’s like. She’s been saying that ever since we were at school.’
‘Does she still work at the Drip Drop Coffee Shop?’ Genevieve asked.
‘Yes,’ Finlay said. ‘She’s in with the woodwork there.’ He glanced at his phone, then at Genevieve. ‘I’ll message her and see when she’s free this week, then we can go see her.’
‘Sure.’ She swallowed back her trepidation. Yet another awkward meeting.
Hayley gave Mitzi what was obviously meant to be a final scratch and sat back in her seat. Mitzi, however, was having none of it and sat at Hayley’s feet, staring up at her. Hayley beamed at Finlay, then Genevieve. ‘I just can’t get over the two of you. Of all the people I’d never have put together.’ She gave a little flick of her hands. ‘And you know how much I love setting people up, but I’d never thought…’ She was still smiling like it was the happiest mistake of her life. Genevieve inwardly gave herself a pat on the back for hiding her crush for so long from one of the nosiest people on the planet.
‘Well, you know me,’ Finlay said. ‘I always like to stand out from the crowd and bring something new to the party.’ His tone was sarky, like he was known to be the most boring man on the planet. Genevieve narrowed her eyes slightly as she took him in. Her biased brain told her he was handsome and sexy. Maybe not everyone would agree with her but if they thought him dull and average, that was their own problem – she knew otherwise.
‘How true,’ Genevieve said with a smile.
‘Perfect,’ Hayley agreed. ‘Speaking of parties, you can bring Genevieve to Dad’s birthday bash.’
‘What?’ Finlay glared at her. ‘You are kidding, right?’
‘Why would I be? Dad will want to meet her too.’
Genevieve tried to read Finlay’s expression. She knew their dad lived in Dundee and Finlay didn’t see him often, but something in his face said that he either didn’t want to go to the party at all or he didn’t want her with him.
‘Great,’ he said. ‘Let’s add that to the calendar of fun events to tick off my bucket list before I… we leave for Dubai.’
Hayley smiled but her face was a little tense. ‘I’m going to miss you two so much. This has all been so sudden and I’ – she covered her mouth like she might cry – ‘I’ll miss having you both around. Now it’s not only one of my favourite people I’m losing, but two.’
Genevieve’s insides coiled and Hayley gave her a fond smile. How would this conversation go in a couple of weeks’ time when Finlay had jetted off to Dubai and Genevieve was still here… Would she still be one of Hayley’s favourite people then?