Chapter Fourteen
Oliver
N athan clapped Oliver on both arms. ‘I knew you’d get it. When do you start?’
‘I have to negotiate that,’ Oliver said. ‘I’m bang in the middle of some cases I’d like to finish, or at least get to a point where I can easily hand them over to someone else. I’m thinking new year at the earliest, but probably more realistically in February.’
‘Sounds great.’ Nathan gave him another look. ‘You sure you can’t persuade Hayley to come with you?’
‘Why would I do that?’
‘I just think you’d be great together.’
‘Not going to happen,’ Oliver said. ‘We want very different things from life.’
‘Ah, pity. But let me show you this.’ Nathan led Oliver through the office building where, in a few months, he would spend most of his time. He’d need to source accommodation too. Nathan had already offered him a spare room until he found something, but Oliver liked his own company.
‘I get an induction month first,’ Oliver said. ‘I’ll probably need it. This is a whole new way of working for me.’ A twinge tugged his insides alongside thoughts of long hours, lengthy commutes, and very little downtime. But thousands of people did it and loved it. Why not him? He was already a workaholic, according to Finlay, so this would suit him fine.
He and Nathan sat together through day two of the conference. By the end of the afternoon, Nathan had googled about twenty properties he thought would suit Oliver. No doubt they were all very nice, but Oliver wanted to choose for himself.
‘Look forward to having you back in February.’ Nathan shook Oliver’s hand as they got ready to go their separate ways.
‘Thanks for all your help with this,’ Oliver said. And while he appreciated it, he had a niggling sense that, without Nathan’s insistence, he wouldn’t have this new job at all. He should be thankful for that, shouldn’t he? Only something didn’t sit right. Why did it feel like he’d been pushed in a direction he hadn’t wanted to go in? Or if he did, he hadn’t fully made up his mind yet. Why are you just going with the flow? Because it was the right thing to do? A sensible career progression. Not because he wanted to. His current job wasn’t working out, but he wasn’t convinced this new one would be any better. Something was still missing.
Chalk it up as an experience. He tried to channel that thought as he headed for the tube. Even if he stuck with it for a year or two, he might be in a better position to get a partnership or open his own practice. Technically, he could do that now, but something had always held him back.
As the tube trundled off, he messaged Hayley, suggesting they met at an Italian restaurant on Piccadilly. Her gushy message back was in a similar tone to the ones that afternoon. She sounded delighted he’d got the job. No doubt she couldn’t wait to get rid of him.
Even now? Now she knew he was attracted to her? Their confession the previous night had changed things, but also complicated matters. When he’d thought it a one-sided attraction, he could deal with it, but her feelings in the mix made it so much harder.
And what about the kiss?
The question had been at the back of his mind all day. As he nipped up the steps at Piccadilly Station, he tried to push the analysis away and not think about it. They’d been silly to do it, but that wouldn’t erase the memory of just how good it had been.
Hayley was waiting outside the restaurant, her gorgeous hair tumbling around her shoulders, her face all smiles as ever. Oliver suffered the usual gut-punch. More so this time, as he knew what it was like to kiss those lips. Oh god. He wanted to do it again so badly. His body ached at the idea of not being able to. He flexed his hand and tried to smile.
‘Congratulations,’ she said, and in a typical Hayley move, she launched herself into his arms and hugged him around the neck. He’d seen her do this kind of thing heaps of times with other people, but she wouldn’t normally with him. He stood rigid for a moment, but why not accept it? With a little huff, he snaked his arms around her waist and held her close. His nose drew close to her hair, and he inhaled the beautiful scent. Last night, her hair had been piled up and out of reach when he’d held her, but now, with it trailing down her back, it was just there. He shifted his hand so it brushed over her smooth curls. No one else had hair as stunning as this. With a very light touch, he stroked it. The softness of it, along with Hayley’s warm weight in his arms, had a deep effect on him. Blood raced to his groin.
Control, Oliver.
Having someone in his corner and so delighted for him was unusual. But pleasant… Very, very pleasant.
‘Thank you,’ he said quietly, aware he hadn’t verbally responded to her.
She increased her grip on his neck, then placed a tiny kiss on his cheek, holding her lips there for a beat longer than necessary. ‘I’m so happy for you.’
A jolt of energy pulsed through him, and he almost threw caution to the wind and kissed her again. But no. This would end here. He took a deep breath and pulled back. ‘It’ll be quite a change,’ he said. Part of him wanted to tell her about the conflicting feelings he’d had on the tube, his uncertainty, and worries. But why bother her? No need to bring a downer on the meal. He pushed open the restaurant door and held it for her.
‘This looks lovely.’ She checked around.
‘Yeah, I like Italian food and I’m planning on overeating and drinking a fair bit this evening.’
‘To celebrate?’ She gave him a funny look, like it surprised her.
‘Kind of, but more to make sure I sleep on the train.’
‘Oh yeah, good point.’
The food was so delicious Oliver had no problem filling up with olives, crunchy bruschetta, creamy mozzarella, juicy fat tomatoes, pasta, pizza and pretty much a little of everything available at the all-you-can-eat buffet. Hayley was the same. She giggled as she held up her plate. ‘I need to send a photo of this to Finlay. He’ll be so jealous.’
‘Just don’t tell him who you’re with.’
‘As if.’ She put her plate on the table and pulled out her phone.
‘I’ve ordered some wine too,’ Oliver said. ‘Hopefully that’ll knock us out.’
‘I’ve still got a bottle in my case. We can use that if we need it too.’
He sat down at the same time as the server appeared with the wine bottle and two glasses.
‘Should I be surprised that you carry bottles of wine in your suitcase?’
Hayley smirked. ‘For emergency use only.’
‘No wonder that case was so heavy. What other emergencies were you prepared for?’
‘Ah, you know, this and that. I’ve got a full hazmat suit in there too.’
He shook his head and poured some wine into her glass. ‘You really are mad.’
‘Thank you.’ She took the glass from him. ‘Speaking of which, are we going to behave on the train?’
Oliver poured his wine, then took a long, slow sip. ‘Would you rather misbehave?’
‘Probably.’
‘In what way?’
‘In an energetic way that might help us sleep.’
He snorted. ‘I’m guessing you don’t mean running up and down the carriages.’
‘Er, no.’
‘Ok. So, say we did, don’t you think that would be problematic?’
‘I know it would be.’
‘You do?’ He nodded. ‘So, if we do anything, it has to have strict boundaries.’
‘Such as?’
‘It’s a one off. It’s not a precursor to anything else, like a relationship or even a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Nothing like that.’
‘Makes sense.’ She stared at her food. ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, why are we even contemplating this? We’re adults. We can control ourselves.’
‘Yup.’
‘And in a month or so, you’ll be here, and I’ll be in Glenbriar. Whatever this is between us will fizzle and die.’
He blinked at his food and took another mouthful of wine. She was right, but snuffing out the faint hope of a night of passion on the train left his insides roiling. Why had he chosen so much food? Why had he let her get to him? If he’d just kept his mouth shut yesterday and not mentioned the attraction, he could have kept everything safe and as it should be.
They boarded the train later that evening and silence descended on them. Hayley seemed abnormally quiet and subdued. Oliver decided not to mention it or even say anything. It was all for the best. They’d return to Glenbriar and go back to normal. That one kiss would sit there as something he wished he’d never let happen.
The food and the wine might have worked to get him to sleep if his head wasn’t in such turmoil. What was happening in his life? Normally, it was so well ordered and predictable. It might not be full of joy, but it was steady and safe. Now, everything was topsy-turvy and unsettled. His mind was all over the place and tension had seized him, holding him like a vice. How could he escape and find something stable and familiar to cling to? Because there wasn’t anything. He’d made a choice. Things would change and he had to deal with it. Just like he’d dealt with losing his mum as a child. He’d cope. Perhaps he wouldn’t thrive, but he’d manage.
By the time they got to Glenbriar station just after six in the morning on Saturday, he’d barely slept a wink.
Hayley peered at him, bleary eyed. ‘I’m going home and straight back to bed.’ She stifled a yawn.
‘I think I’ll do the same.’
‘Thanks for letting me tag along. It’s been an awesome week.’
‘It really has. And I apologise if I overstepped on Thursday night. Maybe I should have kept my thoughts to myself.’
A little smile grew on her face. ‘I’m glad you didn’t. I enjoyed it.’
He nodded but said nothing else. Sure, he’d enjoyed it too, but didn’t want to say so. It would only lead to trouble and push him to places he was afraid to go. With a brief wave, he headed to his car, and she went to hers. He sat for a long moment in the driver’s seat before finally heading home.
Sitting opposite his boss, Hugh Sterling, on Monday morning, Oliver kept his face impassive as he watched Hugh read over his letter of notice for the second time.
‘Well, I’ll be sorry to see you go,’ Hugh said. ‘Between you and me, you’re by far the best lawyer here.’
‘Thanks.’
‘But I understand the need to spread your wings. This is too small a place for someone with your talents. I’m surprised you’ve stuck with us this long, if I’m honest. What about your current cases? I’m especially worried about the Camelle one.’
‘I’ll see that one through as far as I can. If we don’t get a settlement after the next court date in January, I’ll have to pass it to someone else, but I’m quietly confident we can win this time.’
‘Alright, good.’ Hugh steepled his fingers and gave Oliver a strained smile. ‘I’m truly sorry to see you go. It’ll leave a big gap here that’ll take some filling. I was hopeful I could hang on to you until Denise retired and I could have offered you a partnership.’
Oliver frowned. Denise was Hugh’s wife, and they’d run the practice together for ten years plus, but Denise was only around fifty. ‘I didn’t think she was close to retiring.’
‘Age-wise, she’s still got years left, but she’s not enjoying it as much anymore. She’s already looking to cut back her hours. She wants to get more involved in the community and run clubs and things. But we don’t have a timeline or anything, so it’s a bit pie in the sky. It’s not like I can offer you anything concrete in the hope you’ll change your mind. It could be another few years.’
‘I see.’ Oliver wasn’t sure it would work anyway. The business was well-known as Sterling Family Legal. Would they change the name if he became a partner? Sterling and Wright Family Legal had a neat ring to it but was that what he wanted? He tried to think about it objectively, imagining he didn’t have the London job. Did he really want to stay in Glenbriar even with a partnership? None of the options neatly filled the hole in his chest. Something was always missing. Maybe the dream job didn’t really exist. They all had pros and cons. Perhaps the change in itself was all he needed.
He’d messaged both Finlay and his dad before the meeting with Hugh to tell them about the job. His dad hadn’t replied yet. No surprise there. He often took days to reply to messages, if he bothered at all. Even though Oliver could see he’d read it, he didn’t expect anything.
But there was a message from Finlay.
FINLAY: Wow!!! Congratulations. But no way! How can you go live in London?
Oliver raised his eyebrow. Seriously?
OLIVER: Says the man who was planning on going to Dubai for three years!
FINLAY: Yeah, I know. A bit rich coming from me. But I was only going to Dubai to run away from the mess I’d made of things here. At least that’s all cleared up now. I’ll miss you! Who will I go cycling with?
OLIVER: Aidan?
FINLAY: It won’t be the same. Still, I’m happy for you. I think you’ll rock it in London. You’ve outgrown us. Just make sure you get a two-bedroom apartment, as I know Genevieve will want to visit. She loves London. So there’ll be no keeping us from coming.
London prices were so ridiculous he wasn’t sure he would find anything big enough, but he appreciated the good wishes. Oliver reread his messages. They gave him a weird sense of belonging. Someone here cared and would miss him.
What about Hayley? Would she come to London with Finlay? Probably not and maybe just as well. Why could he not stop thinking about Hayley? Screw it. It had always been hard not to, but now it was downright impossible. All day, she was never far from the top spot in his mind, pushing her way in like she had some claim on him.
When he left that afternoon, his eyes almost popped when he saw her waiting outside the office again. Had he summoned her just by thinking about her again?
‘Hey.’ She gave him a cheery wave.
‘What’s up?’ he said. ‘You don’t work on a Monday, do you?’
‘I’ve not been at work. I was in town having a coffee with my cousin, Willow. We’ve chatted all afternoon. I’m on my way home and I thought I’d hang about here and see if you came out.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I want to talk to you.’
‘And have you forgotten about phones and messenger?’
She pulled a face. ‘Obviously not, but I was passing anyway. It’s nice to talk face-to-face, you know?’
‘Is it?’
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, Oliver! You need to lighten up a bit.’ She did a quick scan around. ‘Maybe fooling around with me wasn’t a good plan, and you made a sensible choice, but why not get together with someone else?’ She prodded him. ‘It might stop you from being so uptight.’
‘I’m not uptight and I don’t need to be set up.’ He narrowed his eyes.
She was smirking. ‘Did I say I was going to set you up? Though I do know a lot of people.’ She tossed her hair over her shoulder.
Oliver loosened his tie. Her hair, Christ. He mustn’t dwell on it. And how dare she call him uptight? Had she hit too close to the mark? She couldn’t know it had been a while since he’d been with anyone. But his private life was none of her business.
‘I don’t care if you know a lot of people. I don’t need a setup.’
‘Fair enough.’ She gave him a thorough once over. ‘But I know a lot of people who wouldn’t mind. One in particular.’
Was she talking about herself? Or did she have a friend who’d been eyeing him up? That thought made him grind his teeth… whereas if it was her…
‘Is this why you’re here? To set me up?’
‘No. I have other matters to discuss with you. I saw a flyer for this in the café. Look.’ She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket.
Oliver read the headline: Banquet and Ballroom Weekends at Thistle Lodge – cook your own banquet and learn to Scottish country dance like a pro.
‘Why are you showing me that? I don’t want to cook my own banquet or go dancing. It sounds awful.’
‘I meant for the sten.’
Oliver just held back from groaning audibly. Back for two days and she was going on about the sten already. London suddenly looked very appealing.
‘I contacted the people running it,’ she said, ‘and they said we could go up for a taster session before we committed to anything.’
‘You feel free to do that, but I am not ballroom dancing.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Ok, whatever.’ She stuffed the piece of paper back into her bag. ‘I guess I’ll just book something and get on with it. You’ll be in London, wrapped up in your own world anyway, so what does it matter? You’re too big for us now, I suppose. All of this too provincial for you? And why should you care about your best friend’s wedding? You’ve got Nathan now and lots of other city mates. Why don’t you just fuck off to London already and forget about us?’ She stalked off up the street.
Ouch . Oliver ground his teeth and forced a breath, but a pang of something else trickled through him. Would it really be so bad to help her or at least show a little enthusiasm for what she was doing? Of course he cared about Finlay’s wedding… Though really, his actions hadn’t shown that at all. He rubbed his forehead and sighed. He’d been a total arse about all of it.
His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out, half expecting to see Hayley’s name again, but it was his dad. Wow . That was a speedy response for him.
DAD: Good to know. When do you leave? Does that mean you’re not coming for Christmas? Need to know soon so we can sort everything out.
Oliver’s teeth were in great danger of wearing away completely. Was that all his dad had to say? Not a word of congratulations or anything to suggest he was proud, even sad, to hear the news. Nothing. Just cold empty words. Even if his mum was still around, this could still be the norm – for Dad anyway. Surely his mum would never be so aloof and unconcerned. She’d always been so warm, so affectionate and giving. What must it have been like for her being constantly pulled down by a gruff and cold-hearted man like his dad? His mind leapt back to what he’d just done to Hayley. Shit .
He had no right to throw stones when he was just as bad himself.