Chapter 34
Mac
I’m finding leaving Eliza every day difficult.
I’ve woken up most mornings with her head resting on my chest and her leg over mine as though she’s willing me not to leave the bed.
I’ve started setting my alarm for ten minutes earlier than needed so I can lie in bed and just watch her.
To soak in this time I have with her. I hate that my father has me in the office late every day.
By the time I get back to the flat, Eliza has made dinner and left me a portion and has passed out on the couch.
I carry her to bed, placing soft kisses on her lips each time, needing some connection to her before I heat up the food and eat.
She’s an amazing cook, I just wish I could enjoy these meals with her.
Instead I’m leaving her here alone in this flat while I’m stuck in the office.
I just hope that she’s been venturing out while I’ve been gone.
The thought of her sitting her all by herself tugs at my heart.
Every night when I climb into bed and pull her close, she lets out a content little sigh that has me wondering if maybe she’s starting to feel more the same way I am. I don’t like the thought of going back to Vancouver and sleeping in separate beds, let alone separate flats.
I’m in a meeting when my phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to see it’s a text from Eliza. The smile that hits my face is instant.
Eliza
I’ve booked us something for Sunday.
Mac
Consider my curiosity piqued.
Eliza
Good things come to those who wait.
Her words have my mind instantly back in the bathtub with her as she squirmed against me.
“Mackenzie?” My father's voice pulls me from my thoughts.
“Pardon?”
He sighs. “Is whatever that is really that important?”
I brace myself, because to me it is, when it comes to Eliza everything is important, but I know my father won’t see it that way. “Yes, it was Eliza.”
I clock the look of irritation that crosses his face before he quickly masks it. He won’t let anyone he does business with see that side of him. When the meeting ends, he asks me to stay back.
“Is Eliza okay?” he asks.
“Yes,” I answer warily, knowing that he’s not asking out of concern for her wellbeing.
“Then I expect your full attention to be on our meetings.”
“How was I to know she was okay when she first texted? I’m also not going to ignore her when I’ve barely seen her since we arrived because I’ve been in the office the entire time.”
“It’s starting to sound like you don’t want this job. Maybe I should just give it to Arthur and you can head back to Vancouver and relax.”
You’re supposed to love your parents, even respect them, but right now I want to throttle my father.
“It’s not that I don’t want it. I’m aware of a little balance especially now I have someone in my life. She’s been understanding about me leaving her by herself so far, so when she texts me, I’m going to respond.”
“Didn’t you say she’s working while here? So you’re not exactly leaving her by herself.”
I sigh. “Yes, she is, but she also isn’t working until nine or ten at night. She finishes work, does her own thing, makes food, and is usually asleep on the couch when I get home.”
“Sounds like everything is exactly as it should be.”
Patricide is looking more and more appealing right now.
I check the time on my watch and gather my files. “I’m going to head to my next meeting. I’ll see you on Monday.”
He raises a brow. “Are you not coming in tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. I’m going to check in with Eliza before I make any decisions.”
He waves me off as though he’s dismissing me and not like I said I was leaving.
I was contemplating coming in for a few hours early in the morning tomorrow just to satisfy my father, but after his reaction today, there’s no way.
I’m going to wake up in bed beside Eliza and I’m going to spend the day with her ensuring that she gets to experience some fun while here.
I push through the rest of my day, and when the clock hits six, I’m out the door, determined to eat a meal with Eliza. I can tell how much I’ve been gone when she looks surprised when I walk in the front door.
“You’re home,” she says, shock filling her voice.
“I am.” I wrap my arms around her as I pull her in close. “I wanted to have dinner with you. I hate that I haven’t been here with you this week, but we’re going to spend tonight together and this weekend. No work, just you and me and whatever you want to do.”
She grins up at me, excitement radiating off her. “Really? I was planning on hitting the British Museum tomorrow and maybe a few other things if I have time!”
I smile down at her. “We can do all of it. Anything you want.”
She bounces up on her tiptoes and kisses me in a casual way that once again has me questioning this arrangement and what it really means to both of us.
She slips out of my arms and bounces around the kitchen as she finishes the meal she was working on.
She waves me off when I offer to help, so I lean against the counter and watch her.
There’s a pep in her step that wasn’t there when I walked in, and the thought that I might have put it there has pride rushing through me.
She serves us and tells me about the shops she’s stopped by after work while I’ve been out and her video call with her friends while she walked around the city.
I’m glad that she’s found a way to enjoy it while I’ve been at work, but a little part of me is also sad that I wasn’t with her as she made all those memories.
It only pushes me to make sure this weekend is everything she deserves and more.
It’s our only full weekend here, and next Saturday we’re meeting Mom for dinner.
When we finish, Eliza asks if we can play a game.
Not willing to say no to any of her ideas, I show her where the collection of games is.
They’re mainly from when I was a kid and used to play with my mother.
When she moved out, I didn’t have the heart to get rid of them so they ended up in a box that went to storage.
When my father moved back to London, I made sure they came to this flat so he didn’t throw them out.
She grabs the Uno cards and turns to me a look I can’t quite read on her face. “How about this, but with some special rules?”
“What did you have in mind?”
Her smile grows. “We’re going to need shot glasses and booze.”
Liking this free spirit side of her, I pull down a bottle of whisky and two shot glasses before joining her in the living room.
She settles on the couch, wiggling against the cushion as she gets comfortable. “Okay. If the other person plays a skip, you remove an item of clothing. If they play a reverse, you have to do a shot. And if they play a pick up two card, you can either take four shots or pick up two cards.”
“Are you trying to get me drunk, Eliza?” I ask, and her grin is diabolical.
“Me? I’d never do that.”
I shake my head and laugh while she deals.
We make it through first hand fairly sober, by the time we finish the second we’re both tipsy, and when we finish the third, she’s drunk.
I’ve never seen her like this, but she looks so carefree.
We’ve abandoned the game, and she’s got music playing from her phone as she dances and sings into the neck of the whisky bottle.
I pull my phone out and start taking a video. When she notices, she sings at the camera like she’s putting on a performance. I make sure it’s not only saved on my phone but also in every other place I can think of, not wanting to lose this memory of her.
She collapses on the couch beside me, out of breath from all her dancing, and I can see her starting to drift to sleep.
I pick her up and carry her to bed, helping her change into her pyjamas before tucking her in.
She watches me as I undress and I don’t hide a thing, liking the way her eyes drag across my skin unabashedly in her drunkenness.
“Mmmm, my boyfriend’s hot,” she says, pointing at me. “No, my fake boyfriend.” She pouts. “You know, you could have asked anyone to pretend to be your girlfriend. You’re hot, they’d be a fool to say no, but you asked boring me. The girl who’d never had sex before and prefers a book to a party.”
I’m surprised at how coherent her words come out. I slide in beside her and brush her hair behind her ear. “I don’t think you’re boring.”
She smiles. “You don’t?”
I shake my head. “Furthest thing from boring. Do you really think I would have asked you if I didn’t at least like you as a person?”
She shrugs. “I just thought I was easy to ask because of my manifestation.” Even in her drunken state, she says the word like it’s fake.
“You don’t think very highly of yourself then. I guess I’ll think highly of you enough for both of us, at least for now.”
She reaches up and brushes her fingers over my lips. “You’re very sweet.”
“Am I?”
She nods vigorously. “Yes. Aaannnndddd, hot. Can’t forget that one.”
I laugh. “I think you should get some sleep.”
“Cuddle me?” she asks, a sweetness in her voice I haven’t heard before.
“Of course.”
She grins as she rolls over, grabbing my arm and pulling it around her as she shuffles back into me. I kiss the back of her head as I listen to her breathing even out before she completely passes out.