Chapter 9
EJ glanced up through the glass sunroof as the car passed under the grey girders of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
It wasn’t a new view to her, but each time she passed this way felt special, like she was on a movie set.
She peeked across at Neil, whose attention flicked from the road to her.
She smiled briefly, then glanced away. There was no need to distract the man.
The car ride back to her aunt’s apartment was surprisingly quiet. But then, Neil had been surprisingly quiet all night. Despite his earlier heroics, he’d said little since, although she’d been aware he’d watched her plenty.
“So, uh, did you have any more thoughts about the app?” she asked.
“It seems great, just great,” he mumbled.
Hmm. The enthusiasm with which he made that comment didn’t exactly give that vibe.
She peered across at him. “Is everything okay?”
He stopped for a red light. “That guy who showed up.”
“Jordan.”
He nodded. “Is he your, uh, boyfriend?”
“Jordan? No. Of course not. I thought I said that before.”
“Yeah, I know, but I wanted to make sure.”
“Why?”
Misgiving filled her as he didn’t answer for the longest moment. Granted, he was paying attention to the road, but he seemed agitated, tapping the steering wheel.
Then he sighed. “Look, it’s probably best to wait until we’re at home.”
Her forehead wrinkled. Did he mean when he’d dropped her home? She’d made that plain, hadn’t she? Her stomach tensed. He wasn’t planning on taking her to his home, was he?
She gave an exaggerated yawn. “I’ll be so glad to get to bed.”
“Me too!” he said eagerly.
Alarm bells rang at his excitement. Um, no. That was the absolute furthest thing from her mind. “I’m so tired,” she said, emphasising that last word. “I’m looking forward to getting home to my flat. It’s been a huge day.”
“Oh. Yeah. Of course.”
She wouldn’t let him refer back to his previous comment, so she did her best to keep a flow of conversation going, asking him about his work for the upcoming week, emphasising what was happening with work for her.
“I’m so grateful for Harriet. She’s been great to have work with me.
Have you met her yet? I really think you two might hit it off.
” Sorry, Harriet. “She’s such a hard worker, and so clever, and knows a lot about a lot of things.
Anyway, I think it’d be great if you met her, especially as you’re both from the same neck of the woods. ”
He shook his head, veering off the Warringah Freeway to Alfred Street, then onto Fitzroy, where they crossed under the gigantic bridgeworks to join Carabella.
Carabella Street ended down near Admiralty House, where the prime minister stayed while in Sydney, but they were heading back closer to the bridge via Kirribilli Avenue, the circuitous path almost a figure eight. “I don’t care about Harriet.”
“But I think—”
“I’ve never thought of Harriet in the whole course of my existence! I don’t care whether she’s dead or alive but as your friend. Who can think of Harriet when Emma is around?”
Oh no. Oh no! How much had the man been drinking?
“I thought only of you. Everything—investing in your app, spending time with you tonight—has only been because of you.”
Oh dear. How could she call herself a professional matchmaker and be so oblivious to his interest? And now, he was driving her home, and … Wait—she really hoped it was her home he was driving to.
“I feel like there’s been a mistake.” She stretched out her fingers then closed them.
“A mistake? How can you say that after the encouragement I received?”
She blinked. “Encouragement? What encouragement?”
“Tonight, when you hugged me and called me your hero. Do you mean to say that you didn’t mean it?”
She blew out a breath of exasperation. “I was grateful that you saved me from a thief. And I remain grateful—”
“See? You owe me.”
“Owe you?” She shook her head as a disconcerting thought snaked its way inside. Surely he didn’t mean to suggest … “How can I possibly owe you?”
He pulled the car to the side of the road.
“What are you doing?”
He moved in his seat to face her, then leaned closer. It took her a second to realise what was happening, that he was puckering his lips as if trying to kiss her. She shrank back against the headrest, angling her shoulder so his face met her jacket’s collar, not her skin.
“Neil, stop!”
He paused, then inched away, disgruntlement filling his features. “I don’t know why you want me to stop.”
“Haven’t you heard of consent or personal boundaries? The fact that no means no?”
“Yeah, but come on,” he pleaded. “I saved your life.”
“That man didn’t attack me,” she snapped. “He tried to steal my money, that’s all.”
“But you fell over.”
“I slipped over, all by myself, when I was chasing him.”
“Yeah, and I tackled him and got your money back.”
“And I was—I am appreciative—but I thought you trying to help was simply what a decent human being would do. I didn’t realise it came with strings attached.”
He muttered something under his breath, but she was growing angry.
Her eyes tapered. “You really think that your actions—which should be what any good person would do—means that I need to repay you?”
Again he muttered something she could not quite hear.
“You’re entirely mistaken to suppose I’ve given you any thought except as an acquaintance and as a potential investor.”
His jaw swung. “Are you serious?”
“Completely,” she snapped, her arms folded as she glanced out the windscreen.
Relief filled her as she recognised some of the surrounding buildings. Good. She could easily make her way home.
“Please unlock the door. I want to get out.” No way did she want this man knowing exactly where she lived.
“But it’s dark.”
“I’ll take my chances.” Better the unknown than this man she had no wish to further know.
He unlocked the doors, and she hastily unclipped her seat belt, grasping her bag and materials.
“Don’t think I’m ever going to invest in your app,” he snarked.
“Don’t think I would ever want you to.” It might be a petty thing to say, but it was clear that they had very different ideas about what was right and wrong. “Goodbye, Neil.”
He muttered something else that made her slam the door shut, startling the security guard who stood nearby, outside the gate to Admiralty House.
“Everything okay there, miss?” he called, as Neil gunned the engine and exited with squealing tyres.
“Yes, thanks.”
It was now. But oh, how embarrassing. Had she really given Neil some kind of indication that she wanted his attention like that? If so, she really needed to work on what her face was saying. Clearly it was talking without her permission.
Her high heels bit into her toes, pinching her feet, and soon she was limping as she hurried past house after expensive harbourside house, most of which these days had been renovated and divided into apartments and flats just like hers. Light from uncurtained windows splashed colour on the road.
Her phone rang, and she saw it was Jordan. Thank goodness. She couldn’t take another horrible man tonight. “Jordan?”
“EJ? Why do you sound like you’re panting?”
Clearly she really needed to rejoin the gym and work on her cardio exercise if that was the case. “I’m fine.”
“Are you home?”
“Almost.” She could see her apartment’s lights from here.
“So why are you panting?”
She didn’t want to worry him, but there was no easy way to say this. “I, uh, got dropped a few doors down from my place,” she said carefully. “I didn’t want Neil to know where I lived.”
“Good. There’s something about that man I didn’t trust.”
With good reason, it turned out.
“Are you sure you’re safe?” he persisted.
“One hundred percent.” She nodded to Carlos, the Mexican Australian who lived across the street, out as he usually was at this time of night, walking his bull mastiff, Bruno.
“So, things didn’t go so well?” Jordan asked as she turned into the path leading to her block of flats.
“Look, I think it is fair to say, there were some misunderstandings. On his part, anyway.”
He chuckled.
“What?”
“Let me guess. You soon put him right, and he didn’t appreciate it.”
“That’s pretty accurate.” She hooked her handbag under her arm and withdrew her key, inserting it into the front door. “Can I call you back in a minute? I’m just juggling keys and a phone, and I don’t want to drop anything.”
“One minute, okay.”
“Thanks.” She ended the call, then went inside the tiled entryway.
The art deco stylings were one of the reasons Aunty Marion had always loved living here.
And while having an artistic sister meant EJ now knew the difference between art nouveau and art deco, she still appreciated the flat more for its sleek lines and the room positioning that made the most of the views.
She walked up to her floor and unlocked her door, thankful for the lamp’s timer that meant she came home to a flat that looked cosy and aglow with light.
After dropping her bag, she retrieved her phone and snagged a throw from the couch, then wandered to the kitchen, toed off her shoes, and finally sank at the dining table, blanket around her shoulders as the harbour reflections bounced in the dark.
Charlie leaped onto her lap, and she was grateful for his calming presence.
As she stroked him, her nerves slowly steadied until she could press RETURN CALL.
Jordan answered immediately. “I was about to call you.”
“Look, it’s been a day.”
“You’re all safe now?”
She heaved out a breath. Today had felt insane. She propped her elbow on the table then her head in one hand, and briefly told him about the incident with the thief. “I’m fine now, apart from a sore knee. But thanks for checking in on me.”
“Of course. I’m just glad Neil was there and you’re okay.”
Neil. A shudder rippled through her. She closed her eyes as she realised just how huge a day this had been for Jordan too. He’d come to the city at her request, after his mother’s special day. And not once had she asked about him.