Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
‘Leo’s a recent carb convert,’ Evie told Nicky, as the bar staff put a large bowl of chips and a woodfired pizza on their table. ‘I ordered with that in mind.’
‘You mean you’ve spent your whole life up till now being afraid of bread?’ Nicky said.
‘You would be too,’ said Leo, with heat, ‘if you won or lost jobs based on how ripped you were.’
‘I stuff myself with carbs on a daily basis,’ said Nicky. ‘And you can still see my ribs.’
She shoved a handful of chips in her mouth. Leo gave Evie a look.
‘It’s true,’ Evie sighed. ‘She has the metabolism of a pygmy shrew, which consumes three times its own body weight per day.’
‘Am I allowed to hate your best friend even though we’ve only just met?’ Leo asked.
‘Of course,’ said Evie. ‘And I can tell you: once you get to know her, that reason will be way down the list.’
Leo raised his eyes to heaven and took a long pull on his pint.
‘So where do you live, Leo?’ said Nicky.
‘The interrogation has begun, has it?’ he replied.
‘If you can’t stand the heat,’ Nicky said, ‘you shouldn’t willingly enter the mouth of hell.’
‘I don’t recall that being the saying,’ said Leo. ‘But in answer to your question, I live in West London.’
‘Narrow it down,’ said Evie. ‘We’re fussy like that.’
‘Okay.’ Leo sighed. ‘I live in Chelsea.’
‘Oo-er,’ said Nicky. ‘Posh boy.’
‘Not posh.’ Leo shook his head. ‘My dad’s a health and safety inspector and my mum teaches English as a second language.’
‘Rich boy, then,’ said Nicky, relentlessly.
‘It’s a one-bedroom flat,’ said Leo. ‘And before you ask, yes, I have a mortgage. I made quite a lot of money as a model but not enough to pay cash for a flat in Chelsea .’
‘Car?’
‘I have a 2022 Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4,’ he replied.
‘Really?’ said Evie.
‘No, of course not!’ said Leo. ‘I have a VW Golf, like everyone else in the UK.’
Nicky exchanged a look with Evie. ‘He took the piss out of us.’
‘He did,’ Evie agreed.
‘I’m beginning to like him,’ said Nicky.
‘Hello?’ Leo waved his hand. ‘I’m right here.’
‘Eat up your pizza, Golf-boy,’ said Nicky. ‘It’s getting cold.’
Leo gave her a hard stare, and lifted a slice of pizza, folded it over onto the adjacent slice, and kept folding until he had the whole pizza in one stack. Eyes still fixed on Nicky, he took a huge bite out of it.
‘Mate,’ Nicky said to Evie, in a tone of deep respect. ‘This one might be a keeper.’
‘Yes, he’s growing on me,’ said Evie, with a smile.
If Leo had any opinion on the matter, he had to keep it to himself, his mouth being full of pizza quattro formaggi .
Nicky finished up her wine. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I’ll leave you two to it.’
Leo could speak now. ‘Feel free to email me any other personal questions you’ve forgotten.’
Nicky made a finger gun and aimed it at him. ‘Be careful what you wish for, Golf-boy.’
Then she turned it into a wave, and with a swish of blonde curly hair was gone.
Evie pointed at Leo’s pint. ‘Another?’
‘Better not,’ said Leo, though he didn’t sound fully convinced.
‘You can always run to work tomorrow. Burn off those extra calories.’
‘Sure. I’ve always loved running when I have to stop every five minutes and throw up.’
Evie hesitated. ‘If you crash at mine, work’s only a twenty-minute walk …?’
Leo met her eye, his expression wary. ‘Evie–’
‘Just a thought!’ said Evie, hastily, feeling her cheeks burn.
‘A good thought,’ said Leo, equally quickly. ‘But I’m still hung up on this whole boss-employee thing. Right now, it seems like too much of a risk. For both of us.’
‘Fair enough,’ said Evie, reluctantly. ‘I don’t actually know Keith and Kev’s views on their employees shagging. In the four years I’ve been at Double K, the subject has never come up.’
‘You mean, no office romances in all that time?’ said Leo, with a frown. ‘Not one?’
‘Well, not openly .’
Leo grinned. ‘Nigel and Ange. Come on. No two people can do jobs that dull and not have some major thirst going on.’
‘Nigel has five children, and his wife is a former Miss Grimsby,’ said Evie. ‘And last year, Ange and her wife renewed their vows on top of the Matterhorn, which they’d just climbed.’
‘Huh,’ said Leo.
‘Want that second pint now?’ Evie asked.
‘Thanks, but no.’ Leo gave her an apologetic look. ‘I want a clear head for tomorrow’s presentation.’
‘Oh, yeah.’ Evie’s shoulders slumped. ‘Have Keith and Kev given us a time yet?’
‘Not yet. But I’d be prepared for them to call us in on short notice.’
Evie made a rueful face. ‘You know, I’ve been really spoiled,’ she told him. ‘I’ve never been in a situation where my job was on the line.’
‘I have once,’ said Leo. ‘The company was down-sizing, and me and another guy were forced to compete for the same role.’
‘Did you get it?’
‘I did,’ Leo said. ‘And then a month later, they downsized me, too.’
‘Fuckers,’ said Evie.
‘Yeah,’ said Leo. ‘I wish I’d had the balls to quit first. Because fuck them – you shouldn’t treat people like that.’
Evie smiled and raised her glass to him. ‘That’s the attitude. If Keith and Kev don’t appreciate our brilliance, then we say, “Fuck them”. Only we’ll have to say it very quietly because Kev is terrifying beyond all reason.’
Leo gave her a crooked smile. ‘Maybe it’s time to grow those balls?’
They stared at each other. The noise of the busy pub faded around them.
‘You’re thinking about my balls, aren’t you?’ Leo said.
‘Guilty,’ said Evie. ‘So very, very guilty.’
‘Damn it, Evie,’ said Leo, in a low voice. ‘Now my balls are thinking about you.’
‘Oh, my,’ she murmured. ‘Whatever shall we do?’
But Leo shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Not yet. If – all right when – we get together, I want to be able to focus a hundred per cent on you. I don’t want visions of Keith and Kev, particularly Kev, popping into my head. And despite the fact that I’m going to have to walk out of here hunched over, I won’t change my mind. Sorry, Evie.’
‘That’s perfectly okay,’ said Evie. ‘It really is.’
To her surprise, she meant it. Every cell in her body was craving to get naked with Leo, but for once, she knew it was the right thing to wait. She’d fallen so easily into bed with Shaun-Tony-Jason that the sex, while technically excellent, had perhaps lacked heat? It had been fun, but about as passionate and intense as a day at the beach. Whereas the thought of being the subject of Leo’s committed sexual attention was turning Evie’s lady-parts molten. Clearly, another sleepless night was on the cards. Oh well, she could always proof-read their presentation.
Leo stood up. His messenger bag was slung over his shoulder and carefully positioned, Evie noted with a smile, to conceal any incriminating evidence.
‘We’ve got this,’ he said to her.
‘We have,’ Evie agreed. ‘We’ll kill it.’
‘See you in the morning, then.’
‘Bright and early. Sleep well.’
‘Not a chance, thanks to you.’ Leo flashed a smile. ‘But at least it’ll take my mind off work.’
Off he strode, winding through the tables to the door, giving Evie ample opportunity to admire the tautness of his rear.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Nicky. Ordering curry. Sum 4 Golf-boy?
Not 2day , Evie texted back. Get xtra naan tho, am super horngry .
Nicky texted back a ROTFL-face and an eggplant.
What a week it had been, Evie reflected, and it was only Thursday. And tomorrow – yes, the very next day – everything could change.
These two are doing remarkably well on their own, but they will need our help soon. Stay focused, my friends.