Chapter 40
CHAPTER
Elora rarely drank more than a glass of wine, so sinking two stubbies and being halfway through her third meant she’d officially edged into tipsy.
‘You’re pissed,’ Thommo said, laughing as she slid off the bench a little. ‘Definitely a cheap date.’
‘This isn’t a date.’
‘Because I’m not Cruz.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Some bastards have all the luck.’
‘It’s got nothing to do with Cruz.’ She tipped back her beer and took another sip. ‘He’s mean and grumpy and a big poo-poo head.’
Thommo sniggered, his eyes widening as he looked over her shoulder. ‘Poo-poo head, huh?’
‘The biggest poo-poo head.’ She flung her arms wide, sloshing the remainder of her beer onto Thommo’s chest. ‘Oops. Sorry.’ She patted at his shirt ineffectually, getting the giggles when he squirmed. ‘You’re ticklish.’
‘Very.’
He joined in her laughter, and she tickled him harder.
‘Well, well, well. Isn’t this cosy?’
As Elora froze, Thommo leaned over to whisper in her ear, ‘Sprung. The big meanie looks really angry, but that’s probably because he’s jealous.’
‘What are you whispering about, bozo?’ Cruz entered the rotunda, filling the space.
‘You, dickhead.’ Thommo stood and winked at Elora. ‘You’re right. He’s definitely a poo-poo head.’ With a jaunty wave, he strolled away, leaving her alone with a glowering, narrow-eyed Cruz.
‘Having fun?’
She tilted her nose in the air. ‘I was until you showed up.’
‘You shouldn’t drink so much if you can’t hold your alcohol.’
‘I don’t need a lecture from you,’ she muttered, swigging the rest of her beer and slamming the empty bottle on the bench beside her to make her point. ‘Maybe you should have a few drinks and loosen the hell up.’
His brows drew together in a formidable frown and he crossed his arms. ‘I came here to apologise, but if you’re going to be belligerent, I can come back later.’
One word infiltrated her foggy mind: apologise.
It took a big man to say he was sorry. Even after she’d caught Jason cheating on her, he hadn’t apologised.
He’d blustered and made excuses, implying she’d been crazy for expecting total monogamy in their relationship, but he hadn’t once said he was sorry.
Cruz hunting her down here and wanting to apologise went some way to soothing her bruised heart.
Faking nonchalance, she waved her hand at him. ‘Now is as good a time as any to say what you have to say.’
He took a deep breath and blew it out. ‘I’m sorry for overreacting to the video. I should’ve trusted that you know what you’re doing.’
‘Did George recant on his stance?’
He shook his head. ‘No, but I gained two new clients, much bigger and more lucrative than George’s market.’
‘Because of the video?’
‘Yeah. Go figure.’
‘Are the clients female?’
Puzzled, he studied her. ‘No. Why?’
‘Because of all … that.’ She pointed at his chest.
The corners of his mouth lifted as his frown cleared. ‘One of them did say his wife wanted to work with me because of that video.’
‘Up close and personal work, I bet,’ she muttered, having no right to be jealous but a tad green nonetheless.
‘So you didn’t take down the video?’
‘No. A viral video with such high viewing numbers is a good advertisement for my business, too.’ No matter how much of a desperate loser the commentary made her. ‘And it sounds like it’s done the trick for the farm, so it can stay on the farm’s profile.’
‘You’re the expert,’ he said with a shrug. ‘Will you come back?’
‘To the farm? No.’
Stricken, he glanced across the carpark to where Thommo swept the front steps of Reception. ‘Any particular reason?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I have no interest in Thommo. We had a few drinks, shared a few laughs. Mostly about you.’ She jabbed a finger at him.
‘It’s not nice to tease someone who’s struggling since coming back to a town he did everything to escape from and then discovers he’s stuck here for a year.’
She rubbed the tip of her index finger and thumb together. ‘Let me play the world’s smallest violin for you.’
He laughed, its depth rippling over her and raising goosebumps.
He’d laughed in bed too, surprisingly relaxed after they’d had sex, and chatted about his favourite foods, the worst cafés he’d ever worked in and his aspirations for the future.
The intimacy they’d shared made her realise what she’d been missing out on with Jason.
She’d settled for him, craving stability, yet she’d felt more cherished in one scorching interlude with Cruz.
‘I intend on staying here until the end of the week so I can finish my online promotion for the farm, like I was hired to do.’
A dent appeared between his brows. ‘That’s it?’
‘What else is there?’ She threw the question out as a challenge, curious to hear what he had to say. Not that she expected any undying vows of affection after their one memorable night together, but he sounded distraught at the thought of her leaving.
He grimaced, then swiped a hand across his face to erase his pained expression. ‘I’m an introvert, so I’m not very good at this kind of thing.’
‘Talking?’
He tapped his temple. ‘Articulating what I’m thinking.’ He pointed to his heart. ‘And what I’m feeling. That’s the kicker, because I rarely feel anything, yet you …’ He trailed off and shook his head. ‘You infuriate me, captivate me, intrigue me, make me want to—’ He paused. ‘Fuck.’
‘You make me want to do that too,’ she said.
His eyebrows arched, and before she could say anything else, he crossed the short space between them and kissed her.
‘Get a room, you two,’ Thommo yelled, and Cruz released El. ‘Oh, wait. You already have one.’
Thommo guffawed, until Cruz shot him a death stare. Thommo switched to a smirk as he retreated into Reception.
‘Sorry about that,’ Cruz said, staring at El’s lips.
‘Sorry about the kiss or about having an audience?’
‘About that bozo witnessing it.’
‘You don’t regret the kiss?’
‘The only thing I regret in the last twenty-four hours is firing you. Not my finest moment. I’ve always been a hothead, according to Mum.’
‘Ferne is a wise woman.’ She cocked a hip. ‘After all, she hired me, and look how that’s turned out.’
‘Let’s be honest. You wouldn’t have had a viral video unless all the online pervs liked what they saw.’ He gestured at his torso and puffed his chest out. ‘You may have shot that video, but the subject got the views.’
‘That, and my mortifying commentary.’
He cupped her cheek. ‘You can still take it down. I won’t mind.’
She shrugged. ‘People will move on. Today’s viral video will be supplanted by another tomorrow.’
‘So you forgive me for being a grouch and firing you?’
‘That depends.’
‘On?’
‘Whether you have any other jobs for me.’
He lowered his hand and snapped his fingers. ‘That’s why I came to find you. To apologise and grovel, and to ask if you’d like to promote the restaurant.’
Elora beamed and flung her arms around his neck. ‘I thought you’d never ask. I can’t wait to get Smashed noticed. Do you think you could cook naked, wearing nothing but an apron? Because I’m sure that would go viral—’
He kissed her again and this time, she broke the kiss to murmur, ‘I do have a room, as Thommo kindly pointed out.’
‘What are we waiting for?’