23. Theo
23
Theo
‘ H ow are the preparations going for the pitch?’ Father leant back on his leather chair.
I’d come to the office for some meetings and he’d asked to see me.
‘Fine,’ I replied.
‘Good. Send it over to me by the end of the week.’
‘Don’t you trust me?’ My eyes narrowed.
‘I can’t afford any screw-ups on this, boy. This needs to go through without a hitch.’
My nostrils flared. I wished he’d let me do things my way, without his input. How was I supposed to ready myself to run the company if he always kept checking on things? I wasn’t new to this. I’d secured deals worth billions for this company and still he questioned my abilities.
‘The presentation will be solid.’
‘I’ll be the judge of that. I need to make sure you haven’t become distracted.’
‘Distracted?’ I frowned .
‘Yes.’
‘Why would I be distracted?’
I knew why I might, but Father didn’t.
Ever since Jessica and I almost kissed last week, I admit, I hadn’t been one hundred per cent focused. I’d hardly slept at all that night because my mind kept replaying the sensation of my body pressed against hers. The feel of her sweet breath on my skin, the way my heart raced when she said she wanted me too.
Fuck. Just thinking about it now made my dick hard.
That was why I’d doubled down on avoiding Jessica. I went for my runs earlier than normal, showered, then ate breakfast at the local cafe.
When I came back to the B&B, normally Jessica would be in the dining room with Glenda, so I’d say hello quickly to them both, go to my room, and stay there for most of the day. It was claustrophobic, but it was the only way I had a chance of focusing.
I’d spent a couple of days travelling back and forth to London for meetings and other engagements and that had enabled me to keep my distance. But now it was Monday and there’d be no avoiding Jessica tonight. We had the talent show performance.
Being so close to her again was going to be a challenge, but I had to push those thoughts out of my mind. Father was right. I had to secure this deal. I had to focus on winning the pitch. I couldn’t get distracted.
‘I spoke to Penelope’s father last night.’ He raised his eyebrow and I groaned inside. ‘He said that you haven’t been in touch.’
‘I’ve been busy.’
‘So you say.’ He clasped his hands together. ‘As you’re clearly incapable of arranging your own meeting, I took the liberty of informing Charles that you would be free to take Penelope for dinner next Saturday. By then, the deal will be done and you’ll have time to seal the other important deal.’ He smirked.
For fuck’s sake.
‘I’m perfectly capable of arranging my own dates. I don’t need you to do it for me.’
‘If that was the case, I wouldn’t have had to step in, like I always do.’
‘Has it occurred to you that I don’t want to have a “meeting” with Penelope’—I ground my jaw—‘and that’s the reason why I haven’t called?’
‘Nonsense. She fits the criteria…’
‘Fuck the criteria,’ I snapped. He was really pushing my buttons, and what I’d said was true. I had zero interest in Penelope before, and the attraction I felt for Jessica had only highlighted that.
‘I beg your pardon!’
‘I’ve got to go. I have to get back for a… meeting in Sunshine Bay.’
I stood up and left. There was no way I could tell him that I was going back to perform in a talent show. That alone would be bad enough. But if he heard I was performing with our competitor, he’d take me off the account, and everything I’d worked on my whole life would go down the toilet.
No. I had to see it through. I had less than two weeks. Eleven days to be precise. That was all. I just had to stay strong until then and after that it’d all be good.
After a brief meeting with my secretary, then going through my post and emails, I left the office and set off down the high street.
The loud honking of car horns filled the air and a crowd of tourists headed towards me on the busy pavement. I thought about how different London was to Sunshine Bay.
There it was peaceful and calm. London was busy and noisy. It’d never bothered me before, but battling through all of these people and the loudness irritated me.
My stomach rumbled. It was almost three thirty and I hadn’t eaten lunch yet. By the time I’d driven to Sunshine Bay, it’d be after six, especially if I got caught in traffic, so I might not have time to eat before I met Jessica and we did one last rehearsal before the performance.
Just as I headed towards the delicatessen, I spotted a bookshop. I stood outside and paused. I wondered if they had Jessica’s favourite novel here. I wasn’t sure if she’d started reading again, but this might help.
Before I even realised what I was doing, I walked into the store. Once I located the romance section, I started scanning the shelves.
Dammit. There was no sign of it.
‘Need any help?’ a shop assistant stocking the shelf opposite me called out.
‘Um, yes. Please. I’m looking for a book by D. D. Desire?’
‘Is it Office Delight ?’
‘That’s the one!’ I was relieved she’d remembered the title.
‘Mmm, I’m not sure if we have it if it’s not on the shelf. I could go and check. Might take a while, though. You okay to wait? ’
I glanced at my watch. I should really get going. I still had to get lunch and had a long drive ahead of me. If I didn’t set off soon, I’d hit rush hour.
But then I thought about how happy Jessica would be if I gave her the book. When she smiled, it was like watching the Eiffel Tower light up at night. I wanted to do this for her.
‘It’s fine. I’ll wait.’
‘I’ll be back ASAP,’ she said before rushing off.
I glanced around the section. There was a display with ‘TikTok’s Top Romances’ and several different books all laid out neatly. I looked at the covers. They were bright and colourful—just like Jessica.
I’d never heard of any of these authors, but this stand implied that they were popular. Perhaps Jessica would like these too?
What on earth was I doing?
I shouldn’t be thinking about what books she would like.
I strode off towards the thriller section and scanned the selection. A couple of books caught my eye. I turned back to see if the shop assistant had returned, but as she hadn’t, I strolled over to the non-fiction section. My eyes were drawn to a book about taking back control of your life and forging your own path.
Chance would be a fine thing . The look of disgust on Father’s face when I’d suggested that I might not be interested in Penelope said it all. The audacity of me wanting to make my own life choices had horrified him.
I left that book on the shelf, opting for two thrillers that sounded interesting instead. Just as I was about to start flicking through another one, the shop assistant rushed over with a grin spread across her face.
‘Found one!’ She waved the book in the air triumphantly. ‘It’s a limited-edition, signed copy too! It was tucked in a cupboard at the back. I reckon someone was saving it for themselves but forgot.’
‘Fantastic!’ I smiled. Jessica would love this. ‘Thank you.’
‘My pleasure. Anything else I can get you whilst you’re here?’
‘I was looking at the books on that stand, but I have no idea which ones to get.’
‘Is it for you or your girlfriend?’
‘No,’ I said quickly. ‘It’s for my…’ I paused.
Jessica wasn’t my girlfriend. She wasn’t even my friend. If I told the shop assistant that I was buying gifts for someone who was technically my enemy, she’d think I was insane. And she’d be right.
‘Oh, I get it.’ She grinned. ‘You haven’t had the DTR talk yet.’
‘The what?’
‘ Define the relationship . I hear you. I’m in a kind of situationship myself. It’s a pain but, y’know. It is what it is. Anyway, if you want to impress her, I’d get the new Lucy Score.’ She held up a book. ‘This one has sprayed edges and gold foil. Oooh, and Christina Lauren’s new one is brilliant too.’
She handed me the books and continued going through her recommendations.
As she talked, I realised that this entire exercise was pointless .
‘Actually, I’m not sure if I should get any of these. She might already have them.’
From what Jessica had told me, Mrs Davis had quite the book collection. Enough to open a romance library, for goodness’ sake, so what was the point of buying her more books?
‘You’re not a bookworm, are you?’ she laughed.
‘I like books, but it’s been a while since I’ve read them.’
‘If your friend is a bookworm, it won’t matter if she already has a copy of the book or not! Do you know how many copies I have of my favourite romance novel?’
‘Two?’ I replied.
‘Seven.’
‘Seven copies of the same book?’ My face crumpled.
‘Yep! I have the hardback, the special-edition hardback, the first-edition paperback, the Kindle version, the audiobook and the signed second-edition paperback and another paperback version my friend got me from New York when she went on holiday. The covers in the US and UK are usually different, so I like to have both.’
‘Wow.’ Mind blown. ‘I had no idea. But if you’ve already read the book, what do you do with all those other copies?’
‘Put them on my bookshelf and admire how pretty they are, of course! And the thing is, these days, readers like annotating books, so it’s always good to have at least two copies.’
‘Why would they annotate them?’
As the shop assistant attempted to explain to me that romance readers often highlighted their favourite passages and tabbed the pages according to different categories, my brain frazzled. I had no idea.
‘And do you sell these colourful tab things and highlighter pens?’
‘Course!’ she said. ‘Shall I get you some?’
‘Okay.’
‘Shall I ring these up for you?’
‘Please.’
I followed her to the till, clutching a tower of books. Once I’d settled up, I thanked the shop assistant for her help.
‘You’re welcome. Hope she enjoys!’ She handed me the bag, then popped the receipt inside.
As I stepped out of the bookstore and headed to the deli, I chuckled to myself. I was crazy. That was the only explanation. I’d only intended to buy one book but had left with eleven. And only three of those were for me. It’d be worth it, though.
After I’d bought a sandwich, I glanced at my watch. It was twenty to five. I’d been in that bookshop for almost an hour. That wasn’t good. Now I’d hit rush hour. The thought of being stuck on the motorway made my stomach sink. And the idea of being late was even worse.
The Tube station sign straight ahead caught my eye. I didn’t normally take public transport, but it was only a couple of Tube stops to Victoria Station. From there, I could get the train straight to Sunshine Bay, which would be much quicker than driving.
I strode towards the station. A woman was sat outside begging and my chest tightened. I knew it was better to give money directly to charities, which was why I donated to Shelter every month, but I couldn’t bear to look at her face knowing she was in need and I could help.
Before I knew it, I’d reached into my wallet and handed her a fifty-pound note along with the paper bag containing the sandwich I’d just bought. I hadn’t eaten all day, so was starving, but I could easily pick something up when I got off the train. This poor woman didn’t have that luxury.
‘Thank you!’ She looked up at me, eyes like saucers. ‘Thank you so much!’
‘You’re welcome.’ I smiled.
Minutes later I was on the Tube and luckily when I got to Victoria, there was a train leaving in seven minutes. Once I boarded the carriage, I was even lucky enough to find a seat.
Ten minutes into the journey, I remembered I had the books. I reached into the bag, pulled out one of the thrillers and started reading.
And I didn’t stop until the driver announced that we’d arrived at Sunshine Bay.