Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
hi, alice
MARK
Mum. Dad. Everyone. Bloody hell … I completely forgot, but why are they here?
“Happy birthday to you!” many voices sing in different tunes, musical ability not being one of the Beckers’ best genes, and I laugh despite myself.
“Alright, thank you,” I say, but they continue. “Stop it, I beg of you.” I hold up my hands.
“Blow out the candles!” they shout and cheer. I oblige, knowing full well they’ll start a roaring chant if I don’t. “Why are you here? I’m meeting you at the restaurant.” I say as I hug Silvia and Violet, my middle sisters.
“You stood us up, you absolute tosspot.”
I know that voice.
My youngest sister, Fern, steps out from behind the rest and gives me her signature look with one raised eyebrow.
“Fern!” I open my arms and she crashes into me. “Holy shit, I didn’t know you were coming back yet.”
Eight years my junior, she’s always seemed so young, but it’s obvious she’s not a little girl anymore. Fuck, I need to keep a close eye on this firecracker.
“We waited almost two hours!” She punches my arm with her little fist, then shakes it in pain.
“Really?” I ask, checking my wristwatch, unfazed by her attempt to physically harm me.
Shit, I didn’t realise.
“You’re too absorbed in this job, darling,” Mum says, giving me a hug next. “We won’t let you ditch our special tradition for work.”
“You’ve weaselled your way out of too many of them.
We hardly see you anymore!” Dad says, ruffling my hair the way he’s done since I was a child.
He’s the only person I know who makes me feel short.
“Your sister is in a leadership role as well, and she has a life outside of it, right, Silvia? She’s even taking an entire year off for the baby. ”
“I know, and I’m thrilled for her. Such a privilege to be able to do that,” I say, and leave it there. It’s not something that everyone can do. With the time I need to spend in the office, I’d make a terrible partner and father.
The thought comes out of the blue and hits me in the gut.
That’s not how I’ve thought about it before. What I meant to think was that I’d rather focus on my work. Wouldn’t I? Although … a certain someone has pulled at my attention lately, and I’ve not missed the late-night emails.
“Hi,” Rey squeaks from behind me, and I’m shaken back to the present.
“Everyone, this is Rey.” I gesture to her, and she steps closer. “Rey’s one of our concept artists. I was on my way out and saw she was working late and completely lost track of time.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Rey says with a smile, and flings her purse over her shoulder.
“Please stay, darling,” Mum chirps. “We brought food from the restaurant. There’s too much.”
“Oh, I—”
“Stay,” I say. “You must be hungry from working so late. And you won’t win an argument with Kate Becker. Trust me.”
Rey gives me a sheepish smile. “Okay, thank you. I’m starving, actually.” She puts a hand to her stomach, and I’m hit by a wave of anger at my company for letting her work late and not providing food. I need to correct that.
“Hey, man, happy birthday,” my brother, James, says and pulls me into a hug. “Don’t you dare ‘lose track of time’ on my birthday,” he adds.
“Of course not. The big thirty,” I say, slapping his back. “What have you got planned?”
“Nothing different. I just really want us all together. I want to play Becktionary and beat your arse.”
Ten minutes later, we’re all gathered in the bright breakout area; a loud, weird group of people spread out on the vast pink couch around a low coffee table filled with take-away containers.
Before digging into my food, I hang my jacket on a chair and roll my sleeves up. It takes a lot of willpower not to look at Rey as I do so, because I can sense her eyes on me.
Do I have to roll my sleeves up?
No, but I’ve noticed she appreciates my arms, and I relish any attention she gives me that’s beyond our boss-employee status. It reminds me of how she could look at me if she knew the truth.
When I finally let my gaze find hers, she looks away, and I hide a smirk.
“Can someone tell me what Becktionary is?” Rey asks through a mouthful of bread and labneh, and I wish I knew what she’d been thinking before that. “I’ve heard it mentioned a couple of times now.”
“No,” I say and stare James down before he can talk.
“Come on,” Fern says. “Don’t be such a downer.”
“Excuse me?” I say and glance at Rey, who’s obviously pretending not to listen to our sibling bickering while taking a long sip of her water.
“Becktionary is a game that Dad invented with Mark and Violet when they were little,” Fern says, holding my gaze in spite before turning to Rey. “It’s a mix of Trivial Pursuit, Articulate, and Pictionary. Sounds nerdy.”
“It is nerdy, Fern,” Silvia interjects. “Because we’re a bunch of nerds.”
Fern pretends to throw something at her sister and turns back to Rey. “Don’t listen to them, but also nerds are cool now, so there’s that. It gets kind of wild. We’re all quite competitive.”
“Do you have a big family?” Mum asks Rey.
“Big enough,” she answers, covering her mouth and swallowing whatever she was chewing.
“I’ve got a big brother, my parents, and a bunch of aunts and uncles around the country.
We don’t have a family game, but we gather for meals, and we’re fond of reading.
We used to sit quietly together with a book each when I was younger. ”
“Oh, that’s lovely. Do you have a favourite?”
“Mum’s a massive romance reader,” Fern adds, wiggling her eyebrows.
“A proud one.” Mum grins at Fern before she turns back to Rey.
“It’s hard to pick a favourite,” Rey says, “but I’d say Pride and Prejudice. I just admire Elizabeth’s self-respect so much.”
I’ve not read the book, but now I want to find out what she means. Does she struggle with that for herself?
Mum nods vigorously. “It’s a classic. I love it too. There’s a reason my first-born is called Mark, after all!” She winks, and Rey beams at me. It’s such a ridiculously cute reaction, it makes me laugh out loud. How is it my laugh sits so loosely with her?
Still grinning, I catch her eye, but her smile is gone. She knits her brow at me. Does she think I laughed at her?
Mum continues, “I try to get these kids to read more fiction, but they’re all very boring.”
“I read,” James and I protest simultaneously and exchange glances.
Mum raises her eyebrows at me. “What have you read that is remotely emotional? I’ve only ever seen you read those old comics and your business books.”
I open my mouth to answer, and Violet cuts in. “No, he’s read The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood at least five times. I tried to get him into Sherlock Holmes instead, but no chance.”
“That’s not enough,” Mum says. “Do you have any outlets for your imagination, for your feelings?”
“Thanks, family. Do any of you recognise what I do for a living? It’s all about imagination.” I wave a hand towards Rey.
Rey, who looks oddly pale.
Her eyes are wide, staring at me.
Mum follows my gaze and leans in. “Are you okay, Rey?”
Rey’s eyes are stuck on mine, and I’m certain now.
She’s put it together.
Me.
The comments about Robin Hood. This family I’ve talked about.
Everything.
“I can’t believe it,” she mutters under her breath, and gets up, frantically gathering her things. “I have to go.”
“Oh?” Mum says, looking at her and then at me.
“Sorry, thanks for the food, and, umm, happy birthday,” she mumbles towards me but not meeting my eye again.
She starts down the hall, and I’m frozen to the spot.
“Was it something I said?” Mum asks, looking around.
I think it was something Violet said…
Fuuuuck.
My brain says no.
My heart says go.
“Excuse me,” I say, and run after her down the hall. Hope I’m not too late. I need to catch her and see if she’s angry or hurt or I don’t even know, I just need to talk to her.
I reach her just before reception.
“Rey,” I say, slightly out of breath.
She stops.
She turns.
Rey’s right there, but too far for me to reach. Fuck, how I want to touch her. Hold her.
Her mouth opens and closes. Her already big eyes are wide, searching my face, scanning my body as if she’s looking for something.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“For what?” she asks, staring intently at me.
“I’m sorry for not telling you when we met.”
“Not telling me what?”
I don’t understand. She wants me to spell it out?
Shuffling my feet at first, I move forward, wanting to close the distance. “What do you mean?”
“I need to hear you say it.” She fidgets with her purse strap.
Adrenaline rushes through me as I prepare to say the words.
“I’m … your Robin.”
There it is. Out in the open. I’m nearly panting, I’m so worked up.
Her mouth opens into a perfect O.
“My Robin,” she whispers. Her throat works hard, and she shakes her head. “Why did you disappear after Saturday? After you found out?” she asks, her eyes glossing over, and I hate that I hurt her.
“I thought that would be obvious, now that you know.”
She nods, looking down, biting her cheek. “Because I’m not a VIP like you. I’m not what you want.”
This ridiculous reasoning makes me step closer and grab her hand in mine. “What? No, you are what I want.”
“Am I?” She looks up again, eyes still wide, but she allows me to hold on to her. “Then why did you avoid me?”
“It’s because you work here. You’re an intern. I can’t be seen to be like Damian.” The thought makes me glance around swiftly. The office is empty. We’re alone here.
“You’re nothing like him,” she whispers, shaking her head. “You are wonderful, Mark. And I thought what we had as Alice and Robin was something special, not just…” She looks down and shrugs, kicking the floor. “Were you ever going to say anything?”
Her dainty fingers squeezes mine.
“I’m not sure. Every day, I wanted to…”
She looks up at me with those shiny eyes—deep, dark brown eyes I could lose myself in.
Fuck it.
I pull her flush to me and cup her face in my hands. Her skin is so warm against my palms, and her cheeks move under my touch as she smiles.
The world stands still.
There’s just the sound of blood rushing in my ears and the breath I struggle to move in and out of my lungs.
Her hands make their way around my waist, and up my back, pressing me closer before she cranes up. I dip to meet her, brushing my lips against hers.
She pushes up on her toes and presses her lips against mine. They’re soft, warm, and absolutely perfect.
It’s a tender kiss. Careful and questioning and it hits me right in the chest.
She pulls back just enough to meet my gaze. As if to check it’s real. Still close enough that I can feel her breath on my chin, and the warmth of her arms around me.
I smile, meeting her tentative look with what I hope is some assurance that I’m not like Damian.
This is special. I want her. She is worth every risk in the book.
My heart still beating into my ears, the world still quiet—her face in my hands is all that exists right now. This is her face, and I’m going to kiss it a lot more.
I brush my thumbs over both dimples, and flash her a grin.
“Hi, Alice.”