14. Audrey
“Istill can’t believe it,” I grumbled, hunching over the kitchen hutch—my regular spot for complaints and cookies. It was extra comforting when food was available at the same time of said complaints… like this moment, for example, as I picked apart a gooey chocolate chip cookie that came fresh out of the oven.
“You’re twenty-seven now, if you can’t manage a work relationship with someone who broke your heart five years ago, how are you going to manage a bad day after getting pick-pocketed in France?” Lucy spoke sternly, trying to get me out of my funk.
“You say that like it’s bound to happen.” I crossed my arms. “Didn’t know you played into stereotypes, Luce.”
“Caution is key! And you completely brushed over what I’m trying to say,” she spoke accusingly. “Theo’s only getting to you like this because you’re letting him get to you.”
Huh. Perhaps she had a point. “What am I supposed to do? Get on with my work and pretend nothing ever happened? Like my five years’ worth of emotional trauma doesn’t exist?”
“That’s exactly what you need to do. Can you imagine how much that would get to him? To think that after all this time, he doesn’t even have any effect on you?”
“Maybe,” I admitted. “But he already knows I’m pissed off. Does that mean I’ve missed my chance to play it cool?”
Lucy shook her head. “Not at all, think of the whiplash he’ll get if you start now.”
“You’re a genius.” I hummed. “So, what should I expect for tonight?”
“Kids pulling each other’s hair out, Will trying to make awkward small talk over the noise, and a subtle hint of smooth jazz in the background,” she explained, getting a crockery pot out of the oven as well; our dinner, ready to be served a few doors down the street. Lucy had gotten us an invite to a charming dinner hosted by her boss, Will. While this meant Lucy was still in charge of the cooking, where I’d already sunk my teeth into the children’s chocolate chip desserts, it also meant he was trying to make us feel welcome. It’s important to feel part of the community, he apparently said, or so Lucy mimicked when she first told me the news.
“Sounds tasteful.” I smiled, almost feeling excited for the distraction. “And you’re sure, even with smooth jazz playing, that what I’m wearing is fine?”
I look down to my white skivvy layered underneath a band t-shirt. I didn’t know their music, but the grey had faded out into an alluring colour. And to keep me warm, my options were even more casual: wide-leg jeans over thermal leggings, a puffer jacket, and sneakers.
“Of course! Charlotte and Aggie are going to be drenched in pasta sauce anyway.” Lucy laughed. “No fancy occasion here.”
I nodded, though my eyes squinted at her effort to dress a little nicer than usual, with some pearl earrings and a black dress—albeit chunky and knitted—showing off her curves. Lucy dressed nicely in general, so I didn’t need to question that it was out of the ordinary, but it made me wonder if she actually had another reason to want to feel dressed up tonight, and whether impressing a specific single dad was part of it. With one last look at myself in the mirror by the door, holding the jacket closer to me as I moved side to side in contemplation, I decided to go on with a nod. “Alright then, I’m ready when you are.”
Lucy lugged her pasta bake out the door and I followed her down the street. Sure, I’d seen the outside of Will’s house before. It was a similar shape to ours, but instead of the pastel rendering, it took on a more traditional brick appearance. It was like the people who designed both houses were friends with contrasting personalities, blending together in the overall layout of their architecture. Honestly, I knew nothing about how and why a house was built the way it was, but I could tell this place had character, just like our little townhouse a few buildings back. Since Lucy’s hands were full, I used the metal door knocker three times; it was the head of a tiny golden lion, with enough weight to let our host know we’d arrived. And when the door opened, I was greeted by little Aggie, who had a tooth missing from her smile.
“Whoa!” I greeted. “How much did you get for that one?”
Aggie moved to the side to let us in, but her little voice dripped with pride. “Five whole pounds.”
“Goodness gracious.” I turned to Lucy. “These kids are loaded.”
“Will knows how to treat them well,” a deep voice chimed behind me, and the air drained out of my lungs like a balloon being popped. I turned to see Theo, dressed head to toe in formal attire, only missing the blazer. Shit. For some reason, he was here, and to make matters worse, I was underdressed after all. He looked amused by my shock, and when I turned to Lucy feeling betrayed, I was at least reassured to see that she wore a similarly haunted expression. It was like she’d just seen a ghost.
“Theo Atkins, as I live and breathe,” she quipped. She gave a quick nod to greet him before making her way to her workstation in the kitchen. He greeted her with a charming smile, and a “nice to see you too”, before his predatory eyes returned back to mine. I quickly grabbed his arm and ushered him to the side, out of sight from the children.
“What in the hot hell are you doing here?” I hissed, feeling like I was becoming insane.
“I can assure you, I’m not stalking you.” He laughed, clearly seeing the sunny side of the situation. “You being here at my best mate’s house is just as much of a surprise for me, as it is for you.”
I looked him up and down accusingly, not believing a single word. “You really had no clue that Lucy worked for Will?”
“He did say he had a cook named Lucy, but given how popular the name is, you can’t honestly think I would’ve drawn that conclusion. I haven’t seen Lucy in five years, remember?”
“I hate how that actually makes sense,” I whispered, so that only he would hear.
“Besides, if anyone should’ve known better, it’s you and Lucy. My face has been plastered across all of the family photos throughout this house ever since the girls were born.” He crossed his arms; a sly look in his eyes.
I heard Lucy chatting to the man in the kitchen, Will, and made the realisation. “She must’ve been a bit distracted.” My fists balled together. “Either way, follow the game plan as usual. If you try and wreck Lucy’s night with her boss, I’m going to single-handedly sabotage your father’s gala.”
“I know you want it to succeed as much as he does.” He flashed a gorgeous smile. “But yes, I think we ought to form a sort of truce. I wouldn’t mind walking around the office without having to worry about you stabbing me in the back whenever I drop by.”
I snickered in response.
“What? Am I asking for too much? You don’t have weapons on you now, do you?”
“Fine,” I answered his previous request. As much as I hated the idea of a level playing field, a truce could help ease the anxiety I felt every time I saw him at work. Plus, it was about time I came to terms with the reality that I couldn’t shake Theo off that easily, at least not while I was staying in the city he grew up in. So, I held out my hand, in a gesture to secure the agreement.
“Good choice.” He took my hand in his, and despite the truce, there was a definite tease. His thumb brushed over the smooth skin on the back of my hand, and while it seemed like he intended to linger a little longer, I pulled back, trying to fight the sour expression from my face. “For the children.” He laughed. “I’m glad they won’t be watching us tear each other limb from limb.”
“For the children.” I nodded. Feeling it was the perfect time to depart from his company, I followed Lucy into the kitchen, where she was plating the pasta bake with Will. I’d seen him before, across the pond, so to speak.He didn’t look that different up close. His skin was pale, a great contrast to his black hair and the dark circles under his eyes. No wonder he needed the extra help from Lucy, this man looked exhausted. But still, as he made soft conversation with my best friend, there was a glint of charm radiating from him. I wouldn’t call it flirtation, not yet, but I suddenly understood why Lucy took some extra time dressing up tonight.
“Is dinner ready yet?” Charlotte barged in, a head taller than Aggie with no missing teeth, making Will jump as if he’d been caught in the act. While I heard his divorce was settled years ago, I could understand why he wouldn’t want to be seen acting mushy in front of his young children so soon. Divorces were always tricky to navigate; take it from someone whose parents managed it terribly.
“It sure looks like it,” Lucy teased, handing two plates over to her. A sneaky way of getting Charlotte to help out with setting the table, in an adorable Lucy fashion. I tried to hold my comments in about how she’s great with kids, since Will could clearly see that himself. Besides, the second Lucy caught wind of me taking notice of her interest in Will, she might drop it for good.
“I guess I should introduce myself.” I smiled at Will, making eye contact with him for the first time. “I’m Audrey.” When he saw my close proximity to Theo, who’d just found his way through the hallway, his eyes widened in understanding.
“I’ve heard so much about you.” He grinned, and then choked when he saw Theo’s glare. “From Lucy, I mean.” While Theo and I remained blissfully dumb, it looked like Will was smart enough to put the pieces of our past together in a single moment. “It’s great hearing about how you’re fitting in so well.”
“Yeah, she’s always been a great roommate, no matter the postcode.”
“I can imagine,” he said. It was like he enjoyed people praising her, and I knew he was two home-cooked meals away from being smitten for good.
The girls rushed through their dinner, and like Lucy promised, their shirts were decorated in pasta sauce by the time they passed out. I envied them—how they were able to duck off to the living room three-seater, snuggle up under a quilted blanket, and fall asleep so easily to whatever British sitcom was on TV. It was a perfect night in my books, and one I partook in regularly, except tonight held certain expectations to be civil, despite how much I itched to escape.
“How are you liking London?” Will asked, and I could tell Lucy had filled him in on my new contract proposal. I gave her a subtle ‘what the heck’ glare, and she pretended not to notice.
“It’s lovely,” I admitted. “I’ve never really got to enjoy a cold lead up to Christmas, so this has been nice.”
“But it’s not somewhere you’d want to lay down roots in?”
“I’m not sure I really know what it’s like to lay down roots.”
“Because of your parents, right?”
Believe it or not, Theo jumped in. “I don’t think that’s very appropriate, Will.”
“I guess Lucy’s told you quite a bit, hasn’t she?” I laughed nervously, but sent a grateful nod to Theo. It felt forced, as if my body wanted to fight the expression of gratitude with every slight movement. Still, despite how much I hesitated to see that Theo could actually be on my side, it seems he didn’t forget how much that was a soft subject to me.
Will gave an apologetic look. “I just tend to get wrapped up in what other people are doing. I don’t really get much time to be that adventurous myself.”
“That makes sense.” I offered a sincere smile, realising he didn’t mean harm. “You’re right, though. When you move from town to town, it’s pretty hard to know which one is going to be right for you. I guess I’m still figuring out how ‘home’ is supposed to feel.”
“Home’s a person for me, not a place,” Theo contemplated. “Sometimes it’s my family, sometimes it’s someone else, and I’m wishing I did things differently.” I tried not to overthink his words, since he could be referring to anyone over these past five years.
“I love London, but if I had to pack things up for Charlotte and Aggie, I would in a heartbeat,” Will agreed.
“Wait, I’m not included in that grouping?” Theo feigned hurt, and I was surprised that the tense conversation could turn into something so pleasant. I looked over to Lucy, who seemed to be feeling guilty about talking about my family, and I squeezed her hand softly under the table. I shouldn’t be the only support network Lucy had, and if she wanted to tell someone about why I was such a challenge, since she was the one who had to live with me, then all power to her.
“Don’t take it too personally.” Will winked at Theo, and I gulped the leftover of my wine glass in relief.
Once I’d helped clear the table with Theo, we stumbled on Lucy and Will, dancing to the smooth jazz that Lucy did indeed promise would be present. His hands were around her waist, not stooping too low to be inappropriate or ungentlemanly, and Lucy’s were draped around his neck. They looked good together. I hadn’t seen Lucy date a man in years, with her last points of interest strictly being women who she found at an array of arthouses, or even in her cooking schools when she was younger. She was unapologetically disinterested in defining her sexuality, and it was perfect because people genuinely didn’t need to know. Who she liked was who she liked, and as we stared on at their little moment, it was clear we were intruding here.
“Want to get a drink?” Theo asked, and with a few glasses of wine in me already, not enough to make me slur, but enough to warm my body and cloud my judgement, I agreed.