Track 23 #2
After what felt like an eternity she jumped up. ‘Ooh, I bought wine! You can sleep in the spare room if you like,’ she called as she skipped off to the kitchen.
After their take-away had been delivered and they had eaten their fill, they sat in silence drinking red wine. They had already sunk two bottles, and Lily had bought a third. Adam knew he would feel shocking in the morning. But he was a big boy… he’d cope.
Feeling emboldened by the imbibed alcohol, Adam decided to ask the million-dollar question. ‘So, Lil, have you ever actually been in love?’
A look of horror spread over her face and she seemed to be struggling for the words to reply. Her mouth opening and closing yet again, rather like a dying goldfish. Her brow crumpled and she fiddled with the hem of her lace top.
He sniggered. ‘What’s up? It’s not a trick question, you know.’ His words slurred slightly.
Finally, she laughed out loud. It sounded forced. ‘Me? I don’t have time to be in love. I’m either travelling around the world reporting on shit going on abroad, or I’m looking after you. When do I get the time for love?’
He pouted at her insinuation that he needed looking after. ‘Nah, come on, there must have been someone. In all these years, there must have been someone? Bodhi! That guy from Aus! You reeeeally liked him.’ He nudged her with his shoulder.
Lily wouldn’t meet his eyes. ‘He was handsome, and he was good in bed. But that’s kind of where it stopped. He wanted more but…’
‘But what?’
‘Oh, for God’s sake, Adders, is it interrogate Lily day?’ Anger radiated from her now. ‘Just drop it, okay?’
He formed an O with his mouth. ‘There was someone! I can tell by how cagey you’re being. Come on, Lil, I’m your best friend. Come on, you can tell me.’
Her chest was falling and rising at a rapid rate and her lips were pursed. ‘I. Said. Drop. It.’ Her words were sharp and measured.
He grinned widely. ‘Oooh, I’ve hit a nerve… wait a minute.’ He sat bolt upright. ‘Oh shit… I… I think I’ve figured it out.’ He felt the colour drain from his face.
A look of panic washed over her features. ‘You have?’ She scraped the hair back from her face, clearly alarmed.
He leaned in close again and rested his forehead on hers. ‘I’m so sorry I never realised, Lil. And it’s okay… it really is okay. It explains such a lot.’
She closed her eyes and bit on her bottom lip. ‘Oh, shit.’
He stroked her cheek as she held her breath. ‘I always wondered why you couldn’t be around us, and why no relationship you ever had was very long. It’s okay, Lil.’
‘Is it?’ she breathed.
‘Of course it is. How could it not be?’
Her lip trembled. ‘I was just… scared to say…’
‘I know, I understand, but you’re my best friend in the whole world. I couldn’t care less if you like girls as well as boys, and I totally understand why you were in love with Eve.’
Two weeks after Adam’s apparent light-bulb moment, a cab was dropping Lily off at Edinburgh Airport.
Soon she would be bound for the Spanish sunshine on a research trip for an upcoming piece for the travel vlog about package holidays, the increased prices, and the effect it was having on tourism.
She was happy to be escaping once again.
She had informed Adam that he was, in fact, totally incorrect about his conclusion that she was gay…
or bi. He had blushed and apologised profusely, and thankfully his embarrassment at his presumption had rendered him incapable of pushing her further, even though she was sure he must’ve had questions.
After all, she had allowed him to know that there was someone she’d been in love with.
Fortunately, most likely thanks to the alcohol, he appeared too dense to put two and two together and come up with anything remotely close to four.
It would be good to be back in Spain. She felt quite at home there.
Lenora Abalos, Lily’s mother, had met her soulmate Alexander Macrae, Lily’s father, when he was on a holiday with his friends.
It had been love at first sight. Lenora had come to Scotland to live, and since then, the two had enjoyed a wonderful marriage.
Lily craved what her parents had, the togetherness and closeness.
Lily’s looks had definitely come from her mother, and her dad had always called her his little Spanish jewel.
The distance from Adam was needed again, especially after the drunken conversation following his disastrous date.
She thought he’d figured it all out and was rather gutted when she realised he was way off the mark.
Her secret would remain in place indefinitely now.
She would be home again in a couple of weeks and would have to face him again.
She couldn’t avoid him. Anyway, she needed her Adam fix. He was, after all, her drug of choice.
Descending from the plane after the short flight was a welcome relief, although the wall of heat that hit her when she exited the airport had her gasping for air. Catching sight of her reflection, she realised her hair had done that crazy wild thing it did whenever she was around humidity.
She jumped in a cab and headed for her hotel. After checking in and locating her room, the first thing she did was jump in the shower. The cooling water lowered her temperature sufficiently to ease her discomfort.
Tumbling onto the bed, she reached for her phone. There were missed calls from Adam and he had texted. Against her better judgement, she clicked to open the message.
Wish u had let me take u to airport u daft bat. Hv had another request for a date from pig-woman and another from someone called Sapphire… what do I do?
Lily huffed her frustration and hit reply.
Stop being so mean abt pig-woman. She can’t help it. And how the F shd I know what you shd do abt Sapphire?! What do you want to do?
Moments later a response came.
Spose I could meet her? You never know, eh? Although I think it’s all too soon to try and meet ‘the one’
Lily had secretly hoped he would give up on dating. It had been a bad idea on her part, but she appeared to have created a monster. And what the hell? He was talking about meeting the one? Dammit. This had well and truly backfired on her, hadn’t it?
She hit reply.
Go for it. Can you manage to dress yourself without me there?
She smirked as she hit send. And as expected the reply was lightning quick.
F off! Cheeky sod! Will let you know how it goes. Bye Cheesy.
Okay, so the childish nicknames were back, were they?
Later, Pee Pants.
She chuckled to herself as she sent her reply. This time, he didn’t respond.