12. In my corner
CHAPTER TWELVE
in my corner
LINNEA
“Hey,” Rey says from the front row of seats, dimples framing her wide smile, while I seat myself in the back. It’s a roomy car, but it is still too small for this kind of … show. I return the smile, although a more subdued version. Hers is incredible.
“Congratulations on your engagement,” I say and Rey grins wider, making her dimples deepen, and she squeezes Mark’s hand relaxing on the armrest between them.
“Thank you,” they both say.
Aiden is next to me in his white shirt and perfectly tailored, olive green suit, a colour I’ve never seen on him, but his tanned skin and that shade of green make my eyes happy.
He sends me a reassuring close-lipped smile when I finally let my eyes meet his.
I’m relieved when the car starts moving and Rey and Mark turn to face forward.
Forty minutes. Less if traffic isn’t too bad.
I can do this.
“You know,” Rey starts. “I’ve been nervous about today, Linnea.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” She turns to me when we’re at a red light, and her gaze flits ever so discreetly across my hands in my lap and to Aiden. It’s quick, but the pause is obvious. I’m going to have to be more tactile. They’re expecting it of Aiden, I’m sure.
That doesn’t help the storm in my stomach.
“I just wanted to say that. In case you were nervous about us as well. You don’t have to be. Just be yourself, yeah? We’ve not been on a double date with Aiden before.”
“You haven’t?” I glance up at Aiden, who’s got his classic smirk on. Unfazed.
“Only those who are worth my friends’ time.”
I raise an eyebrow at him.
He leans in, and instinctively I lean closer. “That’s you, by the way,” he says, just loud enough for the others to hear, but low enough for his voice to rumble through the seats. It’s soothing. I’d never expect that Aiden and his performance would calm me down.
My hand moves before I think too much about it and I pat his knee.
What the hell am I doing? I’ve forgotten how to show affection so thoroughly I can’t even fake it.
Or maybe I never knew. I can’t recall what I did before him, and Henry and I weren’t touchy-feely at all.
Aiden looks at my hand and then down at me with a huge grin.
He’s finding this funny?
I can’t help but laugh at his wide eyes, and trying to keep it quiet, it comes out as a giggle.
Jesus, I’m giggling with a man in the backseat.
Rey turns again, beaming, and Aiden grabs my hand in his and plants a kiss on it. It happens so fast that I don’t react to the touch.
“I always thought you guys only tolerated each other. Politely professional kind of thing. This is much better,” Rey says, and Aiden squeezes me gently, resting our clasped hands on top of his knee.
“I agree,” Aiden says. He straightens up in his seat. “Turns out Linnea is impervious to my charm. It was only when I opened up about my dad that she realised there’s more to me than my exceptionally good looks.”
Mark turns this time, his hazel eyes burning into me. Does he know already? Aiden is stretching it too far.
I glance at Aiden next to me. He seems relaxed. Unperturbed.
“Linnea’s sparkling blue eyes can pull anything out of me.” He kisses my hand again.
It takes all my willpower not to roll my eyes. Jamie and Sophie would dry-heave if they were here.
“Oh, please, Aiden,” Mark says and turns away, and I bite my lower lip, trying to hold in the laugh that wants to escape.
Aiden leans in, clearly wanting to say something to me, so I meet him in the middle.
“You’re supposed to be on my side,” Aiden whispers into my ear, for me only, this time. His breath tickles my skin, and heat spreads up my neck, goosebumps rising in its wake.
“Then lay off the butter,” I whisper back, as close to his ear as I can get so no one can hear. My cheek brushes his, and I hear his breath hitching. It makes me acutely aware of every nerve ending in my skin, and I realise he’s still holding my hand.
It’s too hot now, and I wriggle my fingers to show him I want it back. I’m uncomfortable.
He lets go. My eyes flick up to his face that’s still very close, and I give him a tight-lipped smile. Grateful he understood. And also for him breaking the ice like that. It’s bloody hot in here suddenly and I’m sweating in my seat, but at least my stomach has calmed down.
Until I remember we have about five hours to go.
Aiden’s mum is the first person I see when I open the door of the Range Rover outside Brunswick Nurseries. Her bright pink dress and shiny, shoulder-length black hair make her stand out against the grey and glass greenhouse behind her.
She’s shorter than I imagined, or my heels are too high. And she’s apparently a hugger.
She squeezes me tightly, and when she pulls away, she studies my face and touches a lock of my hair while grinning madly.
“Finalmente,” she breathes, and it doesn’t take a linguist to understand what that means. “Since Aiden told me about you, lovely Linnea, I’ve been dying to meet you. I’m so happy you’re here.”
Oh wow. Aiden wasn’t exaggerating.
I put on my biggest smile that hopefully comes across as genuine. It is, but also full of nerves.
“I’m so happy to meet you, and for this wonderful occasion as well.”
“Made even better now.”
Yikes, there are tears in her eyes.
She hugs me again before she moves on to her son and gives him a kiss on both cheeks. He wraps his arms around her small body. How such a tiny woman gave birth to this broad-shouldered giant I will never understand.
“Hello,” a man’s voice sounds next to me, and I turn to see a greying man with kind eyes and a sweet, lopsided smile. “I’m Will. You must be Linnea,” he says, reaching out a hand.
“Lovely to meet you. And congratulations,” I say, gesturing towards Amara with my free hand.
Or where Amara was a second ago, she’s now off hugging Mark and Rey.
Will laughs, his eyes following his wife-to-be.
His gaze is soft and full of affection, and I find I’m smiling too as I hear her whooping with delight, holding Rey’s ring-hand.
Aiden shows up at my side. “Will, you’ve outdone yourself. This place is amazing.” He gestures towards the building to our side. I’ve not seen it yet because Aiden’s too broad, blocking my view. “I wish you would’ve let me chip in.”
“I can’t let you do that,” Will says, taking the hand that Aiden has stretched out and they exchange the classic man-pat, half-hug. “But thank you for offering.”
Aiden gives him an extra squeeze at the end. “Congrats, Will. And thank you. I’m thrilled Mum has you.” Will hugs him back and I can’t hear his response, but his eyes are tearing up and I’ve known the man all of one minute and the reaction makes my throat constrict. He’s just so sweet.
We exchange a few more pleasantries with Will before Aiden’s hand finds my lower back and I let him steer me to the restaurant.
“Wow,” I whisper as we enter. There are plants everywhere. It’s an actual greenhouse, but with a myriad of crystal chandeliers of all shapes and sizes in between trailing philodendrons and hanging ferns.
Aiden puts a finger under my chin. “You’ll catch flies,” he says and I hear the smirk in his voice. I grab his hand away from my chin, still mesmerised by the decor.
“This place is stunning.”
The opposite wall is made of pink-stained wood and covered with small mirrors. They’re all tilted, reflecting the festoon lights and chandeliers above, making the wall sparkle.
The table stretching down the middle of the greenhouse is longer than I expected for an engagement party, but I guess Amara has a lot of friends.
She seems like the type who attracts people and keeps them.
She’s laughing with someone and while I’m entirely absorbed in that loud, glorious sound that seems to come directly from her soul, a soft hand touches my upper arm and I turn.
“Linnea, Aiden,” Lady Venetia Beauchamp says, nodding at both of us before her glance flits down.
For the second time today, I’m holding Aiden’s hand without thinking.
Have I been holding it ever since I grabbed it away from my chin earlier?
I do my best to hide the surprise and instead of letting go, now that we’ve got Lady Beauchamp’s attention, I thread my fingers through his.
It is so strange that this doesn’t bother me.
Why was I always so opposed to holding hands with Henry?
“Good evening, Venetia, you look wonderful,” Aiden says, dipping down and planting a kiss on her cheek, but not letting go of me. The calming sensation of being safe in his grip fights the less calming notion of him holding my hand.
“So lovely to see you, Lady Beauchamp,” I say, allowing the atmosphere to win me over so I can give her a genuine smile. The Lady’s eyebrows lift, before she beams back at me.
“Please call me Venetia, darling.” She touches my forearm and kisses the air next to my cheek.
Aiden steps closer to me, his shoulder against mine, and he squeezes my hand. It makes me lift my gaze to him, and he looks down at me at the same time. The expression on his face is so real. As if he’s genuinely joyful standing here. He’s a great actor.
“I’m so happy you found someone, Aiden,” Venetia says. “You’re a lovely boy, always were. Linnea, you’ve got yourself a good one.”
“Indeed I do,” I answer, hugging Aiden’s arm closer.
“So do I,” Aiden says, and I can feel his eyes on the side of my head and my gaze is pulled towards his. When my eyes meet his blues, I’m struck again by how genuine he looks. This is not a real date, yet there’s more affection in his expression than Henry ever showed me.
Stop it, Linnea.
You’re getting carried away.
This is fake. He’s a charmer. This is what he does. And he’s doing it well because that’s what we agreed.
“I do owe you an apology, Linnea.” Venetia turns serious now. The lines around her mouth pulling down.
“How come?”
“My husband played golf with Henry—you know how men are.” She waves a hand as if it explains everything, and continues in the same casual air, “and he made it sound like he was the man behind the company. That you had needed him to manage you, and that you would be hard to work with without him.”
Her story hits me hard, and I freeze. The words are not surprising. These are things he has said straight to my face. Harsher than that. But saying it to potential clients?
So while I’ve been working every waking hour of the day trying to find ways of keeping my company afloat, he’s actively been working against me?
It wasn’t enough to take half of it from me.
I’m not sure what’s worse. The fact he can roam freely like that, talking about me, or the certainty that no one would argue with him.
Because no one knows me.
I let no one in. I’m not hard to work with, but how do I argue my case without proof? Working with Venetia, if she accepts me, will be my trial by fire.
Aiden’s thumb caresses circles on my hand, and I shouldn’t find that as soothing as I do.
“That’s embarrassing,” I say when I finally find my voice.
“For him, perhaps,” Aiden says. “How does this not make him look like an arse? He’s a tosser and Rupert shouldn’t work with someone who stabs their ex-wife in the back like that.”
The air in my lungs feels thick and heavy.
“That’s why they all left,” I mutter.
All except Aiden. I glance up at him, but he’s focused on Venetia.
“I agree. What an absolute gobshite,” she exclaims, shaking her head. “Don’t worry, darling. We won’t allow this behaviour in our circle.”
Aiden gives her an approving nod, the weight on my chest lightening ever so slightly.
“Thank you for telling me,” I say, and she squeezes my hand the way she did the other night, but this time there’s something entirely different in her eyes. It looks a lot like ‘I got you’ and a glimmer of hope sparks in me.
“Make sure you make it the Buckingham Palace garden picnic in two weeks,” she says, raising her eyebrows. “I have people I want to introduce you to.”
Venetia moves on, air-kissing people’s cheeks, cackling at someone’s comment, taking a weight off my chest with her as she does.
I want to thank Aiden for staying with my company, but a part of me is scared to hear him say why. Or hear him lie to me.
I clear my throat.
“You’re the only client who stayed with me.”
Aiden shakes his head. “Goes without saying, Linnea. My clubs would be nothing special without you.” He squeezes my hand, and I want to believe him. “Henry won’t last long with his morals.”
“I wish that was how the world worked, but unfortunately he’s a white man with no scruples; they tend to fail upwards.”
“Hm.” He grunts. An actual little grunt.
A warm sensation spreads in my gut, and I let it. Despite learning about Henry’s actions, I have also learned there are people in my corner.
Aiden is in my corner. For whatever reason. I’ll try not to linger on that.
He’s here, holding my hand in public.
It might be fake, but he’s not making excuses for me. He just stood up for me.
“You should tell Mark,” I say. “Please tell him. I don’t want you to have a stomach ache or jeopardise your friendship for me.”
Shit, where did that come from?
Aiden’s eyes search my face, and I give him a reassuring smile.
“I trust what you said. That you wouldn’t do anything to hurt my reputation,” I say, and his shoulders seem to drop as he exhales.
I hope I won’t regret this.
“Thank you.” He kisses my hand. The one he’s been holding this whole time, and it’s making a comforting and disconcerting mess in my gut.