Chapter 2 #3
‘Well, I look forward to seeing that,’ she says. ‘I love dancing. Perhaps we can have a dance-off?’
I can’t help but laugh. ‘You’re just as competitive in real life, huh? Not just when you’re gaming?’
She raises her eyebrows. ‘It’s true. I like to win.’
‘Okay then. Sure. You’re on. But be prepared to lose that one,’ I say with a teasing grin.
‘Sure, Business Guy, we’ll see.’
I shake my head at her audacity. But I’m digging it. I’m actually quite relieved to find she’ll be a fun person to hang out with in real life too.
‘Anyway,’ I say, ‘back to the plan for the week. The next day is a chill-and-recover or an activity day, depending on how late we’re up the previous night.
Then the actual wedding ceremony is the day after that, in the afternoon, with a meal and all the usual speeches and things.
We can duck out of that early though. Then for the rest of the week we’re free to do whatever we want.
There are various activities we can get involved in if we feel like it.
I’m going to be working quite a bit, but feel free to go and do them without me. ’
She looks a little crestfallen. ‘Oh. You’re not going to be doing all the activities with me?’
I shake my head. ‘I’m afraid I’ve got a ton of work to get through while we’re there so you’ll have to make your own fun at points.
There’s an important tender document due in really soon and I have about a thousand questions to complete on it.
God knows who’s going to actually want to sit and read that many answers, but hey, if that’s what they ask for, that’s what they get. ’
‘Sounds like they want your soul too,’ she says.
‘It certainly feels like it. But don’t worry. There’s loads to do there. It’s a five-star hotel, with pools, gyms and evening entertainment each night. Plus, all the excursions and activities to choose from. I promise you, you won’t be bored.’
She waves her hand in the air. ‘Don’t worry about me. I know how to have a good time and I’m not shy about talking to people I don’t know.’
I feel myself relax a little. ‘Great. Because honestly, I could do with this whole trip going as smoothly as possible. We need to be seen to be there, but not raise any particular interest so we can creep away without it being noticed.’
She frowns at this. ‘You know, it’s kind of sad that you don’t want to be that involved. Is there some bad feeling between you all or something?’
I immediately tense at the question, then shrug, going for nonchalance. ‘I’ve been a bit absent recently from family gatherings, that’s all, which has been remarked on. I’m hoping that helping to rescue the wedding will balance that out.’
‘Is there a particular reason why you’ve been avoiding them?’ she asks shrewdly.
I clear my throat. ‘I’d rather not go into my whole family history right now. There’s nothing particularly interesting about it, to be honest. We just don’t see each other that much any more. I’ve been really busy.’
She gives a firm nod. ‘Understood.’ Clapping her hands onto her knees, she smiles, though she looks disappointed to not have the real question she’s asking answered.
But tough. She doesn’t need to know all the ins and outs of it.
‘It’s just the way it is with my stepfamily.
No big deal,’ I say, hoping she won’t push it any further.
I don’t want to go into the whole mess of my adolescence right now.
I need to keep this thing with Ida light and surface level.
I don’t want her feeling like she has to tiptoe around anyone, especially not me.
‘Well, it sounds like a wedding from heaven,’ she says, clearly trying to lighten the tone. ‘I imagine you’re their favourite family member right now, not just for saving their wedding day, but for organising something so special,’ she says, her voice loaded with what sounds like awe.
Even so, it hurts me to hear those words, because they’re far from the truth.
I give her a tight smile.
To my surprise she leans in closer to me, so I get another nose-full of her cinnamon-spice scent, then reaches out and squeezes my forearm.
My skin burns under her touch and my pleasure receptors hit another peak.
She’s looking into my eyes with such intensity I feel it in my chest.
The air between us is suddenly very still and super-charged.
My pulse picks up and I’m hyper aware of it throbbing in my throat again.
Ida blinks rapidly for a second and I hear her draw in a deep breath.
It seems she’s feeling the same tension I am.
Luckily, one of the stewards from the airline magically appears next to us and discreetly clears his throat.
‘We’re ready to depart as soon as you are, sir,’ he says when I turn to look at him.
‘Right. We’d better get going,’ I say, relieved to break the highly charged atmosphere. ‘We’re on a tight schedule.’
Ida lets go of my arm and I drain the last of my coffee.
When I look at her again she nods, then finishes her own drink too.
After putting the cup down on the table, she turns back to me, her expression warm, but there’s a hint of intrigue in it now. ‘To be continued,’ she says.