by Becca Steele
“Who knows? I manage to upset him just by existing.” I snorted. “I can’t believe Ethan forgot to charge his phone, meaning I had to actually call Davenport.”
I could almost hear her eye roll through the phone. “I know. He’s been so distracted this week; it’s been ridiculously busy for him. He’s going to be working most of the weekend, too—that’s why I told him to go to the pub today to at least give himself a reprieve before he shuts himself in his office all day tomorrow.”
Glancing down the road, I saw the bus approaching, and I joined the queue of people waiting to board.
“Hang on a sec, I’m getting on the bus.” I held my travel card over the card reader, then made my way to the top deck and sat down.
“Okay, I’m sitting down.”
“The reason I was phoning you was—”
“Let me guess. Ethan told you about Alex?”
“Got it in one,” she laughed. “I have to say, I wouldn’t have put the two of you together, but you’ll have fun with him, at the very least.”
“Why wouldn’t you have put the two of us together?” I leaned against the bus window, staring at the busy streets.
“Alex is…well, he’s great fun. But he’s a player, for want of a better word.”
“I got that impression. Don’t worry—he kind of ended up talking me into it, to be honest. I’m not going in with any expectations. Just a bit of fun, and maybe gain a new friend in the process.”
“Good. Well, enjoy yourself. And let me know how it goes.”
“We haven’t made any plans yet. But when we do? Of course I will.”
2
Luke
“What the fuck is your problem, mate?” Ethan’s disapproving gaze met mine. Although all three of us were twenty-seven, Ethan had always acted like the serious older brother. He seemed to feel a sense of responsibility towards us and didn’t hesitate to pull rank when he felt it was needed.
“I don’t have a problem.” I lowered my eyes so I didn’t have to see the expression on his face any longer.
“Yes, you do. Would it kill you to be a bit nicer to Olivia? You take every chance you can to insult her or make a biting remark. Frankly, I’m sick of it, and I know Avery is, too.”
“She’s as much to blame as me,” I stated.
Ethan leaned back in the booth, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Look, I know you’re not the only one to blame.” He sighed. “But, Luke, your behaviour is a choice. You don’t have to act like that.” He shook his head at me.
My jaw clenched as I stared between my two closest friends.
Alex chimed in. “Yeah, mate, you have a real problem, alright. And I know exactly what it is.”
“Enlighten me, oh wise master.” I raised a sardonic brow.
“You want her. You want her so fucking badly that it’s completely messed up your head.” He smirked and turned to Ethan, his expression knowing. “Am I right?”
“Avery and I have spoken about this before…there could be something in your theory,” Ethan mused.
“I don’t believe this.” I slammed my palms on the table, sending the beer in my pint glass sloshing out the side. “You’ve got to be joking.”
“Methinks the man doth protesteth too much,” Alex stated, his tone gleeful.
“That’s not how that quote goes—never mind,” I muttered.
Alex stared at me, curiosity in his eyes. “I’ve known you what, almost ten years now? Since we were at uni together? You’ve never let anyone get under your skin before; you normally have no trouble charming women, and you don’t make enemies, that I know of. Hence, my humble conclusion that you want her. There’s no other reason that makes sense, mate. I liked her straight away.”
“Ha. You like any woman that gives you the time of day.”
Alex levelled a severe look at me.
“I’m not fucking around, mate. After seeing you two in action tonight, and from what both you and Ethan have told me in the past, it’s pretty bloody obvious to me. You know what they say—” He shrugged. “—there’s a thin line between love and hate.”
I opened my mouth to reply to the contrary, but he continued speaking. “Let’s look at the facts. One, Olivia is gorgeous. Even you can’t deny it; you’d have to be blind not to see it. That face and that body?” He whistled, fanning himself dramatically. “Two, your best mate and his girlfriend both think she’s the best thing since sliced bread. Three, I like her, and we all know I’m an amazing judge of character.” He winked.
“Be that as it may, you’re barking up the wrong tree, mate,” I said wearily. “I don’t feel anything but dislike for her. We…don’t see eye to eye.”
“So you won’t mind if I take her out?” He cut me a sly look as he lifted his pint to his lips.
I threw up my hands in exasperation.
“Be my guest. Good luck.”
Alex couldn’t have been more wrong. Yeah, Payne was pretty to look at, but looks could be deceiving, as I knew all too fucking well. I rubbed the back of my neck, and my chest tightened as I remembered how angry she’d made me almost right from the beginning.
I looked down at the new girl as she stared up at me with huge blue eyes fringed with long lashes, a shy smile on her face. As I followed her to the conference room, my gaze was drawn to the sexy sway of her hips, and her tight little body had my dick stirring in my suit trousers.
The initial attraction lasted all of five minutes, until Ethan forced me into babysitting Payne—as if I didn’t have enough shit to do already. After he railroaded over my objections, I had no other choice but to comply, so I reluctantly showed her to my desk to get started.
“Have a look through the details of the project and familiarise yourself with it; the files are here.” I navigated to the relevant folder on my computer, pointing out the files she’d need.
“Thanks,” she said in a soft, sweet voice, turning to beam at me. Fuck, her smile was lethal. Already irritated with the fact that I’d been forced into working with her, I didn’t let myself return her smile. Her brow creased in a puzzled frown, and she dropped her gaze to the desk.
“My meeting should last around two hours. When I get back, we’ll go through everything.”
I came back from my meeting to see my client’s brand-new social media account open on the screen, looking almost unrecognisable. The account I’d been in the middle of setting up, that I’d spent hours working on. To make matters worse, not only had Payne started making changes without consulting me, she’d had the audacity to call the client and talk them through the changes, again, without my knowledge. I stood next to my desk, fists clenched, watching her twirl a strand of honey-blonde hair around her finger, laughing with my client on the phone.
As soon as she finished on the phone, I dragged her into the conference room.
“What the actual fuck do you think you’re playing at?” I hissed. “This is my project, my client. You can’t waltz in on your first day and start making changes without even fucking discussing it with me.”
Her eyes flashed pure fire. “I saw a few areas where I could make improvements, so I used my initiative. The client was happy with my suggestions.” She stared at me with a challenge in her eyes, her jaw set stubbornly.
We argued back and forth, neither of us backing down. Our discussion became so heated that Ethan came storming in and had the nerve to suggest I should be giving Payne some leeway because she was new.
Fuck. That.
We spent the entire week clashing over that bloody furniture project. When we finally signed it off, I’d never been so glad to see the back of a client in my life. Every suggestion I made, Payne hated. Every suggestion she made was wrong. I knew my client better than she did.
Shaking off the unwanted memory and taking a large pull of my beer, I slumped back in my seat, letting the ever-increasing level of conversation wash over me. I raised my eyes to Alex’s and attempted to drag the subject away from Payne.
“Reckon you’ll beat Gloucester tomorrow?”
Alex gave me a brief nod before scanning the room. “We’ll win it, no problem.” He stared over my shoulder, distracted, and I followed the line of his gaze to a curvy blonde eyeing him up. Noticing him looking, she tilted her head in an invitation, one brow raised.
Surprise, surprise.
He was up and out of his seat in a few seconds, not bothering to spare us a second glance.
“See you boys later. Nice talking to you.”
“See ya.”
My phone rang loudly, and I swiped it from the table without looking at the screen.
“What?” I inwardly cursed my abrupt tone.
“Um, is everything okay?” Avery’s hesitant voice came through the phone.
“Just fucking great,” I muttered. “Sorry, Aves. Didn’t mean to snap at you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Can I speak to Ethan quickly?”
“Yep. I’ll pass you over now.” I handed my phone to Ethan, and he turned away, speaking quietly.
I downed the rest of my pint and turned to Ethan. “Want another?” I mouthed.
Ethan shook his head, ending the call and sliding my phone back across the table to me. “I’d better get off. Got to meet Avery. Sorry, mate.”
“Right. See you Monday, then.” I slumped back in my seat.
“Luke.” Ethan speared me with a direct gaze. “I want you to know I’m not taking sides in this conflict between you and Olivia. You’re my best mate, so you know I’ve always got your back.” Rubbing a hand over his face, he sighed heavily. “I have to do what I believe is right for Barrett London, though, and please trust me when I say that I think you and Olivia can get over these…” He paused. “Issues that you have with one another, if you put in the effort. If you could dial down the animosity, I believe the working environment will improve, not only for the two of you, but for all staff members.”
He pulled on his coat and stood, staring at me expectantly.
“Okay. I’ll try. I can’t promise anything, though.”
Ethan looked relieved. “That’s all I’m asking.”
3
Olivia
“Evening, gorgeous.” Alex rose to his feet and greeted me with a hug and a quick kiss to my cheek.
“You’re such a charmer.” I laughed, taking the seat opposite him. Alex had texted me the previous night, and we’d arranged to go for drinks at a pretty bar overlooking the Thames. The setting was gorgeous—the bar was all exposed wood, steel beams, and slate flagstone floors, with an outdoor area right by the river where we were currently sitting, full of little bistro tables and fairy lights strung around the edges.
We ordered drinks and fell into an easy conversation, chatting about Alex’s rugby career and my volunteer work at the youth centre. I didn’t feel any kind of spark, despite his obvious good looks, but I was enjoying his company. After a while the conversation turned to Ethan and Avery, and then, inevitably, to Luke. I steeled myself as Alex studied me, curiosity in his eyes.
“What happened between you and Luke? All I know is that he says he dislikes you, and he brings you up in conversation with me and Ethan way more often than you’d imagine, for someone that supposedly can’t stand you. I have my own theories on why that is, but I’d like to hear your side of the story.”
“Are you going to tell me your theories?” I raised a brow at him, intrigued.
“Nope. Not today.” He mimed zipping his lips shut, and I rolled my eyes.
“Okay then. Well. Let me see. I guess we fell out right at the beginning, when I had to work with him and I kind of changed a few things he’d been working on, without asking him. His client preferred the changes I’d made, and that really infuriated him.” I winced, thinking back to that first horrendous week. “Anyway, ever since then, we’ve disagreed on pretty much everything. Ethan keeps us working separately, but I think we’ve got to the point where our animosity has become our default setting with each other.” Lost in thought, I sighed, taking a sip of my drink. “I don’t know if we know how to act any other way around each other anymore. And from what he mentioned to me in the pub on Friday, he seems to think that I float around the office doing my own thing and not listening to anyone else. It’s ridiculous. I work well with my colleagues. We’re a team—we listen to each other. Maybe if Luke paid attention to what was going on around him, he’d realise that, too.” I let out a frustrated huff, then raised my gaze to Alex’s. “Sorry. I guess I must be more bothered by his comments than I thought.”
Alex stared at me, his expression contemplative. “Hmm. This conversation has been very enlightening.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Has it? Well, I’m glad you think so, because all it’s done is put me in a bad mood.” I checked the time on my phone. “I think I’m going to call it a night. I’m sorry to end the evening this way.”
“Hey, it’s okay, babe. Cheer up. You got the pleasure of my undivided attention for the last two hours. Do you know how many women would kill for that opportunity?” He grinned at me.
“Hundreds, I’m sure.” My tone was dry, but I couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks for a great evening, other than the part where we mentioned Luke. I don’t think we have any kind of romantic connection, but I feel like you and me could be friends.”
“You’re putting me in the friendzone?” He pulled a mock-sad face, placing his hand over his heart dramatically. “You wound me. I guess I’ll take what I can get.” He held out a hand for me to shake. “Friends it is.”
Pulling my keys out of my bag, I let myself into my Victorian terraced flat and kicked off my heels with a sigh of relief. I headed into the kitchen and raided my ancient fridge, pulling out a bottle of Pinot Grigio with two-thirds remaining. A rummage in the cupboard resulted in the discovery of an unopened bag of tortilla chips that I’d forgotten all about, and I collapsed onto the sofa, glass of wine in hand. Scrolling through Netflix, I settled on Peaky Blinders and sat back and curled up under a blanket to lose myself in the drama.
After the first episode had ended, I sent Avery a quick message.
Me: Back from my date with Alex. He was great company, but friends only.
She replied a few minutes later.
Avery: Probably for the best. Did you have a kiss or anything though?
Me: Uh. NO. I didn’t like him in that way.
Avery: Sorry Liv. The perfect man’s out there somewhere. Maybe closer than you think ;)
Me: Ha. Don’t be sorry! I’m happy as I am. If something happens, it happens, but I’m in no rush.
Avery: What about Luke?
I choked on my wine.
Me: Luke, as in DAVENPORT?! Are you INSANE?!
Avery: Probably. I think he likes you.
Me: Aves he absolutely does NOT.
I shook my head incredulously, my fingers flying over my phone keypad.
Me: Seriously are you drunk?
Avery: I’ve had half a glass of wine. Just saying what I think.
Avery: And I think you like him too.
Me: Well you think wrong. SO wrong. And I don’t want to hear any more about him OK?
Avery: Sorry. Didn’t mean to upset you. I won’t mention it again, promise. Love you.
Me: Love you. Enough silly talk.
Avery: Sorry again Liv. Didn’t want to upset you. Call me tomorrow.
Me: Will do. It’s OK, no need to be sorry. As long as you never speak of it again we’re good. Night x
Avery: Deal. Night xx
Still shaking my head in disbelief, I put my phone down, topped up my wine, and resumed the next episode.
I sighed, my quiet exhale swallowed by the noise of the TV. I’d told Avery the truth when I’d said I was happy as I was. It would be nice to have someone, though. Someone who gave me butterflies, someone who shared the same interests as me, someone with fire and passion. Was that too much to ask? Who knew? Maybe I’d been watching too many romance movies.
I crunched on a tortilla
chip and focused on Tommy Shelby’s troubles. My phone buzzed again, as I was getting to a dramatic part of the episode.
Argh. That was it. My phone was going on silent after I replied to this message.
Unknown: Enjoy your date with Alex?
I peered at the number in suspicion and scrolled back through my call history. Luke Davenport. Great. I sighed and saved his number under “A-hole” (pretty self-explanatory, I thought).
Me: Why are you bugging me Davenport? Don’t you have some small animals to sacrifice?
A-hole: Ha-fucking-ha. Morbid curiosity?
I thought hard. I typed and deleted sentences but couldn’t find the right words.
A-hole: I can see the three dots you know. Just spit it out.
Me: Whatever. It was good. He’s nice. Just not for me.
A-hole: Hardly surprising Payne.
Me: What are you insinuating?
A-hole: Nothing. Can’t see you with someone ‘nice’ that’s all. And he’s a player. You’d be old news this time next week.
Me: Yeah, thanks for that. This conversation is over. Bye.
A-hole: Wait. I’m sorry.
Me: You’re sorry? Excuse me while I die of shock.
A-hole: OK I take that back.
Me: Whatever. I’m done with this.
A-hole: Hang on. What you doing right now?
Me: Don’t you have anyone else to annoy? I’m watching Netflix, same as 90% of people sitting at home on a Sat night.
A-hole: Elaborate. Watching what?
Me: Peaky Blinders.
A-hole: Good choice Payne. At least your taste in TV isn’t as insufferable as your personality.
Me: Argh! Why. Do. You. Have. To. Insult. Me. All. The. Time. And in case you didn’t get it through your thick head that was me, pissed off at you. Can you say ANYTHING without insulting me?