Just Friends (The Agency Book 1) Read online

  “Vi,” he says softly, his arms still wrapped protectively around me. “When did you first think you were in love with me?”

  “At the AdAg Awards. When you held my hand. But maybe deep down there’s always been something. I’ve always loved your humour, your ideas, the way you talk, the way you look at me . . .”

  “I am pretty awesome.”

  I whack his chest playfully. “Note, I didn’t mention your modesty.”

  “Yeah, I’ll have to work on that,” he says with a huge grin.

  “What about you then? Did you really love me at first sight?”

  “Yes, on the day Stella and Diego brought you onto the floor. You were wearing a green dress with a little black belt. You wore your hair down – the way I like it – but you had this little silver comb pinning it off your face. I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Then, as we got to know each other, I discovered you were smart and funny and brave and kind, and I’ve never had a better friend. Even though I’ve never stopped wanting you, I never thought you’d believe me and I didn’t think you’d trust me.”

  “Why on earth wouldn’t I trust you?”

  “Because I’m me. The office player – the guy who fools around all the time because he’s too chicken-shit scared to tell the woman he loves how he feels about her. I hated that guy and I never wanted to be him. That’s why I adopted your law. I wanted to prove to you that I wanted something better . . . that I wanted you. Women like you come along once in a lifetime.”

  “Soulmates?”

  “Fucking right, we’re soulmates.”

  We snuggle in for a few more minutes, then he strokes my hair, kisses me on the cheek again and releases me. “I have to meet Daniel, Gabriel and a team of corporate lawyers at two, so although it’s going to kill me to leave you here, I need to go. But it’s Saturday, so tonight I’m taking you out on a proper first date.”

  “Ooh, where are you taking me?”

  “It’s a secret.”

  “You have absolutely no idea, do you?”

  “None whatsoever. But I’m going to think about it all afternoon and I guarantee it’s going to be awesome.” He stands and picks up his phone and keys from the coffee table. “Now I need to get out of these manky clothes, get my arse to the Docklands and try not to think about you while I’m in that boring meeting.” He takes my hand, kisses me and walks through to the hallway. “I’m going to be counting down the seconds until seven thirty.”

  I kiss him back. “Me too.”

  “There’s something else in that box I gave you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. You didn’t get around to asking where else I went this morning.”

  He kisses me again, opens the door and leaves.

  And it’s going to be an extremely long afternoon.

  I walk back into the sitting room and pick up the box, removing the glossy brochure and documents from the Royal Opera House. At the bottom of the box is a black velvet pouch. I’m reminded of the silver pendant necklace with the engraved laurel branch that Ethan gave me last week. It was just after I’d told him about my sister, and I’ve worn it every day since. I pull the drawstring fastening open, and another coil of silver falls into my hand. It’s a bracelet with three circular charms.

  Tears form in my eyes, and I’m glad I’m alone because I feel like a total wuss. The first silver disc is engraved with a flower – a violet – and it’s beautiful. The second is inscribed with yesterday’s date – as if I’m ever going to forget about yesterday.

  The last silver charm is engraved with two hearts. They’re not perfect hearts. They’re scratched, scribbled, not-quite-complete, complicated hearts.

  But that makes them perfect, because they’re ours.

  THE END

  Coming 2018:

  It’s Complicated - The Agency #2

  Could you keep your love secret?