Bloody hell. I force thoughts of Gerard to chill out my willie, doing his happy dance then ask, “Did yourfriendever tell you he plays online poker?”
“No, just that he likes it.” Wobbling, she steps down with a bottle and I reach my hands to her waist.
“To the tune of two-hundred grand, he likes it.”
“Oh shit. His parents–”
“Have cut him off, luv.”
There’s a towel on the oven handle which I grab while she places some fancy-ass flutes on the counter. “Oh my God. I can’t believe it.”
The cork pops, I pour, and we clink glasses.
“Cheers.” After sipping, I pull out my computer and show her proof. “Grayson just sent this to help you get a clearer picture.”
She starts to cry and it makes me wonder. “Callie, are you in love with him?”
“Yeah.”
Ah, fook. My mask breaks and she reads my pain because her hand shoots to my lap. “Let me explain. He’s like a brother.”
“You slept with him, luv. That’s not a brother.”
“You don’t understand. It was a huge mistake. I had to fake an orgasm...” Her face turns bright red. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this...”
It doesn’t matter. I’m one happy bloke with a painful stiffie. “You can tell me anything, luv.”
Especially how bad the fuckwit was in the sack.
“To your doctorate.” I raise my glass, we clink, and sip.
Then, I take her hand back to the couch, sit her down, and surf the telly with the volume down.
She finishes the one glass, and I pour her another but don’t touch mine. Even though I haven’t logged back in, I’m back on duty.
“Can I ask you something?” She leans into me and rather than touch her, I put my arm up on the back of the couch.
“Sure. Fire away.”
“You have an English title, an Australian accent, and work in the US. What’s up with that?”
“Well, my Dad is American and worked for a servo company and met my mum in Sydney.”
“Servo?”
“Petrol, or what you Yanks call gasoline.”
“Actually, we call it an oil company.”
“Whatevah. So, anyhow. When I was about seventeen, the company sent my Dad back to the states. Me and mum got our citizenships. Then, I enlisted at eighteen, did a few tours, and got out.”
“What about the knighthood?”
“Yeah. I can’t talk about it. Basically, I saved a royal and the Brits made a big deal out of it.”
“Wow.”
“What? You think I was messin’ with you?”
