She bats her lashes.
“No.”
A single tear rolls down her cheek. “Please, Max. Gemma means so much to me and it would make me feel so much better.”
She throws in a sniffle for good measure.
Oh God. Now she’s wailing—loud, hiccupping sobs.
“What’s going on in there?” Dad yells from the living room.
“Nothing!” I call out, dragging a hand down my face before glaring at Anna. “You’re a menace.”
A small, pathetic sound escapes her, one I know for a fact she thinks is going to win this little battle.
“You’re not going to stop, are you?”
“No,” she says through fake tears.
I stare at her, holding out for a grand total of ten more seconds before I blow a sharp breath through my nose.
“I was going to pick them anyway,” I say, resigned. “They had the more innovative pitch.”
The tears stop immediately, and she wipes her eyes as a wide grin spreads across her splotchy face. “Of course they did.”
I laugh. “You should have been a bloody actress, not a teacher.”
She takes a dramatic bow.
Chapter Fifteen
Gemma
My face scrunches in disgust as I open the chat with Tim on KinkApp.
He’s sent me a nude.
Again.
“Ugh,” I groan. “I didn’t like what you had to offer the last time, Tim. Sorry. But it’s time to pack your bags. You’ve been voted off the island,” I say, muttering to myself as the lift ascends.
“What are you on about now?” Henry asks, peeking over my shoulder. He catches sight of the photos before I have the chance to hit the block button.
“Well, that’s underwhelming,” he says. “I’ve seen more impressive pickles at Tesco.”
“Hey, you have a boyfriend. You don’t get to look,” I say, pulling my phone into my chest to hide the screen.
“I’m a human being, Gemma. I can look if I want to,” he says, shrugging his shoulder nonchalantly. “Besides, Nate and I have an understanding—I can window-shop as long as I don’t buy anything. And trust me, I wouldn’t even think about puttingthatin my cart.”
“It’s basically a clit,” I say.
“What does he expect you to do with it?” Henry asks.
“Hence why I sent him on his merry way on Friday.”
“Good choice.”
I perk up, hopeful. “Speaking of choices, have you heard anything about Max making a decision yet?”
