“Mmm, well she is kind of right, but if a friend had more than seven sweets and you were able to borrow some, you would be able to do it but would owe your friend some.” Using the number line she’d made showed him what she meant.
“I see now,” cried Finley excitedly. “Can I tell my teacher she is wrong when she says numbers start at zero?” the little boy asked excitedly.
“Yes, you can,” agreed Steph.
“No, you can’t,” disagreed Zoe. “Not whilst it’s me that has to see Mrs Arley every day. Now, go and put your pyjamas on and brush your teeth.”
Twenty-Four
“So,” said Jon as they waited for the lift to arrive.
“So what?” replied Steph.
“You seem to like your new car.”
“It’s very nice,” she replied bluntly.
“You are seriously hard work when you are being obstinate,” Jon said in response and sounded a little terse himself now as they stepped into the lift.
Steph merely shrugged her response making him stare a little disbelievingly at her. As he appeared to be about to speak they were joined by Ade off the tenth floor.
“Hello again,” he said to them both, but was looking at Steph. “We must stop meeting like this or people will talk.” He gave a friendly burst of laughter, smiling at Steph.
“Must we?” She sounded flirtatious and looked it too with a disappointed expression on her face surprising both men in the lift.
“Sorry,” said Ade looking at Jon now. “I think I may have inadvertently interrupted something.”
“So it would seem,” said Jon as the lift stopped at the tenth floor where the other man looked beyond relieved to be exiting the lift.
Steph looked across at Jon silently standing in the corner of the lift wearing a stony face. He appeared to be avoiding looking at her even as they left the lift. He walked through the front door leaving her to follow which was unusual as he normally held doors open for her, guiding her through them, but not tonight. Following him into the flat she found him pouring some scotch into a glass tumbler. Steph looked on as he took a large slug of the golden liquid whilst staring at her.
“What the fuck was that all about? You and your old friend off the tenth floor? Do you want to be with him or me because it’s one or the other? Unless you thought that pissing me off by flirting with him under my nose was going to work out well for you.”
Steph stared across at him and jumped as he slammed his glass down on the kitchen counter.
“Nothing to say? How odd because you haven’t been short on something to say all night!” He poured another drink for himself.
“I’m sorry about the lift. I shouldn’t have flirted with Ade, but it was to piss you off. Not because I want to be with him. I want to be with you.” She spoke in a hushed tone as she watched him gulp down another mouthful of whisky and suddenly wondered what it would taste like on his lips, although she’d never liked whiskey.
“What is your problem tonight, Steph? We left here happy and somewhere that all changed. Why? Because I have paid for a car that is your dream car, but also removes the final connection with Simon? What a bastard I really am, no wonder you’re pissed off,” he said sarcastically now.
“It’s not like that,” she retorted.
“Then what the fuck is it like because right now I am confused and mad as hell? You made me look like an idiot infront of your brother and then your old college fan in the lift.” His voice had quietened, but he was obviously still mad.
“I don’t know why I did that with Ade and I didn’t mean to make you look like an idiot, but I feel like you are invading every area of my life and I am totally unaware of it until you’ve done it and this is complicated, Jon. Everyone thinks we’re like a normal couple or they don’t know that we’re a couple at all, which we’re not, not really. Yet still I live in a flat you own and subsidise. I am going to be working for you and now I am going to drive a car you bought for me. I have lived independently since I was eighteen and worked for what I needed so this is alien to me.” She hoped it made sense out loud like it did in her head.
“I see, so why not tell me that, like you just have rather than making me look stupid in front of people? I’m not used to being made to look like a dick, certainly not in front of other people and I thought you would know and respect that which is why I am so annoyed with you still.” He stared at her but returned the bottle of scotch to the cupboard.
She walked over to where he stood and faced him before reaching up to touch his face when he brushed her hand away.
“Don’t!” he ordered.
“Jon, please.” She reached up towards his face again.
“I am still really mad with you,” he explained as he brushed past her.
“Talk to me, please,” Steph pleaded and although she hadn’t thought her words to be antagonistic or inflammatory, the speed with which he turned to face her and the expression he wore suggested they were both.
