‘Fin.’
‘Excuse me?’ Freya spluttered.
‘You heard me,’ she replied curtly.
‘Fin, as in …?’ Her sister’s expression was one of total incomprehension.
‘Yes,Fin.’
‘Well? How did he look? Was it weird?’ Freya babbled excitedly. ‘How long is he in town for? I didn’t think he came back here any more.’
‘I don’t know,’ Eleanor snapped.
‘Well, didn’t you speak to him?’
‘Only for a bit.’ She shrugged. ‘He seems fine.’
‘Excuse me? Back up a second,’ Sal interrupted. ‘Who on earth is Fin?’
Freya opened her mouth to answer but Eleanor cut across. ‘Just an old friend,’ she replied casually, hoping it was enough to satisfy Sal’s curiosity.
‘I see.’ Sal eyed the sisters suspiciously.
‘Old friend is a bit of an understatement,’ Freya contested. ‘Those two were practically joined at the hip for the entirety of their childhood. He was like a brother to us.’
Eleanor winced at Freya’s words.
‘What happened?’ Sal leant forward across the table. ‘How come I’ve never heard of him if he was such a good friend?’
‘Because I haven’t spoken to the guy in decades.’ Eleanor stood up suddenly, keeping her eyes firmly away from Sal’s piercing gaze. This was a conversation she did not want to be getting into right now.
‘And before you start,’ she warned, ‘nothing happened. We just drifted apart, that’s all.’
‘I see,’ Sal replied unconvincingly.
‘Now, Frey, you need your own glass.’ She changed the subject quickly. ‘And while I’m up I’ll get us another bottle.’
Eleanor didn’t even wait to hear their reply as she shifted out of her seat and into the pulsing, intoxicated crowd of suits. In her opinion, there was nothing more to say about Finley Taylor.
For all she knew, he could be halfway back to LA by now, never to be seen again.
Fin
It had now been just over two weeks since his arrival in London, and the only things Fin had managed to accomplish successfully were eating his way through the neighbourhood’s selection of takeout restaurants, watching nearly everything that Netflix had to offer, and sleeping. He wasn’t quite sure he could count Kate’s wedding a success. Not only had he been late, but that awkward interaction with Eleanor was still playing heavily on his mind. The look of dread that flashed across her face when she saw him was not something that was easily forgotten.
‘Stupid idiot,’ Fin muttered to himself as he replayed the moment once again, this time in ultra-slow motion. Before he had any further opportunity to chastise himself, he felt his phone vibrate from somewhere deep inside the cushions of the sofa. He reached down, trying not to think about what his fingers might be touching, and grabbed it.
‘Hello?’ Fin answered, without even checking who was on the other end.
‘Jesus, have you forgotten who I am already?’ Rob quipped sarcastically. ‘You’ve only been gone two weeks.’
‘Sorry, mate, what can I say? You’re just not that memorable.’ Fin grinned, feeling lighter at once at the sound of his friend’s voice.
‘Bastard,’ Rob sniped. ‘Anyway, what’s happening over there? How is the flat, everything all good? Not trashed it completely and broken everything in sight?’
Fin looked around at the piles of empty takeaway cartons and the dirty laundry gathering in small groups across the room. ‘Trashed isn’t quite the word I’d use.’ He laughed. ‘But no, everything is fine, I promise.’
‘Cool. How’s your mum doing?’
