‘No.’
‘We’re you paying her?’
I grimace. ‘God, no, Gran. What do you take me for?’
‘Largely an idiot who pretends to be the ‘big I am’online. What happened to your pussy embargo?’
I cough. ‘Gran!’
Never have I heard her say the word pussy, and I hope she never uses it again.
‘Don’t you “Gran” me,’ she says, eyes gleaming. ‘Tell me about her.’
Where the fuck do I begin? I take a sip of tea and a huge bite of cake to stall.
Gran’s eyebrows raise.
‘Oh. I see. This one means something.’ Gran reaches over and taps the back of my hand.
‘It’s complicated.’
‘Complicated is good, if it was boring you wouldn’t look like you’d been hit by a train.’
‘I haven’t been hit by a train.’
‘Tell your face that. You look like you haven’t slept since the last time I saw you.’
‘Yes.’
‘Liar.’
I rub a hand over my face. ‘Her name is Maggie.’
‘Maggie. She sounds nice.’
From only her name? Oh, Gran, you have no idea.
‘Is she nice?’
I mutter under my breath because what does nice even mean in the context of Maggie Hamilton? She kidnapped me. She nearly got me murdered. She also made me laugh so hard I nearly choked, and took my cock like an insatiable demon. Not that I intend on telling Gran that.
‘Yeah, she’s pretty special.’
Gran studies me for a long moment. ‘When can I meet her?’
My stomach sinks. ‘You can’t.’
‘Why not?’
Running a hand through my hair, I sit back and exhale. Pressure builds in my chest. The pressure that says if you let people in, they leave.
‘Because I can’t be with her and keep my business running.’
Gran stares at me like I’ve just told her I’m moving to bloody Mars to take up alien judo.
She leans forward, resting her chin on one hand andlooking every bit the sweet old lady. ‘Fuck your business, son.’
I blink. ‘Gran?—’
