* * *
It was nearly two hours later when I finally got in bed, my latest read on my lap as I checked through my phone. It was still before midnight so I doubted it was too late to call Owen, but this late on a Friday night was definitely stepping out of friends’ territory.
There’d been various references tonight to Owen made by my siblings and Vanessa and Victoria, and it seemed as if they already thought of us as being, well, anus.And I wanted him to be here. I felt empty without him, as if something had been removed from deep within me.
I clicked on my recent calls and touched his name. There were only a couple of rings before he answered.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he said, his voice low and melodious. “How was poker.”
“An announcement saved me from an ass-kicking,” I said, tucking myself under the sheets. “Guess what it was.”
He laughed quietly. “Seph’s moving out of Max’s?”
“No, don’t be ridiculous. He’d only do that to move in with me.”
“You’ve only got one bedroom.”
“Seph’s good with a sofa. But it’s not that anyway.”
“Tell me.”
“Vanessa’s pregnant,” I said. “I’m going to be an aunt again. Hopefully this one won’t have such a dramatic entrance. She’s only just though—Jackson couldn’t keep it to himself.”
“I’m not surprised. He looked happier than normal on Thursday and got to practice a bit late because of an appointment. It all fits together now,” Owen said. “You sound happy.”
“I am. It’s been an amazing evening.” It had, but every couple of minutes I’d thought about him. He was filling me up with his words and his calmness and his Owen-ness. “I haven’t phoned too late, have I?”
“No. It’s good to speak to you. And I was reading. I’ll pass it to you once I’m done. You’ll enjoy it.” His voice was full of sleep. I stretched out and felt the coolness of sheets.
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Meeting with one of the managers to go through some summer reading promotions and discussing a couple of author signings we have lined up, then I’m free. A couple of mates are meeting up in Brixton to watch a band so I might join them. What about you?”
My chest felt tight, my breath squashed. “I think we’re just staying here. There’s a barbecue planned for late afternoon. A couple of friends are coming over from London—Simone and Amelie. Simone’s the one with the restaurant. Do you want to join us? You don’t have to if you don’t want; I know you mentioned the other plans.”
“Yes.”
“Yes you don’t want to join us?”
“Yes I’ll join you. Will it be okay with your parents?”
I had been lying down in bed but now I was sitting up, feeling nervous, feeling as if I was about to go on a date. “Yes, they’d love to have you here.”
“Shall I get to you about two? Will that work? I don’t want you staying in all day waiting for me,” Owen said. “And what gift should I bring your mum?”
I giggled, a noise I hadn’t made since I was about sixteen. “Two’s fine. I’m staying here tomorrow for the day—no plans to go anywhere unless we go to the Maker’s Market in Oxford early on. You don’t need to bring anything. You will be enough.”
“That’s not how Dot brought me up. Books? Would Marie like a book?”
My chest felt full and my eyes had moistened. “Yes. She loves books.”
“Sorted. I’m going to go to sleep and if I don’t go now, I’ll end up talking to you all night.”
“Same here. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow. I’m glad we can say that.”
I closed my eyes and tried not to think. If I started to hyper-analyse everything I’d end up not sleeping. Instead, I wanted to just look forward to him being here and getting to spend precious time knowing him more. That was all. That was all it needed to be. Especially if we had separate rooms.
