There was no way they’d have a fight in front of me, of that I was pretty certain.
“Go.” I put a little bit more pressure in my finger tips and pushed Max a little harder.
“Gym. After work. Boxing ring.” Max pointed at Seph as he stepped backwards.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” Seph tried to step forward towards a retreating Max.
I stepped in front of him.
“No. We’re going for coffee. I need to start to improve your performance to an exceptional level.” The weight of not responding to his last text left my shoulders as soon as I said it and it flew away when I saw the smile that broke out across his face.
A smile that faded and something else took its place, something that made my nipples harden and warmth burn between my legs.
Seph’s eyes darkened and his jaw grew tight, as if he was clenching his teeth together. I wasn’t touching him now, I didn’t dare. I pulled my gaze away from his face, unable to hold his eyes any longer. I dropped it to his chest, his white shirt tight across it, biceps bulging through and then lower to his belt and below, below that…
I lifted my head quickly, my cheeks on fire. He’d just caught me properly eyeing him up like he was a piece of meat.
“Coffee,” he said. “We should get that coffee.”
I nodded, wondering if coffee would erase from his mind from how I’d just looked at him, and erase what had looked like a semi-hard dick print against his suit trousers from my brain.
“Coffee. Good idea.”
Amelie came straight overto us, her smile bright, her hair pink today. She was wearing jeans that showed off legs which made me want to cry with envy, She also had cheekbones that no amount of filler could ever create.
I cringed, knowing I’d been eyeing up the man who was possibly her boyfriend.
“Joseph! I’m sorry I couldn’t get there yesterday. I really had to start packing.” She stood on tiptoes and gave him a tiny peck on the cheek.
He shook his head. “I think you’re avoiding goodbyes.”
Goodbyes? What goodbyes?
She smiled and then looked at me. “He doesn’t get it. Me moving to Anglesey means he’ll be getting free weekend breaks away by the sea, away from all this madness.” She gestured to the outside where the pavements were crammed with commuters.
“What will you be doing there?” I managed to force the words out despite my confusion.
She guided us over to a table for two. “I bought a big pub with several guest rooms. It’s needed a complete renovation, but it’s almost there now. I go in three weeks. Come see me when I’ve settled. You’ll love it.” Her eyes looked misty and I figured in her head she was already living there.
Seph looked grumpy. “Won’t be the same in here without you.”
She smiled. “No. It won’t. But it’ll just be different. No worse and no better. Now, do you both want your usual? I have freshly made blueberry breakfast muffins too.” She didn’t wait for any more than a nod from either of us, leaving us to greet someone else as they came through the door.
Seph's expression was the same Rose wore when she couldn’t get her way.
“You look like a spoilt child right now.”
He didn’t grin. “I don’t like change. I get why she’s going and I don’t blame her, but I’ve known her all my life and it’ll be weird her not being around.”
I frowned. “Is she going permanently? Not just to set it up?”
“Permanently. She’ll still own this place, but she’s hired a manager so she’ll be in Anglesey most of the time.”
“How will that effect things with you?” It was a pretty discreet dig for information, if I did say so myself.
He looked confused. “I’ll have to get used to someone else making my coffee and I doubt they’ll let me keep a tab like I do now.” He frowned. “Amelie’s a family friend. She grew up in the house next door to my parents’.”
“Oh.”
