“I thought you’d never ask.”
CHAPTER 24
Carter
It was three more weeks before we could make the reservation at The Ritz, which involved three weeks of Laurie teasing me about needing lessons about what to do, because Rose and I had taken things at the same pace as a stoned snail. We’d hung out like teenagers who fancied each other but didn’t really know what to do and it had been fun and frustrating at the same time.
We’d gone to the cinema, Rose managing to eat popcorn through the entirety of the film; we’d seen a couple of shows in the West End, visited the British Museum and done the tour of the Tower of London, which neither of us had done since the first summer I’d lived in Borough, and we’d spent the holidays exploring the capital. I’d kissed her at the top of the Shard and pulled her down an alleyway near St Paul’s because I’d missed the feel of her lips on mine, and she’d giggled like she hadn’t been kissed before. We avoided each other’s houses, although I was dragged out to a Callaghan Sunday lunch, one where pretty much every Callaghan aunt, uncle and cousin managed to attend, including Eliza who still terrified the life out of me and every other male, all while Rose swore she was harmless. I remained on the fence.
It wasn't an appearance that we made as a couple, that would be a while off yet, the timing didn't seem right and I could still sense some uncertainty from Rose. Seph, Rose’s dad, knew it was more than friends, and he did drag me into a corner when no one was watching and issued a few threats. He’d known me since I was a kid, and the threats were ones he repeated from fourteen years ago, when Rose and I had been hanging out like we were doing now, only it was more innocent.
The Ritz wasn’t easy to book into, not for the sort of suite that the voucher covered, and voucher wasn’t the right term to explain it either. We ended up with a Wednesday night, no weekend nights available for six months, but they had a cancellation midweek.
Rose booked it, taking two days of annual leave so we could enjoy the suite, and I swapped my shifts around, so I was free as well, making sure I wasn’t on call, because what I didn’t need was a phone call halfway through the night that we had an emergency. This wasn’t going to be a night for interruptions.
I was nervous, which was out of character for someone who was used to carrying out life saving operations. I didn’t want to fuck this up by saying something that was too much or underplaying what I felt or missing an opportunity like I’d done before. I had a haircut, I bought new clothes and topped up the aftershave that I knew Rose liked because she sniffed me like a dog in a butcher’s shop when I wore it. I arranged for flowers from me to her to be in the suite, and stopped short at a bottle of champagne, because we’d have that anyway, and I was afraid of overkill.
We met outside The Ritz, me with a compact suitcase with a change of clothes in and an extra helping of nerves, and Rose with an overnight bag and a soft smile that told me she saw straight through any pretence of bravery I was wearing.
“You look like you’re about to be shot.”
I laughed, which I think I was meant to. “That wasn’t the look I was going for.”
“Have you ever stayed here before?” She looked up at the hotel, the iconic sign the subject of photographs from tourists.
“No. First time. I did wonder if the voucher was valid. That acquaintance of Laurie’s grandfather didn’t seem that legit.” I’d wondered whether it was a show of generosity rather than genuine.
“It’s valid. All booked, and includes an evening meal from room service, so we don’t need to leave the suite.” She turned away from me and I wondered if she was nervous too. “Unless we want to. We have time.”
“Something we don’t usually have much of.” That was true. Our shift patterns had been all over the show, or rather mine had. Rose’s job tended to be more stable hours, as some of her day was outpatient appointments, with some longer shifts or evening ones for emergencies. Time together had been hard to come by, but I knew that hadn’t been a bad thing because the temptation would’ve have been to go too fast too soon.
“Let’s check in and see what this suite’s about.” She led the way, her hair blazing and more than one person checking her out.
The desk service was efficient and polite, the concierge taking our luggage to the room, with another staff member seeing us to it, pointing out the other areas of the hotel, including the restaurant and bar.
The suite was bigger than some London apartments, the style exactly as advertised, Louis XVI with gilded chairs and a four-poster bed in the main bedroom that dominated the room.
We were finally left alone, the silence of the suite stifling, neither of us knowing what to say. It had been nearly four weeks since we’d slept together, our dates limited to going placesand holding hands, lingering kisses at the end of the night not continued behind a closed door. And we hadn’t talked about it.
Now we were sharing a huge suite, intended as a wedding gift, with a bed that was big enough for us to both sleep in it and not touch each other all night.
“This is something.” Rose looked around the bedroom. “I can’t believe how much people pay to stay here.”
“You’re staying in the same room as royalty and the famous.” I sat down on the bed. “Feels surreal.”
She sat down next to me, our legs touching. “I saw the flowers. I knew they were from you. Thank you.”
There was a bunch of red roses in the sitting room, simple rather than the fancy bouquets that were also dotted around.
“I thought you’d like them.” I let myself fall back on to the mattress, giving in to the tiredness that came with doing nine days in a row at work so I could have these two days off together.
Rose laughed, her hand resting on my thigh. “Shall I go shopping and let you sleep?”
“I’d rather not. What do you want to do?”
She pulled her boots off and then sat fully on the bed, crossing her legs. “This feels strange.”
“It does.” I sat back up. “We’ve not been on our own together since we last slept together.”
