I was now certain that the attraction, the chemistry and the pull I felt was not one-sided.
Patience was what I needed. I knew that something would happen between us. It was just a question of when.
‘Do you have any preference for the photos?’ I steered the conversation back on course.
‘They’re all more or less the same, so choose whatever you want,’ she shrugged.
‘D’accord,’ I nodded, then picked up the envelope with the photos from Montmartre and laid them out on the bar.
‘Awww, nowthat’swhat I’m talking about!’ Laila grinned, her eyes glazed from the effects of the alcohol. ‘We look so cute together. Well, mainly you, because you’re basically hotter than a crate of chillis. Why do you have to be so good-looking?Why?’ She poked my chest with her finger. ‘Why do you have so many muscles? And why are you so nice? If you looked like a monster or were an arsehole, this would besomuch easier. Why can’t you be an arsehole?’ She tilted her head like she was expecting me to answer.
I would be lying if the fact that she had called me good-looking and ‘nice’ did not stroke my ego. Although, if she knew the things that I had fantasised about doing to her in the bedroom, I am not sure how ‘nice’ she would consider me to be.
‘I am sure that my ex would happily tell you that I am.’ I flashed her a small smile.
‘I don’t believe you! I can’t believe anyone ever kicked you out of bed. Look at you, for God’s sake!’ Laila squeezed my bicep and the barman grinned at me, clearly entertained by her loose tongue. ‘Why’d you two break up?’
‘We wanted different things. We should choose the photos.’ I looked at my watch. ‘We only have ten minutes until the deadline.’
‘Spoilsport,’ Laila huffed. ‘I want to hear about your relationship.’
‘Maybe another time,’ I replied.
‘Good. How many photos do we have to choose again? I can’t decide.’
‘Four, I think. Two each.’
‘Impossible!’ She slammed her empty glass back down on the bar. ‘They’re all amazing. I love the portrait you drew of me, I actually look pretty.’
‘Because you are,’ I said, still unable to believe that she could not see how beautiful she was. ‘Have you been saying “I love you” to yourself in the mirror every morning like I said?’
‘Of course not!’ she scoffed then continued going through the pictures. ‘Oooh, I love the one by the I Love You Wall where you say you like my laugh. And I love the funny ones at the Sacré-Cœur… It’s too hard to choose!’
‘Let us go with the first two that you said.’
After we’d chosen all of the photos from all of the trips, I picked up the envelopes then stood up.
‘I will take these to reception, then I will come and take you to your room.’
‘Gabriel!’ She slapped my arm playfully. ‘We can’t!’
‘I will take you to your room so that you cansleep.By yourself. You have been drinking. When you decide to invite me to your room to do more, I want you to have a clear head.’
‘I won’t do that.’
‘Laila, sooner or later you will realise that your loyalty to my mother is misguided and your concerns about the age difference between us is also not the issue that you imagine it to be. And when you do, there will be nothing to hold you back from acting on this attraction between us.’
She opened her mouth to speak then closed it again.
I suspected it was because she knew that I was right…
23
LAILA
Jesus.
I attempted to sit up in bed then winced.
