“Totally. Just some work stuff.”
“Ah.” Patrick moved to his massive stove and lit the burner beneath a small saucepan. “I’ve got a bit more to do, why don’t you take a seat outside?”
Cheryl looked at his balcony and saw he’d laid the small table with a blue tablecloth and a jar of mismatched roses. “Where did you get the flowers?”
“Jumped the fence.”
“Scoundrel.”
“Nah, the lady next door likes me. I mow her lawn sometimes.”
“With your shirt off?”
“Depends on the weather. Now go take a seat. There’s coffee out there.”
She did as she was told. She poured herself a cup of coffee from the plunger and started replying to her colleagues. Bridgette definitely thought she had a hangover, but she couldn’t prove it. She’d sent her briefs to be completed by tomorrow, which meant Cheryl would be screwed trying to play catch up…
Patrick emerged on the balcony with two loaded plates, looking even prouder of himself than he had in the bedroom. “Breakfast is served.”
His pancakes were fluffy, and when topped with bacon and eggs and syrup, they were the perfect post-sex food. They talked through what they’d been up to in the days that followed their trip to Heavenly Stays, eating their pancakes and drinking coffee. Patrick kept beaming at her and secretly Cheryl hoped she looked happier than she felt, because as much as she hated it, a corner of her mind was already at her mum’s. When she cleared her plate, Patrick reached for it. “Ice cream?”
“You have ice cream?”
“Yeah, I just didn’t want to mix it with the eggs. That seemed a bit fucked.”
“Yes.” Cheryl touched her phone and saw it was almost five. “Actually, I should go.”
“Nope.”
“I have to. I need to…” She took a deep breath, dug deeper than she thought was possible. “I have to go take care of my mum.”
Patrick’s hostile expression snapped to serious. “Of course. Can I give you a ride?”
“No, I drove here. But I like you a lot, Patrick Normal.”
It was something she’d said a million times when they were friends, but it was different now.
“KitKat?” Patrick put down her plate and opened his arms. Cheryl went to him, sitting in his lap and curling into his chest. They locked together, his arms around her back, and for a moment, everything was okay.
“I want to stay. You know that, right?”
“I do. What I don’t know is if you’re ready to admit we’re together.”
Her insides twisted. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but why don’t we just do this for a while and see how things go?”
“Me railing you senseless then making you breakfast?”
“Yes. And I won’t, um, see anyone else or anything like that.”
His arms tightened around her. “Good, then I don’t have to dismember anyone.”
“Is… is that okay? What I want?”
“Sure. We can keep it on the down low for now, but just so you know, this ends exactly one way as far as I’m concerned.”
“Marriage, a white picket fence, and three kids?”
“That’s it.”
