I’m no good for any woman, let alone one as sweet as her. Another reason I cannot and absolutely will not touch my best friend’s daughter.
5
ANGELICA
“Hi, Dad.” I turn the bacon in the pan, wanting to make a nice breakfast for Sawyer after he took care of me last night. After dinner, we sat and talked about Mum and then he tucked me in before he went to the guest room where he’s been sleeping for the past month.
“Hey, muffin. How’s the weather down there?” He means London, but I’m no longer there.
I look out of the kitchen window, like a scene from a Christmas card with the sun shining on the snow-topped trees like glitter, the lake still like a foiled mirror. “It’s snowing, but it has slowed since last night. What’s it like where you are?”
“We’re staying at Lorraine’s son’s house for a few more nights until the snow stops. We don’t fancy driving to Scotland in this.”
“Yeah, good idea.”
“I just wanted to let you know in case you change your mind. There’s plenty of room.”
“Dad. I told you already, I’m happy to stay in London.” I put my dad on speaker and set the phone on the worktop while Iremove the bacon from the pan. My skin itches. I hate lying to my dad.
“Something smells good,” Sawyer says as he enters the kitchen.
“Who’s that?” Dad asks.
My eyes widen and I shoo Sawyer away, mouthing “my dad” and pointing to the phone. “Er, it’s just a friend, Dad.”
Sawyer nods and walks around to the other side of the breakfast bar.
“Sounds like a boy to me. Is that why you wanted to stay in London?”
I look at Sawyer, a mix of guilt and fear clawing up my throat, making it scratchy. He’s anything but a boy.
“Angelica, do you have a boyfriend? Muffin, I know I’m not your mother, but you can talk to me about boys?—”
“Dad,” I say, then lift the phone, taking him off speaker. “I don’t have a boyfriend. I promise.” Chance would be a fine thing. The last time I had a boyfriend, was in school and the furthest we got was a kiss behind the bike shed.
“All right. All right. I just want you to know that if you had a boyfriend, we’d love to welcome him to the family. Or even a girlfriend?”
I palm my forehead. Of course, Dad thinks I’m gay. I’m a twenty-three-year-old woman who’s never had a serious relationship. “Dad. I don’t have a girlfriend or a boyfriend. I just wanted to hang out with friends.”
“Okay, muffin. I’ll let you go and be with your friends. I’ll check in later in the week.”
“Love you, Dad.”
“Love you.”
I tap the phone, making sure it’s disconnected.
Sawyer comes up behind me and cracks an egg into the pan. “So, are you going to tell me why you’re here with me and not in London with your friends?”
I lean against the worktop, letting him take over the breakfast. I scrunch my knitted cardigan into my fists. How can I tell him I don’t even have any friends? My flatmate, Eve, has moved to Texas to become a weather reporter, and other than her, I don’t have a single person in London who I’d like to spend time with. Not even my colleagues are nice to me. I should say former colleagues seeing as I lost my job.
“Did you fall out with your boyfriend?” His eyes bore into me as if he can figure out the truth telepathically.
I fiddle with the key necklace hanging at my collarbone. “Why does everyone assume I have a boyfriend?”
“Girlfriend?”
“You heard Dad?” A smile curves my lips. Perhaps telling him I fell out with a girlfriend would get him off my back, but I can’t seem to lie to Sawyer. “I hate London, okay.”
