“His arms are ridiculous,” I mutter, plucking a nude-coloured lip gloss from the stand on my dressing table. “I mean, they’re massive.”
“Big enough to carry you to bed with,” Char says with a devious grin. “That’s kind of romantic, you have to admit.”
“It isnotromantic, it’s-it’s bloody embarrassing.” My cheeks burn all over again at the memory of waking up in my bed. “And stop with the romance bullshit, he’s my father-in-law, you filthy bitch.”
Char holds up her hands. “I’m just saying, he’s fit, he can cook, he carried you to bed while you were sleeping without even waking you?” She clutches a hand to her chest and throws her head back against the arm chair. “My god, what a man! He’s the man women dream of!”
“Yeah, women who aren’t related to him, maybe.”
“I read enough smutty books to know this is exactly the kind of thing we all secretly dream of.” Char gets to her feet and sashays out of the bedroom. “More champagne, babes?”
“No, thanks.”
“Loose lips sink ships!” She calls from somewhere in the house in a sing-song voice, and I roll my eyes.
Bloody hell. How could Char be talking about me and Dominic,meand Dominic, in a romantic way? Am I being weird? Am I being obvious? I look at my reflection with alarm as I wonder if maybeI’vebeen sending Dom the mixed signals and he thinksIwanthim.
Shit. I don’t though. Do I?
My phone lights up, showing a message from Jordan.
See you tonight. Ezra and Ricky will be there too.
Good, yes, footballers to take my mind off my stupidly handsome father-in-law.Christ, girl, fucking stop it.
My phone lights up again and starts ringing, and I frown at it when I see Billy’s name light up the screen.
“Hello, grandpa,” I say jovially. “You’ve just caught me heading out, you alright?”
“Yes, hello darling, Dominic told me you were headed out tonight.” Billy coughs, and it sounds painful and heavy. “Excuse me.”
“Don’t worry. How are you feeling?”
“Oh, fine, fine.” He clears his throat. “I just wanted to have a quick word with you about Archie.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Oh right.” I swallow hard, trying to ignore the sweat that’s broken out on my top lip. “Have you heard from him again?”
“No, only… I wanted to ask you something.”
“Of course.” I check my lip gloss in the mirror. “What did you need to know?”
“Did you know you couldn’t have children when you got married?”
The floor beneath me feels unsteady, and even sitting down I worry I’m going to tip sideways and go flying across the room.
“Billy, sorry, but that’s really none of your business.”
“Well I think you’ll find it is.” Billy exhales heavily, his breath crackling on the line. “Archie was very upset when I spoke to him, and it’s plagued me ever since. Now you know I like you, my girl, but if you led him into something unwittingly, I’d be extremely disappointed.”
I take a deep, steadying breath, gripping the edge of the dressing table so hard my sweaty hand leaves a foggy mark. “I was very clear with Archie that I didn’twantchildren when we got married.”
“Well, which is it then, you didn’t want them or you can’t have them?”
“Both,” I snap, and it feels so strange to be talking to him like this. “And Archie knew both.”
“Yes well, I mean it’s very sad that you can’t have them, but doesn’t that make you understand somewhat how he feels?”
“No, no, it doesn’t actually.”
