Sitting next to her, I snatch the bowl from her hand. “And you are a grown woman who can buy your own cereal.” I scoop Coco Pops into my mouth, enjoying the sweetness of the chocolate for a moment before she grabs the bowl back from me with a scowl.
“Where’s the fun in that?” She lifts the bowl to her mouth, drinks the leftover milk, and then places it on the coffee table. “I thought we could go shopping for our Halloween costumes today. You’re still coming, right?”
I nod.
“Good. Are you bringing anyone to the party?”
“Nope. Just me.” I had invited Oliver to the party Darcey’s company is throwing at a nightclub in Central London, but he isn’t due back in the UK until mid November, and I also get this sense that he’s nervous about meeting my friends. Not that he’s said as much, but there’s a hesitancy in him every time the topic comes up.
“What about that grumpy guy – the one who tried to steal my spot as best friend?”
I narrow my eyes at Darcey, raising an eyebrow. “You know his name is Caiden, Dars.”
She shrugs. “Sure. Him. You don’t want to invite him along?” For all her pretending to be mad about mine and Caiden’s friendship, the two of them actually get on pretty well, and I know her jealousy is nothing but a running joke.
It makes me wonder how both Caiden and Darcey will take my friendship with Oliver. It won’t mean much to Darcey. She’s more of a people person than I am, so I have no doubt she’llwelcome him into the fold with no issue. Caiden though, I’m not so sure. I know I should have told him ages ago that not only is his once-upon-a-time-fuck-buddy my friend, but that I have very strong feelings for the guy. But the longer I keep the secret, the harder it’s becoming to tell him.
“No, he has plans with his boyfriend. Afraid, it’s just me.” Darcey throws her arms around my shoulders, planting a wet kiss on my cheek. Wrinkling my nose, I wipe it away with the back of my hand.
“Good. I don’t have to share you then.”
“I have enough love for all of you. Now, what’s the gossip?”
“Finch has a boyfriend.”
“Wow, I thought he was still hung up on that art dealer? Have you met the new guy?”
Darcey shakes her head then flips her blonde ponytail over her shoulder. “No. He’s been keeping the relationship secret. I only know because the guy called when I was over at Finch's last weekend. The lovesick grin on his face gave him away. He asked me not to tell anyone.”
“And yet…” I wave a hand in front of my chest.
“He said I could tell you. He meant not to tell anyoneelse.”
“Finch knows better than to let ‘Darcey Big Mouth’ in on a secret.” Darcey slaps my arm playfully, scowling at the nickname we gave her back in high school when we first realised she was incapable of keeping anything to herself.
“But good for him. That art dude was a dick.”
“True story.” Darcey drops her feet from the table. “You know what we need? Champagne. Want to get breakfast before we go shopping?”
From chocolate cereal to champagne in less than twenty minutes, she’s a woman after my own heart.
We chat for a while longer, before Darcey orders a ride share and we head to our favourite brunch spot a few blocksover from Oxford Street. When we’re finished, Darcey drags me from boutique to boutique in search of the perfect Halloween costume. I find two I like and can’t decide between them, so I buy both with a plan to try them on again later. Darcey and I stop for a quick bite to eat, after which we say our goodbyes and go our separate ways.
Back in my apartment, I hit play on my favourite playlist, then, stripping out of my clothes, I slide into the first of the two costumes I picked out.
I’m standing in front of my floor to ceiling mirror, admiring the way the harness fits over my chest, when my phone rings from where it’s lying face up on my bed. My heart skips a beat when I see it’s Oliver and I hastily answer the video call, lifting the phone so he can only see my face.
“Hey, you,” I say once the call has connected. He’s standing in what looks to be an office or library, with a large bookshelf in the background. I know from photos he sent earlier in the week that it’s one he’s built. A ray of sunlight shines in from somewhere behind him, bathing him in an ethereal glow that seems to brighten as his smile widens.
“Hi. What are you up to?”
I perch on the edge of my bed, the tight leather shorts riding up into the crease of my legs when I do.
“Darcey and I went shopping for our Halloween costumes and now I’m home trying on the two I bought – deciding which I like more. I may go down to the pool after. What about you? How was your day?” Sunlight catches on dust motes as Oliver walks through the room. His screen blurs, his body covering the camera as he sets it down, then moves back to sit on a plastic covered sofa. I can see all of him now. His baby blue tee is sleeveless, with sweat marks around the neckline, and he has on beige cargo shorts. His hair is a mess of sweaty curls that he’s swept back off his forehead with a band. I look a little closer,grinning when I realise it’s my headband – one I bought at a market stall the weekend before he left for France. It’s white with tiny penguins printed on it.
“My day was fine. Zander told us to down tools early. The weather is good, and he’s planning to crack out the barbeque, but I may just go back to my room. I’m not really hungry.”
There’s five of them working on the villa for various durations and Zander is treating them like a little family, with days out to explore the area and meals together, but this isn’t the first time Oliver has implied he’s skipping the evening meal.
