‘He’s right. You are a cock,’ adds Keir without an ounce of malevolence. ‘You’d have fuck all in common with a twenty-one-year-old.’
‘I’m not making lifelong friendships in this scenario. Just getting my dick wet.’
I shoot Keir a pained expression. ‘Remind me why this wanker is here, again?’
‘To pay for your kid’s ice cream, Mackie boy.’ Pulling out his wallet, Will stands and heads in the direction of the counter. ‘Right,’ he calls, clapping his hands together. ‘Who’s having cookie dough?’
‘So what’s really going on?’ Keir asks once Will is out of earshot.
‘With what?’
‘You’re telling me you were over there talking about the weather?’
‘We were talking about plans for next week. For Louis, I mean.’
‘D’ye think ma heid’s buttoned up the back?’ he all but exclaims, pointing his finger at me, his accent pretty fucking strong just now. ‘You forget, pal, that I’ve seen you in action, and that was you eye bangin’ the fuck out of her. And givin’ her the smile—you know the one.’
‘Are you on something?’
‘You know fine well what I mean. That smile that say,come one over here, hen, and I’ll help you step out of your knickers.And you can lay off with the poker face,’ he adds with a disapproving wave of his hand. ‘I’m well acquainted.’
‘I’ve never helped you out of your knickers, though you could probably do with a hand just now. Bunched, are they? Makin’ you a bit mad? It’s like you said; you don’t fuck the staff.’
And technically, we haven’t. Fucked, that is. My carnal knowledge of the woman extends to what Will would call “doing a Bill”.
I did not have sexual relations with that woman... in the back of a limo.
She just gave me a blow job.
Or in my case, up against a wall.
But for my protestations or my cagey response, we didn’t have sex. But we did have intimacy. Which is worse? Would sex risk the balance of home? Complicate our home lives to the detriment of Louis? It’s because of her influence he now calls me daddy.Fuck.
‘Right,’ Keir replies a touch sardonically. ‘But I’ve never had anyone work for me who looked like that.’
He’s right. She is gorgeous.
But before I can respond, Sorcha comes running back to the table, her super-sized ice cream teetering perilously.
‘Daddy, Uncle Will bought double cones!’
‘So I see. I also see why.’ As I follow Keir’s gaze, my blood pressure spikes, and my shirt is suddenly too tight. ‘Double cones to buy an introduction.’
There, several tables behind, stands Will, my former friend, doing his self-effacing bit—theoh, no, I’m not a womanising ladies’ manthing. And it looks like Ella is buying his false modesty, as ninety-nine percent of her sex seems to. And what’s worse is he’s using my son as an introduction.
‘The bast—’
‘The past what?’ Keir interrupts forcefully.
‘Aye.’ If looks could kill, that fucker would be dead, and she’d be a little singed, even if neither of them have the good grace to look my way. ‘He will be apastwhen I’m finished wi’ him.’
Ella appears to be writing something down on a napkin, and to my consternation, Will takes it from her, folding it into the pocket of his shirt. Louis kisses her cheek and feeds his hand into Will’s, the smug bastard leading my son back to our table.
And not once does she look my way.
‘That exchange had better have been for my benefit,’ I growl as he takes his seat.
‘All’s fair in love and spread legs, Mackie boy.’
