“Why?” I turned to the coffee machine when it beeped, grabbing the mug by the handle.
“Don’t you want to convince people we’re head over heels for each other?”
I probably should have mentioned Amy was our solitary audience member, and she didn’t give a shit what was going on with my life. But curiosity won out. “Okay . . .” She cleared her throat. “What are you wearing? Ask me.”
“I’m not asking you that in public.” I jerked, coffee lapping up the sides of the mug. Amy glanced up, frowning.
“That’s fine, I prepared a PG script.”
“Isla—”
“I miss you.” She hummed and the breathy quality made my stomach clench.Fuck, I miss you too, Lang. More than I should. “Boyfriend Alistair is supposed to say it back.”
“Why?”
“Because he hasn’t seen his girlfriend in almost a week.”
“Jesus . . .” I faced the noticeboard. Clenched my eyes shut. “I miss you.”
She paused for a beat. “That was . . . a lot more convincing than I thought it would be. Did anyone hear?”
I didn’t care.
“I’m on the other side of the room,” I told her.
“Say it again, louder this time.”
Sweet hell, this woman was going to kill me. Scrubbing a hand over my jaw, I put everything I had into it. Imagining I was whispering into her ear as I said, “I miss you, Isla, honey.”
“Lovely ad-libbing. Honey might be my new favourite nickname, much better than Lang.”
“Isla,” I bit out quietly. She was definitely fucking with me.
“Now tell me when you’re coming home.”
“Hopefully tomorrow. There are a few residents I want to keep an eye on. But if their vitals look good, I’ll be home.”
“You sound like you’re talking to your boss.”
No, I sounded like I was ready to spank the arse of my not-so-fake girlfriend for making me hard at work. “I can’t wait to see you,” I said honestly.
“Better,” she said.
“I think you enjoy giving me shit,” I said, adding a packet of sugar into my coffee, then decidingscrewitand adding another.
I was already breaking all the rules, what was one more.
“You have me all figured out, Macabe.”
I reluctantly smiled. “Cameron paid you yet?”
A pause. “For a man of few words, you’re really nosy. Did you know that?”
“It’s been said.” Truth was, the only business I seemed to care about these days was hers. “And that’s not an answer.” Which meantno, he hadn’t. He had until the end of the week, and then I was stepping in.
“What are you doing?” I asked, hearing a clang on her end.
“I’m checking Daisy’s ignition coil. She wouldn’t start this morning.”
