“Good, actually. But don’t ask me about his cock. I’m not cheapening what we have.”
“Fair enough.” Maybe thiswasdifferent.
“He’s into jujitsu like me. Absolutely shredded. Studying for his MSc in Urban Planning at Queen Mary. He’s all about transport systems, sustainable cities, sexy stuff like that. Gets very animated about bike lanes.”
“Right, transport systems, very sexy.”
“Uber pays the bills and means he can stay,” he went on. “He’s clever and he listens. Doesn’t just reduce me to my job. Or… this.”
He gestured toward his abs.
“Wow. He sounds great, James.”
“He is.” James sat silently for a moment then exhaled. “And for what it’s worth, yes, his cock is spectacular.”
He’d never change, and I didn’t want him to.
The river moved slowly, brown and thick, pulling the reflections sideways.
“What else, hon?” he said. “Or is your life just a montage of billionaire peen and designer clothing now?”
I laughed again. “Pretty much. It’s been terrible, but I’m doing my best to cope. I’ve been thinking about painting again, though.”
He looked at me. “That’s awesome, Andy.” He filled up a glass of water and pushed it toward me.
“Yeah. I’m setting up space in my bedroom for my easel.” It felt like something I needed in my life again, even if it didn’t pay the bills. “I saw that art critic at the wedding, Sebastian Wetherall. But he was actually quite… complimentary about my work.”
“Of course he was, silly. You’re very talented. Everyone knows it but you.”
I swallowed. I hadn’t heard from Sebastian since that half text on the flight home, and he hadn’t replied to my follow-up.But if he was messaging me, that meant my piece had sold… didn’t it?We wouldn’t find out officially for another couple of weeks, and I was dying to know. I just didn’t want to annoy someone as influential as Sebastian by chasing him.
“And what about France?” he asked. “Last I heard from you, you were trying not to ruin centuries of breeding by having enthusiastic, middle-class sex with your boss. Clearly,that didn’t work. So tell me. Is he secretly decent or just very good at apologizing?”
“He’s not what we thought,” I said. “I saw another side of him.”
James hummed and gave me an old-fashioned look. “The side with the private jet?”
“Well, that too, but he’s actually rather sweet. And there’s more to it, with the purchase of Novexia.” I wasn’t sure how much I could say or if what Liam had told me was confidential.
“I’m sure he has a story.” He chewed his apple Danish. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, Andy.”
“I know. Trust me, I’ve got my eyes wide open.”
“Kelly called me this morning,” he said. “Have you guys caught up?”
“Yeah. I’m worried about her. You know that dickhead Jason is back on the scene?”
“I know.”
“If the shit really hit the fan, I was thinking maybe she moves in with me for a bit, and I share a room with Eliza,” I said. “I’m over at Liam’s a lot anyway, so it might not betoobad.”
“Oh, maybe that could work. Not going to help Monish, though. He asked me for a reference today, but it’s tough with the recession.”
“Surely they won’t cuthim, will they?” A sliver of metal turned in my gut. “Monish is always top.”
“He’s had a bad couple of months, and he’s too expensive, Andy. His basic salary’s one of the highest. Apparently, that matters now that von Roth—”
A delivery bike skidded on the wet pavement, and the rider swore.
