Page 47 of I’m Dreaming of a New York Christmas

‘This has been fun!’ he said, taking a long swig.

‘Yeah, it really has.’ My phone rattled on the table. Another message from Anneka. ‘Sorry, just have to check this.’

Anneka:

Flo-bo! Change of plan – Mum had a few too many drinks at lunch, lol, and she’s in bed sleeping it off. I’d probably keep your distance for a little while longer if I were you as the room currently reeks of vom. Please confirm you’ve got this message and let me know when you’re on your way back. Soz!

I sighed as I replied.

‘Everything okay?’

‘Yeah, just more flakiness. All good.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yep.’

‘So, erm, in terms of payment, I guess you should send me an invoice and…’

‘Ethan, it’s fine. You don’t have to pay me. You’ve already compensated me in coffee and notebooks and pizza and panic attack assistance.’

‘I’m gonna pay you, Flora.’

‘Not if you don’t have my bank details.’

‘I could pay you in cash, here and now.’

‘Do you have a hundred dollars in cash, here and now?’

‘Noooooo…’

‘Well, there you go.’

‘I guess I’ll just have to keep chasing you for an invoice.’

I shrugged, maintaining eye contact with him. ‘You have my details; I give you permission to chase.’

I took a long, suggestive sip of beer while Ethan put down his own bottle and scratched his head with one hand.

‘Sorry, Flora, but I gotta ask: do you, uhh, have a boyfriend back in the UK?’

I literally spat out my mouthful of beer all over myself.

‘Fuck!’ I said, desperately looking around for something to absorb the liquid that had unceremoniously sprayed from my mouth. And from my nose.

Ethan handed me a box of tissues from a nearby desk. Thankfully he was laughing, and I quickly followed suit.

‘I am such a twat,’ I said.

‘That was really funny. Sorry, did my bluntness shock you?’

My mind tried to search for a vaguely cool answer until it remembered that I’d shattered that illusion entirely now. ‘Yes!’

‘And… what’s the answer to my question?’

‘No! I don’t have a boyfriend. I mean, look at me! Here I am trying to be all mysterious and aloof and I end up regurgitating beer all over myself! I don’t exactly have blokes queuing up.’

‘Gotta be honest, it’s not the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.’