Page 16 of So, I Met This Guy . . .

‘In a field in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere, apparently,’ she replied, repeating his words back to him. George looked sheepish.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean that.’

‘Yes, you did, and it’s fine—’ She caught herself and they both smiled. ‘So, tell me, how are you, apart from being fabulous and fuck-worthy?’

‘Actually, I feel completely unfuck-worthy. Since I finished with Joaquim it’s been a total desert.’

Scraping his fingers through his shock of dark hair, he peered moodily into the camera. With his bright blue eyes and lantern jaw, George was the definition of handsome and he knew it. Still, it was an admirable attempt at modesty.

‘But the good news is I’m painting. I just got a commission.’

‘Wow, that’s great.’

‘You should start painting again.’

Maggie pulled a face. ‘Oh George, I haven’t painted for years.’

‘I know. Which is why I’m always nagging you. You were good.’

‘But not good enough. That’s why I sell art. Or at least used to.’

George waved the statement away like an annoying fly. ‘Well, now you could sell your own artwork. Look at it as an opportunity.’

Maggie gave him ‘the look’ that said to shut up and unusually for George he got the message.

‘So, any news about my namesake?’ he asked, changing the subject.

‘Nope.’ Maggie shook her head. ‘George is still missing. It’s been over a week.’

‘I thought a local reporter had some information?’

‘So did I, but turns it out it was about something else—’ She broke off.

To be honest, the last twenty-four hours had been spent trying not to think about it. She was still reeling from the news that the man who’d blown up her life had been found – and all the emotions that stirred up – so she’d tried to push it to the back of her mind. Compartmentalize. Isn’t that what they called it?

‘Someone else.’

‘Someone?’ George raised an eyebrow. ‘You mean, The Total Bastard Whose Name We Cannot Mention?’

‘There must be an acronym for that.

‘There is. It spells WANKER.’ George was still visibly furious. ‘Where he is?’

‘She didn’t say. To tell the truth, I didn’t let her finish,’ admitted Maggie. ‘She said she wanted to write some article about romance fraud . . . to interview me and confront him and expose everything he’s done. She wanted my help.’

‘Do it.’

‘You told me to forget about him.’

‘But this is your chance to nail that bastard. When Joaquim cheated on me, I wanted revenge. I couldn’t let him get away with it.’

‘But he did get away with it. I lost everything. What good’s it going to do now?’

‘Have you told the police? Maybe they’ll arrest him now.’

‘No, and I’m not going to. It’s just going to stir everything up again. I’ve moved on.’

‘But you haven’t really moved on, have you?’