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“You. Running across the car park like a ninja. You’re going to have to tell your boss about us soon, you know.”
“I know. I will.” I wasn’t looking forward to that and was already planning a way to get out of it. Going to college could be a pretty good way out…
Alfie, ever the clairvoyant, gave me a suspicious sideways glance as he drove. I pretended not to notice and pressed a few buttons on the control untilVivaldifilled the car. I settled back into my seat and stared out the window, trying to look as if I was just tired from the day. Alfie seemed satisfied and returned his concentration to the road.
I hadn’t told anyone yet about my acceptance email, though I’d thought of little else all day. I still couldn’t quite believe it. I’d had to read the email a dozen times before I was certain I’d read it right.
My first instinct had been to call Natalie, but then I thought about what my leaving would mean for her—one less wage coming in, and one less person to help with Ryan. At his football game she’d encouraged me to leave with Alfie, but was she just putting on a brave face?
Then I thought about calling Keira. She would be beyond ecstatic, but if I told her then I would absolutely have to go through with it. She would never let me back out and the pressure of that scared me.
And Alfie? Who knew what his reaction would be. I couldn’t help but think he might not be entirely happy about it if it meant us being apart, and if Alfie didn’t want something to happen, you could bet your bottom dollar it wouldn’t.
So instead, like a coward, I said nothing.
“Lola?”
I looked up, surprised to see we were outside The Carlton already. I gave him an apologetic smile, which did nothing to ease the furrow in his brow. Alfie handed his keys to the boy-faced valet without even looking at him and led me inside.
“Is something wrong? You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet.”
“No, I’m sorry. I was just lost in my own thoughts.”
“Penny for them?” His gaze burrowed a hole into me. Alfie had a way of looking at me sometimes…It was like a visual vivisection.
Should I tell him? I should want to, but something was holding me back. Maybe it was that mythical female intuition I’d heard so much about. Or maybe it was just my natural instincts.Survivalinstincts.
“I was just thinking about the future, that’s all.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. I expected him to pick up on it, but strangely for him, he didn’t.
The doors opened and I stepped into the suite, immediately kicking off my shoes and dumping my handbag with a sigh of relief. Alfie on the other hand didn’t even loosen his tie. Instead he just gave me another one of his looks before placing a firm hand on my lower back and guiding me towards the dining room.
“Come, let’s eat.”
“In there? We never eat in there.” Usually, I ordered room service and we ate at the dining table by the kitchen. The dining room was a whole other affair—a deep oak table with a dimmed chandelier, and a hundred tiny flames casting dancing shadows along the silk wallpaper.
I took a seat and Alfie lifted the silver cloche on my plate to reveal the most elegant steak dinner I’d ever seen. It smelled heavenly and I tucked in, not missing the amused quirk at the corner of his mouth. He popped the cork on a bottle of Chablis and poured us both a small glass.
I watched him as he ate. His table manner was precise and controlled. I tried to imagine him sitting in this grand dining room, eating his meal alone. I just couldn’t picture it.
“Would you be eating like this if I wasn’t here?” I asked, and once again he looked at me with that tiny glint of amusement. I didn’t understand why he always found me so funny.
“What do you mean, Lola?”
“I mean, when you’re on your own, how do you eat dinner? Do you veg in front of the TV with a tray on your lap? Do you have a bowl of cereal in bed? How do you eat?” To me, the idea of eating cereal in bed with Alfie was heavenly.
“No, O’Connell, I don’tveg. Usually, I eat in a restaurant accompanied by people I do business with, otherwise I might eat while I work, or I forget entirely.” He placed another precisely cut piece of steak in his mouth.
“I’ve never known you to forget to eat, Alfie.”
“Well, that’s because I have to make sure that you do, so that reminds me that I must. Anyway, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the future.” My heart rate picked up as he slipped from playful Alfie right into business mode. I prepared myself to be steamrollered by whatever plans he had. Business Alfie was a soulless force of nature and I hated it. I put back my shoulders, and braced myself.
He took a sip of water, ignoring his wine entirely. His gaze focused on me. He pushed his plate to one side and steepled his hands in front of him.
Apparently, this was serious business.
“Lola, you know that my staying here was only ever going to be temporary.” His voice trailed off. It wasn’t difficult to fill in the blanks.
“You’re leaving.” I’d known this was coming, but now that it was here I wasn’t prepared for it. I didn’t know what this would mean for us.