Page 12

If Mr Tell wasn't careful he was about to find out just how vicious my temper could be.
Within minutes, I was out of the front door and making my way down the steps. He was still hot on my heels. His hand encircled my arm and he spun me around to face him. I glared up at him. If he wanted to cause a scene in front of Elliot, Riley, and a whole team of workmen then so be it.
"Get off me," I growled, keeping my voice low. He eyed me, scrutinising my face. I could practically see the cogs turning in his mind as he tried to figure out a way of winning this game. His gaze caught something over my shoulder before flicking back to me. He leaned in and pressed his lips to my ear.
"You're a rare beast, Lola O'Connell, and I love a challenge." His whispered words sent a shiver up my spine. Then he released me and I fell away from him.
I didn't dare another glance at those eyes that saw everything. I didn't know what he'd seen over my shoulder that had made him change tactics and I didn't wait to find out.
I walked with as much dignity as I could manage across the gravel and threw myself into my van. I saw him in my wingmirror as I made my escape, his hands in his pockets and a smug look on his face.
What was he so smug about?
He hadn't gotten me to stay and there was no way I was ever going to see him again. Then, my heart sank, as I caught sight of Riley in my wing mirror still holding my phone as I drove away.
Six
When I'd gotten back to the office, I’d told Rosie that the meeting had gone great. It wasn't entirely a lie—the meeting itself had gone great. I’d just left out everything else that happened.
By the time I got home, I was beat. I dragged my weary feet up the garden path to my blue front door. The smell of home cooking wafted over me and I followed my nose to the kitchen where my sister was standing at the stove.
My kitchen had barely changed since my gran died five years ago, the only differences between then and now were the subtle signs of life. My gran's shoes by the back door had been replaced by Ryan’s trainers, her doilies on the table were swapped out for Natalie’s wipe-down placemats.
Wooden beams and hardwood floors were a staple throughout the little cottage. The kitchen itself was dwarfed by an old range stove and a double butler sink. I'd watched my gran cook in here a thousand times and even though the pipes groaned when the water ran and the cupboard doors all squeaked, I didn't have the heart to modernise it. Or the money, for that matter.
An array of ingredients scattered along the counter tops warned me Natalie was doing one of her spring cleaning dinners. This was where she threw any leftovers in a slow cooker and we all crossed our fingers that we didn't get food poisoning.
The back door was open and I spied Ryan busily digging in the garden, probably burying more of my possessions.
"Hey, so how was it?" Natalie turned, an expectant look on her face as she continued to stir the dubious contents of the slow cooker.
I dumped my bag on the faded oak dining table and slumped into a chair.
"It was awful, then it was great, then it took a giant nosedive off a cliff." I sailed my hand through the air and mimed an explosion, complete with whistling sound effects.
"What happened?" My sister sighed and flicked the kettle on, as if tea would solve all of life's problems.
"You know how Harrington House was bought by that big company?" I said as she pulled two mugs out of the cupboard.
"Yeah, Tell Hotels or something?"
"Yeah, so you know how I'd said that the CEO probably wouldn't be there today and it would just be me and the landscape designer?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, I was wrong."
The kettle began to whistle as Natalie studied my face. The kettle finished boiling and she eyed me shrewdly.
"What did you do?"
"Why do you assumeIdid anything?"
Her only response was to arch a knowing eyebrow at me.
"Fine. I crashed into his very expensive car, then I walked straight into him because I wasn't looking where I was going, then I called him out for being rude to an employee and I ended the meeting by causing a scene in front of his staff and runningaway. Also, I left my phone there, so I can kiss that goodbye." I left out the part about him cornering me in the stairwell. I didn’t want to talk about that.
My sister just stared at me. "That's impressive, Lo. Even for you."