Page 21 of Hooked On The One That Got Away (Miss Lovelock’s Agency for Broken Hearts #3)

Chapter Twenty-One

‘You mean it’s true ?’

Xander had abandoned his fighting stance and was now glancing, bewildered, between Charlie and Willow. Who had eyes only for each other.

‘Of course it is,’ said Maeve, briskly. ‘It’s the only thing that makes sense. Charlie’s never been a corporate animal. I should have realised.’

‘Willow?’ Charlie prompted. ‘How?’

‘Um, long story,’ Willow replied. ‘And, honestly, quite a bit of guesswork.’

‘And the reason you didn’t mention this before was …?’

‘I didn’t want to worry you. I thought you had enough to worry about already.’

A small smile tugged at the corner of Charlie’s mouth. ‘Unbelievable,’ he murmured. ‘And thank you,’ he added. ‘You were right. It’s been a hell of a week. I’m looking forward to the peace of hopefully temporary unemployment.’

‘You’ve resigned?’ This was Maeve. ‘They don’t know , do they? They think you’re just bailing out in a cowardly fashion because it’s all gone pear-shaped, right?’

‘They don’t know,’ Charlie said to her. ‘And I sincerely hope they’ll be too busy covering their arses to start asking tricky questions.’

He looked at each of them in turn. ‘So, I’d really appreciate it if you kept this to yourselves.’

‘Won’t breathe a word,’ promised Maeve. ‘Nor will Xander – will you?’

‘No,’ he muttered, gracelessly.

‘Xander?’ Maeve said, in a sing-song tone. ‘Do you have something else you’d like to say to Charlie?’

Willow had no idea how much time Xander had actually spent in Maeve’s company, but enough, it seemed, for him to know when to heed a warning.

‘Apologies,’ he muttered, again. Charlie responded with a curt nod.

Xander glanced over at the bar, no doubt drawn by the stare Geillis was using to burn a hole in his back, Willow observed. How much did Geillis know, she wondered again. Everything was the obvious answer.

‘Got to go,’ said Xander. ‘See you later?’

This was addressed to Maeve, and Willow detected a slight note of pleading. This whole incident had done serious damage to Xander’s sang-froid.

‘I’ll text you,’ said Maeve.

Her smile offered no reassurance whatsoever, and Xander’s walk was noticeably lacking in swagger as he retreated.

‘He’ll learn,’ Maeve said. ‘Now!’ she clapped her hands. ‘Drinks are on me! My price, of course, is full disclosure. Leave nothing out, not a single thing!’

Charlie and Willow exchanged glances. Charlie’s was more than a little desperate.

‘Maeve,’ said Willow, firmly. ‘Charlie can’t break confidences. This is all super hush-hush. Even I don’t know the half of what’s going on.’

‘Well, tell me the half you do know,’ Maeve said. ‘I’m your best friend, and I’m not afraid to use that as emotional blackmail.’

Willow looked to Charlie for permission. He smiled and shrugged. ‘I’d quite like to hear your story myself.’

So, Willow told them about Harvey and his old chum, Piggers, whom she may have eaten a ninety-nine next to, and the burner phone and website, and the sewer pipe and the dead fish.

And how, because she was hurt and angry, she’d almost believed that Charlie had gone to the dark side, but deep down, she was certain he hadn’t.

‘The truth about what you were doing was a guess,’ she admitted. ‘But an intuitive one. Based on what you’d said to me, and what you’d implied. And on what I knew about you.’

‘You mean, you knew I was a total idiot, who didn’t look before he leapt?

’ Charlie was smiling but his eyes told a different story.

‘Who got himself trapped in a situation he’d had no clue was so complicated.

And who made unforgivable decisions when it came to you. That’s what you knew about me, right?’

‘I knew you were principled and determined,’ said Willow, softly. ‘And brave and clever. And I can see now that I always knew you’d come back to me. It was a long, tough wait, but I made it through. And now, here you are, and you won’t be leaving again.’

There was a sniffing sound beside them. Maeve was dabbing away tears with a handkerchief.

‘Good lord,’ said Charlie. ‘You never cry. It’s flying in the face of nature.’

‘I know. I’m in love,’ said Maeve. ‘My hormones are playing havoc.’

‘With shithead ?’ Charlie screwed up his face in pained disbelief. ‘Really?

‘Wait, no,’ said Maeve. ‘Not love, lust. That’s the word I’m looking for. And Xander is environmentally active up the wazoo, so you two will get on like a house on fire once you get to know each other. Or a nuclear powerplant exploding,’ she said, as an afterthought.

‘I think I prefer the fiddler,’ said Willow, with a grin.

‘Not out of the picture entirely,’ said Maeve. ‘I think one should always strive for balance. A sweet beardy fella on one side, and a very bad boy on the other.’

She gave a little shiver of pleasure and sent a text. A second later, Willow saw Xander check his phone and smile, swagger instantly restored.

‘He’s not wrong about one thing, though,’ said Charlie, dolefully. ‘My name’s going to be mud around here.’

‘ You weren’t responsible for the company’s actions,’ Willow insisted.

‘You were their PR person, not senior enough to be let in on top management decisions, and you resigned as soon as you knew. Take the initiative and speak out against them. Offer to testify – the regulator will be glad of the help. Not knowing, of course, that you were the one who fed them the evidence in the first place.’

Both Charlie and Maeve were staring at her. ‘What?’ Willow said.

‘This is a newly fierce and devious side to you,’ said Maeve. ‘Has a parasite from the river lodged itself in your brain?’

‘It’s a good thing I love you,’ said Willow, with a smile.

They all jumped as Geillis materialised as if by magic. She put down a tray of drinks – ‘On the house’ – gave Charlie a brief hard, knowing stare and left.

‘Who is that?’ Charlie whispered. ‘This is the first time I’ve been in here for a year, and I don’t recall anyone that terrifying working here before.’

‘She’s a witch,’ said Willow.

‘True,’ confirmed Maeve. She raised her glass of wine. ‘To old friends and new beginnings! Sláinte, skol and bottoms up!’

The three of them held eye contact and clinked glasses. Charlie downed half his pint in one go.

‘Oof,’ he said. ‘Needed that. Need food, too. Haven’t eaten all day.’

‘Well, there’s only cheese and onion crisps here,’ said Maeve. ‘So, finish your drinks you two and hop it. And afterwards go have sex in a darkened doorway, it’ll do you good.’

‘We can’t leave you here,’ protested Willow.

‘You can and you will,’ said Maeve. ‘I’ve just this minute spotted yon beardy fiddler and he’s looking this way, so let the evening’s fun commence!’

‘Xander’s a dick,’ said Charlie, as he and Willow left the pub. ‘But I’m not sure even he deserves a punishment like Maeve.’

‘I’m not having sex in a doorway, either,’ said Willow. ‘My knees haven’t recovered from Saturday.’

Charlie halted and drew her into his arms. ‘Where would you like to have sex, then?’ he murmured.

‘I think …’ Willow paused as Charlie kissed her. ‘I’d like to do it on your bed …’

He kissed her again.

‘And I’d like to be on top, so I can be in full control …’

Charlie’s hands slid down to her rear and his grip tightened.

‘And I’d like you to touch me everywhere you can reach …’

Charlie pressed his mouth against her neck and let out a small groan.

‘And, I want to be able to touch you, particularly–’ She whispered in his ear. ‘And, of course–’ Another whisper.

Charlie shuddered. ‘Shit, Willow,’ he breathed. ‘I’m hard as a rock, and I genuinely think my balls are about to go off like grenades.’

‘I’ll call the restaurant for delivery,’ she said, reaching for her phone. ‘I’ll ask them to leave it on the doorstep. Pretty sure we’ll be done before it gets cold.’