Page 8 of Just Like You (Square Mile Rogues #2)

“No sense of shame. Had to evict him as I left, wearing only boxers and dress slacks. Most disturbing. ”

“Awkward,” Sonny sang.

“Now. Here’s the thing.” I twirled the watch between my fingers. “I…kind of ended up with a souvenir.”

And there it was. A loud gasp as Sonny’s face was suddenly too close to the screen.

“He gave you an STI. What the actual fuck?”

“No.” I laughed. “But I don’t know what to do.”

“A souvenir. He wrote you a fucking postcard of what?”

Trust Sonny to lower the tone. Always.

“I found his watch in my bag. Probably dropped it at some point and anyway. Options and solutions, Sonny. I need them.”

“You google the hell out of him. I assume you know his name.”

“Indeed.”

“Nice watch?”

“Rolex Daytona Ghost.”

“Honey, I have no idea about watches; that’s your thing.”

“Expensive,” I muttered out, already regretting even telling him because now he’d make me do something. I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

“Oh,” he said quietly. “So nothing we are going to keep hold of. We don’t want that kind of potential f-bomb cramping our style. Unless he left it as some kind of…” I could see his face scrunch up in disgust. “Payment. ”

“Are you mad?” I spat out.

“I know. But you know, some idiots and all that. A one-night stand.”

“That’s exactly what it was. A brief hook-up. No contact details exchanged. I have no particular interest in ever seeing the guy again.”

“Then…”

“I need to find out how to return his bloody watch, and then I’ll be able to sleep at night.”

“You’re not sleeping?”

“Sleeping fine. You know what I mean.”

“Well. This guy. Should I worry?”

“You know me, I don’t get attached.” I sounded snarkier than I meant, but it was the truth.

“Your heart is well lubed, honey. Nothing will ever stick to you. That’s the deal, you know this. We’ll be old and grey and sat in the nursing home shitting glitter in our old age. No rings on our fingers.”

“Absolutely not. No desire for that kind of baggage.”

“Baggage free, honey.”

“You’ve got it,” I sung back in a silly accent. Like we did.

“Google the guy. Swift courier to his office, wherever he works. Keep the receipt and for God’s sake insure the damn parcel. Then your conscience will be clear, and we can all go on to live another day. Easy. Now, are you free at the weekend?”

“So swift to dismiss my troubles,” I sang out, in yet another squeaky voice. It made him smile. Job done. “Anyway, have that five-day-Maldives tomorrow. No can do.”

“And who did you fuck in Scheduling to get your arse on that jammy little trip?”

“My lips are sealed, darling.”

He hung up on me. I just laughed.

But yes. He was right, and I pulled up Google and swiftly put his name in, even spelling it right on the first go.

Kieron Andrieu. No social media from what I could see, not in his real name anyway, but apparently he was the Senior Aggregation Manager at Delaware Financial up in the city.

Whatever that wanky title meant when he was at home. But there was a company phone number which I, after a deep breath, rang, only to be instantly dismissed by the tinny voice at the other end of the phone. Press one for reception. Leave a message after the tone. Blah blah blah.

I left a message. Hung up. Let the slinky metal slide gracefully between my fingers.

A gorgeous watch, one I would never ever be able to afford to buy myself.

Not important in any case. My next big purchase would no doubt have to be a newer car, with the insane insurance cost that would incur. My poor bank account.

I slipped the watch into my kitchen drawer, hidden carefully under some pots and pans.

Just in case I got burgled during this trip.

I didn’t like having valuables around. Not that I owned anything expensive, but I had like…

my work stuff. Passport, visas, cards…my attestation flying licence and my ID.

Without all of those? I didn’t have a job.

The fear was real. Also? The bloody uniform.

One burglarising bastard and I could be down at the job centre begging for handouts within a week.

Anyway, I had to think positively. I’d left a message for him. My name and number and a polite request to contact me. No hard feelings.

Which was, of course, when my phone once again went off. Unknown number. Of course.

I was nervous. I had no idea why.

“Hello?” I queried in a voice that was suddenly too squeaky.

“Julian,” he said calmly. I had shivers running up and down my spine. Weird. Awkward.

“Mr Andrieu,” I replied, sounding like the absolute idiot I was.

“I think now that we’re better acquainted, we can perhaps drop the honorifics.

” He was smiling; I could hear it in his voice.

A voice call. No video. Thank everything for that because I was definitely not dressed to impress, and also not wanting to.

Yet, my washed-out Hello Kitty T-shirt and my slacks were not the finest statement to make.

“Kieron,” I corrected myself. “Do you have a nickname? What do your friends call you? Grumpy?”

Oh hello, Jules. Bitchy twink galore .

For the record, I was no twink. I was older and wiser and a fully-fledged grown-up. Mostly.

Sometimes.

“Julian, you left a message with my PA to contact you. I very much doubt it was to simply attempt to insult me.”

“Well.” I snorted. He laughed. “I can only try. I actually only needed to contact you to return your property.”

“My property. I haven’t even proposed.”

He had a sense of humour. Who would have thought?

“Your watch, Kieron!” I half shouted through the smile on my face. The absolute idiot.

“You found it then.”

“You left it on purpose?” My voice was still far too high pitched. An involuntary smile on my face. Like we were… Like I was…enjoying this. For the record? No. Absolutely not.

“Of course I did. It wasn’t like you were going to leave me your number, was it? And your airline HR department was very stingy with providing any kind of details. I have a good PA, but not even Maura is that good with corporate bullshit. Hence the watch. A small insurance.”

I had no idea what he was on about. But yes. Ehhr. What?

“When can I see you again?”

The absolute audacity of him. Like…for once, I was speechless .

“Kieron, there is a very good courier company on the High Street here. I will get your watch returned to you promptly, fully insured. I just need an address.”

“I’d rather come get it in person. I got back from the States yesterday; just need to get my car keys and I will come to you.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

This man. Infuriating. From the very first moment I’d met him.

“Look, Kieron. No. I don’t do repeats. I don’t do any kind of…friendship.”

“So you’re just going to keep my watch. Hold it ransom for…exactly what? What do you want, Julian?”

“Nothing!” I shrieked again. “I don’t want your watch. I want to ship it back to you and forget this ever happened.”

“Fine,” he said. I could hear him moving in his chair. Wherever he was sat. In his office.

“An address, Kieron.”

“When is your next flight?”

“Maldives, tomorrow,” I said before I could stop myself. Shit. I’d walked into a trap here, hadn’t I?

“Very nice. I quite fancy a holiday.”

“No.” I laughed. “Absolutely not. ”

“I’ll buy a ticket. Sit in economy and behave like a good boy. Then, when we get there? I get to spend time with you again. Properly. Have a meal, talk. Get to know each other.”

“Kieron, what kind of dream world do you live in? It doesn’t work like that.”

“It does in my world.”

“And what is your world?” I was laughing, as my stomach knotted itself into iron chains.

“Julian, you’re really nice. You’re also a professional, a skilled human being, and you’re…” He had to swallow. Half a cough hitting me through the airways, followed by a door closing. “Sorry, not sure I want the rest of the office to hear this conversation, but as I was saying.”

“Kieron,” I warned again.

“You’re just…exactly the kind of… I really…”

I had him. Flustered, and the thrill of that was… Fuck. I was laughing again.

“You want to fuck me again.”

“More than fuck you again.” He laughed. “I want to spend however many days you lot have in the Maldives, lying in bed with you. Because… I…”

“Kieron,” I said sternly. “I’m an out gay man. I don’t do relationships, and I am not, in any shape or form, looking for a sugar daddy. So you can reel that thought straight back in. ”

“Not offering.” He smiled.

“I have a Rolex Daytona Ghost in my hand, telling me differently.”

“You know your watches.”

“I do.”

“I’m wearing an AD Titanium Royal Oak today,” he said, casually. Like, with no meaning whatsoever.

“Which one?” I questioned, like on automatic.

“Michael Shumacher.” His voice. Silk in my ear.

“Nice.” I tried to swallow down the enthusiasm in my voice.

I did not have a subscription for Watches monthly.

Nor did I watch insane videos on TikTok where people were selling and reselling used timepieces that had my mouth watering.

Guilty pleasures and all that? Also, I had far too much time on my hands down route. Sleepless nights. Jet lag…

“It’s something that makes me happy, my watches. Like a nice pair of shoes. A perfectly cooked meal.”

“A perfectly chilled glass of rosé.”

“Not too dark in colour. Pale. Pretty.”

“Agree.”

“Also? The perfect one-night stand. A quick fuck in a hotel bed with a handsome stranger.”

“Never as good the second time round.”

“Are you speaking from experience, Julian? ”

I loved his gravelly voice. Could almost picture him combing through that thick mop of dark hair on his head. Feel the scratch of his stubble under my fingertips.

“Absolutely. Not an experience I wish to repeat.”

“But you will. Because I think it was rather good.”

“It always is when someone knows what they’re doing. Doesn’t mean it’s anything more than just that. A one-time thing.”

“I see it differently. A beginning.”

“With an end. The end? Never pretty, Kieron. Let’s not go there.”

“Well, in that case? I have things to do. Tickets to book. I don’t suppose you’ll tell me where you’ll be staying?”

“No.” I grinned. Stupid. So bloody stupid. All of this.

“I’ll just find out from one of your colleagues. Take a taxi and find you.”

“It’s the Maldives, man!” I was frustrated. Intimidated. Also…entertained. Fuck you, Kieron whatever your name is. “It’s all islands. Boat transfers. That will be a lot of islands for you to explore on your holiday because you won’t find me.”

“I will. And you’ll let me, because I think you want this as much as I do. Give it a chance. Let this happen. Then we go home and evaluate.”

“Like this is a business transaction?” I questioned.

“No. Like if this really is something that could go somewhere. ”

“Are you out?” came out of my mouth. Like I was actually going along with this and not going insane. I was definitely going insane.

“I don’t tend to display my preferences to others, unless…”

“I don’t deal with straight guys. Your bicurious arse can find other people to mess with, thank you very much.”

“I think you’ll find that bisexuality exists and is very much a proven fact,” he said sternly.

Okay.

“And baggage?”

“Baggage?” He laughed.

“Ex-wives, children. Multiple court cases…”

“So you are now taking everything back?”

“I’m not!” What was it with me and shouting?

“Julian, I am very much looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. I have taken note of your number, and I will text you later. It would make things much easier if you could just text me the name of your hotel, and I will make arrangements.”

“Kieron.” I sighed. No. Please. Absolutely not. I wanted to scream. Shout. No. Please, no. But his gentle laughter was still there in my ear.

“Julian, I can’t stop thinking about you. And I think, if you’re very honest with yourself? A repeat performance wouldn’t be the end of the world. Just think of that rosé. ”

“I don’t…” I started. But he just cut me off.

“You do. We both do. Because what just happened in New York? I have a feeling it was meant to be.”