Читать книгу Nikki Gemmell’s Threesome: The Bride Stripped Bare, With the Body, I Take You - Nikki Gemmell - Страница 94

the importance of good food

You call your bank from the hotel room. You check out. Tell the crisp young man behind the desk you’ve left your bag at home, you don’t know why you need to explain that, you have to stop, you’re talking too much: he knows you’re lying.

You have some loose change in your pocket; you ring Cole from a phone box down the street, you’re sure he’ll be working late. He is, of course. You tell him your handbag’s been stolen and you’re stuck. I’ll be right over, he says. You go to a nearby Starbucks and wait, hunched over a hot chocolate, stilling your tear gulps until Cole strides into the cafe and you walk into his strong arms and the tears, once again, come and come. He holds you into stillness and then goes to the counter and comes back gentle with a tray of sandwiches you can’t eat.

Let’s get a cab home, he says, I’ve got some dosh.

No, no, I feel like the tube, it’s quicker. I just want to get home.

OK. Whatever.

You walk down the street with Cole’s arm firm round your shoulder. Why is he so good at times like this? Your heart is blown open by his kindness, like a window by a sudden gust.

I love you, you say, in thanks.

You used to say it every day, once.