Caught Inside by Jamie Deacon

Author:Jamie Deacon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Published: 2021-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The others are waiting for me in the hall when I get downstairs.

“Let’s go to Edesia,” Zara’s saying. “I feel like living it up.”

Giles throws me a scathing look. “Not sure they’ll let your boyfriend in.”

“Giles, how about you give it a rest?” Theo snaps, and I’m not the only one who turns to stare at him.

Giles shrugs, but an expression akin to hurt flickers in his eyes. “I only meant that Edesia has a dress code, and Luke doesn’t exactly look the part.”

“He looks fine.” Theo’s gaze brushes me; the heat behind it melts some of my tension. “So, we’re going to Edesia. Everyone agreed?”

“And then clubbing,” Zara says. “We have to go clubbing.”

“Right. And how are you proposing we get you and Luke in?”

“This isn’t Brookminster, Theo. Someone’s bound to let us in somewhere.”

“We’ll see,” Theo says, and I know this is his way of trying to make things up to her.

A horn beeps twice from the driveway, bringing the discussion to a halt, and I follow the others outside to the waiting taxi. Zara leaps into the back beside Giles, no doubt to avoid having to sit next to me. Meredith raises an eyebrow, but slides into the passenger seat without comment. I’m about to climb into the middle row, when a touch on my shoulder stops me.

“Sorry.” Theo’s breath caresses my ear.

I swallow, fighting the urge to drag him back into the cottage and up to bed. I smile at him, a smile of forgiveness, and open the car door for him.

Giles and Zara do most of the talking on the journey to the restaurant. I barely listen, hyperaware of the foot of space separating Theo’s thigh from mine, his hand resting on the seat between us. I keep my own hands on my knees, and try to prevent Zara’s words about Theo still being hung up on Francis from invading my mind.

After Giles’s snide remark about dress codes, Edesia is pretty much as I imagined. It has a carpet so thick I could happily stretch out on it and fall asleep, and the sort of soft lighting that makes everyone appear better looking than they are. Nice if you like that kind of thing. Zara’s obviously in her element, flirting with the handsome young waiter who leads us to a corner table.

I slide onto the velvet banquette, which is far comfier than our sofa at home with its worn cushions and sagging springs, and smile at Theo as he prepares to slip in after me.

Zara grabs his arm. “Oh no, you’re sitting next to me. Otherwise you’ll just talk to Luke and ignore me all night.”

She drags him to the other side of the table. Theo shoots me a helpless look, but pulls out the chair beside hers, leaving Meredith and Giles to join me on the bench. I turn away from him to give the waiter my drink order. It isn’t Theo’s fault; he couldn’t exactly have refused. All the same, resentment simmers in my chest.

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