door. What the hell? How had he gotten here so fast? I quickly rinsed myself off, threw on my enormous fluffy bathrobe, and went to answer the door.
“You’re early,” I said when I found Neil standing there, his satchel bag over his shoulder.
“And you’re dripping,” Neil replied, eyeing my wet hair before his attention drifted down to my robe.
“That’s because you caught me mid-shower. I didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly.”
He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, eyes on the floor. “Well, go and finish. I’ll wait here.”
“Nonsense,” I said, reaching out and grabbing his arm to pull him inside the flat. “Go into my room and get started. I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”
I shooed him inside my room, noticing he was wearing jeans today. They showcased what I already knew was a very nice backside. Neil glanced back at me, catching me clearly checking out his arse. He seemed to flush then went to sit down at my desk. I flicked on the ceiling light, knowing he wasn’t a fan of the neon lamps, then went to finish my shower.
When I returned to the bedroom, clad in thick fleece pyjamas, Neil was quietly working, his back to me. I picked up my tablet and began checking through my emails and various social media accounts. I was scrolling through my brother Billy’s latest pictures. With eight kids, my family was big, but I was closest to Billy since he was the youngest and I was the second youngest.
Billy was a bit of a wild card. You never knew what new job he was working at or what he might be up to, which was one of the reasons why I loved him. He was unpredictable, his mop of curly brown hair as chaotic as the person it sat atop. Missing him, I sent a quick message.
Afric: Like the new pics. Where were they taken? Also, you better be coming to visit me soon!
It didn’t take long for him to reply.
Billy: Me and some of the lads went to Lough Derg last weekend. Beautiful spot. As regards coming to visit you … Go and check outside your front door.
My heart skipped a beat. I wouldn’t put it past Billy to surprise me with a completely random visit. Neil cast me a quick glance as I rose from the bed and went to the front door of the flat. I threw it open, letting out a disappointed sigh when I found the doorway empty.
Afric: You bastard! You got my hopes up!
Billy: Muah ha! Just know I could appear at any moment. You better be ready for me.
Afric: I was born ready.
“Everything okay?” Neil asked, pulling my attention away from my tablet.
“Yeah, just my brother Billy being an arsehole and tricking me that he’d come to visit. He lives in Dublin, so we don’t get to see each other often.”
“Are you close?”
I nodded. “There were less than two years between us, so growing up, we always did everything together.”
“It must’ve been nice to have a sibling near your age. My sister, Rosie, is six years younger than me. I’ve always felt more like a parental figure than a brother.”
“That’s probably because of your parents passing away,” I said in a soft voice, noticing a hint of sadness behind his eyes. “You became the dad. My oldest brother, Ryan, was like that. Our parents were always working, so he was the one who took care of us younger ones.”
“How many siblings do you have?”
“Seven.”
Neil’s eyes widened. “Wow, that’s a lot of kids.”
“Yep. My parents are a pair of absolute horndogs, obviously,” I joked, and Neil’s lips gave the barest hint of a twitch.
“Was it hard living in such a big family?”
“Not really. At least, if it was, I didn’t know any better. But it gave me a thick skin. My brothers and sisters were endlessly slagging each other off.”
“That would certainly give you a thick skin,” Neil agreed, falling silent a moment. He looked like he was building up the courage to say something as he bounced his knee. “Speaking of siblings. My sister is actually a big fan of yours. She was wondering if I could get her an autograph?”
My grin spread wide across my face. I could tell it bothered Neil to make such a request, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease him. “Your sister is a fan of moi?” I asked, preening as I placed a hand to my chest.