Stand-In Saturday (Love For Days #2) - Kirsty Moseley Page 0,108

down on its foil package and turn my attention to my phone, about to message Theo to see how he’s getting on, when Aubrey, who is in the process of walking past my desk, trips and bangs into my chair, throwing whatever she was carrying in her closed fist all over my desk.

I gasp and reach out to steady her. “What a klutz. Drunk much?” I chuckle. “Are you okay?”

She stands and nods, looking down at my desk and grimacing. “Yeah, but your lunch isn’t.”

I groan as I look down at it to see that my beautiful lunch is now covered in curls of pencil shavings and little flakes of lead. “No!” I pout and reach out, brushing the worst of it off. “Would you judge me if I still ate it?” It’s an honest question; I’m not averse to the idea.

Aubrey half-gasps, half-laughs. “Yes! Don’t be gross.”

I’m still debating on the pros and cons of risking lead poisoning when she takes it from my hands and throws it in the bin. I stare down at my sandwich in the bottom of my rubbish bin in a state of mourning.

Aubrey brushes crumbs from her hands. “I’ll buy you lunch to make up for it. Come on, let’s go now.” She looks down at her watch.

“Ugh, fine.” It’s not like I have a choice. “Why were you carrying pencil shavings anyway? Why not sharpen it over the bin in the first place, like a normal person?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” She grins.

Plucking my bag from the floor and shoving my phone back inside, I follow Aubrey out of the office and around the corner to the lifts.

As luck would have it, my manager, Judy, is just stepping out of it. “Oh, are you two heading out? Great timing. Here.” She holds the lift doors open and grins at us.

Quickening my step, I smile gratefully and step in. “Thanks, Judy. See you in a bit. You want anything? Aubrey’s buying.” I playfully elbow my best friend as she steps in next to me.

“No, I’m fine, thank you. You have a nice time though.” Judy winks at me, her eyes bright.

There’s someone else in the lift already, standing in the corner, reading a newspaper. I can’t see them properly, only their legs. I reach out to press the ground floor button but see it’s already illuminated.

“Oh, bugger. I forgot my phone.” Aubrey sticks her hand out, catching the doors as they’re about to close and stepping over the threshold. “I’ll meet you at the café. Grab us a good seat.” She shrugs and sends me a little wave as the doors slide closed, separating us.

Groaning at the turn of events, I stick my hand in my bag again, intending to message Theo, when the lift suddenly judders, and the lights flicker as it grinds to a halt.

My eyes widen in disbelief. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Again?” I reach out, jabbing the Help button. I should have learned my lesson from last time and taken the stairs. My non-existent thigh gap would approve.

“Let me take a look. Here, hold this,” Newspaper Guy says. He places a lightweight, rectangular green-and-white box in my hands and reaches to press the Help button too.

Flustered, I step to the side and roll my eyes. Oh, because, you never know, maybe I was pushing the button wrong … men!

Taking a deep breath, I look down at the package in my hand. It’s a box of three Krispy Kreme doughnuts. On top of it, there’s a bright pink Post-It note. In black Sharpie, it says: Open me, Lucie.

What the …

I frown, confused, and pop the lid on the box.

Inside are three biscotti doughnuts—my favourite—and each one has a word iced onto the top.

Marry. Me. Lucie?

My breath catches, and tears spring to my eyes as I turn back to Newspaper Guy. Theo is on one knee, a black leather ring box in his hand as he grins up at me, his eyes sparkling. My spare hand shoots up, and I cover my mouth, chewing on my lip as I smile so widely that my face aches. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.

“Hi, baby,” I mumble through my hand.

“Hey.” He chuckles and reaches up, taking the doughnuts from me and setting them on the floor before he pops the lid on the box, exposing a beautiful diamond ring nestled among the cream silk folds.

My heart clenches.

“Six months ago today, I met my best friend and the other half