after a few years apart. I wanted to show her I’ve changed, and…I don’t know…see how she’s doing after everything that happened. The last time I saw her, her face was tear-stained, and she was moving away to have some stranger’s baby. It killed me to have her slam that door in my face.
I wince at that thought because I’m trying to forget about the fact that I ever had real feelings for Tilly. They weren’t something I ever expressed to her, so it’s not like it’s a well-known fact. And she clearly didn’t give a toss about me then…or now.
Get your shit together, Santino. This is a business meeting today. Nothing more.
“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse,” a strange voice utters from behind me. When I turn around, my eyes widen when I see it’s Tilly. Her face is pinched in a peculiar way, with her chin jutting up to the sky as she attempts a really horrible Godfather impression.
Forcing a smile, I stand to greet her. “Hiya, Tilly.”
“Tilly?” she barks and whacks me on the shoulder. “I’m Don Corleone! Or even Michael Corleone says some version of that line in one of those movies, I think.”
“How could I forget?” I touch the spot on my arm that she hit with more force than I thought her slender arms capable. My eyes take in her appearance because she looks like she’s just crawled out of bed. “Did you forget about our meeting this morning?”
“No.” Her hands instantly stab into her messy knot of pale red locks on top of her head. “Just keeping it business casual.” She tugs nervously on her loose T-shirt hanging over a pair of cropped leggings. Her face is bare and fresh, and she looks even younger than when I first met her.
“Can I get you a drink inside?” I gesture to the coffee shop entrance.
“No, I’ve got it. Be back in a moment.” She jogs past me and darts inside, looking a little flustered.
I’m not one to judge appearances, but you’d think she’d have treated this business meeting like an actual business meeting and dressed for the occasion. Slipping off my suit coat, I drape it onto the back of my chair, then unbutton my shirt cuffs to roll up my sleeves. If she’s wearing pajamas, I’m not going to sit here and sweat my arse off in this blazing August heat.
She returns with an iced coffee and pauses by the table as she takes in my more casual look. There’s a slight twitch to her nose as she drops onto the seat across from me with a forced smile. “Thanks for meeting with me today.”
“It’s no problem.” I close out a text from my mum, then set my mobile face down on the table to give her my full attention. “My schedule is pretty flexible at the club.”
“Well, Freya and I both really appreciate this help.”
She opens her mouth to say more, but my mobile pings with another text notification. “Sorry, I thought I silenced that.”
“It’s okay…you can answer it if you need to.”
I turn it over to see who it’s from. “It’s just my mum. She’s been texting me location options for our annual trip all morning.”
“Annual trip?” Tilly asks, her eyes widened.
“It’s something we started doing a few years ago. Just me, her, and wherever an airplane can take us. She prefers spas and mud bath sort of locations. I like hiking and architectural ruins with lots of history that she says bores the life out of her. It’s a treat. This year, it’s her pick, so she’s going a little nutty.”
“That’s a pretty cool thing to do with your mum.” Tilly’s face looks stunned and a little bewildered. “Can’t say I do anything interesting with my mum except on the rare occasion when she lets me dry the dishes instead of wash.”
I laugh at that comment, and then a heaviness creeps up in my belly. “Can I first start off by saying I’m sorry again for Friday night? I shouldn’t have gone mental on you in the lift like that. It was unfair and—”
“There’s nothing to apologise for.” Tilly shakes her head, and her nose twitches. “I can understand why you were confused.”
“I know, but still. I had no right.” I hit her with a stern look to show her this is not up for discussion. When I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong.
“Let’s just forget about it.” She wraps her pink lips around her straw and takes