Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye - Jacquelyn Middleton Page 0,67
student. “Leia?” He broke into a smile that could be seen a block away. “Hi!”
She did a sharp double take and slowly stiffened, her forkful of chocolate and marshmallow cake halting midair between her mouth and the table. “Tarquin?” Her Canadian accent jumped an octave higher. “What are—you working nearby?” Barely blinking, she returned the last mouthful of dessert to her plate and fussed with the hem of her Pitt hoodie, a tentative smile twitching her cheeks. Her gaze flitted to the cellophane-wrapped flowers, then her sister.
You know I was. Tarquin’s brow briefly pinched as he squeezed the glass in his hand. “Erm, yeah.” He swooped down, kissing her on both cheeks. “I thought you might like these,” he whispered, offering the bright bouquet.
“Primroses!” Sarah swooned. “Red ones, Ley! Your fave.” The younger Scott’s eyes swept down his suit and back up again, her welcoming grin showing no signs of letting up. “Tarquin, hey! I’m Sarah, Leia’s sister, and this guy here is my boyfriend, Jordan.” After squeezing her paramour’s shoulder, Sarah gestured to the vacant chair beside Leia. “Please, join us…it’s great to meet one of Ley’s London friends.”
“Thanks.” He nodded and sat down. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” Narrowing his eyes, his mind raced. I had no idea her sister was in a wheelchair. She looks familiar, though. Where do I know her from? He placed his pint on the table, his gaze skimming over the cake before it tracked back to a quiet Leia, sniffing the flowers. The open macaron box from Fortnum & Mason kept her water glass company. She looks like she swallowed a fly. What’s going on? Does she regret inviting me?
She leaned in, her surprised expression loosening. “The primroses are beautiful, thank you.”
“Tarquin, have some cake. I won’t take no for an answer!” Sarah grabbed a knife dabbed with custard, gooey marshmallow, and chocolate buttercream. “You have to celebrate with us!” She skewered the sumptuous gateau, slicing through decadent frosting, thick chocolate sauce, and a generous mountain of chunky toasted marshmallow crowning the top.
They’re celebrating? Oh, bollocks! So, Leia got the New York job. His stomach dropped. That’s why she wanted to see me—a farewell fuck? Tarquin chuckled uneasily, his eyes settling on Leia as her brows drew together. “What’s the occasion?”
“Saz got a promotion,” said Leia, swapping the bouquet for her phone.
Sarah?! Tarquin’s chest relaxed, his face lighting up with relieved glee. “Congratulations! What will you be doing?” He glanced down at the celebratory cake slice slid across the table by Jordan. Chocolate and marshmallow, me and Leia—perfect pairings.
Sarah licked digestive cookie buttercream off her thumb. “I’m the new Inclusive Environments Specialist at Accessible London.” She set down the knife and paused, her focus pinching as it strayed to her sister.
Tarquin followed her gaze. Leia reclined away from the table, silently poring over her phone.
“It’s a consultancy agency”—Sarah’s voice drew him back—“that offers accessibility guidance to construction organizations, developers, building managers—you name it.” Picking up her fork, she gave him a confident grin. “Our goal is to make London accessible for everyone. Kind of a passion of mine.”
That’s how I know her! Tarquin broke into an open-mouthed smile and pointed a knowing finger. “I saw you speak! Two or three years back. You did a TED Talk at the urban planning convention at the ExCel—on wheelchair accessibility. You were fantastic, really great!”
Sarah’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, her cheeks blushing slightly. “Oh, wow! Yeah, that was me—thank you!” She scooped frosting from her cake slice. “There weren’t many people there…”
Jordan rubbed her shoulder gently.
Tarquin’s business mind quickly connected the dots. “I just purchased a cinema for redevelopment and could use some guidance with inclusive design. Could you help me?”
“God, yeah! We can definitely help with that!” Sarah beamed. “I’m so glad we met.”
Leia looked up from her phone and shot daggers across the table to her sister, which didn’t go unnoticed by Tarquin.
O-kay. That was weird. A wrinkle flirted with his forehead. Obviously, I’ve interrupted something between these two. “Uh, Sarah, do you have a business card?” He tugged his wallet from his trouser pocket.
“I do!” Sarah dropped her fork and pulled a blue card from her purse. “It’s my old one, but my contact info is the same.”
“Cheers.” Tarquin smiled, trading his details for hers.
Sarah let out a breath, avoiding Leia’s glare. “Right. Jordan, you ready?”
“What?” Leia leaned over the decimated slice on her plate. “You’re leaving? Tarquin just got here, and you’ve barely touched your