Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye - Jacquelyn Middleton Page 0,88

handle it—handle me?”

She’s so into me! “With pleasure!”

Her face shone with happiness. “You know, Tarquin, I’m not sleeping with anyone else…in case, you know…you were wondering.”

Oh YES! He couldn’t hide his grin. “Neither am I.”

“Good, ’cause I hate to share.” Leia giggled.

He laughed. “Ah, it’s going to be smashing having you here longer. We’ll definitely need more maple syrup for all those breakfasts!”

“Yes! I’ll steal some from Sar—” Her face fell. “Shit! I forgot to call her back.” Leia dug in her bag. “She’s working late…she should be up…” With a huff, her shoulders dropped. “Shoot! Do you remember seeing my phone? I thought it was in here, but it’s not.”

“I’ll ring it,” said Tarquin, stretching toward his bedside table. “Just let me grab—” The Spice Girls sang out, fighting to be heard beneath Leia’s folded dress. “Ah. Sarah beat me to it.” He scooped up his own phone, watching Leia scramble half-naked over to the chair. “I’ll finish running the bath.”

“Add extra ducks for me!” She giggled, lifting her dress and rescuing her phone.

“Sounds good!”

Staring at the screen, Leia’s face tensed.

“Go on, answer it. I’m sure she’s not miffed—much.” Tarquin returned to the en suite. “Say hi for me.”

Hitting accept, Leia killed the Spice Girls mid-chorus. “Hey!” Her tone walked a thin line between cautious and sunny. She flashed a smile Tarquin’s way and sat on the edge of his bed.

Give her privacy. Tarquin pulled the door partially closed and dimmed the lights. The second bath bomb fizzed and bubbled, creating a sensual oasis of foamy, jasmine-scented bliss. He streamed music from his phone to the room’s built-in speakers, placed a stack of fluffy cotton towels on the tub’s edge, and lit several balsam-infused candles, creating a sexy, ski chalet vibe. Sitting on the bench in his bathroom, he smiled to himself. Every last detail… perfect. Leia’s really opening up, starting to trust me. Who knows? Maybe our fling will turn into forever.

A few minutes later, she slipped into the bathroom, head down and hair up in a messy topknot.

“Come here.” Standing up, Tarquin held out his arms. “Did you wake her? Was she cross?” He drew her in, kissing the freckles on the bridge of her nose.

“It wasn’t Saz.” With a tentative smile, Leia blinked up at him. “It was Violetta.”

Seventeen

“Start over, my darling. Be brave enough to find the life you want and courageous enough to chase it.”

Madalyn Beck

LEIA

The next afternoon

Sarah unzipped the lilac-colored garment bag adorned with ‘Desjardins’ in an elegant French vanilla swirl font and gasped. “He gave you this?”

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Leia hung her parka by the front door beside a pair of white garment bags: one protecting Shantelle’s almost-finished red carpet gown, the other, the prom dress. “I went in early thinking I’d do a bit of sewing and pick up my stuff, but then Simon walked in with this—for me.” She rubbed her slightly puffy, makeup-free eyes, then removed Simon’s going-away gift from the bag on her sister’s lap. Holding it aloft, she admired the emerald cocktail dress’s flattering silhouette and sparkly sequined tulle. “I’ve been drooling over it for weeks.”

“It’ll look even more incredible with your red hair. It’s the perfect middle finger to Tyler. Look what you’re missing, asshole!” Sarah reached out, touching the intricate sequin work. “It feels as decadent as it looks!”

“I couldn’t thank Simon enough.” Leia hugged the dress against her sweater and jeans, and swayed her hips. The sequins caught a midafternoon sunbeam sneaking through Sarah’s front window and threw a kaleidoscope of dappled green dots across the wall. “So, I made him promise he’ll let me treat him to dinner next time he’s in New York.”

“Yeah, with your full-time paycheck. Congratulations, Ley!”

“Thanks. I still can’t believe I got it.”

“I squealed so loud when I read your message, I woke Jordan.” Sarah chuckled. “He sends his congrats, too, by the way. Did you call Dad?”

“Yeah, last night on my way here. He’s happy, said he’ll visit me this spring and we’ll celebrate.”

“Lucky,” said Sarah pulling out a small purple packet of British chocolate from beneath the garment bag on her lap. “So, how did last night go?”

It’s been twelve hours and I can still picture Tarquin’s face.

Leia’s brief happy dance deflated under her sister’s question, a wave of angst smothering the burst of giddiness in her chest. “It was incredible. The meal—to die for. We laughed and talked for ages about art and pets and family.” She took the garment bag from Sarah and slowly slipped