Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“No,” I cut her off. “Mum, I’m really not interested.”
“Fine.” She sniffed haughtily. “Who is this friend you’re meeting? A loose woman?”
“Oh, for God’s sake. When you and Dad decided to separate, did you stumble into a time machine and travel back to the nineteenth century?” Indignation filled me. Lily was far from a loose woman, whatever that meant.
“Bastian—”
“Mum, I love you, I do. But please don’t become one of those women who judges other women. You never have before, and I’d really like it if you didn’t start now.”
“You sound like your sister.” She was silent a moment. “I don’t mean to come across as judgy. I merely want you both to end up with the right sort of person.”
“I happen to think the right sort of person is the one you’re in love with regardless of their background. Not because they have a page in Debrett’s. I used to think that’s who you were too, or you wouldn’t have married my father.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have. Maybe I should have married the man my mother wanted me to marry.”
At her sad tone, I dared to ask, “What really happened between you and Dad?”
“Nothing for you to worry yourself over, my darling. I’ll let your father know the villa is yours next spring. I must go. I’m meeting Mummy for afternoon tea.”
“Tell Granny I said hello.”
“I will. Love you, Bastian.”
“Love you too, Mum.”
Melancholy threatened to cloud my thoughts as I continued toward the coffee shop. I wanted to fix things between my parents, but they stubbornly refused to discuss what had happened to create this split.
It was maddening and depressing.
However, the sight of Lily standing outside the coffee shop made all those dark feelings crumble away. Warmth radiated through me at the sight of her texting someone, her head bowed over her phone. She’d tied up her hair in a messy knot that was falling over to one side, a loose strand caressing her cheek. She wore a T-shirt knotted at the waist and skinny jeans that accentuated her narrow waist and lush hips.
Two blokes passed her, one of them eyeing her up, even turning back to look at her as he passed. Lily didn’t even notice. Totally oblivious.
“Are you texting with a secret admirer?” I teased upon approach.
Lily startled, her head jerking up from her phone. Her large hazel eyes were round with surprise. Then she let out a huff of laughter. “You scared me.”
“You were rather engrossed.”
“Oh.” She waved her phone before tucking it into the back pocket of her jeans. “Sierra has been on at me to start dating again for the podcast, so I swiped right on this guy last night and he messaged to ask me out.”
A prick of some unfamiliar feeling niggled me. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation. “Oh. You said yes?” I pushed open the coffee shop door, holding it for her.
Lily nodded as she passed, and I inhaled the delicious floral scent of whatever shampoo she used. “I did.”
“You’re interested, then?”
“Not really.” She shrugged. “I’ve got a lot on my plate this year and could do with a break from dating. But if it’ll shut Sierra up for another month, I’ll do it.”
My smile felt a little forced. “Right. Well, you know you shouldn’t do something you don’t want to do.”
“It’s fine. What are you drinking?”
“I’m buying. What do you want?”
“You don’t have—”
“Nonsense. I invited you.”
Lily sighed but capitulated. “Hazelnut latte. Thank you.”
“You go grab a table. I’ll be right over.”
A minute or so later, I settled across the small table from her, my legs bumping into hers beneath it. “Sorry.” I chuckled. “These are rather cozy, aren’t they.”
“You have very long legs.” She pointed out the obvious. “And mine aren’t exactly short.”
I smiled, watching her add sugar to the latte, making a mental note about how she took her coffee. “What music do you like?” I blurted out.
Lily smiled at the question, those adorable, dimpled cheeks somehow sexy at the same time. “Random, but okay. I have eclectic taste. You’ll find me listening to rock, dance, pop, country. Pretty much everything but heavy metal and jazz.”
“Note to self, hates heavy metal and jazz.”
“What about you?”
“Indie rock mostly.”
“Is music important to you?”
“I play a little piano. But it’s not something I ever wanted to make my life in. Yet, it is important. I listen to music almost every day, and I like going to gigs.”
“Me too.”
“There’s this really good cover band playing Whistlebinkies next Friday. Would you want to go?” Whistlebinkies was a live music bar on South Bridge. “A few of us are going,” I hurried to say at her hesitation.
“Oh. I would like to … but that’s when this dating app guy wants to meet.”
“Bring him,” I insisted. “It’ll make it safer.”
Lily raised an eyebrow. “Safer?”
“Yes, safer.” I’d never really thought of it before, but it didn’t sit well with me Lily meeting some stranger off a dating app. I’d never used the apps myself, but it suddenly occurred to me how much less safe it was for women than men. I wondered if Juno used dating apps and what precautions she took when meeting strangers. I’d ask her later.