Page 80 of Hard
‘Something tells me you like them best when they don’t talk.’ We follow her and her tinkling laughter to the kitchen. But this isn’t fair; flirty Keir is winning over the toughest woman I know.
I take a seat at the head of the kitchen table. ‘Right, so,’ I begin sharply, ‘you saw your ex?’
Suddenly, Chas’s expression could sour milk.
‘Yeah, she lives in the States. But I suppose I’m here to say a couple of things to say. One good, or at least I think so. And one not so good.’
I open my mouth to complain—to say something like,and here I was thinking you’d come to see how I am.But I don’t get a chance as Chas cuts me off.
‘The bad first?’ she asks, mistaking my inhalation of breath as an indication I’m about to choose. But what the hell; I shrug in acquiesce.
‘The bad news is she’s in the UK at the invitation of a tabloid newspaper. She’s come to add fuel to the Robin Reed fire.’
‘How is that bad news for me?’
‘Well, it’s not me the public is interested in, except maybe as the Joker to his Batman. Same with you, I expect. We’re both just a means to an end where there’s news of the ginger git—pawns in the media game. And I know—I could do without it just the same as you. Which brings me to my second, happier point.’
‘Which is?’ Chas asks, just a curious as me, it seems.
‘We’re going on holiday.’ He looks very pleased with himself while I’m equal amounts pissed off. So much so, that I don’t quite hear what he says next. It’s all right for some, I think, all right for those who can just... ‘And I’d like you to come.’
‘What? Why do you want me to come?’ I place my clasped hands on the table.
‘Have you heard the saying,today’s news is tomorrow’s chip wrappings?’
Fish and chips are traditionally wrapped in newspaper in the UK, I recall. Today’s new is tomorrow’s garbage.
‘I get the reference,’ I say, ‘but I’m not sure it’s possible.’ After my complaints and my anger, now I’m just plain disappointed. Because I’d go with him, wouldn’t I? If he’d asked me yesterday to go away with him for a few days, I’d have jumped at the chance.
‘You don’t want to?’ he asks carefully. ‘Or is it something else?’
‘Does it matter?’
‘To me, it does. Look, Paisley,’ he says, engulfing my clasped hands with his larger ones. ‘I know it’s early days, and I know you’ve just gotten out of a relationship, but I can really see this working.’
My heart misses a beat as my mouth speaks without the permission of my brain. ‘Why? Why can you?’
The intensity in his answer almost knocks me from my chair. ‘Because I’ve never felt this way about anyone.’
I’m slayed. Just slayed. Suddenly destroyed by what could’ve been as I pull one hand from his and reach into the pocket of my grubby robe. I place my phone on the table between us and play back the message I’d received earlier for all to hear.
‘Miss Byrne, my name is Elaine Crosby. I’m ringing from Immigration and Border Control in respect of your application for a spousal visa. I’ve scheduled an appointment for you to speak with a colleague and myself on Thursday of this week at two o’clock. If this appointment is inconvenient, could you contact me on—’
I hitend.
‘They’re going to send me home,’ I say simply as tears begin running down my face.
‘Can they do that?’ Keir is out of his chair in an instant. Kneeling before me, he rubs one hand over my cold fingers, his thumb swiping away the wetness from my cheeks as his gaze, greener than usual, never leaves mine.
‘I guess so. My visa was conditional on being in a relationship with him. As that’s no longer the case... ’
‘Then I guess we’ll have to find you a new fiancé.’
From the other side of the kitchen, Chas gasps. Meanwhile, I try to pull my hands from his. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ I begin. ‘I’m almost certain you can go to jail for faking a fiancée. And they don’t wear makeup in jail.’ I shiver at the thought of that horrific indignity. ‘I couldn’t do it. I’d be better off inbumfuck-nowheres-ville.’ Marginally. There’s no Sephora near my hometown, and the nearest thing to a department store is more likely to stock equine fly repellent than Chanel.
‘Who said anything about—’
‘Seriously, Keir. I’msonot getting engaged to Flynn or any of your employees just so we can... ’do the things we do so well.Just so I can fall a little more for you.‘Just so we can—’
