Page 79 of (Not) The One
‘If only I’d had some inkling I was being watched,’ I add. ‘I would’ve put on a show.’
‘The show was fine as it stood. On one leg, sometimes. Or with your bum in the air. But as a wise woman once said, it was much easier to objectify you when I didn’t know your name.’
‘I’m not sure who this wise woman is but feel free to objectify away.’ As though an invitation, I fold my arms across my chest and sit back in my chair. ‘I’ll just be sitting here, basking in the adoration.’ I close my eyes and tip back my head. ‘When you’re ready,’ I say, peering at her with one eye.
She shakes her head disparagingly. ‘You’re a very strange person.’
‘But one you like. And one who’d give you an up close and personal yoga session any time of the day.’
‘Downward dog?’ She tries to look unimpressed but struggles.
‘If you’d like, though I’m a devotee of the baby pose myself. As well as providing a fantastic view, it’s good for opening the sacral chakra, and—’
She moves away as though suddenly pulled by strings, the colour draining from her face just as quick.
‘What is it?’ She blows out a breath long and hard. ‘It can’t be all that bad.’ Can it?
‘It shows what you know,’ she mutters, her gaze sliding away. ‘I really wish Heather wouldn’t have called you. If she’d left it for a few days, the timing would’ve been better. I would’ve been surer, at any rate.’
Timing? Days? Is she ill? ‘Miranda, you’re beginning to worry me. Whatever it is, you can just say it. Tell me.’
‘But that’s just it.’ Her hands are in the air before she pushes them through her hair, pulling out her formerly sleek ponytail. ‘Can I? Where would I start?’
‘At the beginning,’ I answer firmly. ‘You’ve never held back telling me what you’ve thought before.’
‘You really don’t know me.’ Her hands drop to her lap, her gaze following. ‘Not the real me. You just see the bits I want you to see.’ The together bits. The brave bits.
Does she think I’m so shallow? That I don’t know we’re more than the sum of our parts? She’s more than a pair of breasts, round and full. She’s more than just a peach-like arse that I want to press my teeth into. There’s so much of her I don’t know.
‘I like to think you’ve shown me enough to make me want to know more.’
‘We’ll see.’ She’s a little too lovely to deliver foreboding convincingly. ‘At the beginning?’ I nod in what I hope is an encouraging manner as I reach for my glass, which is unfortunately empty. ‘Here, you may as well drink this.’
‘You don’t want it?’
‘I’m... detoxing.’ She slides it across the table, and before she can retract her hand, I cover it with my own.
‘Whatever it is.’
‘You really have no idea.’ She laughs a little, but there’s no humour in it. ‘But first, you’re not a criminal, are you?’
‘If I were, I’m hardly likely to admit it, am I?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t move in those kinds of circles.’
‘I’m not.’
‘I don’t know what you do,’ she replies with a tiny shrug. ‘And just to warn you, if you sayme, I’ll kick you under the table.’
‘Will you whisper whisky laced kisses to make it better?’
‘This is going to be a bit harder to fix than a grazed knee, no matter what business you’re in.’ That is, assuming you do work.’
‘I feel like we’ve already had this conversation.’ It’s quite a direct line of questioning, and I begin to wonder why.
‘You said you’re in acquisitions.’
‘That’s true.’
