Faithful (14 page)

Daniel’s mother greeted me
in a big bear hug like a long-lost daughter. His dad followed his mother out and Daniel and his dad had a quick, manly hug, which was adorable. Then we swapped parents and the hugging continued. Daniel seemed so pleased to be with them; he was beaming—flitting his gaze between them and me, his eyes excitedly dancing among us all. He parents were equally happy and after Headley and Baxendale had been given all the attention they needed we all headed inside.

Inside there was a glass of Prosecco waiting for us—always the sign of a friendly household!—together with Daniel’s brother and his wife. Gosh, I was right in at the deep end. Edward and Polly were as delightful as Daniel’s parents
, however, and Edward started baiting Daniel from the moment we walked in. Daniel’s mother, Gwen, ushered the four of us outside with the dogs so she could finish preparing lunch with Daniel’s dad.

“So
, I hope Daniel’s treating you as he should—he is famous for his bad behavior,” Edward teased me.

“Bad
behavior?” Daniel interrupted incredulously. “I’m not the black sheep of the family, Edward. You are! Have you still not made partner yet?” Apparently Edward took after his father and was also a City lawyer.

Edward ignored him. “I hope he’s not trying to take advantage of you. He’s a bit of a cad.”

Daniel pouted and grabbed my hand. “Leah, he’s being sarcastic because I got married so young. Edward, stop winding her up.”

“Daniel would never try and take advantage—neither of us believes in sex before marriage.” I deadpanned.

If only Edward knew about his brother’s voracious sexual appetite and the fact he had given me more orgasms in the short time we had been together than I had ever had in my life. Daniel pulled me in and kissed me, the sort of kiss that was a prelude to hot, sweaty sex. I pushed him away–I was not into PDA, especially in front of newly introduced family! Daniel, Edward, and Polly just laughed and we all took our seats at the enormous outdoor dining table.

Polly offered to take me on a tour of the garden, I quickly agreed, wanting to see where Daniel had played as a child. As we walked and admired the garden
, Polly asked about me and Daniel. I kinda guessed that was the main purpose of our walk from her perspective—girl talk. I was hoping to glean some insight myself. I explained how we had reconnected on LinkedIn and how I was at the end of my relationship but was still a bit bruised. I didn’t mention the engagement—if you could really call it that—or the fact that Charlie was sleeping with a friend. It genuinely didn’t seem important.

A lot of things came out that I hadn’t really pieced together before, not even in my own head. I explained that in many ways I was trying to take it slowly with Daniel but I felt I was pulling against an overwhelming force. It didn’t make sense
, and any outsider looking in would say it was way too soon since Charlie, but it felt right. Polly seemed genuinely delighted at Daniel being with someone. She said she hadn’t known Georgina when she and Daniel had been married.

“They seem to be genuinely very amicable with each other. I guess it doesn’t hurt that Daniel was very generous in the divorce settlement
, from what Edward told me. But that’s Daniel. I think he felt responsible for the split.”

“I thought she had initiated it
.” I shouldn’t be prying, but of course I wanted to know what happened. I wanted to know everything about Daniel.

“Oh
, she did. But they married before Daniel had built his business, and that’s where his head was during their marriage—in his business. Georgina was convinced he was cheating at various points because he worked such long hours and spent so much time traveling. He just wasn’t focused on her or their relationship—it was all about the business for him, from what Edward says.” He never mentioned that Georgina thought he was cheating. Is that the sort of thing you mention to your new girlfriend? I guess not.

“He’s more balanced now
, I think. He’s established himself and maybe he learned his lesson with the divorce. He was devastated, apparently.” I nodded again. “Which is why it is so lovely to see him so happy with you.” I smiled.

I felt a sudden pang of guilt for talking about Daniel behind his back. I didn’t ask for the information
, but I certainly hadn’t tried to change the subject. What was most comforting was how much of it I already knew. Daniel himself had told me most of what Polly said.

We wandered back to the gazebo where Daniel and Edward were watching us. Everyone had moved on from Prosecco to beer. As we reached the patio
, a worried look overtook Daniel’s face. I bent down to kiss him, hoping to reassure him that there was nothing to worry about—nothing Polly said had freaked me out. I could see him relax and I pulled my chair closer to him before I sat down.

Gwen let me help clear the empty plates from the table. It also gave us a little time for some one
-on-one time. While we were loading the dishwasher and putting the leftovers in the fridge, she quizzed me a bit about my job and my family, even whether or not I saw myself with children. I found myself being completely open with her. She probed in such a gentle, non-threatening way that I hardly noticed. By the end of our conversation she probably knew more about me than many people I’d known for years! Eventually Daniel came in to see what kept us and dragged us both back out to the garden.

Edward and Daniel continued to tease and bait each other, both reverting to the teenagers they would have been when they lived in this house. Gwen lovingly admonished them for their bickering and back and forth
, and their father just ignored it. They were such a genuinely happy family that it made me nostalgic for something I’d never had. My parents were not unhappy people, but neither were they as full of life as Daniel’s were. As an only child, and a girl, there was just a lot less noise in our house. Daniel’s life was charmed and in the nicest possible way. I envied him.

“So, I’ve not mentioned grandchildren for the entire afternoon
. I think I’ve been very contained, but Edward, are you ever going to get on with it?” Gwen suddenly blurted out and everyone laughed. But then her eyes shot to Daniel. “And don’t think I’m not going to come after you, too, Daniel.”

Daniel groaned
. “Mum, I spend a lot of time trying not to freak Leah out, and you go and say something like that? You are really not helping!”

I squeezed Daniel’s hand
. “It’s OK. I’m not freaking out.”

Daniel looked at me intently, trying to see if I was faking it. I laughed at him and looked away.

“Convince her to move in with me first, Mum.” Clearly Daniel saw an opportunity to push his luck.
I excused myself to the restroom. I needed to contain the anxiety that just hit me. Did he just suggest living with each other?

When I came out of the restroom, Daniel was waiting outside.

“Sorry, baby.” He looked at me sheepishly and pulled me into him.

“You don’t need to be sorry.”

“I don’t?”

“You don’t.”

“What? So ... what? Does that mean you’ll move in with me?” I laughed and pulled him closer to me.

“No, I’m not moving in with you
, Daniel. We’ve been seeing each other five minutes. But I’m not freaking out, either. So maybe one day.”

Daniel kissed the top of my head. “One day
,
soon
.” I laughed and we went back outside.

Daniel’s parents did their best to try and convince us to stay over until the following morning
, but I wanted Daniel to myself on our last evening together for three days and four long nights, and Daniel seemed to feel the same way. He promised his parents that we would stay on our next visit.

Daniel’s buoyant, playful mood continued all evening. We opened some wine when we got back and he put on Luther Vandross and made me dance with him. When we finally sunk into bed, we were both too hazy with wine and tired from a wonderful day to do anything but sleep.

Daniel made up for an evening without sex the next morning. Managing to awake before him, I quickly brushed my teeth and wiped off the mascara under my eyes. When I slipped back into bed, he kissed me from my forehead right down my body, not missing an inch of me. He turned me over and back, lifted one arm and then other, as if I were a science experiment.

When he was done I escaped from under him and pushed him back on the bed. I meant business and had no intention of wasting any one of the moments I had with him. I knelt between his legs and took him in my mouth, giving him the second blowjob of my life. When he’d come deep inside me
, I turned him over to his side toward me and let him sleep. After about half an hour of watching his shallow breath raise and lower his defined abs, I woke him, selfishly wanting him inside me before he left.

Despite my protestations
, Daniel left me with a key to his house. My plan was to pack up my things and head back to Anna’s once he left, but he insisted he give me a key anyway. He said it wasn’t just for while he was away—he wanted me to start feeling at home in his home. He showed me where he cleared out some space for my things in his wardrobes. It may have all been too much for me a couple of days ago, but the fact that he was leaving, even if only for a short time, somehow made it OK. I needed some kind of reassurance of his commitment to me.

Daniel’s driver was dropping him at the airport
, so after a thousand kisses and a million reassurances that we would speak each day, I peeled myself off him and pushed him out the door, standing on the step while I watched the car pull out.

I felt horrible as soon as I closed the door. A big lump of darkness at the pit of my stomach I went back upstairs and started to pack up my things. I hung up a dress I from my case in the wardrobe and fished out a pair of
flip-flops to leave beneath it. It was a start.

So I was ready to go. I could call myself a cab. It was the last thing I wanted to do so I climbed back into bed, and pulled Daniel’s pillow to me and breathed him in.

I awoke to my phone ringing. I can’t have been asleep very long. It was Daniel to say that he was all checked in and in the lounge. He asked me again if I would change my mind and come with him, and I assured him I wouldn’t and that I would see him on Thursday, which was really no time at all.

“Where are you, at Anna’s?”

I was embarrassed to admit I still hadn’t left, even though Daniel had really wanted me to stay.

“Err, no I took a little nap and have just woken up.”

Daniel laughed and told me again how he’d like me to stay at his.

“When you unpack at Anna’s
, make sure you check the inside pocket of your overnight bag.”

That sounded ominous.
“Why?”

“You’ll find out when you look!”

Of
course
I couldn’t wait. As soon as we said our goodbyes, I scrambled off the bed to investigate. My stomach turned over as my hand found a velvet box where Daniel had left it. All I could think was it was too big to be a ring box.

Opening the box I found the most beautiful bangle made up of three rows of diamonds. It was stunning. Immediately I tried it on.
Wow.
There was a note tucked in the top of the box. I took a deep breath. How was I going to accept this?

My beautiful Leah
,

Please wear this everyday so I can feel as if a part of me is with you always.

I love you.

Daniel

Well, I couldn’t refuse a request like that, could I? I was easily convinced. I slipped the beautiful bangle over my hand and reached for my phone. He would have turned his phone off by now, but I wanted to ensure he received my thank-you as soon as he landed. As I was typing my text Anna called. I promised to be there as soon as I could. We had a nice few days planned, starting with a night out.

Being with Anna kept me busy and my mind off the fact I was going to be without Daniel for four days. I needed to stop doing a constant countdown
, otherwise I was going to become one of those awful, needy girls who couldn’t be without their boyfriend for longer than five minutes. In reality, it might actually be too late to avoid that particular metamorphosis, but I needed to at least pretend otherwise in front of Anna.

Anna bought an array of pampering products for us to indulge in
, so we sat around for the rest of the afternoon with face packs on, catching up with what we had missed in each other’s lives in the last few weeks.

“So
, it seems really serious between you and Daniel.” Anna finally broached the subject she was clearly itching to address since we started talking. It wasn’t like her to beat around the bush.

“It feels serious.”
I started fiddling with my bracelet and then caught myself and stopped. “But I know what you’re going to say—it’s very soon after Charlie and it’s all happened so quickly—and I’m really conscious of all that, but I can’t seem to stop, to slow things down.”

“Actually I wasn’t going to say that, I think you probably started getting over Charlie before you split up
, and anyway, where’s the manual that tells you how long you are supposed to wait between relationships? But do you want to slow things down?”

“Honestly
, I don’t know if I want to or whether I feel I should. I feel OK, I feel like I’m over what I went through with Charlie, but I keep waiting for something to happen to prove me wrong.”

“I get that
, and I have a cure.” Anna stood up and started giggling. “Wine and a night out!”

I joined Anna in her giggles and nodded as she held up the bottle
, half-waiting for me to tell her we shouldn’t start drinking this early.

We
were having such a nice time catching up in the comfort of our dressing gowns that we almost didn't make it out of the flat. But about nine we did finally pile into a cab and head out for more drinks. Anna gave the cab directions to the club where one of her work colleagues was having their birthday drinks and my phone rang. It was Daniel.

“Hey, have you landed?”

“Yes, just in the car on the way to the hotel. Where are you?”

“Just heading to a party with Anna.”

“Well, you are clearly taking advantage of me being out of the country.” He sounded pissed off. I didn’t know what to say. “Where are you going?”

“Somewhere in
Shoreditch. I’m not quite sure where.” Now I was pissed off at having to explain myself.

“
OK, Leah, I have to go. Speak later.” And he hung up. Just like that. I was stunned. A feeling of nausea washed over me and the buzz from the wine completely disappeared. Bloody hell, he had no right to be pissed off at me going out when he wasn’t even in the country. What was his problem? Anna was busy chatting to the cab driver so hadn’t witnessed the exchange. I plastered a smile on my face determined to enjoy myself.

The party was absolutely packed when we arrived. It really wasn’t my scene
—too studenty for me—and it didn’t help that I felt stone-cold sober after the call with Daniel. After being introduced to 110 people, none of whose names I remembered, I found a place to sit and collapsed. My heels were killing me. I wondered how long I’d have to stick it out before I could tell Anna I was leaving. I watched her talking to a guy across the room. Anna didn’t really have a type, but I wouldn’t have expected her to give a second look to the guy she was talking to. He looked a bit older than a lot of the other partygoers and seemed almost like a biker. He certainly had tattoos on his arms and biker boots. He was stocky and a bit scary, but he was laughing at whatever Anna was saying, and she had her hand on his upper arm as she leaned in to him.

I felt myself rock toward the
center of the couch as someone sat beside me. I almost tipped my drink on myself.

“Sorry, did you spill anything?”
the twenty-something who was sitting a little bit too close for comfort asked as he steadied my arm.

“No, I’m good, thanks.”
I forced a smile at him and prayed he didn’t want to talk to me.

“I’m Andrew. What are you drinking? I can get you a
top-up.” Oh god, he
was
going to try and talk to me.

“Honestly, I’m fine, thank you though.” I tried to shift away from him without appearing rude. His leg was right up against mine and as he spoke to me he rubbed his leg up and down mine. I wasn’t sure if he was being deliberate.

“So who do you know here?” he asked.

At that moment someone tapped me on the shoulder
. “Miss Thompson, I have a call for you.” A very out-of-place burly guy handed me a phone.

“What the fuck are you doing
, Leah? I told you that no one was allowed to touch you.” As the voice bellowed into my ear, the realization rained down on me. It was Daniel on the phone.

I didn’t answer but got up from the sofa, with the intention of finding a quiet corner of the party to tell Daniel I thought he was a complete lunatic. How the hell did he find me here? Who gave me the phone? What was going on? Was he having me followed? The room went dizzy as my anger overtook me. Eventually I found myself outside.

“Leah! Answer me?” Daniel was shouting down the phone.

“I do not owe you an explanation. You do not own me. You are crazy. Leave me alone.” I hung up. The burly man who handed me the phone was beside me. Had he followed me in to the party?

“Can I drive you home Miss Thompson?”

“Who are you?” I spat.

“I’m part of Mr. Armitage’s security team. He was just concerned about you, that’s all. He asked me to keep an eye on you.”

“He asked you to spy on me
, you mean.”

“It’s not like that. He’s just protective.” I did want to leave the party and turning down a lift was cutting my nose off to spite my face.

“I need to tell Anna I’m leaving and see if she wants to come. I’ll be back down in a minute.” I didn’t want to spend another moment at the party. Not leaving just because Daniel’s driver was offering me a lift home seemed ridiculous.

“I’ll be here
, Miss.”

Anna and Biker Man were pressed up against each other when I got to them and whispering in each other’s ear. There was definitely heat there. After making Anna promise not to get a minicab home
, I went back outside to pick up my ride.

***

The movement of the car combined with far too much wine made me very sleepy and I lay my head back and felt myself drift off. Not fully asleep I heard the driver on the phone. He was clearly telling Daniel he was taking me home.

When I got in I got ready for bed straight away. I wondered whether I should try and speak to Daniel before going to bed. I shouldn’t have hung up on him. But he shouldn’t have me followed! Probably best to wait for the wine to wear off. He knew I was safe.

The next morning I woke just after 8. I’d forgotten to set my alarm. What a brilliant start to the week. That’s what happens when you go out on a Sunday night I guess. It served me right. I grabbed my phone to see if Daniel had texted or called last night. Nothing. New York was five hours behind so he would be fast asleep for a while yet.

Anna wasn’t home when I went to check to see if she was up. There was no way of telling whether she had been home and gone to work or never been home. I sent her a quick text

Are you OK? Please let me know. L

I got ready in a record 35 minutes
, which meant I shouldn’t be more than ten minutes late for work. Donning dark glasses, I made it out into the bright sunlight to find Daniel’s regular driver waiting for me.

“Hi
, Phil.”

“Good
morning, Miss Thompson. Are we going to your office?” There was no fighting this.

“I guess we are. Thanks
.”

As I settled myself in the back of Daniel’s car I grabbed my phone to text Daniel. A reply from Anna was waiting for me to say she had been back to the flat last night and was at work. I started my text to New York.

I’m sorry I hung up on you. We need to talk. Lx

My phone rang precisely three seconds after I pressed send on the text.

“Hey, stranger,” I answered.

“Hey stranger
, yourself.” It was lovely to hear his familiar voice. “I know I was completely over the top.” He sounded awful.

“I’m not going anywhere. But we should talk about this. Not now, I need to get to work and it’s silly o’clock where you are. You should go back to sleep.”

“I don’t sleep much when I’m here. I’m fine. Should I come back? I need to know we are OK.”

“No
, Daniel, please. We are fine, but we are working each other out and there are bound to be bumps in the road. Let’s just take a breath and talk tonight.”

“I’ll call you before my evening engagement. Are you in tonight?”

“Yes, you can call your security team off. I’m having a quiet night in. Sounds like you have something more interesting planned.”

“I just have a reception—a charity thing. I wish you were here to come with me.”

“I wish you were here. But I’ll see you Thursday. It’s only a few days.”

Last night’s drama put things in perspective. I might miss Daniel
, but his going away was a good thing. It was allowing me to get some perspective. We really had a long way to go in our relationship. The fact that a short separation was causing so much anxiety on both sides brought me up sharp, and made me realize that what we shared was so intense that we needed some normality if things were going to last and not burn out. And I wanted this to last; I didn’t want this to be a rebound thing.

I came back from getting some lunch to find a huge bouquet of white roses on my desk. They were beautiful but unnecessary. The card simply read
:

I’m sorry. Daniel x

When we spoke that evening things were a bit tense. I’d spent all day at his office and it felt like the place was stuffed to the gills with beautiful women. I found myself feeling intensely jealous and wondering whether or not Daniel flirted with them and whether they fantasized about being with him. They must do, they weren’t barren of all senses.

Of course I was completely hypocritical
criticizing Daniel for his overbearing behavior last night when if I had the resources I would happily pay to have someone ensure he wasn’t flirting with anyone while I wasn’t around. My mind knew it was a crazy way to think but I couldn’t bear the thought of another woman even looking at him. By the time I spoke to him that evening, I was angry at him for what he might do. The poor guy didn’t have a chance.

Daniel opened our discussion by repeating his apology of earlier in the day. I cut him off mid-sentence.

“You don’t need to apologize anymore. I get it.” I gave him a watered-down version of my jealous imaginings of the day. I heard him chuckle into the phone at various points.

“You know there’s no one I’m flirting with
, don’t you, Leah?”