Trace of Innocence (No Control Book 3)

Chapter 26

(No Control - 26. Night Changes)

We talk and laugh all through our starters, and as the waiter clears our plates Jess asks me what time we're flying out tomorrow.

"I think it's about 8.30," I reply.

"In the morning?"

"No, the evening. It got moved back. I'm getting picked up from home at 6."

"So how come you came back to London today?" she asks.

Oh fuck. Should I tell her I came back a day early for her? Does that sound lame?

I clear my throat nervously, stalling for time. I am so shit at lying, it isn't even worth trying.

"To take you out," I admit. "If you'd said no I would have stayed an extra night with my mum and driven down tomorrow morning."

"I'm flattered," she says, looking away, and I smile.

"Good. To be honest, I thought you were going to turn me down."

Oh for fuck's sake. Why is my mouth running away with me?

"Turn you down?" she repeats, shifting her gaze to look at me again.

Great, she's going to make me explain myself.

"Well, yeah," I mutter uncomfortably. "It kind of threw me a bit when you didn't text me after I put my number in your phone."

Understatement of the year.

I won't tell her I obsessed over it all week.

"I didn't even notice it," she admits. "Of course, you could have just asked me for my number..."

Yes, Jess, don't you think I haven't regretted being so uncool this whole time?

"It was a spur of the moment thing." I try and dig my way out of this. "And after I followed you on Twitter I thought you'd probably message me, but you didn't. I wasn't sure if you were interested or not."

I need to stop talking. And digging further.

"I didn't want to pester you," she says awkwardly, and a blush begins to creep up her face yet again as she continues. "You must get women throwing themselves at you daily. I wasn't expecting to hear from you again to be honest."

I'm not really surprised at her reasoning. I know I have a reputation for liking the ladies, but honestly, the majority of it is fabrication.

I smile at her. "You know how to keep a guy guessing. I like that."

"It's not intentional," she explains. "I just don't do clingy."

Music to my ears.

"I think I figured that out," I nod.

"So... So that picture you tweeted the other day of the spilt drink..." she begins and then trails off.

Hmmm. Looks like I wasn't the only one wondering what the other was thinking.

I grin at her. "It was the only way I could think of getting your attention. I thought if you reacted to it, I'd ask you out. If you ignored it, I'd have assumed you weren't interested."

"So it was aimed at me?" She's looking at me like she finds this unbelievable.

"Course it was," I tell her. "I just had to be a bit cryptic so no one else would understand."

She grins behind her champagne flute.

Our main courses arrive and to my surprise Jess asks the waiter for some water. Doesn't she like the champagne? I look over at her but don't want to embarrass her by asking.