The Age of Love (Book #1)

39. And Now That He's Here?

I'm not on my A-game and it's still not coming out how I wanted it. I decided to post it anyway, not delay another day.

Madison nearly ran to her section trying to avoid any suspicious eye contact, she was panting by the time she reached the back room of the bar.

Why didn't he tell her anything? What sort of sick surprise was this?

"Maddie!"

Madison jumps to sound of Katinka's voice and her hand on her shoulder.

"Jesus Kat, don't scare me like that."

"Correct me if I'm absurdly wrong but isn't that fancy british pants from yesterday?? The one who drove you home??"

Madison contemplated lying to her but she figured it would be worse, Katinka had to be really stupid to believe it.

"Yes." She pleaded. "Kat, please, please, don't tell anyone. I swear I didn't know any of this and I'm begging you to talk to Johan. Word can't spread or else I'm fucked."

"I can tell you didn't." Katinka says sweetly. "And don't worry I will, like who's british pants? No fucking clue."

Madison squeezes her in a tight hug thanking the silly blonde girl.

"Ok now let me go! I'll have a word with Johan and I need to meet british lad at his office, he might be pretty but we don't know what he's like as a boss."

"What does he want with you?" She asked abruptly, quickly rephrasing. "I mean, do you know what he wants to discuss?"

"Mads are you jealous?" Kat shoots her a daredevil smile.

"No."

A little? A tiny bit?

(...)

"What the hell?" She asked in syllables, barging in his office at 7pm.

"That's not a very nice way to say hello." He joked, relaxing his arms while sitting behind the desk.

"Hiro, all jokes aside what are you doing?" She'd waited all day to ask this persisting knocking question on her mind. "I waited till the last shift to come see you, I mean if anyone knows we're..."

"Friends?" He calmly suggested. "That's all anyone needs to know."

She leaned against his desk, biting her lip, processing his words – It was an easy solution, so why was she so stressed? – Madison chuckled. Did she actually think that kiss meant anything?

"For what it's worth you are Julia's adopted cousin, just, no more surprises."

"Why are you whispering? It's 7pm, everyone's gone." Hiro points out amused.

"Walls have ears and this hotel has probably six hundred of them."

"Relax, look, I bet you 10 quid there's not a living soul outside." He says too confidently standing up from his desk, walking to the door.

"Hiro I'm not betting money with yo –"

"HELLOOO.. IS ANYONE THERE? ANY-ONE?"

Madison rushes crashing into him, covering his mouth with one hand and the other placed behind his neck. Hiro moved his lips underneath her palm placing a faint kiss, playfully distracting her.

She removed her palm just enough to let him speak, revealing that grin, that marvelous, irresistible grin.

"Is that why you waited 2 and a half hours after your shift to come see me? Were you afraid someone might hear we kissed last night?" It was hard keeping a straight face when he was always so charismatic.