Touch of Love (13 page)

Jake’s reassurance that everything was all right finally persuad
ed his parents to follow Laura’s lead. His mom would have lingered if not for the fact that both Adam and Jake prompted her to go and actually enjoy the party for a change.

Before she got the chance to do anything, a couple of elderly men came to join them,
quickly monopolizing David and Jake. Judging by their grins and pats on the backs, they were congratulating their newfound freedom, which was perfectly fine with Elly. She needed to have a word with Adam, and the sooner, the better. They had to figure out how to get themselves out of the impossible situation his aunt had put them into so easily. She could only hope he had some ideas.

‘What do you mean, we should play along?’

Elly
and Adam were sitting at one of the little tables placed strategically all over the huge garden. It was nestled under a huge linden tree, its canopy of heart-shaped bright-green leaves moving gently in the balmy breeze. It offered perfect privacy and shelter from curious eyes. Adam had insisted when she’d hesitated to follow his lead. She’d had enough of secrets and drama, and the previous twenty-four hours had drained her capability to handle stress.

‘This is the worst idea I’ve heard so far
.’ She sighed, massaging her aching temples with her fingertips.
Is it really only noon?
It felt as if days had passed since she’d stepped out onto the sun-splashed patio.

‘
Talk about boosting my ego.’ Adam had the audacity to grin, the golden sunlight playing peekaboo in his hair as it fell through the leaves. ‘Just hear me out, okay?’

‘I can’t even keep up with th
ese constant changes.’ She knew not all of it was his fault, but somehow, it felt easier to just blame him for everything. If she hadn’t happened to bump into him in the park, they would never have connected the way they had at the party the night before.

‘I came here to escape Brad, mostly.’ She looked up
at him, hoping to make him see how impossible the whole thing really was. ‘I was desperate to leave before my parents invited him in for a reconciliation dinner, which would happen, for sure. Jake was my only way out.’ She recalled her panic as she’d listened to her mother advising Brad to wait for the evening.
Damn, if they hadn’t been so pushy…

‘I didn’t sign up for the whole drama with all the bells and whistles,’
she added helplessly, her hands playing with a fallen leaf.

‘
Me neither.’ He paced restlessly around her, his face determined. ‘But here we are, for better or for worse. I know that you have no reason to trust me or to listen, especially after the ass I made of myself last night.’

She started to protest, but h
e stopped her with a pleading gesture, obviously eager to get whatever bothered him off his chest.

‘
Seriously, I did mess things up. I know that now.’

She was getting used to his honesty. Unlike Brad, who always had the perfect, smooth answer, Adam didn’t seem to care much for
pretense.

‘I kind of didn’t want us to lose each other after the weekend.’ He shrugged, his crooked smile tugging at her heartstrings. ‘I thought we had something amazing and wasn’t ready to just move on and forget it.’ He came to stand in front of her, looking into her eyes with intensity that
made it impossible to hold his gaze.

‘
Don’t worry, I’m not looking for a long-term relationship.’ She realized he’d misunderstood her expression. A note of defiance crept into his voice. ‘Just explaining what I felt, that’s all.’

‘
How will it help us with this mess right now?’
Don’t dwell on his words too long,
she implored herself.
Concentrate on here and now, period.
‘We can’t go on pretending we’re involved, Adam. That’s a lie on top of other lies, making it a high pile of them. Do you know what happens when the pile grows too high? It topples over.’

‘
Nice.’ He looked pleasantly impressed. ‘I can see it worked into an ad campaign of some sort.’

Elly
could have gnashed her teeth with frustration.

‘Aunt Laura never
should’ve involved you, I agree.’ He sighed, finally getting serious. ‘She likes to play God sometimes, which is a lame excuse, I know. But she did, and I think that it could be a blessing in disguise.’

‘How so?’
She just could see the headlines describing her as the next gold digger trying to catch the new boss of one of the more lucrative networks. They would probably dig up dirt about her failed relationship, as well. Those pesky paparazzi could work magic and find out stuff that made the story just a notch more exciting. She didn’t want to provide them with any headlines.

‘Well, you
, for one, can distance yourself from your fiancé.’ He smiled when she grimaced at the mention of Brad. The involuntarily reaction made her feel childish and petty. Yet somehow, Adam approved. ‘I get Bianca off my back for good. I’m not in the mood to look for a real replacement anytime soon, as you can imagine. The press would leave me alone if the speculations about my love life came to a standstill. And as my aunt said, you’d probably prefer to be linked to me than considered a screen for Jake’s sexuality, now that the cat’s out of the bag.’

‘I really have a hard time
believing that our short outing together would be enough to blow the story out of proportion.’ She shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. ‘Do you really think they would go to the trouble of spinning a whole story about Jake and me after just one party together?’

‘Probably
.’ He nodded with a wry smile. ‘From personal experience, being objective isn’t at the top of their priorities list. Entertainment needs drama, the more, the better. Sure, it would die down soon, but would you really like to be dragged down with the rest of my family?’

‘
That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?’ She could feel her mouth turn sour as the sudden realization about why he was so insistent on her playing along hit her full force. If she refused to cooperate, both he and Jake would be exposed as liars. The press would just love it.

‘
You’re worried about yourself, Adam.’ Saying those words hurt so much—probably because he was the only completely honest person in her world. The thought of losing this precious sense of safety was very disappointing. She wanted him to be her rock, to bring back her trust in the people around her. She needed him to be real, if only to make the rest of the messed-up, fake world bearable.

‘You don’t want to have to deal with the repercussions if we don’t get together
, and there will be questions needing answers. Isn’t that so?’ She pressed on, watching him run a hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture. She was right on the spot, obviously.

‘Sure
, it would make it difficult, Ells.’

Why
does he keep calling me that?
It brought in a sense of exclusive intimacy that was absolutely redundant, given the circumstances.

‘I’d
be lying if I denied it. But I’m not trying to talk you into something that would be beneficial for just my family and me. As I said, it’s a mutual gain.’

She thought
he was being honest, and jubilant joy flooded her thoughts for a short moment. The cards were on the table, in full sight. The choice to play her hand or leave it lying there was hers and hers alone.

‘What
kind of time frame are we talking about?’ She felt herself soften, his smile telling her that he noticed it, too. But then again, was there anything he didn’t notice?

‘I
’m leaving for Singapore next month.’

She kept her eyes
on the bark of the old linden tree; its silvery hide was speckled with sunlight.
Don’t look at him,
she commanded herself,
not when you feel so ridiculously disappointed. He’s leaving… so what?
It was for the best, anyway.

‘
It’s not official yet, so don’t go telling it to anyone just now.’ Adam sat down, flexing the dark fabric of his pants against his long, powerful legs. She remembered his legs intertwined with hers, warm and alive with passion that ignited her into a flame of pure desire.

Not a good idea to go there, either.
She looked up at his face, her cheeks warming as she realized he was watching her, probably knowing very well what she was thinking. A sudden flicker of fire in the depth of his eyes betrayed him instantaneously, and her stomach tightened in delicious fear. He remembered it, too.

‘I
’ll be supervising the merger of one of our networks with the Southeast Asian market.’ He cleared his throat, making an effort to remain focused. ‘Change of plans from the honeymoon I’d had booked for Kerala beach.’ The light teasing tone didn’t fool her for a second.

‘
So it’s about a month?’ she pressed on, eager to get back to the reality of their lives.

‘
Five weeks, give or take.’ He nodded, his eyes serious. ‘I will be gone for at least three months afterward, setting up the project. That’s enough time for the dust to settle and make it plausible why our relationship isn’t working. Nobody will be surprised to find out we couldn’t make it work long distance…’

T
he bitter note in his voice stirred something deep inside her, unknown and yet too powerful to be dismissed. The rebellious thought was born of stubbornness and pride, for sure. She wanted to tell him that some long distance relationships worked very well. That as long as people were committed, they would find a way to stay together, no matter the miles. He had no reason to sound so bitter and wise, she wanted to tell him, annoyed by his jaded attitude. She couldn’t do it, of course. He would think she was referring to their relationship, which hadn’t existed in the first place, with them sitting there like generals drawing battle plans for ally armies.

‘
You could still come and visit.’ He teased, his face smooth and calm. ‘I mean, I’d definitely owe you a vacation, at least. Strictly on friendly terms, of course…’

‘I
’m more worried about those five weeks.’ She ignored his offer, guessing he wasn’t serious. He would be happy to be free and alone. The mysterious Orient had enough distractions for him to forget the mundane of their lives here. She could almost see them—slim, dark-haired girls with deep-brown eyes and soft hands, their silk dresses offering just a tantalizing glimpse of slender calves and ankles. He would have company in Asia.

‘
Don’t.’ He leaned forward, wrapping his fingers around her limp hand for a few seconds. ‘It won’t be that hard, I promise. It’s not like we’re about to get married, Ells. Just some casual dating with getting out and about for a few events. Would you feel better if we drew up a contract?’ A ghost of a smile played around his mouth, making her blush in involuntary response.

‘That won’t be necessary
.’ She sounded all prim and proper to her own ears. ‘I trust you.’ The moment she said it out loud, it truly hit her, knocking the air from her lungs for a brief moment. She trusted him more than other people she had known for much longer and more intimately.

‘Ditto
.’ He watched her with intensity so disturbing that it made holding his gaze difficult. She could feel with her sixth sense that he was trying to look all the way into the innermost core of her mind, searching for answers.

‘You don’t need to worry,’ he said finally, his voice firm and very finite. ‘I know w
e’ll make it work. There was a reason for you appearing in that park, just as I thought my world had come crushing down to bury me for good. You might be my personal salvation, over and over again.’ His lips stretched into a little smile. ‘Everything happens for a reason, don’t you know?’

I do.
Her whole body tensed with a sudden premonition. She was afraid of what would happen next. Dating Adam Scott could prove to be the biggest mistake of her life after all.

Three weeks later

‘Oh my God! Why didn’t you say anything earlier?’ Openmouthed, Jess stared at Elly from across the table, her eyes as round and huge as saucers. ‘Did I really need to pick up this to figure out what’s going on?’

S
he snatched up a glossy magazine, nimbly opening it on the proper page with speed that would make an Olympic sprinter jealous. She smoothed out the paper, then jabbed one accusing finger at a photo. ‘It is you, isn’t it?’

Elly
wished she could say it wasn’t her. She would have loved to tell her friend that she had no idea what she was talking about. She wanted to change the topic to anything else—anything at all, even the fact that the coffee they had ordered with their lunch was very bitter and very weak. It might distract Jess for long enough to forget the whole hubbub.

But
she could see herself very clearly in the snapshot of her and Adam on his motorcycle. It glared at her from the pages of the trashy magazine.
Must have been taken when we were going to the beach,
she thought absentmindedly as the spread jogged her memory. She could almost feel the heat of the sun on her skin, her fingers recalling the firmness of his waist as she held on to him, her body pressed against the curve of his back.

‘You never mentioned anything,’ Jess wailed, pulling
Elly out of her thoughts. ‘I thought we were friends…’

She had to do some damage control.
‘We are.’
Still, you have the biggest mouth ever,
she felt tempted to add as she watched Jess’s eager gaze return to the open pages.

‘I didn’t know you were a biker chick
.’ Her smile saucy, her friend looked up again, ready to make up.

Elly
knew Jess wouldn’t be able to stand the silence much longer, with so many details yet to be discussed.

‘I
definitely am not.’ Elly smiled back reluctantly. She wasn’t into bikes, at all. Only Adam’s cajoling had finally broken her resistance. To her surprise, she had actually enjoyed it. The fresh breeze and sense of freedom filled her with joy she didn’t even try to hide.

‘
So it’s you and Adam Scott?’ The short reprieve was over. Jess’s determined face signaled that she was back to business. ‘Did it start at this party you went to with Jake? You came back totally flustered, I remember.’ At the time, Jess was just leaving for a short trip, so Elly had been spared the interrogation.

She remembered the weekend with vivid detail.
Was it really only three weeks ago?
It felt like a lifetime ago. She nodded cautiously under her friend’s ministration. She had to be very careful not to say too much. The truth about her relationship with Adam would be too much of a shocker. Adam had advised her to stick to the few simple facts without going into too many details. So far, it worked pretty well, and their casual dating had been picked up by the press like hot buns.

‘We enjoy each other’s company
.’ Her words sounded just as shallow and pompous as she’d feared. She didn’t know how to describe what had happened. The truth wouldn’t do. Jess would probably burst out laughing, thinking she was joking. Elly was not the type of person to behave with such reckless abandonment.

‘I’ll say
.’ Jess glanced at the photos yet again. Her tone was very wry when she continued, ‘You’re clinging to him like he is the only man in the world, sweetheart. You fell for him very hard, didn’t you?’

‘I was terrified I’d fall off his bike
.’ Elly’s cheeks warmed with embarrassment.
What’s Jess blabbering about?
Elly grabbed the magazine, her eyes critical and assessing.
I wasn’t ‘clinging’ to Adam, just holding to his waist like he’d told her to.
The sitting arrangements had required closeness, nothing more. She didn’t want to think about the pleasure of discovering the taut planes of his stomach under her fingertips or the way her heart leapt to life when he took her hesitating palms and pressed them tighter around his waist. ‘So you don’t fall off,’ he explained, a little smile playing around the corners of his mouth. With his tanned face, dark stubble, and white teeth, he looked very dangerous and heart-stoppingly beautiful. She couldn’t think of any other word to describe him. The pure beauty of his masculine features still amazed her every single day.

‘He is darn
good-looking.’ Her appreciative gaze still on the photos, Jess was oblivious to Elly’s inner struggle. ‘A bit aloof and reserved, but sooo hot.’

She wasn’t sure which bothered her more: her friend drool
ing over Adam or the way she described him.

‘He isn’t
reserved at all.’ He didn’t need her rescuing, Elly reminded herself, managing to remain silent before she made an even bigger ass of herself. She was talking to Jess, after all. The last thing she needed was for her friend to start putting two and two together. ‘You know how it is with those pictures, Jess. They never really show the reality, just what people want to see.’

‘I don’t know what it’s like, thank you very much.’
Jess rewarded Elly with a cheeky smile. ‘Not all of us mingle with the rich and powerful, darling. Which brings me to my next question. How is he in bed?’

Well,
I should have expected that. It was a good run anyway.

‘
We’re taking it slow.’ She braced herself for a storm. A statement like that was bound to rattle her friend just as hard as if she’d admitted to murder.

Suddenly
, her phone rang, just as Jess took a big breath, probably getting ready to flood her with well-meant advice.

Speak
of the devil…

‘Yes?’
God, I sound breathless.
She swallowed hard and tried again, calmer this time. ‘Hi. How is it going?’

‘Good
.’ He sounded subdued; the smile that usually accompanied his voice was missing. ‘Listen, just wanted to let you know, I have to cancel our plans for tonight. Got swamped with work, even worse than usual.’

‘That’s fine
. No problem.’ She caught herself stretching her face into a smile that was beginning to be painful. Trying to keep her response short and positive, she added, her voice bright and perky, ‘I’ve got a lot of work, as well, so it evens out pretty well.’

‘
Thought so.’ There was no relief in his tone, which surprised her. Instead, she’d heard something dangerously close to accusation. She was trying to make it easy for him. He had no reason to sound so… resigned. But he was in his office, working his butt off and probably dealing with ten people at the same time, she told herself firmly, embarrassed with her own selfishness. He had every right to sound tired.

Only
after she’d ended the call and put her phone back in her bag did she realize how disappointed she felt by this change of plans. They were supposed to go to a barbecue with some of his friends and maybe have a glass of wine or two. She hated to admit it, but she liked his friends, at least those she’d met so far. They accepted her into their circle without any judgment, making her feel like a total fraud. She wasn’t sure how many of them knew the real reason for her sudden romance with Adam, but she’d decided not to ask for details. The less she knew, the better. The thought had become her mantra over the last three weeks, teaching her that she needed to keep her distance if she wanted to walk away with her head high. Being with Adam proved dangerously easy, and she’d come to enjoy their time together more and more. And she’d started to look forward to it. She wasn’t lying about the lack of sexual undercurrent, either. Adam had never again tried to bring up the topic of friendship with benefits, not even jokingly. As if it had never happened, he was friendly, funny, and unnervingly uninterested in anything beyond the boundaries she’d so adamantly set.

‘Well, he’s stuck in the office,’ she mumbled, swallowing the disappointment
, refusing to let Jess see how much she’d been looking forward to the evening. She didn’t need to. She had underestimated her friend’s bloodhound-like ability to read clues, especially when they involved handsome men.

‘Are you sure?’
Jess asked, her round eyes serious.

‘
Of course.’ Elly smiled, surprised. ‘He just told me so right now.’

‘I didn’t mean th
at part.’ Jess shook her head in disapproval. ‘The fact he said he’d be there doesn’t mean by a long shot it’s true. I’d think you’d figured that out by now.’

She thought about Brad.

‘I trust Adam,’ she said quietly, determined not to sound angry. She didn’t need Jess teasing her even more. ‘If he says he’s working, then he is. Why would he lie about that?’

‘Duh, maybe because you guys are taking it slow?’ Jess grimaced as if she were talking to a particularly slow child. ‘
Maybe he’s tired of waiting for you to sleep with him and wants to find it somewhere else?’

Leave
it to Jess to drag everything into the dirt,
she thought angrily, her fingers shaking lightly as she lifted her cup and finished off the last sip of coffee. It was cold and impossibly bitter; her body shuddered in response to the vile taste. Suddenly, she couldn’t stand the conversation any longer. She glanced around, noticing the generic watercolors decorating the pale-yellow walls, their faded colors doing little to liven up the space. The furniture was old, too; the upholstery of the chairs looked tired and frazzled. When the waiter brought their food, the vegetable risotto she’d ordered looked almost too beautiful to eat. Elly was thankful Jess got distracted by her own plate of pasta.

Elly
really tried to enjoy her meal. It looked great and smelled even better. She desperately tried to resurrect the hunger that had made her mouth water only half an hour before. She’d been starving when they sat down. So where had the sense of anticipation and happiness gone?

The food on her plate
had lost its appeal, but she picked up her fork, determined to finish it as soon as possible and leave. Only she couldn’t do it. She fought the urge to gag for a moment, not ready to give up quite so quickly. It was a losing battle, however. She chewed her food slowly, grateful for her wine. She wished the waiter had left the bottle when she’d drained her glass.

‘Look, Jess, I really meant what I said earlier, about my work
.’ She’d had enough, she decided. Better to talk about something relatively safe than get drunk, which would probably happen if she had to listen to Jess’s chatter. ‘I hope you won’t mind if I cut this here a bit shorter and run to the agency.’ She was a horrible liar, and she knew it. She waited for her friend to call her bluff and was surprised to find that it didn’t happen. Maybe three weeks of faking a relationship had sharpened her skills?
Yet another benefit of ‘dating’ Adam…

She tried to forget the whole thing and
immerse herself in her work for the rest of the day. Since she wouldn’t be going out with Adam, there was no need to rush home. She finished her project for the day, even taking the time to start on her load for the next day. By eight o’clock, she couldn’t pretend anymore. She was stalling, and she knew it. Keeping busy was simply distracting her from the diabolical little voice that had whispered in her head ever since Jess had brought up the topic of trust.
Was Adam really busy? Or was Jess onto something?
He had no need to lie to her. Jess had no way of knowing, but given their circumstances, Adam certainly didn’t need to feel obliged to fill her in on his life, which made lies unnecessary. They had another two weeks or so, and then they would part ways, probably for good. She might receive an occasional phone call or a card, his strong, unmistakable hand scribbling a few meaningless words for her.
‘Singapore is great.’
She could almost see it, her eyes burning with stubborn tears.
‘Having lots of fun, Adam.’
There wouldn’t be more, probably. What else was there to say?

She grabbed her bag, her impatience making her clumsy
. It crashed to the ground, spilling its contents all over the carpeted floor. She swore softly, kneeling to fix the mess. Thank goodness she was the last person there, with no one to witness her meltdown, because she could feel the tears escaping from under her eyelids, despite her best efforts to keep calm. She looked at the items of her life, spread out on the cream-colored floor. The wallet, her car keys, her pocket mirror, her phone… just a handful of things, nothing more. And yet they seemed to represent everything else. The chaos on the ground easily translated into something much deeper and more sinister. She was a mess. She cried softly, giving up on the failed attempts to keep it together. Her life was a mess, and the futility of the last few weeks came crashing down to bury her under its rubble.

Blinking away the tears, she gathered her stuff. There was no way she
would sit there, sobbing like a pathetic loser. She was strong, and she could get over it, just the way she’d gotten over Brad.
But this is different,
a voice in her ear whispered, refusing to be silenced. Her relationship with Brad had been deteriorating for quite some time. Only her absolute refusal to face the truth had kept it alive for as long as it had lasted. In a way, Lucy had done Elly a favor by speeding up the process.