Doubt (The Connected Series Book 1) (11 page)

“Did you have a good evening?” I ask him, running my hands along his spine. 

“Not really, I spent it waiting for you to text me. I gave up at 9.30pm and came here. I did some work and waited for you... About 11.30pm I heard you trying to open your door.... and
talking to your key.
” he lifts his head and laughs. “Mr. Key and Mrs Lock weren’t talking last night...”

I blush, everywhere and groan.

“Oh I did not start that crap...” I try to cover my eyes but he isn’t having any of it. He is enjoying my embarrassment. 

“You did. It was sort of funny.” he climbs off me, pulling me with him. 

“Shower then work.” he lifts me into his arms and into the bathroom. 

The shower washes last night’s adventures and this morning’s activities away, leaving me feeling refreshed and ready for a new day. 

“I have a dinner meeting tonight. Will I see you after?” I was brushing my hair, ready to leave for work. 

“I don’t know. I have no idea what time this shoot will finish.”

“I’d really like you to be there when I get back, could you come over after? Even if it’s just to sleep? I can have Alison make something easy for dinner so you don’t have to worry about cooking?” smiling at how he thinks of everything I nod.

“Yes. I’ll come over after I’ve finished.” 

“I’ll see you later then” kissing me once he makes his way out the door. 

“Have a good day” he calls closing my front door. 

***

Thursday and Friday pass in a blur. I finish so late on Friday, I call Doug to tell him I’m too tired to drive over to his. I will meet him for a late lunch tomorrow instead. He isn’t happy about it but he understands, having had a couple of drinks, he can’t drive over to mine either. He tries to tell me he can get a taxi, but after convincing him, I was just going to go straight to sleep when I got in, he relented. 

I wake up the next morning to a gloriously sunny day. Looking at the clock I see its 11am. Yawning and stretching I realise I best get up and ready to meet Doug. I shower and get ready before heading down to my car to go meet Doug. I love driving alone. I can sing as loud as I want, as badly as I want and for as long as I want, you just can’t do this when you have company.
Bluuuuuuuuuured liiiiiiiiines
. I park the car and have to resist the urge to play the song again, it just doesn’t get old.

Checking my face in the mirror I apply a little lip gloss, grab my bag and step out of the car. It’s an unusually hot afternoon in April and I am making the most of it by wearing one of my favourite summer dresses; a little turquoise flower number that comes to just above my knee with my denim jacket over the top. I was humming to myself as I walked the short distance to the cafe where I was meeting Doug for lunch when I bumped into someone.

“Whoa! Sorry!” I looked up and into the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes.

“No need to apologise.” he smirks. 

“Doug!” I half yell, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him. 

“You’re pleased to see me.” he kisses me back enthusiastically. 

“I’m always pleased to see you, why are you here?”

 “Hmmm, I was under the impression I was meeting you for lunch?” he scratches his head and frowns. 

“You are. I just mean... Oh it doesn’t matter. Shall we go have lunch?” I smile, grasping his hand. 

“Yes, I think we should.” He smiles. I swear to god, his smile could cause accidents. It is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen. 

“You look beautiful today, not that you don’t always look beautiful, but it’s nice to see some skin.” he raises his eye brows suggestively. 

“It’s nice to be able to show some skin, you know you have to make the most of it when the sun decides to show its face in this country.” I laugh.

Always the gentleman, he opens the door for me. We are greeted by a bubbly blonde waitress who can’t keep her eyes off of Doug.

“Table for...” she falters once she gets a good look at him.

“Two please. A table for two.” Doug answers smoothly flashing his knicker dropping smile at her.

I roll my eyes, even after months of witnessing this; it still never fails to make me laugh. Women literally stop being able to function around him. We are lead to a cute little booth by the window. 

“Thank you.” I smile at Little Miss Blonde.

“Can I get you both a drink?” She smiles, at Doug — not me — at Doug. 

“Can we have a few minutes to decide?” He looks at me and smiles. “I’m not sure what we’d like yet.” Why does what he is saying sound suggestive? 

“Of course,” Blondie smiles and turns to leave when she pauses, “Just let me know when you are ready.” Doug smiles and reaches over to take my hand.

“What would you like to drink beautiful?” his hand is slowly making circles on my palm. It is a simple act, but it sends shivers up my spine and heats where he touches.

“Are you cold?” he frowns noticing the shiver. 

“No.” I blush. He arches one perfect eyebrow at me and continues the circles making a path of them up to my wrist.

I realise I am staring at my hand in his and the fire is heating not only where he touches but somewhere deep down inside making me think of the last time we had lunch together here and how lunch was abandoned and we ended up...  

“Sophie...” Doug’s voice snaps me out of my daydream and I blush, “What were you thinking about?” he asks, his voice a little husky. 

“Um, what I want to drink...” I lie, unconvincingly.

“What drink could possible put
that
look on your face?” he smirks 

“A diet coke.” I smile, so glad he cannot read my thoughts.

“A diet coke it is then. What would you like to eat?”

I take my time looking at the menu as always, deciding what I would like takes time. I opt for a chicken caesar salad with no anchovies. I
hate
anchovies, why would I want to taste fish when I’m eating chicken? And don’t get me started on people who
claim
you cannot taste fish, it just tastes salty. What a load of crap. After we order, talk turns to this evening. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to get ready at mine? It makes sense if you are going to stay over?” Doug has a hopeful look on his face. 

“Yes, I am sure. I have everything at mine and I don’t get to spend enough time in my flat as it is; I want to get ready there. Can you still pick me up? I can leave my overnight bag in the car?”

“Of course I can still pick you up. What time shall I make it?” he clasps my hand again and smiles to make sure I know he is okay with this. 

“What time does it start?” I bring his hand to my mouth, kissing his knuckles. His eyes heat instantly. 

“Drinks are at 7.00pm” he coughs and fidgets in his seat. 

“So... shall we say 6pm?” I repeat my move, kissing his knuckles again and ever so slightly poking my tongue out to lick his thumb.

His eyes widen and glaze over, he looks like he might lunge over the table and fuck me right there in the middle of the lunchtime rush. 

“Caesar salad and BLT?” Blondie is back and looking directly at our joined hands.

“Yes...” Doug coughs “Thank you.” I try and fail not to laugh at the look on his face.

“Thank you very much.” I smile sweetly at Blondie.

“Can I get you anything else?” She asks with a fake smile plastered on her too orange face.

“I think we are good, thank you.” Doug replies, raising his eyebrow at me. I tuck into my salad to avoid his heated look.

“I know what you are doing...” his voice is low, husky. It sounds like sex.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” I smile trying to look incredulous that he would suggest I was up to something. 

“Of course not.” he growls “What was the lick all about?” He picks up his water and takes a sip, I think trying to cool himself down. 

“What lick?”

I look up at him from under my eyelashes and give him my best
‘I have no idea what you are talking about
’
look.

“You don’t fool me Sophie. I’m on to you.” He grins, “Just you wait...” he has a menacing look in his eyes and it makes me instantly wet. 

“I look forward to it...” 

We finish our lunch with no more licking and ask for the bill. This is where I find that having a boyfriend who is well established in his career can be a pain in the arse. You
cannot
pay for
anything
around him. Literally,
nothing
. I made the mistake of going shopping with him once and he somehow managed to work it so that it all got put on his credit card. I still have
no
idea how he did it, I handed over my card and I entered my pin. Anyway, he, of course, has to pay for lunch.

“You know, I can afford to pay for lunch, you don’t have to pay for everything” I scowl at him. 

“I know that, but I love treating you, can I not treat you?” And he does what I expect him to do, he flashes me his puppy dog eyes and his knicker melting smile and I can’t argue with him.

“Sure you can,” I roll my eyes and go to stand “I am just going to pop to the loo.” I kiss his cheek and make my way to the ladies.

When I come back out he still hasn’t paid.

“What is taking so long?” I jokingly moan. “Why don’t they want your money?” I laugh.

“The waitress said she will be right over.” he smiles.

“Why can’t we just pay at the counter like everyone else?” I roll my eyes.

“Because she said she would be right over.” he shrugs.

Of course she did. Does she want a tip? Or does she just want longer to ogle my boyfriend. Finally, Blondie comes over with the card machine and Doug opens his wallet to fish out a card, as he does, something falls out and floats its way to the floor, instinctively I crouch down to pick it up.

“I’ll get that!” Doug practically jumps out of his seat and almost pushes me over.

“Whoa! Calm down, I got it.” I laugh, picking up whatever it is.

“Here.” I go to hand it back to him but as I do I catch a glimpse of what it is. It’s a photograph of a woman and a child. 

“Who’s that?” I ask pulling it out of reach and taking a closer look.

The woman in the photo is beaming at the camera, snuggling the little girl, the child must be about four years old, with long dark brown hair, the bluest eyes I’ve only ever seen once before... and as I raise my head, they are looking right at me.

You know how in movies, everything goes into slow motion? Well, if this was a movie,
this
is when that would happen. Everything slows down, I can see Blondie pulling off the receipt and handing it back to Doug with his card, I can see both their mouths moving, but I can’t hear what they are saying. I’m not sure how long I have been standing there, picture in hand, just looking at Doug, but I guess it was only a few seconds, even though it felt like a year. 

Don’t people always say, and incidentally until now I thought it was utter bollocks, that time actually stood still. Well, now, it doesn’t seem so much like bollocks but reality. Without saying anything, I drop the photo and leave. Avoiding eye contact with everyone, almost like I think they all know what’s going on. Of course they don’t and that whole thought is irrational, but shock will do that to you and I am definitely in shock.

I walk out into the street and notice that the unusually warm weather seems to have vanished and the clouds are dark.
Shit
, I haven’t got an umbrella and it looks like it’s going to piss it down any minute. Do I make a run for it? While I stand there contemplating what to do Doug comes out of the cafe. 

“Sophie, please wait, I need to talk to you.” 

“I don’t need to talk to you Doug!” I go to cross the road when I am pulled backwards and into his arms. With his mouth close to my ear, his arms around my waist, he tries to soothe me.

“Sophie, it isn’t what you think, well maybe it is, please, please listen to me okay?”

He makes to let me go and I bolt across the road just as the heavens open.
Fuck
! I am dressed for summer and its freezing, I can’t help but notice the weather changed around about the time my mood did.
Fucker
. 

Chapter Ten

“Don’t walk away from me Sophie.” He is right behind me.

“Why should I stay Doug? You’ve obviously been lying to me!” I yell. It was starting to really rain now.

“If you just give me a minute to explain, I can tell you
everything
, I haven’t been lying to you; it just hasn’t been the right time to tell you!”

“
The right time
? When would the
right time
have been Doug? When we spent the weekend together? When we were at the club? Or when you were fucking me in your office?” I am yelling and well aware of people walking past us looking. I couldn’t care less. I am so mad. 

“Can you stop yelling!” He growls looking around “People are staring.” 

“I don’t give a shit if people are staring! Are you worried that everyone will know that Doug Roberts, the big shot, is a fucking liar?” I can’t just stand here, it’s getting me nowhere, I turn to walk away when he grabs my wrist.