“There’s the aristocrat.” Mrs. Angelini smiled.
My palms were sweaty as I walked over to open the door for Leo.
Mrs. Angelini had seemed surprised that I’d invited the Brit across the bay to her birthday, but she didn’t question my sudden change of heart. I think the situation entertained her, to be honest—and that was without me divulging what had happened in the supermarket parking lot.
Leo stood behind a massive bouquet of flowers. In his other hand, he held a bottle of Fireball.
“Hey,” I said.
He moved the flowers out of the way so I could catch his beautiful smile. “Good evening, gorgeous.”
I stepped aside. “Come in.”
Mrs. Angelini came up behind me. “Hello, Leo.”
“You must be Mrs. Angelini. It’s lovely to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“Happy birthday.” He handed her the flowers and the alcohol. “These are for you.”
“Flowers and Fireball? Truly a man after my own heart. And I suspect a little bird helped you with the choice of liquor.”
“Indeed.” He smiled over at me.
“Well, that was amazingly generous. Thank you. My three favorite things start with F: flowers, Fireball, and Felicity.”
“I think we share the last one in common.” He grinned.
Damn him and his charm.
Mrs. Angelini went to put the flowers in the kitchen, leaving us alone in the living room. His eyes fell to my lips. I suspected he was still thinking about our parking lot kiss. I certainly hadn’t been able to think of much else.
The doorbell rang again, giving me a moment to escape the tension as I answered it. The pizza delivery man removed two large pies from his insulated carrier. I handed him a tip and closed the door.
“What can I do? Put me to work,” Leo said.
“Everything is all taken care of. The table is set. The pizza is hot. We can just eat. I made a salad, too.”
The three of us sat down to dinner. Despite my nerves, I had a pretty big appetite, devouring three slices of pizza and a heaping bowl of salad. The red wine I was drinking helped relax me as the evening wore on.
Leo spent a good portion of dinner answering Mrs. Angelini’s questions about England. He seemed comfortable talking to her, though I knew going into the details of his life in the aristocracy wasn’t something he loved to do. But Mrs. Angelini always made you feel like she understood where you were coming from. She never made assumptions about people just because her personal experiences were different. I think Leo could sense that about her, and it made him more comfortable.
At one point, Mrs. Angelini changed the subject.
“How’s the fundraiser for Mrs. Barbosa going?” she asked me.
“I’m not sure we’re gonna hit the goal this summer. We’re debating starting anyway, but then we run the risk of leaving it incomplete.”
“What’s this?” Leo asked, looking between us.
“Felicity is trying to raise money for a local woman who fosters a few kids. Her house is very small, so Felicity thought it would be a good idea to try to help her build an addition.”
“What’s your goal?” he asked me.
“Thirty grand. We’ve raised about twenty since I started the campaign last year.”
He looked a bit confused. “Thirty grand sounds low for an addition to a house.”
“Well, it’s technically a garage renovation. The structure is already there. One of her kids has autism. So once we raise the money, two others and I are going to redo that space and have it insulated. Her foster son is Theo. It will be where he does his therapies and has some sensory equipment. Apparently, it gets too noisy in the main house, and it’s hard for him to calm down and focus. So, it’s not like a true addition, more like a glorified shed with electricity and heat.”
“That’s amazing of you to want to do that. Who’s doing the work?”
“It’s cheaper if we do it ourselves, but we’re going to have to hire out for the plumbing and electricity.”
“Who’s we exactly?” he asked.
“Well, me and a couple friends from high school.”
“But you’ve raised enough to get started?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
“I would love to help while I’m here.”
“Are you handy?”
He arched a brow. “Do I give off a vibe that I wouldn’t be?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“My father put me to work a lot on our properties. And I actually helped build a small structure in Tanzania on a volunteer mission. So yeah, I’d love to help.”
Accepting his help meant committing to spending regular time with him. That was risky, but how could I refuse?
“Well, that would be great.”
“Good, then.” He smiled. “I’d also like to contribute to the fundraiser.”
“Don’t feel obligated.”
“I don’t. I’d just like to.”
“Okay. I’ll text you the information.”
“Thank you.”
Opening my phone, I scrolled down to his name and sent him a link to the fundraising page I’d created.
Then I stood. “I’m going to go set up the cake.”
He stood from his chair. “Let me help you.”
“No. Please. Stay and finish your drink.”
After I went into the kitchen, I took the box out of the fridge and set the cake on a large, round plate. I opened the package of candles and placed them around the edges. I could hear Mrs. Angelini and Leo laughing in the dining room.
A few minutes later, Mrs. Angelini snuck up behind me. “He’s adorable,” she whispered.
“And dangerous…”
“Because he’s leaving, yes. But that doesn’t make him any less adorable.”
“I’m trying not to overthink things right now.”
“You absolutely shouldn’t.”
Blowing a breath out, I carried the cake into the dining room.
We sang “Happy Birthday” and spent the next several minutes devouring our generous slices of cake.
Leo reached his hand to the corner of my mouth at one point, causing me to flinch.
“Sorry to have startled you. You had some whipped cream on your face.”
Licking the edge of my lips, I said, “Thank you.”
Mrs. Angelini smirked. I knew what she was thinking. It was the same thing I was: I was completely screwed.
* * *
Leo
Track 9: “Shout Out to My Ex” by Little Mix
Felicity insisted on taking our dishes to the kitchen. She wouldn’t let me help, and I didn’t push the issue because I suspected she needed a breather. The intensity between us that had spiraled in the carpark today hadn’t waned in the least. I knew I made her nervous. I only hoped that was because she liked me and didn’t know what to do with those feelings. I didn’t know what to do with all of this, either.
Our kiss earlier today had knocked me on my arse. I’d replayed it every second of the afternoon. And now that I was here with her, the need for a repeat felt even more urgent than I’d anticipated.