October 2016

MARK

Two evenings later, I turn up at Zoe's armed with ice cream. She's in a good mood, bouncing around her kitchen and humming. Hopefully I'm not about to dampen her spirits.

"How's Ed?" she asks. "Is he back at his place yet?"

"He's with Jeremy tonight." I take the bowl she passes over to me. I'm not normally an ice cream fan, but Zoe loves it and I need to butter her up.

She curls up on the sofa next to me. "God, I can't imagine being so famous that people stalk my house. It must be violating."

"He handles it well most of the time. This last year has been big for him. He just needs to keep that layer of privacy in place."

With a sympathetic frown, she nods. "Your home should be your private space."

"Exactly."

"You can always stay at the hotel more. I just need notice, but if it helps then we can book regular slots for you."

I reach over to place my bowl on the coffee table. It's cluttered with remotes, magazines, mail and mismatched coasters, but I find a free spot.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," I say. "He's comfortable there, but we need something more permanent, and I can't ask you to give up your most expensive rooms on a long-term basis."

"Can't you?" Her lips quirk into a teasing smile.

"Learnt my lesson."

She chuckles and stirs her melting ice cream. "No, you're right. We can't take the premium suites away and only offer limited configuration options to customers. It won't fly with management. But... Maybe there's something else."

"Did you have something in mind?" I ask.

"Renovations on the east wing are nearly finished. It took longer than expected, and we were well over budget, so I'm guessing the bosses will want to recoup the investment as soon as possible."

"Could we bulk book there instead, then? I'm sure we could work something out where we pay a year in advance, and that would help the ROI."

At this point, Helen would sign anything off, especially if I put forwards a strong case for Ed's safety and mental health.

"So..." Hesitation clouds her face as she tucks one leg beneath her body and twists to face me. "I'm purely speaking hypothetically here, as obviously I would need to discuss with the powers that be first... But you say you want something more permanent, right?"

"Right."

"What if we could lease a floor to you? You'd pay a monthly rent, and that part of the hotel would be all yours 24/7 with nobody else allowed access."

Cogs in my head begin to spin. It's a fantastic idea. Her problem-solving and business acumen make me so proud to see how far she's come. Renting has its limitations, though I'm sure Zoe would try to be as flexible as possible.

Still, why not explore all possibilities?

"If we're talking hypotheticals," I say, "would purchasing be an option?"

"No idea." She quirks a smile at me. "Don't know how that would work legally, but I can ask."

"We could shoulder the costs for the remaining work, and that would give us the chance to make any changes we'd like as well."

Zoe gets that look in her eye. Excitement. Potential. I wish I could read her mind, but I almost don't need to. I bet she's thinking about how well this would reflect on her if she pulls it off. Could it even clinch that promotion? Second time's a charm—that's what she's clinging on to.

I wasn't kidding when I said we'd follow her anywhere, and turning our arrangement with The Portman into a more permanent one somewhat weakens that leverage. Still, she'd never want to play that card, and this is a more subtle way to show her value. Equally important is the safety factor it would bring to Ed. The stability.

He needs that right now.

"Let me check out the figures and do some maths," she says. "I'll need to know exactly what this would look like, and how it would benefit the hotel, if I'm to pitch it."

"Of course."

Maths was never her strong suit. The way she brings it up so casually now is a testament to how she's grown in experience and confidence. It's no longer an obstacle. It's an opportunity.

That sums up Zoe over the past few years—she's soaring. And if I'm not careful, I'll get left behind.

*

"Gym?" I toss a towel at Ed's horizontal figure on my sofa.

It lands on his face. With a lazy swipe, he pulls it off and lets it drop to the floor. His eyes flutter shut again, hands folded on his chest.

"Not in the mood."

My spine stiffens. "What's wrong?"

"Just need some time alone."

"Okay, well I'm not leaving you here alone. You'll start snooping through shit."

I'm trying to lighten his mood, something I only bother trying to do with two people in my life. Ed doesn't react, though.

Sighing, I sit down on the armchair opposite. "Come on, bud. What's the matter? Talk to me."

"I don't mean alone-alone," he replies, ignoring my question. "Just some privacy. You know, away from the public. I'm fine with you being here."

"Good, because this is my flat."

Still no reaction. I suspect it's his anxiety again. He doesn't want to be followed. The direct route isn't getting me anywhere, so I try a different tactic.

"Thought you'd be going stir crazy cooped up in here with me."

"Nah," comes his lazy reply. "You're a good flatmate. Can see why Zoe liked living with you."

Hm. So he's not so withdrawn that he can't crack a joke. Noted. Back to the direct approach it is.

"You need to go back to therapy, Ed."

"I'm fine. I just need some time."

"Time doesn't always heal everything. That's what professionals are for. These crowds, they're only going to get worse as you succeed more and more. Get a handle on it now and equip yourself for the future."

Finally, he cracks open an eye and glances across at me. "I don't want to go to the gym, not because of the crowds, but because they might follow us back here and then your place will be burned. I'm not willing to do that to you, Mark."

"I don't give a shit about that. And even if I did, I'm not a sentimental man. I could move places in a heartbeat."

I don't mention Zoe's offer, because nothing is confirmed yet and the last thing I want is for him to get his hopes up when he's already feeling vulnerable. But this only reinforces the need for something more permanent. If we do this properly, it could be the solution to so many problems.

"You shouldn't have to do that for me."

"It's my job. I couldn't care less where I live."

Well, that's a lie. After my time in the police, there are certain areas I couldn't be paid to live in. Luckily those would be nowhere near Ed's postcodes of choice. Sometimes his penchant for luxury comes in useful.

There's a sharp knock at the door. Ed almost tumbles off the sofa. His entire body clams up, eyes wide with panic.

"It's me," Jeremy calls from the corridor outside.

Relief replaces the fear rocketing through Ed's body. Sitting up, he scrapes a hand across his jaw. His eyes meet mine. Defeated, he nods.

"Fine. I'll book an appointment."

***

Thank you for reading :) xx

***

Back to Zoe's POV for the next couple of chapters, and they are spicy 🔥 If you don't want to wait, the full book is available via any of my Ream tiers. I'm also about to launch an early Black Friday sale for my two higher-priced tiers. That sale will be exclusively on Ream, so head over there and follow me (following is free!) if you're interested and then you'll be able to access the discount code once it's released. I'll drop the link in the inline comments.