“That’s why you have to go on a date with him, Penny. To find out if there’s anything more than skin deep!” He winks. “And I take it he has a hot Scottish brrrrrogue?”
“A what-now?”
“An accent. Och aye the noo, lassie, ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and all that?”
I grimace at his terrible Scottish impersonation. “Not like that, but yes, sometimes I had to listen a few times before I understood what he was saying! It sounds like he’s speaking another language sometimes, but I like it.”
“Oh, it’s so romantic!”
“Don’t jump the gun—he hasn’t actually called or messaged me yet.”
“He will.”
“How do you know?”
“I just have this gut feeling. Aw, Pen, I’m super happy for you.”
I nod. “Don’t talk about it once we get back to my house, though.”
“Why not? I bet your mum and dad would be happy too that you’ve met someone else and won’t be moping around anymore.”
“OK, one—this is hardly a relationship—he just asked for my number! And two—Sadie Lee and Bella are at my house.”
“What? Why? Is—”
“He’s not back,” I say quickly. “Sadie Lee’s going to be doing the catering for the Scottish wedding in a couple of weeks.”
“And are you happy with that?” he asks, immediately able to read me like an open book.
“Of course I am! I love Sadie Lee and Bella!”
“But . . .”
I sigh. “But . . . it just makes me think of him even more. And worry about him. And wonder what he’s up to . . .”
“I know. But now you have Project Callum and Project Drama Student to keep you focused.”
“I can only hope. When is Alex back?”
“Should be later this morning, thank goodness!”
“Want to invite him over? You guys can help me babysit Bella.”
“Sounds good. Although we’ll probably hear my parents’ screaming match through your walls. Might have to blare out that cheesy nineties album you keep next to your bed.”
“Hey, nobody can resist a bit of Spice Girls on a dreary autumn evening. Don’t worry, I have an idea for something we can do later that’ll get us out of the house again.”
Elliot nods, but suddenly he looks so miserable again. I bite my bottom lip. “Oh, Elliot, what are you going to do?”
He shrugs. “It’s not up to me. It’s up to them. I’m just on a countdown until I can get out of there for real.”
• • •
We end up back at the house just before eleven, where we’re in time for Elliot to have his own reunion with Sadie Lee.
“Oh, honey, we’ll have to have a proper catch-up soon—you need to tell me all about your internship. Maybe one day you can come out to New York? You’ll always have a room at my house.”
Elliot’s eyes sparkle—but this time with tears of joy rather than sorrow. “Really? New York is, like, the DREAM. I’ll be like Heidi Klum on Project Runway—auf Wiedersehen !”
“Perfect! Now, we’ve got to fly. Ready, Rob? OK, Dahlia?” she asks my mum and dad. “It’s down to business for Dahlia and me, but we’ll have lots of time very soon.” Mum and Sadie Lee leave in a whirlwind of kisses and hugs, Dad lugging his golf clubs in tow for his weekend game.
When everyone has gone, I lean down on my knees. “So, Bella, do you want to see where dragons live in Brighton?”
Chapter Ten
“I can’t believe I’ve lived in Brighton all my life and never been here!” exclaims Elliot, his neck tilted up to the ceiling.
We’ve come to the Brighton Pavilion, a beautiful—but strange—former royal residence in the heart of Brighton and one of the most interesting buildings in the entire city. I remember visiting with my parents when I was a child, so I thought it would be the perfect place to take Bella, but I’d forgotten just how awe-inspiring it was. I used to call it the Mr. Whippy palace, because its white domes reminded me of ice cream.
It’s so strange how you can become oblivious to the amazing places that exist in your own backyard. Brighton has always been my home, and there is so much about it that I take for granted. I make a silent vow to appreciate my hometown more often.
“Did you know this used to be a military hospital in the First World War for Indian soldiers?” says Elliot.
Alex throws his arm round Elliot’s neck and kisses him on the cheek. “My little nerd! Such a know-it-all,” he announces.
“Yeah, but you love it,” Elliot throws back.
“You know it’s true, though,” Alex says with a wink.
I grin at the two of them. “At least someone now appreciates all of Elliot’s knowledge.”
“And did you know that Queen Victoria sold this place to the town for the measly sum of about fifty thousand pounds because she didn’t like Brighton? I don’t know what her problem was . . .”
Elliot and Alex walk on ahead, hand-in-hand, following the chain of velvet ropes that line the visitors’ route through the Pavilion. I’m so glad Elliot decided to forgive Alex for being indecisive last year—and that Alex chose to step up to the plate. With all the turmoil and upheaval that is going on in Elliot’s life right now, he needs Alex’s constant, reassuring love. All of the tension that had been gathering in Elliot’s shoulders disappeared the moment we saw Alex. Even I don’t have that effect on him anymore. If there’s ever a couple that is in it for the long haul, it’s Alexiot.