The Girl Before Eve by Lisa J Hobman (20)

“Oh…my…God!” Lily gasped as they stood in the entrance of the suite at the Waldorf Astoria. “This is the most luxurious place I’ve ever been in, and I’ve stayed in many hotels. Some of them quite nice. But this…”

Adam swallowed the lump in his throat. “Yep, my girl had taste alright.” He glanced around and his damp eyes settled on the huge king-size bed. “You take the bed, Lil. I’ll sleep on the floor or…or the sofa.”

She swung around. “You’ll do no such thing you, muppet. We’re both adults. We’ll share the bed.”

He felt the heat rise in his cheeks. “Oh…okay.”

She cringed. “Oh heck, Adders…I didn’t mean…I mean I know that Eve and you were meant to… I’ll take the sofa.”

He shook his head. “No…no it’s not that at all. I just didn’t think you’d want to share the bed, you know?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, well we used to share a bed when we were kids. It’s no different. We’re best friends, Adders. It’s fine…as long as you don’t mind, that is.”

He grinned. “Nah. I’ve put up with your snoring before. I’ll just prod you or slap you if you get too loud.”

“Me? Snore? I don’t think so, matey. I think you’ll find it’s you that turns porcine in your sleep!”

“Yeah? We’ll see, eh?” Adam chuckled.

The friends unpacked their belongings, rested a short while, and then made their way out onto the busy and bustling Park Avenue. They were greeted with a cacophony of car engines, sirens, aeroplanes, and loud chatter. Lily went into David Bailey mode, snapping pictures of anything and everything that stood still long enough. She had visited New York before for work but had told Adam she had never had the time to do the sightseeing, touristy part. It was almost like she was seeing the place for the first time.

Adam puffed out his cheeks as she made him pose for the hundredth time. They walked across town to the famous Bloomingdales store where Lily was like a woman possessed. Adam ended up loaded down with bags and bags of clothing, gifts, toiletries, and goodness knows what else. He just smiled. It was good to see her enjoying herself.

Eventually, both exhausted, they stumbled across a nice looking coffee shop and collapsed into a booth. “I think you bought the whole of New York, Lil. You do know there’s a limited baggage allowance on the way back, don’t you? The bloody plane won’t get off the ground at this rate!”

She giggled as she looked at the mountain of purchases. “Whoops! I think you may be right. I may have to charter my own private jet to get home.”

He took a drink of the nectar-like coffee in his mug. “Jeez Louise, that’s a damn good cup o’ joe.”

His fake American accent made Lily laugh out loud. “Yeah…I hueard it was gooyed caawfee hea.” She mocked in her best attempt at a Brooklyn accent but it came out a little nasal and whiny.

He threw his head back and his shoulders shuddered as he guffawed. Coffee was not quite as good when it went up your nose. He spluttered and wiped his nose and chin. “Eeeuw!”

She was laughing so hard she had to stagger up from the table and make a dash for the restroom, tears rolling down her face.

That evening they sat across from one another in the beautiful restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria sharing a bottle of wine. A pianist played As Time Goes By.

Lily glanced over at Adam who was clearly taken, watching a young couple. They were evidently in love.

She reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. “Hey, Adders, are you okay?”

Turning his attention to her, he smiled. “Yeah…I’m fine…just thinking, that’s all.”

“About Eve?” Stupid question.

He nodded and took a drink of his wine. She could see that his eyes were a little glassy.

He set his glass down and cleared his throat. “Thanks for coming, Lil. I know I’m not being the best company just now.”

She shook her head. “Nonsense. We’re having a great time. And I know I’m not who you’d like to be here with, but I hope I’m not spoiling it too much.”

He scrunched his face. “Don’t say that…that makes it sound like you’re second choice, Lil.”

She leaned and squeezed his hand again. “Come on, Adders, I know you’d rather be here with Eve. That’s understandable. You don’t need to feel bad.”

He sighed and closed his eyes for a few moments. “I just… I still can’t get my head around the fact that I’m alone…you know?”

“You’re not alone. You have me…and your family.”

“Yes, and I’m grateful. I just wish I still had Eve, too. I keep reading that note. The part where she said I should go kiss her… That ripped my heart to shreds.” His voice cracked as he spoke.

“I know… But how wonderful that you have it, eh? I’d forgotten she’d written that and put it with the tickets or I would’ve given it to you sooner.”

He swirled the wine in his glass. “No…no, I think it was good to get it when I did. It was like…it was like she was still here.”

The waiter brought their food and placed their plates down in front of them. “There you go Mr. and Mrs. Langton…enjoy.”

Lily gaped openmouthed and lifted her hand as if she was going to correct him but Adam gestured to stop her. “Don’t, Lil, it’s fine. Goodness knows what people would think if we told them the truth. And the room is in that name. It’s fine.”

Later that night, Adam climbed into bed in his T-shirt and boxers, and Lily made her way over to the bed in her shorts and tank top. They’d both got a little tipsy at dinner, and she suddenly felt very nervous about sharing a bed with the man she adored. He was on his back, eyes closed, with one hand on his stomach and one behind his head. He looked so incredibly sexy. She wanted to snuggle up to him, kiss him…make love to him. But instead she gingerly climbed into the empty side of the bed and lay as far away from him as possible.

After a while, she heard him sniff and felt the bed judder. She rolled over toward him and realised his hands were covering his face as he wept. Sliding across the bed to him, she pulled him into her arms and let him cry until he fell asleep.

Adam awoke to find himself wrapped around Lily’s body. Shit! His arm was laid across her bare stomach where her tank top had ridden up in the night, his nose nuzzled into her neck, and his legs were entwined with hers. He remembered her holding him as he let his anguish pour out all over her. Again. She would be so pissed off if she woke up and found they were laid together, rather like lovers, in the middle of the large, luxurious bed. Carefully he untangled his limbs from hers and re-arranged his boxers. He stood and watched her sleep for a moment.

She really was beautiful. With her dark, unruly curls spread across the pillow and her olive-skinned abdomen exposed to his gaze. His eyes followed the deep curve of her waist to her hip and he swallowed hard. How strange things had worked out this way for them. How strange she thought of him as a brother. He fondly remembered the poem she had written for him as part of her best man-woman speech. My best friend, my protector, my confidante. How different things could have been if either one of them had crossed that arbitrary line in the sand. He had been tempted in the past. The very distant past.

Too late to think like this now, idiot, and how completely inappropriate.

She shifted in her sleep, pulling him out of his reverie. Her camisole shifted to expose the bottom curve of her breast. He realised he had been staring at her and that something had begun to stir deep inside of him and he momentarily hated himself. Quickly turning, he made his way to the bathroom and switched on the shower.

He turned the dial to cold.

Lily awoke to the sound of running water coming from the en-suite bathroom. She stretched and glanced down when she felt a cool breeze across her middle. Realising her breasts were almost out there for the world to see—well for Adam to see—she pulled her top down. Hopefully that happened after he’d gone to get a shower. Her inner voices reigned once again. Otherwise he’s had a really good view of my goods... Hmm, I wonder what he thought if he saw them… Stop it, Lily, for goodness sake.

Adam returned from the shower, towel-drying his hair, in a pair of joggers slung low around his narrow hips. Ever since she teased him about the weights he bought when they were teens he had always denied the fact he worked out, but looking at him, half naked before her, she knew he did. He had defined abs and that delicious V that disappeared into his joggers. She drew her eyes back up his body, feeling her skin heat. Good grief, Lily, seriously get a bloody grip. He’s a half-naked man. You’ve seen them before. Lots! But this one is Adam and we love him. Oh God I sound like bloody Gollum now!

Adam cleared his throat. “Erm, morning, Lil… Listen, I wanted to apologise.”

Lily scrunched her brow. “Apologise? For what?”

“For crying on you like a big girl.”

“Oh that. Don’t worry. I’m used to you now.”

He huffed. “Thanks.” He slung the towel over his shoulder. “And for waking up after pretty much sleeping on you all night.” He cringed at the memory and at the fact that he had been quite turned on at the time.

He noticed her cheeks flush at his words, and he pulled his lips in to stifle the smile trying to make its way across his face. It took a lot to embarrass Lily, but it looked like he had succeeded without intending to.

She fiddled with the sheet she had pulled over her legs. “Oh, don’t worry. I suppose you’re used to having the whole bed to yourself nowadays, eh?” He allowed his smile to fade and her eyes widened. “Sorry…was that really insensitive?”

“No…it’s true… I just don’t like to think about it, I suppose.”

“No wonder, Adders. I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

He took a deep breath. “Look, we can’t go on feeling this awkward all the time we’re here. This is clearly a lot different to sharing a bed as kids, eh? I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight. I think it’ll be easier.”

“No! That’s not fair, Adders. This is your holiday. I should sleep on the sofa.”

“Absolutely not. I won’t argue about this. That sofa is comfy and twice as big as mine at home. It’s practically a double bed anyway. I’ll be fine. It’s decided. Let’s get ready and go sightseeing.”

Her demeanour changed as if she had acquiesced about the sofa. She climbed out of bed and made her way towards the en-suite. He watched her retreating form and tried not to stare at her round, pert bottom. Reminding himself how inappropriate his line of thinking was in light of their reason for being in New York.

She glanced over her shoulder and he thought he saw a glimmer of something in her eyes briefly but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

She yawned. “Where do you fancy going today?”

“The Empire State Building,” he said with glee in his voice.

She smiled. “Oooh, you can be Tom Hanks, and I’ll be Meg Ryan.”

He laughed as he felt warmth radiating from his face. “Nah…I think, after my behaviour last night, it should be the other way around.”

She stopped and turned so that she was fully facing him with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed.

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you saying I look like a man?”

He bit his lip. “It’s the dark curls…very Tom Hanks.” He smirked and ducked as she pulled a cushion from the sofa and threw it at his head.