Chapter Nineteen
Harry
On Thursday morning Di sidles into my office as though she’s in a bad B-grade movie.
“All set for next Friday,” she hisses from the side of her mouth, giving me the okay sign with her thumb and forefinger.
“And you’re sure Alice doesn’t know?”
Di grins. “She thinks she’s getting the usual Blitz party with beer and bad food.”
I got the idea last week but didn’t know if it was any good until I ran it by Di, who thought it was precious. I’m still not sure if she’s taking the piss or not, but at least she didn’t jump to the conclusion that the reason I suggested we do a full-scale High Tea next Friday afternoon is because Alice and I are dating.
We’ll still have plenty of beer and bad food, but first we’re having the High Tea. The guys won’t know what’s hit them, and I snort with laughter.
Alice appears at the door, and Di gives a dramatic performance of leaving the office. There’s no way Alice isn’t going to ask me what the hell that’s all about.
“I heard back from Charlie,” she says instead. “He can start on Monday. So that’s good news.”
Yeah, it’s great. There’s no doubt Charlie was the best of an excellent short list, but he’s not Alice. I’ve got to get over it. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again after next week.
“Good. Do you need another desk in your office or anything to accommodate him?”
“No, it’s fine.” She gives me a polite smile, and it’s like an Artic breeze just swept through the room.
“What’s the problem?” The other day she told me her mum has started seeing some guy they’ve both known for years, but Alice seems to like him, so I’d be surprised if that’s causing trouble. “Everything okay at home?”
“Yes, everything’s fine.” She hesitates, as though she can’t make up her mind to either leave the office or tell me what’s bugging her. “Harry.”
“Yep?”
She closes the door and comes up to my desk. “I saw your photo in the paper yesterday. It was taken when you were at Hydra.”
I should’ve known. Being Lucas’s brother means they always think it’s great fun to splash my face next to his. Spot the difference…which twin is which…
Riiight…but why’s Alice looking so upset about it?
Since she clearly expects a reply, I rack my brains to think of an appropriate one. “Can’t believe they couldn’t find anything more interesting to print.”
She doesn’t smile back at me. “Why didn’t you tell me about the girls?”
Now she’s lost me. “What girls?”
She gives a shuddering sigh. “It’s not that I mind. Well, I mean I do, but I’d much rather you told me than just pretended. That’s all.”
What the fuck is she talking about? “Pretended what?”
She takes a deep breath. “You were hanging out with that supermodel Yolanda and Petra Pervis from Dominion Drive. Which is fine, but you could’ve told me. That’s all.”
It’s like I’m in one of those dreams where on the surface everything is normal, but an insidious sense of surrealism tips you off that the world is, in fact, bizarre.
“I wasn’t hanging out with them.” I don’t even remember them specifically, but obviously they were a couple of the girls who draped themselves over me in an effort to get close to my brother. “Why would I?”
“Well, for a start they’re gorgeous.”
“But they’re not you.” I grin at her, because how crazy is she, to think I’d look at another girl when I have her.
She blinks. “No, they’re not me.”
“If we didn’t have glass walls, and anyone could catch us, I’d kiss you so hard right now.” Bugger it, I’m tempted to do it anyway, but Alice is still obviously reluctant for everyone to know about us. Guess I can wait another week. She won’t care if we spill the beans at her leaving party.
...
It’s only six, but I’m ready to leave work. Since going out with Alice, I’ve been leaving Blitz at crazy early hours, and, what’s more, I like it. Sure, I make up the time late at night at home, but I’ve always worked late in any case. The strange thing is I’m still getting as much done as I always have.
There’s a life lesson in there somewhere, but I’ve no urge to look for it. Alice is meeting me at the pub in an hour, and no way am I going to be late.
My phone rings and I almost ignore it, but I haven’t spoken to Lucas since the weekend, and it’s not as though I can’t hold a conversation while I’m walking to the car.
“Don’t shit on me,” is his opening line. “I’m asking for a friend. Are you definitely not seeing Alice?”
My muscles tense. Although Mac and Caleb know the truth, by unspoken agreement none of us told Lucas. It’s not even that I want to keep him in the dark. I just can’t find the right words.
Can’t tell him how much Alice means to me. Can’t bring myself to lie outright to him, either. I know it’s fucking stupid.
“A friend?” I hedge.
“Yeah. Look, I’m only doing this because she’s a mate and I know she’s genuine.”
I give the nod to a few of the guys as I make my way to the exit. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Yolanda. The supermodel, yeah? Tell me you know who I’m talking about.”
I frown as I unlock the car. “What about her?”
“She wants your number. She thinks you’re cute and clever.”
I prop my hand on the opened car door. “What?”
“You know she’s a math genius? She fell into modeling by accident.”
I’m still reeling from the whole she wants your number. “You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m trying to—” He cuts himself off and gives a frustrated intake of breath. “You need a life outside of Blitz, bro.”
A month ago, before getting together with Alice, his comment would’ve pissed the fuck out of me, because of the unsubtle inference that I need to get the hell over Clare. And although I got over her years ago, it occurs to me I’ve never told Lucas that.
Not telling him now, either.
“I have a life.” I get in the car and slam the door. “I don’t need you to try to set me up on fake dates with your exes.”
“Did you even hear what I said? She’s a mate. And there’s no way she’d ever go out with me. She has brains, Harry. Same as you.”
She’s also a world-famous model. Sometimes my brother can be so gullible. “I don’t have a jet-set lifestyle, and I’m not interested anyway. Are you sure she’s not just winding you up? Bet you find out it’s you she wants, not me.”
“Christ, you’re a fucking pillock sometimes, you know that?”
With that, he hangs up and I sit there, the engine idling, as his words echo around my head.
There’s no doubt Lucas believes every word he said, but why would any girl, given the choice between my famous, charismatic brother, and me—who can’t flirt to save my life—pick me?
Alice’s sweet face floats into my mind, and my chest compresses. If she wants to keep our relationship a secret from everyone at work, even after she’s left, I’ll do it. Because even though Alice isn’t Clare, I’m still not ready for my own twin to know about us.
…
As soon as I go online on Tuesday morning, an email from Oscar Jarrod leaps out at me.
Great PR!!
I’ve no idea what he’s talking about, but it doesn’t take long to find out. Splashed all over the Steele magazine are photos of Alice and me at Shore Park.
What the FUCK?
There’s one of us holding hands as we’re waiting in line for a ride and another when we were in one of the restaurants. There’s even one of us kissing, strapped into our seats, as we waited for one of the roller coasters to start.
Are they fucking stalking us?
Sexiest Geek of the Year, Harry Carter, with His Queen of Exitium, Wow Fans with Their Devotion!
If I need to put myself out there for the sake of Blitz, I’ll suck it up. But no way does that give anyone the right to violate Alice’s privacy. I’ll fucking wow them with a lawsuit so fast they won’t know what’s hit them. I’m still fuming after my usual early morning run in the local park, and shower, and am about to leave for work when Caleb calls.
“You’ve seen it, then.” It’s not a question, and my growl is all the response he needs. “Everyone at work’ll know you and Alice are dating by now. Not much you can do about it.”
“I know.” I fork my fingers through my hair. “I don’t know how Alice is gonna take it, though.”
“I’ll tell the guys to lay off. They’ll do it for Alice.”
That’s true. Is that the only reason she wanted to keep it a secret, because she didn’t want the guys joking about it? It seems unlikely. She’s not a fragile flower who can’t give as good as she gets. On the other hand, that’s preferable to the other reason that’d been bugging me. That she just didn’t want anyone to know we were dating, period.
I guess it won’t be long before Lucas finds out, either.
“Okay.” I leave my apartment and make my way to the car.
“Thing is,” Caleb says, “it’s a great byline.”
I scoff in disbelief. “Sexiest geek and his queen of Exitium?”
“Fuck off. I’m talking about the plug for Blitz. Yeah, they invaded your privacy, but the write-up is gold.”
Since I didn’t read any further than the infuriating headline, I can’t comment on that. “I’m still going to apply for an injunction.”
“Sure. But I’m just saying. And Jarrod loves it.”
Obviously, Caleb was cc’d into the same email I got. Didn’t even notice. And although I’d put up with the unwanted intrusion for the sake of Blitz, I won’t put Alice through this.
“Doesn’t matter. Alice is off-limits.”
…
Alice
Since Mum needs the car today, I’m taking the bus to work. It’s amazing how quickly I’ve got used to the independence of driving myself around and not having to rely on public transport. Next on my to-do list is to find a trustworthy, secondhand car.
After the horrible argument Mum and I had last week, when she found out about Harry, I was half expecting her to have another go about him the next day. But she didn’t. She’s been brilliant, and it’s such a massive relief that she now knows that when I go out I’m with him and not doing some random work-related thing.
I’ve told her heaps of times it’s not serious, and we’re just having fun until I go to university. Is it me or her I’m trying to convince? She’s never tried to dispute it, but sometimes I see disbelief lurking behind her smile.
Not much I can do about that. But come the weekend, and she’ll see I’m telling her the truth.
Stop counting down the hours.
My phone rings with a text from Harry, which lightens my mood, until I read his message.
We’re all over the Net again. Heads r gonna roll.
There’s a sick sensation in the pit of my stomach as I check the work emails and see one from Oscar Jarrod. There’re no links, but I don’t have to be a brain surgeon to figure out it has something to do with Steele. Sure enough, there we are, our private moments exposed to the online world.
I can’t even read the copy, as my vision’s blurry. It was bad enough they paraded our very first kiss in public, but this is so much worse, because this has nothing to do with their sodding awards night.
It was just some opportunistic arsehole who happened to be in the right place at the right time. And then sold the pictures to the only place that’d be interested in publishing them. I click back and reread Jarrod’s email. Great PR!!
Is that all he cares about? Then again, why wouldn’t he? He lives for this kind of exposure and always manages to tie it back somehow to his own sprawling enterprises.
Harry isn’t Oscar Jarrod, though. He’d never exploit what we have for the sake of promoting Blitz. He hates being in the public eye.
I stare out of the window, but all I can see is Harry’s face. He didn’t plan this, but just like our Cinderella kiss, Jarrod is all over the PR opportunities. He’ll be in England in a few days, and, judging by his reactions to our unintentional promo, he’s more than keen to invest in Blitz’s expansion into the States.
Harry can’t afford to rock the boat. Before Jarrod arrives, I’ll be in Durham, so I’m just going to have to suck it up and pretend it’s no big deal.
...
I take a deep breath and steel myself against the good-natured jibes that are going to bombard me as soon as I walk into Blitz.
Except no one refers to it at all, which is even worse, since it can only mean one thing. Harry’s told everyone to shut up about it.
The morning flies by, but only because there’s so much to show Charlie, who started work here yesterday. He’s not only brilliant, but everyone likes him and he’s also a total caffeine addict.
When Harry emerges from the Dev Testing Area, where he’s been all morning with a couple of the developers, he strolls into my office, and Charlie beats a hasty retreat. And here I was thinking he’d miraculously not heard the latest gossip.
Harry shuts the door behind Charlie and throws me an apologetic look. “Sorry, Alice. The people at Steele are pushing their luck.”
“Just ignore it. It’ll blow over.” As soon as I leave.
He scowls and parks his butt on the edge of my desk. “Boundaries are being crossed.”
Since there’s no need to hide things anymore, I take his hand. “It’s okay.”
He gives me a brooding look. “Next week, you won’t have to worry about this anymore.”
Somehow, I manage to smile, because he’s not telling me anything I don’t already know, but his easy acceptance of our imminent parting still hurts way more than it should.