“He’s a junior partner at the law firm I worked at. I worked for him a lot.”
“And…?”
“And what?”
“There must be more to the story if you’re doing all this—” he lifted their clasped hands, “—for him.”
“I’m doing it for me too.”
“But you like him, this Simon? And he likes you?”
“I think he does. I don’t know how to tell.”
“Does he flirt with you?”
“I don’t know. He always talked to me more than the other partners did.”
Jay fought the urge to roll his eyes. “But...did he talk about work stuff, or...you know, flirty stuff?”
Sophia frowned. “Mostly work, I suppose. But he’d ask about England too. His grandfather was from Derbyshire.”
“Sure, genealogy can be hot,” Jay muttered drily.
Sophia surprised him by huffing in annoyance and coming to a sudden stop. She looked like she very nearly stamped her foot. “I don’t know, Jay! I don’t know if he likes me! That’s what I keep trying to explain. I don’t understand how any of this—” she mimicked his gesture of raising their joined hands, “—is supposed to work!”
Jay tilted his head, considering her for a moment. Her anger had flushed her cheeks and made her eyes unusually bright, though she quickly looked away from him.
“Small touches was on your list too, wasn’t it?” He reached out with his free hand and gently tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear. Her hair was shockingly soft.
She inhaled sharply in surprise.
“Did Simon ever do anything like that?” he asked, voice low.
“N-no.”
“Or this?” He moved his hand to her cheek and rubbed his thumb over the pink skin on her cheekbone.
The look she gave him was wary but fleeting.
He cupped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her head back to face him. “Look at me,” he said softly. “You never look at me for long.”
“I can’t,” she said, her eyes staring resolutely in the region of his chin. “Making eye contact… I don’t like it.”
“Why not?”
“It’s just…too much. It sort of…hurts.”
Jay released her chin. “OK,” he said gently. They started walking again.
After a moment, Sophia said, “But, no. He never touched me like that.”
Then Simon had more restraint than him.
Chapter six
Sophia
Theycontinuedwalkingslowlydown the garden. Jay seemed lost in thought, which was unusual for him. Perhaps he was starting to realise how strange she really was.
