Chapter 3: Noa

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Towel wrapped around my head and dressing gown on, I crawled into the middle of my bed, glass of white wine in hand. The sound on the TV was set to low, with the mumblings of some Netflix drama barely reaching my ears. I hadn't been following the plot anyway, but turning the screen off would make me feel even lonelier.

A few sips in, after I couldn't take the solitude any longer, I picked up my phone and rang the only friend I'd kept in touch with since university. Selene was the one person I could mention Daan to. Whether she helped the situation was entirely a different problem, but I had to get it off my chest.

"You'll never believe who was at the interview," I said the moment she picked up. No hellos or small talk needed. That was often how we answered each other's calls; by diving straight in.

"Oh yeah, that was today. How'd it go?"

"Yeah, yeah, good. I have the job. But guess who was there? Someone we went to school with."

"I don't know. Daan?"

"Daan—" I jerked forward and wine sloshed over the rim of my glass, onto my front. "Err, how did you guess it'd be him?" I asked as I placed my glass on my bedside table and used my dressing gown to dab the fraction of skin below my neck. The fabric was soaked around the edge and felt cold when I let it drop against my chest. Great! I'd just washed, and now I stank like a cheap winery. At least it wasn't red, and I had a spare one unpacked and hanging on the back of my bathroom door.

"His grandma owns the bakery. Makes sense."

"But how did you know that? I only just found out. And why didn't you say anything sooner?" I loved Selene, but if it didn't directly affect her life, she rarely felt the need to mention it. Sometimes I wondered if she only told me Wickedly Sweet was hiring because it meant I would come home. Leading up to her email, she dropped hints I should move out of Paris and back here.

"How did you not? Lady B is Madeleine Booker. Like Daan Booker. Didn't you do some research before applying for the job?" She asked between loud crunches. "And why is that a problem?"

Okay, when she said the names together it was obvious, but how was I to know Satan himself was related to such a sweet woman. "I did! It's not like she lists every family member on the website. Booker isn't that uncommon of a name. I didn't even see the connection, and I always thought his family came from London." I pulled the phone away from my ear as Selene continued to chomp away. "You eating dinner?"

"Nah, just an apple." She took another bite and swallowed before continuing. "So, tell me what's the problem."

"It's Daan. He's just so—" Irritating, arrogant, rude.

"Handsome? Hot? And if I remember correctly ripped. Those biceps, mmm—he could crush me any day of the week."

"Not exactly what I was thinking," I scoffed. "Wait a minute, I'm putting you on loudspeaker." I stripped out of my dressing gown and damp vest top, all while listening to Selene eat and describe what she'd do to Daan if she ever got the chance. Torture. Her voice faded in and out as I paced my bathroom and bedroom, looking for a washcloth and clean clothes.

"You know what you need? To bang him once and get it out of your system. Maybe he won't annoy you so much. What's that saying? There's a very fine line between hate and fantastic sex."

My hands stilled inside my top as it passed over my face, and I battled with the fabric for a few seconds. "No one says that," I said when I was finally freed.

"Oh, but they should. I love a hate fuck. Makes my skin glow. And not just the cheeks on my face. If you get what I mean," she laughed, and I pictured her eyebrows wiggling as she joked around.

A light giggle escaped my mouth, and I masked it behind a cough. She didn't need any more encouragement. "Well, all it gave me was a severe case of indigestion with all the anxiety from that poor decision."

"Oh, that's right. You already climbed that horse. And what a ride!"

"Even had the T-shirt memento."

"Whatever happened to that thing?"

"I burned it." My gaze automatically shot to my chest of drawers as the words left my mouth.

"You're brutal."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and waited a beat to ensure my voice came out neutral. "Look, it was just sex. Nothing more, nothing less. It meant nothing." It never had a chance to be anything else because I left the very next day without a single word. He caught me in a moment of vulnerability where I never saw it coming. Our defences weakened, we gave in to the tension that had built over the year. We were a humid summer night with the air so close neither one of us could breathe; pressure building before a storm, begging for release.

"When was the last time you got laid? Or even went on a date for that matter? You haven't mentioned anyone in ages."

"I don't have time for relationships." Love wasn't a priority on my agenda. Especially when I had my sights set on my career. I couldn't have it all, and if things went well at Wickedly Sweet, I had the chance to take over the bakery when Lady B was willing to retire.

"Girl, you know I'm not talking about a relationship. You need to let off steam from time to time. And I read this article that says sex helps your immune system. Might as well do that over your gross vitamins shots."

A small smile graced my lips as I walked over to my fridge for another glass of wine. While removing the bottle, I remembered the slab of milk chocolate hidden behind a half wilted lettuce. I'd throw that out tomorrow, but for now, I wanted nothing more than to listen to my friend and her crazy ramblings while making my way through the family-sized treat.

"You know what we should do? Go out. A bar or even clubbing? We'll make it a reunion with the old uni lot. Then we can both find someone to bang and report back on how healthy we feel."

"There's a flaw with that plan. One, I don't want to have meaningless sex." I let a cube of chocolate melt on my tongue while thinking of my next point.

"Well—"

"—or meaningful before you butt in," I quickly added with my mouth still full. "Two, the uni lot, really? I don't know about that. We've all grown apart and clubbing's just not for me anymore. And three, that could end up very unhealthy if you catch some kind of STD."

"That's why you should use condoms. Come on, it's not your first rodeo."

I shook my head, and after safely placing my refilled wine glass on my bedside table, I flopped down onto my bed. "What is it with you and riding analogies?"

"You love it. And yes, the uni lot. Don't be a bore. They miss you. You can't be a hermit all the time and now that you're back you have no excuses. If you're worried about Daan being there, don't. He never makes any of our nights out. Hasn't done since we graduated."

Daan was the least of my worries if she was planning a reunion. It wasn't that I didn't like the old crowd from my university days; it was more that they weren't very fond of me. Or at least one other person besides Daan wasn't my biggest fan. "His grandma did say he rarely travels down from London so at least there's that."

"But if he did? You'd jump that, right?"

"Not even if he was the last penis in the sausage shop."

Selene burst out laughing. "What even is that saying?"

"What can I say, you've taught me well."

"The student has outgrown the master. I bow down to you, young Padawan."

Stifling a yawn behind sealed lips, I shuffled down the bed. "Nice touch, my filthy nerd." With my duvet folded over my legs, I struggled to keep my eyes open. The confusion I'd felt from seeing Daan again and the surplus of nerves from my interview left my body laden.

I kept Selene on the phone for as long as possible until she finally had to leave. The glow of the TV lit up my bedroom with all the main lights now turned off. Besides my wine and chocolate, I found no enjoyment in this tiny room, and the thoughts swirling around my brain were louder than ever.

The next day could only get better, and the one after that as well. I would focus on my tomorrows and eventually, all my yesterdays would stay quiet and leave me in peace.

***

Oh, I love Selene and I can't wait for you to read more about her. But what do you think of her?

Next week's chapter is in Daan's POV so stay tuned.
Until then, happy reading.


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