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Day two of the season of love and one moves on to expectations behind the glory of Valentine's Day. Now I'm not saying I've done anything near what Eden does in this story, but... Yeah. Not answering that one. I dunno, there's something about this day that turns normally sane women into... AHS: Asylum inmates. Sister Jude, singing and dancing on tables in choreographed moves, insane.
Undercover Love © Billy London
“Going for a shower, E,” Henry threw
over his shoulder before disappearing into the bathroom, not even bothering to
wait for a reply. Eden waited until the door was shut and the shower ran before
she grabbed his phone. “Gimmie the goods,” she whispered, going first to where
Henry organised his entire life.
Reminders
Flowers - not those fkn expensive ones. Tesco does nice bunches for a
tenner.
Chocolates - Waitrose is on the way from home. Not going to the poncy
place in Selfridges.
New threads - I is worth it.
Not getting jewellery. Woman’s expectations far too high. Last ones I
bought her she fkin exchanged them. Like I wouldn’t notice! I didn’t. I just
heard her on the phone with her awful flatmate.
No jewellery? Eden thought, her lip
curling in disgust. What the… Emails. He must have changed his mind. No way he
could turn up to their dinner tomorrow and not give her something from
somewhere that hopefully ended with either Garrad or & Co or Fennel.
From: Mattthelad@g...com>
To: HMarkham@g...com>
Re: Le Monde
12 February 2014 15.29
Sorry mate, I really tried to get you a booking where Sarah and I had
our party. They can give you a discount for the day before. Say you’ve got
meetings for Valentine’s Day? She may buy that. Or here. Have a look at these.
They’re the ones that Sarah said weren’t good enough. Your bird isn’t mentally
unstable so... Give it a go.
To: HMarkham@g...com
Re: order confirmation order no 5897851
12 February 2014 16.05
Dear Henry,
Thank you for your glorious purchase. It’s fancy. We know because we
made it. The details of your order are below. If anything is wrong, shoot us an
email back and we’ll get it sorted.
Best wishes and enjoy.
Order No: 5897851
‘Klark’s Girl’ dress size 8 quantity 1 price £350.00
Subtotal: £350.00
P&P: £0.00
Grand Tota: £350.00
Promo code: NXTDYDELIV
From: Spotify.com
To: HMarkham@g...com
Re: The Woman’s Terrible Choice In Music playlist
12 February 2014 20.58
Hello Henry, your friend hmarkham@g...com wants to share this “The Woman’s
Terrible Choice In Music” playlist with you. Download the link to play
anywhere.
Me: Hmarkham@y...com
To: CastleE@y...com
FW: Re: VD goodies
13 February 2014 10.07
No. No. No.
Don’t buy anything, don’t order anything, don’t arrange anything. No. I
know this is the one day shit is forced upon me and I will get to it therefore
I beg you on the fur of your aged cat, stop. Hassling. Me. About. It. If you
don’t stop, you’re not getting anything. Not even a touch of the wang. I’m not
even lying. Xh
How disappointing. The information
read all at once flattering and insulting. Good thing he’d ordered something
from her favourite designer. Selene Reyce fitted her perfectly, whether she was
having a bloat day or having a skinny day. Nothing on the jewellery. Terrible man.
Why not? Two years! Eden sang louder than anyone to Beyoncé but now Single
Ladies shamed her each time it shuffled in her gym playlist. They’d talked
marriage. Well Eden mentioned it and Henry changed the subject after declaring
it was a one day party that often cost a person’s yearly salary. He wasn’t
wrong about that but still. Eden’s father was limping worse than ever, his old
knee injury had put a strain on his walking. How he’d be able to escort her
down the aisle without a cane... Ooh maybe she could work canes into the
wedding scheme.
She was a girl who’d planned her big
day on a daily basis. Her little wedding plan (directory) was stored under her
bed with every little detail worked out. All she needed was the man to slip
into the role. And while Henry Markham wasn’t perfect, he... He existed. Shared
her meals, toothpaste and bed three times a week. She could bear his bodily
odours and his commentary on her own weren’t entirely soul destroying. When she
had fibroids, he was the one who’d taken her to the hospital, waited for the
operation to be over, driven her home and waited on her hand and foot for her
to recover. Henry made a damn good brunch, knew how to grill a tuna steak to
perfection, knew when to leave chocolate in the fridge for her and when he
could snap her knicker elastic for a good time. Honestly, the man knew her
cycle better than she did. She supposed it was in his interest to know it better
than she did. Wait, wait, wait. “Mum’s email address.”
From: Vera.Castle@g...com
To: HMarkham@y...com
13 February 2014 19.23
All this technology and I still can’t see why you couldn’t pick up a
phone and call me...
“Because you and Dad live in Spain, Mum
and it’s bloody expensive,” Eden murmured.
But I can be grateful that you did ask me and Mr. Castle before you
sucked up any more of my daughter’s reproductive time. If you need to know
anything else, do let me know. I doubt anyone knows my child as well as I
do.
Kind regards,
Pamela Castle
Wow, mum, Eden thought. If you’re
advertising for mother in law, you failed that interview.
Just as she began to scroll down to
see Henry’s message that prompted the email, a voice disturbed her. “Eden
Castle that is not your phone.”
The phone flew out of her hand and
landed with a cracking sound on her wooden floor. Tucking her hands under her
bottom, she turned her head and sent her boyfriend a disarming grin. Wearing
only boxer shorts, Henry Markham made quite a visual statement leaning in the
doorway of her bedroom.
“Why are you trawling through my
phone?”
Well bugger it. “I wanted to know
what you were getting me for Valentine’s Day.”
His voice lowered, his precursor to
roaring at her. “Why?”
“So I wouldn’t do what I did last
year which is get you something ridiculously expensive and you get me something
from the clearance bin in Primark!” Henry started laughing, riling her temper. “It’s
not funny you prick! That Formula One experience was expensive!”
“I hate driving. You shouldn’t have
spent so much money on something Matt would have told you I despised.”
“Matt was the one who told me to buy
it,” she said through her teeth. Henry laughed even harder. She sat back on the
bed and folded her arms.
“Can I have my phone back now please?”
She wanted a hand towards the floor. “You
can collect it.”
“You’re so rude. I’ve never known
anyone so changeable.”
She blew a raspberry at him. “I just
don’t worship you.”
He bent down to pick up his phone and
started tapping away at the screen. “You would if we were talking the symbol
Au.”
“I’m not that shallow,” she sniffed.
Finished with the phone, Henry put it in his jacket pocket and perched on the
bed, his arm braced against her thigh. He smelled good. Really good. Good
enough that she considered biting his nipple good. And he liked it when she did
that. “What do you want?” she asked as he continued to watch her, eyebrows
arched like an owl’s.
“Say you’re sorry.”
She held up her hands defensively. “I’m
just preserving my bank balance.”
“Eden...”
Sighing, she tapped her feet
impatiently. “Sorry.”
He curved his palm over her cheek,
trailing his nose over her skin. “Like you mean it.”
“I’m sorry.”
He pecked her on the mouth and
shifted her to the left side of the bed. “Good girl. As long as you act
surprised when I propose tomorrow, we’ll be fine.” Her mouth fell open. He
tugged the duvet to his chin and yawned heavily. “Night E.”
The bastard was double bluffing her,
she thought. She’d rumbled him, no way he’d go through with it. Glancing down
she looked at his hands. He’d had a manicure. Gaaah! She’d be an engaged woman
on the cheesiest day on the planet. But engaged!
“Henry,” she nudged him. “Look. The only way
I’m going to sleep is if you bang it out of me.”
Through an almost incomprehensible yawn
Henry pulled back the duvet. “Jump on then.”
Grimacing, Eden pulled her nightie
over her head. “Don’t be so sure I’ll say yes tomorrow. You have an opportunity
to earn it right now.”
Henry became alert. “Really? Your
decision on whether to marry me or not is now reliant on my penis action?”
Eden leaned down, folding her arms on
his chest. “Absolutely.”
He leaned up, dragging her against
his torso. “As you wish madame.”
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