Page 58 of Into the Dark
“Does that mean you’re taking me somewhere for my birthday? Is that the gift?” My eyes are wide as I lift a slice of the chunky seeded bread.
“Maybe. I’ve been thinking about something. It’ll depend on some things.”
“Vague…but exciting.” I get an image of us sipping wine on some restaurant balcony somewhere in Italy or Spain. Then I remember I’ll be pregnant by my birthday. Very pregnant.
I slide into the seat just as Jake dishes up something that smells divine to my half-starved tastebuds. Surprisingly—or perhaps not since the reason for my varying appetite and bouts of nausea have been revealed—I feel better. I’ve been properly hungry all day. Jake places a large bowl in front of me and sits down. My mouth waters at the sight of the creamy, garlicky pasta, large chunks of browned chicken nestled in the sauce.
I moan at the first mouthful. It tastes incredible. Of course it does, because he cooks as well as he does everything else. “God, Jake, this is amazing. Mmm…”
“Yeah, I’m pretty handy with a well-stocked fridge,” he says pointedly.
“Oh god, you went shopping for me?” I swallow a mouthful.
“Had to. You were out of everything. And I wanted to be useful. Househusband duties and all that.”
I feel embarrassed. He filled my fridge for me. I’ll be asking him for bloody rent next.
“Well, thanks for doing that. You run a great bath too, you know. That’s also useful.”
He looks confused as he swallows. “Is it possible to run a bad one?” he asks, dipping his bread into his plate again.
“Yes, trust me, it is.” I copy his motion of dipping the bread, skimming it around the rim of the bowl, and then lifting it to my mouth. He watches me as I do.
“So that’s the reason you got rid of him then?” He has a curious little smile on his face.
“Partly. And partly because he was fucking someone he worked with for months. But it was mainly the bath thing.” My tone is light. I honestly have no real feelings about Ben’s infidelity anymore. It’s faded. Like a place I visited once a long time ago that I don’t really remember. Jake clearly does have feelings about it, though, because his eyes darken.
“Smart guys really are fucking idiots sometimes,” he says, mouth tight. Then, “But I’m glad he was a fucking idiot. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”
It makes me want to reach across the table and kiss him. And so I do. With my hand on the sides of his face I plant my lips on his, sliding my tongue into his mouth to taste him.
“I’m glad he was an idiot too,” I whisper against his mouth. “I’m glad I’m here. With you.”
We’re eating in comfortable silence when suddenly he frowns at me, eyes flicking toward the wine bottle, unopened and chilling in its steel cooler. “You not having any?” He gestures at it with his fork.
I make a show of swallowing my mouthful while I think. “No, I normally detox for a few weeks when I get back from France. I always drink way too much wine there.”
He nods in understanding. I feel a sliver of guilt, but I reason that it’s not a complete lie. I do tend to drink less for a few weeks after I get back.
“So, how was your day with Caleb?” I lift my water and take a sip.
He visibly tenses but swallows his food and wipes the back of his hand over his mouth before nodding. “Good. I told him about you.”
I feel a flutter of surprise and something else move over my stomach—nerves, I think. Jake is smiling though, so I assume it went okay.
“He was okay about it?”
He nods slowly. “Yeah. He’s excited to meet Daddy’s grown-up lady friend.”
I stifle a laugh. “That’s what I am?”
He smiles and nods again, clearly remembering the conversation with some amusement. “Yeah. He knows your name too, which I had to explain isn’t just a boy’s name. There’s a kid at his nursery called Alex—that was the hardest part for him to get his head around, I think.”
I’m not sure why I say it, but it’s out before I can stop it. “And he’ll mention this to his mum I assume. About Daddy’s grown-up lady friend? I assume Vicky knows we…”—I search for the right word—“were apart.”
Jake nods, a slight frown settling over his eyes. “Yeah. But actually, I’ve asked him to keep it between us for now. I figure it’s better she hears that from me.”
“But you didn’t want to tell her today?”