Page 55 of Tears of Gold

I’m going to The Good Earth on Old Brompton Road with Tabs and Jeremy if you finish early tonight? I put the invite out there. I know he won’t be finished much before nine or ten, and honestly, I’m kind of hoping I’ll be asleep by then. I could curl up in bed right now and not plan to wake up 'til tomorrow. This is exhaustion like I’ve never known. Not even in my wild days when I never slept and burned on nervous angry energy instead. I never hit a low like this.

I block the memories of those days and wait to see if Eli answers. He doesn’t until I’m walking down the Brompton Road.

No shellfish!

I can’t help but laugh. What exactly have you been reading?

His answer fires back. Everything.

Shaking my head, I drop my phone into my bag and push through the door of the Chinese restaurant. Blue eyes stare at me and my heart booms in my chest. My knees knock a little as I walk towards him, another deep wave of emotion pulling me out to a sea of darkness. “What are you doing here?”

The blues twinkle and it feels like forever since I saw them do that, but it could have just been days. “I thought I was invited.”

“But, what about work, and the case?”

He shrugs. “Right now, you are my priority.”

My heart pounds faster. “That’s not right, and you know it.”

His fingers tilt my chin, his eyes inspecting my face. “It’s the way it is.” He drops his hand and grins. “And also, I’m on shellfish watch.”

“Shh.” I glance about me, but Tabitha and Jeremy haven’t arrived; either that or they are under the table.

“What?”

“I don’t want anyone to know until we know what’s going on.”

“So, you haven’t told anyone; no one at all?” He raises an eyebrow and I groan.

“Abi is such a goddamn blabbermouth.”

Laughing, he pulls me in and kisses the top of my head. “I’m glad she is, otherwise I’d have no clue what’s going on in that head of yours.”

“What did she say?” I narrow my gaze, but he looks as innocent as an angel, smirking with shining eyes.

“That I had to keep you talking.”

“Hmm.”

“Which I fully plan to.” He pulls out a chair next to the one he was sitting on and I slip into the seat. “So, we aren’t telling anyone?” he asks.

“No, until we know.”

That smile flashes again. “Whether lentils are our thing?”

“It just seems sensible, doesn’t it?”

“Sure.” He nods but I’m not blind, I can see the flash of hurt in his eyes. He’s excited and he’s wondering why the hell I’m not excited, too.

The door to the restaurant opens and Tabs walks in, her hands rubbing together from the chill in the air. The summer heat of Bowsley feels like a lifetime ago. “Hey,” she says, and then starts to cry.

Soggy prawn crackers it is.

Jeez, I need to rein in my inner bitch.

“Bloody hell, what’s wrong?” The excitement lighting Eli’s face just moments before evaporates.

I know what the answer is before she snots out. “Lewis called it a day.”