Read Online Construct a Couple by Talli Roland - Free Book Online

sound of rain hitting the pavement assaults us, and the smell of wet asphalt drifts in. “One, two, three !”
    I heave open my door, pop up the umbrella, and rush through the falling drops behind him. Jeremy grabs my arm as I approach and pulls me under the cheery awning of the restaurant, both of us soaking. His chest heaves and sweat glistens on his brow. We stand still for a minute until the rasp of his breath quietens, and my heart does a little flip with worry.  It will be fine, I tell myself. With his big news, hopefully he’ll be able to take it easy again.
    Inside the tiny restaurant, it’s like we’ve been transported to another country – a country with sun, filled with happy, chattering people. Narrow tables painted in bright reds and blues fill the small space, and the walls are covered with photos of oceans and vineyards. Waiters dressed in cobalt-blue shirts dart through the room, calling to each other in a language that sounds like Italian. It’s a little piece of Rome, right here in rainy London.
    “This is great!” I say as a waiter ushers us to a table in the corner. Jeremy orders a bottle of wine, then scoots around to my side and pulls out my chair. You don’t get that kind of service from men in the States, let me tell you.
    “Since we haven’t been to Primrose Hill for a while, I thought it would be the perfect location to share my good news,” he says, settling into his place.
    “Okay, enough. You have to tell me now.” I’m practically squirming on my seat.
    “All right. I’m dying to, anyway.” Jeremy reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Well, things have been difficult financially at the charity.”  
     “Difficult?” I tilt my head, trying to understand. I’m not surprised this has to do with Pick Up Sticks, but what does he mean, ‘difficult financially’? Although we don’t talk about it, I know Jeremy has quite a bit of money from selling his half of the property business. With all that, how could the charity have been in trouble?
    “I won’t bore you with the details, but we had a lot of projects underway, relying on a regular corporate donor to cover the costs. The company went bankrupt before we received the donation, and our trustees wanted to ensure we could pay the expenses we’d already incurred. They can be financially liable for the charity’s debts.”
    “Wow.” No wonder Jeremy was so stressed. I know how much he cares about Pick Up Sticks, and the loss of a major donor – one on whom they needed to cover costs – would definitely hit hard.
    “Everything is fine now, thank goodness.” Jeremy leans back, a relaxed smile on his face. “A major corporation came through with a sizeable donation that will let us start paying down the debt from the projects we were working on, and even look at starting new ones.” He shakes his head. “I still can’t believe it.”
    “That’s fantastic!” I breathe a sigh of relief the story has a happy ending. I can’t begin to imagine otherwise.
    “I know I’ve been a bit, well . . . preoccupied lately,” Jeremy says. “I didn’t want you to worry. You had a lot on your plate already, what with the new job and everything. And to be honest, the last thing I felt like doing at home was rehashing the whole situation. You’re sort of a safe haven, you know?” His cheeks flush, but he doesn’t look away. “Everything feels right when I’m with you.”
    I smile into his green eyes, understanding exactly what he means.
     “Anyway.” Jeremy takes my other hand. “Enough about me. Tell me about you! Are you settling in okay at the magazine?”
    “It’s great,” I say, keeping Julia tucked away in the corner of my mind. Maybe Jeremy has the right idea. Why stir things up if there’s no need? I’m hardly going to invite Her Royal Bitchiness into our safe haven.
    The waiter pops the cork on a bottle of red, pouring crimson liquid into our glasses. Jeremy orders a seafood linguini (that’s my English