Read Online Construct a Couple by Talli Roland - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Talli Roland
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Women, Women's Fiction
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translation; I’m not even going to try to murder the Italian), and I plump for a yummy risotto, smacking my lips in hunger as I picture moist rice and savoury sauce.
Lifting his drink in the air, Jeremy’s eyes sparkle in the soft candlelight. “Cheers.”
“To the charity!” I clink my glass against his.
He smiles. “To you.”
Warmth spreads inside as I sip the velvety wine. After all the recent stress, it feels like my boyfriend has finally returned to me. We chat and laugh as we munch our way through the meal, and finally, I sit back in the chair and pat my belly.
“I can’t eat another bite.” Not that there’s anything left! Thank God I wore my stretchy trousers, otherwise I’d resort to undoing the top button. I have a heavy, contented feeling that comes from consuming too much starchy goodness.
“Me, neither.” Jeremy pushes away his plate, and I’m surprised to see he’s barely made a dent.
“Maybe you’d prefer pasta balls?” I joke. Thank goodness everything’s on track again, so he can take care of himself. He’d better, I think grimly, or I’ll tie him down and make him rest. A tiny spear of annoyance jabs my gut that he should stop testing his limits, then the familiar guilt at last year’s events sweeps over me. I didn’t force Jeremy to have the operation that went so wrong, but I played a role in encouraging him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll let you know,” he says. “Fancy dessert?”
My eyes bulge. “Dessert? You must be joking. I can hardly move!”
“I was kind of hoping you could.” Jeremy gestures to the window behind me. “Because it’s turning out to be a beautiful evening.”
“What?” I swivel, stunned to see the heavy clouds have cleared, leaving a soft blue sky tinged with pink as darkness falls. Streetlight glints off rain-washed streets and the moon is a slender crescent. It’s as if the city has taken a shower, returning fresh and ready to play.
We pay the bill, then shrug on our still-damp jackets and head into the street. Jeremy grabs my hand, and we wander past the row of cafés and up the incline towards Primrose Hill.
Inside the park, it smells undeniably of spring – damp earth, wet leaves, and the aroma of blossoming trees. I take a deep breath, remembering the scent of my parents’ back-yard in Maine, and how we’d fling off our shoes and race barefoot across the lawn on the first tender stalks. Here in London, the grass stays green pretty much all year round and walking barefoot isn’t for the faint of heart (or foot), but the sense of growth, newness, and better things to come remains.
Moving slowly, we work our way up the hill to our bench. Jeremy lowers himself onto it, and I sink down beside him.
“I’ll never get tired of this view,” he says when he’s caught his breath.
I lay my head on his shoulder as the whole of the city spreads out before me. The BT Tower flashes red, and lights from the London Eye twinkle as it swoops through the air. Hope and love rush into me, and I can’t help smiling.
Tonight, everything feels right. The charity will be okay; I’ve managed to pump up an article sure to impress Jonas and Helen . . . and isn’t it sweet I’m Jeremy’s safe haven? I totally get why he didn’t want to talk about his problems at work. It’s why I’m not keen on mentioning Julia, either.
I swear, the key to a good relationship should be knowing when to keep your mouth shut. I bet lots of marriages would be saved if people stopped griping to each other and just enjoyed their time together.
In fact, I think as I breathe in Jeremy’s heady scent, that’s exactly what we’ll do. Forget the outside world and all its troubles, and focus on what works: our relationship . . . our love.
It can’t be too hard, can it?
CHAPTER FIVE
My face stretches in a giant grin as I tube into work Thursday morning – in my post-sex glow, even dodging nail clippings from the girl beside me is mildly
Lifting his drink in the air, Jeremy’s eyes sparkle in the soft candlelight. “Cheers.”
“To the charity!” I clink my glass against his.
He smiles. “To you.”
Warmth spreads inside as I sip the velvety wine. After all the recent stress, it feels like my boyfriend has finally returned to me. We chat and laugh as we munch our way through the meal, and finally, I sit back in the chair and pat my belly.
“I can’t eat another bite.” Not that there’s anything left! Thank God I wore my stretchy trousers, otherwise I’d resort to undoing the top button. I have a heavy, contented feeling that comes from consuming too much starchy goodness.
“Me, neither.” Jeremy pushes away his plate, and I’m surprised to see he’s barely made a dent.
“Maybe you’d prefer pasta balls?” I joke. Thank goodness everything’s on track again, so he can take care of himself. He’d better, I think grimly, or I’ll tie him down and make him rest. A tiny spear of annoyance jabs my gut that he should stop testing his limits, then the familiar guilt at last year’s events sweeps over me. I didn’t force Jeremy to have the operation that went so wrong, but I played a role in encouraging him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll let you know,” he says. “Fancy dessert?”
My eyes bulge. “Dessert? You must be joking. I can hardly move!”
“I was kind of hoping you could.” Jeremy gestures to the window behind me. “Because it’s turning out to be a beautiful evening.”
“What?” I swivel, stunned to see the heavy clouds have cleared, leaving a soft blue sky tinged with pink as darkness falls. Streetlight glints off rain-washed streets and the moon is a slender crescent. It’s as if the city has taken a shower, returning fresh and ready to play.
We pay the bill, then shrug on our still-damp jackets and head into the street. Jeremy grabs my hand, and we wander past the row of cafés and up the incline towards Primrose Hill.
Inside the park, it smells undeniably of spring – damp earth, wet leaves, and the aroma of blossoming trees. I take a deep breath, remembering the scent of my parents’ back-yard in Maine, and how we’d fling off our shoes and race barefoot across the lawn on the first tender stalks. Here in London, the grass stays green pretty much all year round and walking barefoot isn’t for the faint of heart (or foot), but the sense of growth, newness, and better things to come remains.
Moving slowly, we work our way up the hill to our bench. Jeremy lowers himself onto it, and I sink down beside him.
“I’ll never get tired of this view,” he says when he’s caught his breath.
I lay my head on his shoulder as the whole of the city spreads out before me. The BT Tower flashes red, and lights from the London Eye twinkle as it swoops through the air. Hope and love rush into me, and I can’t help smiling.
Tonight, everything feels right. The charity will be okay; I’ve managed to pump up an article sure to impress Jonas and Helen . . . and isn’t it sweet I’m Jeremy’s safe haven? I totally get why he didn’t want to talk about his problems at work. It’s why I’m not keen on mentioning Julia, either.
I swear, the key to a good relationship should be knowing when to keep your mouth shut. I bet lots of marriages would be saved if people stopped griping to each other and just enjoyed their time together.
In fact, I think as I breathe in Jeremy’s heady scent, that’s exactly what we’ll do. Forget the outside world and all its troubles, and focus on what works: our relationship . . . our love.
It can’t be too hard, can it?
CHAPTER FIVE
My face stretches in a giant grin as I tube into work Thursday morning – in my post-sex glow, even dodging nail clippings from the girl beside me is mildly
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