Deliciously British

by Scarlett Avery

  “Of course.” I wink at her.

  “In all seriousness, I’m happy for you, Ethan. Delilah is an absolute sweetheart. She has a great sense of humor and she has such a pleasant personality. I’m sure for you as a guy, the fact that she’s such a pretty girl is a definite bonus.”

  There’s so much more that I can add to that list, but I keep my response succinct. “She’s sweet, smart and gorgeous. Yes, I’m a very lucky guy.”

  “How is your best mate taking the news?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Since it’s no secret how close the two of you are, I assume Xander has already met Delilah.”

  “Yes, he has.” Many, many, many times.

  “Does he like her?”

  “He does.” A lot.

  “I’m sure he must be devastated.”

  “How so?”

  “He’s lost his partner in crime.” On the contrary, my dear. “He’s going to have to go out there and chase skirt on his own.” I chuckle at her comment. “Then again, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Clearly, miracles do happen.” Ashley waves a finger at me. “Bloody hell, a notorious bachelor like you has a girlfriend. Everything is possible.” Ashley never knew about Adele. “Who knows? Maybe one day soon, Xander will also meet the right woman.”

  He already has. I just can’t tell you about it.

  CHAPTER 61

  Xander

  Since I don’t have any meetings today and I’m not running around town to recording sessions with my artists, I decided to work from home. Although it’s fairly difficult for me to focus, I was determined to do my best. Today’s the big day. Ethan had a meeting a few hours ago with Ashley over lunch to let her know about Delilah. It’s true that on paper I’m not part of the picture, but still, this is an important day for us. By officially establishing Delilah as his girlfriend to the outside world, we remove a layer of complication and put an end to any potential rumors before they even start. Once he finished updating our girlfriend’s boss, he had to drop by the offices of one of his über-rich clients to oversee the delivery of a number of canvases from a local artist. He promised he’d cut his day short after that and retreat back home. Based on his last text message, he was supposed to be here a while ago. Given the time, I’m not surprised. I’m certain he’s fighting his way through traffic.

  When I look at the clock and realize it’s already half past five, I decide I’ve had enough. Since I’ve been glued to my laptop for a few hours now, I decide to run downstairs to the kitchen to make myself a snack. I put the kettle on the stove to prepare a cup of tea. As I wait for the water to boil, I walk to my kitchen island where I had left the teapot from earlier and stuff three bags of orange pekoe tea in it. Once that’s done, I shift my attention to the real reason why I came down here. I slide the glass bell towards me and lift the lid. I lick my lips in anticipation. I grab the knife that’s still sitting on the plate and cut a generous slice of the cake Delilah brought when she came over yesterday. As much as I love dessert, I must confess this pastry shop eluded me until last night. Our girlfriend introduced us to Peggy Porschen Cakes. Their red velvet cake with vanilla frosting is spectacular. I don’t even wait for my cup of tea—I intend on having a second slice when that’s ready. Without waiting another minute, I shove a big forkful of the chocolate dessert in my mouth. I’m nearly halfway through my cake when the kettle whistles. Quickly, I drop my plate on the counter and run to grab it before it starts making a ruckus in the house.

  “My God, that whistle is so noisy it could wake up the dead,” I grumble.

  “Thank God for that. If that thing were silent, I would have burned down my place—and yours—a million times over.” My best friend walks towards me from the glass room. “Do you know how many times I’ve been distracted and completely forgot I had the kettle on the stove? And some of those times, I was sitting in the kitchen.”

  I chuckle. “I’m not surprised you’d forget.”

  “I was just trying to sympathize, but if you’re going to mock my cooking skills, I’ll go back to my place.” He’s so touchy.

  “Don’t be daft. You know I’ve been waiting for you to get back. Do you fancy a cuppa?”

  “Please. There’s nothing quite like a strong cup of tea at the end of a grueling day. And I’ll also have a slice of that cake.” Ethan drops his bag on the counter, slides out of his tailored jacket and walks towards the cupboard to grab a plate before pulling open the drawer and rummaging through it for a fork and a spoon. He walks to the other side of the kitchen island, sits down on one of the stools and serves himself a slice of cake that rivals mine.

  I slide his cup of tea in front of him. “Thank you so much,” he says, loosening up his tie. He removes it altogether and flings it on the counter beside him. “As fashionable and dapper as these are, they can start really feeling like a noose at the end of the day.”

  I take a seat right across from him. “Hard day?” I ask before taking a sip of my piping-hot tea.

  “Difficult and demanding client,” he volleys before doing the same.

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  He shrugs. “What are you going to do? Those things happen.”

  Since we’ll be home all evening and we’re not expecting Delilah because she’s working late again, we’ll have all evening to catch up. Right now, I’m too impatient to wait any longer. “How did it go with Ashley?”

  “It went without a hitch,” he says before attacking his cake. “God, this is absolutely delicious,” he exclaims between bites. “Even the day after, it’s still incredibly moist.”

  “I honestly had to restrain myself not to finish the rest of it instead of eating a proper breakfast. After all, there was nothing stopping me from polishing it all off since I was alone. Talk about willpower.” I shake my head. “Our girlfriend surely knows how to pick ’em.” I chuckle.

  “She does.” He grins wide. When he winks at me, I understand why he looks so proud of himself.

  “I just caught on to that double entendre,” I sneer.

  He cocks an eyebrow. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  “Yes, you are. We’re definitely two fine picks.” Now it’s my turn to laugh at his joke. “So to go back to what you were saying, Ashley is okay with you seeing Delilah?” I ask.

  “I doubt she would have objected to it since we’re not doing anything wrong. It’s not as if we’re working together or I’m one of their artists—not that I’d know if there’s anything in Delilah’s employment contract that prevents such relationships. But no, Ashley doesn’t have any problems with it at all. On the contrary, she’s delighted. I think she was taken aback by the unexpected news, but overall she’s very happy for me…” He pauses and looks up at me. The expression on his face is very serious.

  “What?”

  “She hopes you’ll meet a girl soon—one you’d want to date.”

  “Ah, I see.” I lift the corners of my lips up. It’s not a smile. It’s just me accepting the reality that I may only be able to live out my relationship with my girlfriend behind closed doors.

  “It really bothered me not being able to tell her that we share Delilah, but—”

  “She wouldn’t understand,” I finish his sentence. I sip some of my tea. The hot liquid soothes me.

  He shakes his head. “No, she wouldn’t.”

  “We’ve been down this road before, mate. We know what to expect,” I remind him.

  “I disagree. With Adele no one knew that either of us was seeing her. That’s how she wanted it and we respected her decision. You and I are such close friends and at the time we were seeing her, our names and faces were still memorable in the music scene. Hence why she was so petrified that someone would put two and two together and realize that she’s dating two guys at once. And given her excuse for not wanting to take things further, I also suspect she didn’t want to bump into her parents while between the two of us. What we have with Delilah is very different.”

  “Don�
��t worry about it.” I give him a one-shoulder shrug before sipping more of my tea. “I don’t particularly care what the outside world thinks. As long as the three of us know what we have, I’m okay with it.”

  “Really?”

  I meet Ethan’s worried gaze from above the rim of my cup. “Yes. I wouldn’t say so if I wasn’t.”

  “We’ve never taken things this far before. When we were seeing Adele, we were living in a bubble. It won’t be the case with Delilah.”

  “I recognize that.” I nod in agreement.

  “I just want to make sure. I know we’ve talked about it and in the heat of the moment, everything sounds fine and dandy, but soon we’ll be stepping out in the world. People will see the three of us interact, but you’ll be labeled as the wingman—the guy in the shadows.”

  After a few nights of smoldering passion where it became clear that we were both totally addicted to our sweet little Texan and vice versa, all three of us made the decision that it’s imperative for Ethan to talk to Delilah’s boss. He had alluded to it the night we asked her to be our girlfriend, but at the time, it seemed there was no rush. All that changed in the blink of an eye.

  “Ashley might never know the full story, but it’s enough. Who cares if no one else knows that I’m as much part of this relationship as you are?”

  “That’s the part that I’ve been wrestling with,” Ethan confesses.

  “You and I know different.”

  “It still doesn’t sit right with me, Xander.”

  “Listen, Ethan, if this is how we’ll be able to live out our relationship without raising any eyebrows, so be it,” I state firmly.

  Cautiously, he nods. “Okay, I’m just checking.” The fact that he reiterates his sentiment warms my heart. “I don’t want you to feel excluded…” He pauses. “Although when we’re outside our homes, it might be unavoidable. “

  “You’re a good friend.” I smile.

  After so many years, I shouldn’t be surprised by Ethan’s undying loyalty. The way he stands up for me leaves me in awe. I’d die for this man and I know he’d do the same for me. Our unshakable bond will be put to the test with this relationship when we step outside these doors. That said, I know in my heart that those petty storms will do little to fray our friendship. We’re way too close for that to ever happen.

  “We’re way past being friends and you know it—especially when it comes to this. We’re inseparable, we’re brothers in arms and now we share the same woman. You know every single one of my kinks and I know yours. That’s a heck of a lot more than being good mates,” he reminds me.

  “I guess I’m not finding the right words to thank you for caring about how this affects me.” We both sit there for a few minutes. I soak in Ethan’s words while taking a few more bites of my cake. He does the same. From time to time we smile at each other. It’s another one of those moments between us where silence transcends words. I break the silence with the thought that’s been weighing on me all day. “Something has changed for me,” I start.

  “In what way?”

  “In regards to Delilah. The sex is the best we’ve ever had while sharing a woman—”

  “That’s a fact,” he interrupts.

  “And it leaves my past one-on-one interludes in the dust. Delilah’s eagerness makes up for her lack of experience.”

  “I won’t argue with you on that one either.” Ethan laughs.

  “She’s so willing, so very submissive and she doesn’t object to how debauched we can be.”

  “On the contrary, she seems to welcome it when we take her to the dark side.”

  “Exactly.”

  Ethan’s eyebrows knit. “Where’s the problem?”

  “I never said there was one,” I quip.

  “In that case, I’m not following what you’re trying to say.”

  “It wasn’t until we were faced with the reality that we might lose her way too soon that I realized how much I need her in my life—not just in my bed.”

  He considers me for a few long seconds before answering. “That’s interesting.”

  “It is? Do you feel differently?”

  He shakes his head vehemently. “I feel the same way. Knowing that all three of us will congregate in the glass room at the end of the day is a moment I look forward to,” he confesses. “The three of us just hanging out and catching up on our day, laughing and exchanging stories is ritual I need. When either of us has to leave the city on a business trip or when she’s too busy at the gallery to come over, something feels like it’s missing. It’s not that I don’t enjoy spending time with you—I do and you know that—but there’s magic when the three of us are together. It’s the highlight of my day…” He pauses. “Right before we devour her.” He chuckles.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.” I can’t help the huge smile forming on my face.

  “My chat with Ashley only brought that forward—” Out of the blue, Ethan starts laughing.

  “What?”

  “I’m just laughing at the irony of it all.”

  “Care to fill me in?” I ask. “I feel a little out of the loop here.”

  “I think it’s incredible that things have shifted for both of us at the same time.”

  “It’s been pretty intense since Delilah reassured us that she was staying in London. The sex keeps getting raunchier and waking up every morning with her nestled between us is surreal.”

  “I agree,” Ethan acquiesces. “I think that lately, sex—or should I say the wantonness of it—has been fueled by my insatiable desire for her, my need to tell you what to do to her, my addiction to seeing you ravish her like an animal and the fact that there might be an inevitable end date to our incredible relationship after all.”

  “The writing was on the wall since day one,” I remind him. And myself.

  “It’s not as if I didn’t know it going into this, but Samantha’s bratty freakout moment really put things into perspective.”

  “It just goes to prove how much things have changed.”

  “It does.”

  “We might still have a few months with Delilah, but as much as I dread the thought, eventually she’ll have to leave.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. Not that I know the first thing about bringing in a foreign worker—and given the new stricter immigration policies to ensure that only the right people come into this country, I can’t imagine that it’s a simple task—but on the way back from my last meeting of the day, I decided that I’ll start making calls. You know, test the waters a bit.”

  “You mean soliciting the help of people in your industry?”

  “Yes. I know the top players in the art world. Perhaps there’s enough time to find a way for Delilah to stay permanently in London. I’ve done some quick searches on Google while I was in the taxi. From what I’ve read so far, I’m too small of a fish to make this happen on my own. A company with greater means would considerably help expedite the process.”

  “This sounds promising.” I nod, pondering the possibilities.

  “I knew you’d see things my way,” he jokes.

  “Anything to keep her here.”

  “I hear you.”

  “What about the gallery?” I ask.

  “I’m not sure about that. Delilah dodged the bullet this time, but it might be a one-time deal. I know from talking to several employees that Mr. Walcott can keep a tight rein on the purse strings for certain things, but then over-indulge Samantha’s whims at a drop of a hat. I could certainly touch on the subject with Ashley, but I know her hands are tied. She might have had a lucky break this time, but Leighton Walcott might be a hard one to sell the idea to—unless there’s an immediate financial reward in sight for him.”

  “I think it’s a brilliant plan to set things in motion. There are still a few months left before the end of her contract. With a little luck, we’ll keep her right here where she belongs.”

  “We’re thinking along the same lines.” Ethan grins.

&n
bsp; “Maybe this scare with Samantha is a good thing after all. It forces us to do whatever it takes to avoid losing her,” I observe before getting up. “More tea? I’m going to put a fresh kettle to boil,” I announce.

  “Yes, please. I’m definitely having another slice of this cake.” He taps the plate in front of him with his index finger. “Without a good cup of strong tea, it would be so un-British.”

  “Indeed it would be.” I laugh.

  As I walk towards the stove, Ethan continues to talk. “With everything that’s unfolded in our lives lately, I thought that perhaps we might all need a break.”

  I turn around to face him with the kettle still in my hands. Now it’s my turn to look confused. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve never been one to offer lip service—”

  “I can attest to that.” I chuckle.

  “Don’t quit your day job, mate, this comedian thing won’t ever work.” He rolls his eyes. “As I was saying before you rudely interrupted me”—his smile lets me know he’s joking—“there has been a lot thrown at us all at once. After the gala, why don’t all three of us take some time off?”

  I drop the kettle and approach him. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Let’s all fly down to Cape Town.”

  “What a smashing idea,” I rejoice.

  “It might not be possible to leave right after the big bash, but I’m sure that we could all take some time off towards the end of the month of August. Once the dust dies down, I’m sure Delilah will be able to bank a few vacation days. Four or five days under the sun—just the three of us in my secluded home—is exactly what we need.”

  I clap my hands together. “You’re right. We talked about it in passing, but let’s do this. Let’s make it happen.”