Quids In: Covent Garden Series

by Mary B. Moore

  Frank Whitby was a great man and had set me up with my current job the second I’d graduated. I’d been working for Loraine for four months and now had my one-bedroom flat in Notting Hill that I loved. The rent wasn’t too bad, and I actually lived close to William’s sister, Ruby. She was a year older than me, and I loved spending time with her.

  Portia still lived at home with my parents. They had a house in West Brompton, in the borough of Chelsea and Kensington. It wasn’t quite as affluent as the two areas, but the houses were only a couple of million pounds cheaper, so it was still an area that people sought to live in. They had converted their basement into a flat for Portia to do with as she pleased. She’d taken over half of their garden and insisted that she have a heated swimming pool and jacuzzi. Quite why she wanted that with the British weather I could never understand, but she had it all.

  Normally, I worked in an office in Oxford Street, so walking up to the Renton’s offices near The Gherkin was almost overwhelming. I found the landmark building the ugliest one amongst the beauty of the rest of the City. It didn’t matter if you called it by its other name, The Shard, it was still a bizarre building that looked out of place. The area was one of the most expensive places to run a business in London and the differences between it and Oxford Street were obvious.

  “Wilhelmina?” I heard a deep voice call from behind me. Turning around, I came face to face with the friendly Guy Blythe. The man was gorgeous, and India had been infatuated with him for years. Whether he realised that she actually existed was the question. While I was here, I was going to do my best to make sure he knew all about my beautiful best friend’s existence.

  “Morning, Guy!”

  “Welcome to Chateau Renton!” He made a show of opening the door, sweeping his hand and bowing making me laugh.

  “Why thank you, kind sir!” I stepped inside and almost tripped at the sight in front of me. The reception area was an atrium that looked up through six floors to the glass roof above. Either side of it were balconies with office doors just visible behind them. The smell of fresh coffee filled the area as people dressed immaculately in business suits walked around talking to one another on their way to their offices. It wasn’t gaudy like my father’s business, it was classy and elegant, but breath-taking at the same time.

  I was snapped out of my perusal by my mobile vibrating in my handbag again. Bloody Rory! He just wouldn’t stop. The pratt had even text saying he was sorry for shagging my sister if that’s what the problem was and that it had meant nothing. I hadn’t even known that they had, but I wasn’t surprised. Ugh, it was just vile.

  “You alright?” Guy asked, taking my elbow and leading me toward the coffee place. It wasn’t a Starbuck’s or a Costa, this was a private firm that I’d heard nothing but great things about.

  “Oh yes,” I focused on the scent of the nectar in front of me. “I didn’t have enough coffee this morning,” I shrugged. “I have a lot on my mind and a lot in front of me, so I really should be full to the brim to be able to do it all.”

  “I get it,” the gentle giant beside me chuckled.

  “My best friend is a million times worse. Do you know India Whitby?” I tried to sound as innocent and blasé as I could as I started my plan.

  “I think so?” he frowned thinking about it. “The name is very familiar.”

  “The largest and strongest latte you can make, please,” I asked the man behind the counter when he turned. “And?” I looked over at Guy seeing him still trying to place the name. When he didn’t reply, I asked for the same for him.

  “Is her father Frank Whitby?” he finally asked, clicking his fingers.

  “Yes, he is,” I nodded, smiling at him. “He’s such an amazing man. His daughter is just like him.” Hint, hint!

  “I think I remember her,” he muttered, still thinking.

  Oh, this just wouldn’t do.

  “Well, if you’re free after work, I’m meeting her at The Sterling in the Gherkin for drinks and dinner.” I’d never been to the pub on the ground floor of the Gherkin, so we’d decided to go and check it out for ourselves.

  His eyes focused on me and he frowned. “You asking me out?” He sounded almost scared to ask making me wonder what the hell was wrong with me.

  “God, no!” I spluttered.

  The server handed me my coffee at that moment and gave me a wink. “I get off at four if you like?”

  “Piss off, Chuck!” Guy snapped, making me take a step back at the quick change in personality.

  Passing Guy his coffee, ‘Chuck’ glared at him as he leaned on the bar in front of him. “It’s Charles, not Chuck, as you know. And you turned the beautiful lady down, mate, so why not?”

  “She’s taken,” a deep voice rumbled before a hard body pressed against my back, almost making me drop my coffee.

  Turning slowly, I looked up into the cold eyes of William as he glared at Charles over my head. Without even looking down at me, he put his arm around my waist and pulled me into him. Part of me was jumping up and down, the other part was wondering what the hell was going on. He’d never been this tactile or acted like this around me?

  Looking over at Guy who was smirking at Charles, I tried to take a step back, snapping William out of whatever world he’d transported himself into. Looking down at me, he gave me a beaming smile and squeezed me gently.

  “Welcome to Renton’s, Mina.” He took my coffee cup out of my hand and took a sip. “Good choice. Now, let’s take you to your office.”

  Taking hold of my hand, he led me toward one of the glass lifts near us and hit the button to call it.

  Looking behind me at Guy, I gave him a confused look. The smirk he gave me back made me rethink the favour that I was doing him setting him up with India. He was getting way too much satisfaction out of this.

  William

  I’d walked up just as Chuck had asked Mina out and it had taken everything I had in me not to rip his bloody head off. We’d grown up and gone to school with him, so he was an old friend. After university, he’d established an exclusive coffee business that people wanted in every town and city, but so far, he’d only granted it to five other places. I had to agree with his logic – it was exclusive for a reason and if you were to open it up nationally; it lost its exclusivity.

  That said, the plonker had chatted up the wrong woman this morning, and we’d be having a discussion about that later on.

  Pressing the button in the lift to take us up to my floor, I was about to ask Mina how she was when Guy spoke up.

  “So, about that date you asked me on?”

  If she hadn’t looked shocked and somewhat horrified, I would have punched him, best friend or not.

  “I didn’t ask you out on a date? I asked if you wanted to join me and India for dinner,” she hissed. Normally Mina was quiet and reserved, so although this wasn’t sounding even remotely better, I was intrigued to see where it was going.

  “Yeah, so a date!” Guy replied, leaning further into the curved glass of the lift.

  “No, it isn’t. I asked you if you knew India Whitby, then I asked if you’d like to join us for dinner.” The way she mentioned her friend's name made a bell go off for me.

  Either Guy was slow to pick up on the hint today, or he was pulling her leg. “So, a threesome?” he winked.

  Sighing, I pulled Mina back to me, taking her cup for another sip and ignoring her gasp. I knew she was a little coffee addict, but what she’d chosen tasted better than normal, so I was going to continue stealing sips as and when I could. “Guy, she’s asking you to just join them for dinner. I say we go.” I hadn’t been invited, but that wasn’t an issue. Before he could reply, the lift pinged and then the door opened. “Let’s get you to your office and get you settled.”

  “Both of you?” she asked as I led her to her office door. We had connecting suites, and I fully intended to keep the door open between us.

  “And Digby, obviously. I think he’d probably enjoy spending time with Indi
a.”

  I knew what Guy would do when I said this, and I’d planned it out well. Just as we reached her office, Guy made a noise as he looked at the screen of his phone, no doubt at India Whitby’s FaceBook page.

  “I can do dinner,” he muttered as he turned around and walked back toward his own office.

  Looking down at Mina’s smiling face, I winked. “I thought that would work.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, still grinning at me. “India is going to flip!”

  I hoped that her best friend did too.

  Chapter Three

  Wilhelmina

  Eight hours later, I was entering the pub to meet India with Will, Guy, and Digby in tow.

  It had been a long day and working with Digby had been fun, but I was feeling somewhat out of my depth. They’d all told me to take it slowly and that it would start to slot together, but I wasn’t sure.

  Looking over at India, I almost laughed when I saw her mouth drop open, the glass of wine in her hand forgotten as she saw Guy behind me.

  “What do you want to drink?” Will asked, leaning in and murmuring the question in my ear. He had done this a lot today, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it every single time.

  “Gin and lemonade, please.”

  Walking over to join India with Guy while Digby helped Will at the bar, I chose the chair opposite her, took my coat off and sat down while Guy did the same in the chair beside my gaping best friend.

  “India, do you know Guy?” I asked, nodding toward the handsome man who was looking at her curiously.

  “Ah,” she turned and gaped at him, her cheeks going bright red. “A bit.” That was her answer? India was never lost for words, so her reaction was a first.

  “Don’t lie,” Guy leaned down and kissed her cheek. “We’ve been to a lot of events together, haven’t we, India?”

  I thought my best friend was going to pass out, or disappear in a puff of smoke her face was that red. I could sympathise, I’d been the same way with Will all day, but I’d had to get past it each time because we were working in close proximity and brain-dead bimbo wasn’t the look I was going for.

  India finally snapped out of it and replied to him, but it was all lost on me as my phone rang in my bag. I’d turned it back on as we left the building because I was waiting for a call from one of the BBC’s representatives who covered the Dubai region to discuss the new hotel. The fact that I wasn’t making coffee or filing papers as I’d expected had blown my mind, and I wasn’t going to fail when I’d been trusted with this level of responsibility for the Renton's.

  It wasn’t who I’d hoped it was when I looked at the screen though. No, it was Rory again.

  Arsehole: I only shagged her once, Willy. And if you’re think about Trinny, she means nothing either. It’s you I want to with. We all make mistakes. I come round tonight and make up to you.

  Once? Trinny as in Portia’s best friend? And what the hell was up with all the mistakes in his messages? It wasn’t just this one, and for someone who declared themselves to be the medical version of Stephen Hawking and was anal about grammar and getting everything perfect, the mistakes stood out.

  I started to reply when my phone was taken out of my hand. Looking over, I saw Will scrolling up the screen shaking his head as he read the text messages. He was going in reverse order, but he’d get the gist all the same. It should bother me that he’d taken over the way he had, but it didn’t.

  “Is this Rory Cunningham?” he asked, still scrolling. There were a lot of texts to go through, so it would take him a while.

  “Yes,” I took a much-needed sip of my drink.

  “Ugh, is he still contacting you Mins?” India asked, using the nickname she’d given me when we were in Primary school together. “He’s such a tosser,” she told the table. “They were together all of about six weeks and he shagged her sister. I know she gets around, but chuffing Nora her sister’s boyfriend? That’s just gross.”

  “And Trinny,” I informed her of the latest information about my prick of an ex and his wagging dick.

  Her mouth hung open as she digested this.

  “Was it serious?” Will asked quietly, still scrolling. If only he knew!

  “Was it buggery bollocks!” India snorted. “Her parents set it up and then declared that the whole farce was a relationship. Mins wouldn’t even have given him the time of day if her parents hadn’t orchestrated it and laid it on thick. They were together for about six weeks,” she leaned in laughing, “for all of four dates,” she stressed, before leaning back and waving her hands around. “Then, the day she found him shagging a student nurse, she almost danced out of the hospital. She just sent him a text telling him to bugger off, no reason why, and we went out to the Blagclub Kensington and had a girl’s night out.”

  It had been India’s idea to celebrate by going to the Blagclub Kensington, but I hadn’t been against it. I loved that place – the décor was beautiful, and it was relaxed but fun. And I was celebrating getting out of the nonsense with Rory, so it had been one of the best nights out I’d ever had.

  “He seems to be intent on contacting you, Mina,” Will looked worried as he pointed out that obvious observation.

  Shrugging, I took another sip of my drink. There wasn’t really much that I could do apart from continue ignoring him.

  “I have a plan,” Guy said, leaning across the table with his eyebrows raised as he looked at the screen of my phone and one of the text messages on it. I wonder if it was one of his five-thousand-word ones? “Will, call him from her phone and tell him to piss off. He won’t take it from Wilhelmina, but he’ll take it from William Renton.”

  Before I could grab my phone back, Will had hit call and was grinning as he waited for bollock face to answer. I made another attempt to get it back, but then Will was talking to Rory.

  A look over to India showed that she was loving the situation and what he was doing, so I looked at Digby who was sitting the closest to Will at the end of the table. His expression was much the same as Guy and India’s, so I sat back and took deep breaths. I wasn’t some submissive little twit; I was stronger than people gave me credit for, but on this, I wasn’t going to argue. If it got rid of Rory, then my embarrassment was worth it.

  “So, you thought you’d shag her sister and her bint of a best friend, am I correct?” Will asked, sounding almost bored. Sinking down into my seat, I picked up the rest of my drink and knocked it back.

  This wasn’t how I saw this meal going, but then it was meant to be just me and India. Never once, though, did I imagine that I’d be sitting with her and Will and his mates, and Will would be talking to my arsehole of an ‘ex’.

  The way my parents sounded, Portia was planning their wedding and the Renton’s were delighted about the match between her and Will. That didn’t seem to be the case though, and now I had to wonder what the truth really had been? And why was I working for him and suddenly surrounded by him?

  Then he said something that made the last bit of the mouthful of Gin I was swallowing go straight up my nose. No bloody way!

  William

  “Mmm, no, mate. You won’t be seeing her at her flat later. You’ll stay away from her. Why don’t you pop round to Portia’s? You seem to know your way around her quite well and, if you’re lucky, her best friend might be there to greet you too!”

  Who the fuck did this arsehole think he was? He’d meet Mina at her flat?

  The sound of her choking beside me made me wince. I couldn’t blame her. I knew this dick well and his inability to comprehend what he was being told by both of us was just barmy.

  “Why doesn’t she talk for herself?” the dick in question sneered down the phone. “You’re marrying Portia anyway, so there’s no need to sniff around her sister too.”

  “That’s rich, don’t you think?” I drawled. Arse wipe was losing his patience now. “I was never going to marry Portia and you know it. You actually know her better than I do, don’t you? How do they phra
se it?” I cut off for a second for dramatic effect. “Oh yes, you know her in the biblical way. That’s definitely more than I do, or would ever want to.”

  “Fuck you!” He snapped back.

  “How original.” I was definitely winding him up, but I could hear him driving and signalling as he took turns, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out where he was headed. “If you go to Wilhelmina’s home, you’ll be charged with trespassing and I’ll make sure she gets out a restraining order against you. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Whatever you say, Willy. Whatever you say,” he chuckled, and then hung up.

  Popping her phone back onto the table, I took a deep breath and then reached for my pint to try to calm down before I spoke to the others. Once I’d done that, I caught Digby and Guy’s eyes and gave a slight shake of my head. They’d know what I meant by that – things hadn’t gone well. Turning to Mina, I changed my expression quickly and grinned.

  “What did he say?” she asked nervously, biting her lip. I wanted to bite it too, and nibble it, suck it, lick it.

  Sometimes in life, we have full control of ourselves, sometimes we don’t. This was one of the latter times, so I gave in to the impulse and closed the short distance between us and did what I wanted to do. I never got the chance to nibble, suck and whatever else though, because she gasped as I got to her and my tongue flicked into her mouth. I couldn’t care less about the audience around us and the other patrons of the pub, all I cared about was the person attached to the lips I was kissing.

  She tasted better than I could ever have imagined. Sweet, fresh and just perfection. What made it even better was how unsure she was as she kissed me back. Her tongue flicked lightly against my own, and then she fluttered it along mine making me groan.