The Inheritance: A feisty, giggle-inducing romance Read online

  I rush back and try to find the high heels that I would like to wear, then I remember that they’re sitting in the shoe rack downstairs together with all the shoes I don’t wear very often.

  I dash downstairs, glancing nervously at my watch. It’s five to nine. When I get downstairs, Jamie is sitting comfortably on my sofa. He’s consulting a recipe book. As soon as he hears me approach, he lifts up his eyes and glances at me.

  “I forgot the shoes,” I explain and then I head towards the shoe rack. There are way too many shoes here. Where are my favourite high heels? Ah, here they are! I pull them out and try to ignore all the shoes that fall on the floor in the meantime. I go to the sofa to get my bag, then I head upstairs again. My mind registers Jamie’s annoyed expression for a second – I wonder what crossed his mind. He looked happy only a few minutes ago. He’s the most temperamental person I know.

  When I enter my room again, I sit on my bed to put the shoes on. I’m panting – too much running around. At least I’m ready and on time. Now I have to think about whether this bag is the one that I want to take out with me tonight. I also need to find a coat I can wrap up in, in case it gets colder later on. I hope Alex is running a little late.

  I open my wardrobe and scan all of my bags – one of them looks more suitable for tonight. The usual old coat will do – it keeps me warm.

  Alex hasn’t arrived yet, but I decide to go downstairs because it’s difficult to hear the doorbell from upstairs… I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex was here already. And here he is.

  My friend is waiting for me in the living room – Jamie keeps glancing at him from the sofa. He should be more polite to him – does that happen only when his friends come over for a visit?

  “Hey, Alex, sorry for making you wait.” I walk towards my friend with a smile on my face.

  “Hey! Not at all… to be honest…” Alex seems very embarrassed. He’s struggling to speak. “I realised that I have something important to do tonight… do you mind meeting up another time?” Did Jamie tell him anything? I turn towards him to read his expression, but Jamie is impassive. He’s staring at the recipe book. In the meantime, Alex steps backwards towards the front door.

  “Well… I’m off… I’ll see you around? Sorry!” He sounds scared. He makes a final step backwards and then turns to take the lift. I freeze in front of Alex while the lift doors close to take him downstairs. I close the front door, and I turn around towards Jamie.

  “What did you say to him?” I’m furious, again. Why can he just not behave like a normal man? What did I do to him to deserve this?

  “I didn’t say anything – he seems to have realised that he had another commitment!” Does he really think that I’m going to believe that?

  “I know Alex – he would never do that. What the hell did you tell him?”

  “I just opened the door for him, that’s all. You asked me to do that for you.” He stands up and walks towards me. Why does his scent confuse me when he’s so close? I suddenly remember how difficult it was to apologise to him and get him to stop ignoring me – it cost me more than seventy dollars, plus all the emotional distress. I can’t afford to make the same mistake again and ruin everything. The best option would be to trust him and believe that he has nothing to do with Alex’s strange behaviour. I’m not convinced that Jamie’s entirely innocent, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. I hope that he hasn’t lied to me, or he won’t like my reaction.

  “I was going to tell him about Elly,” I sigh, disappointed. Elly deserves a man like Alex. I could have combined a date for them but my plans have failed.

  “What do you mean?” Jamie stares at me, trying to understand me – when he does this, his eyes have an overwhelming magnetic power. I look away, to avoid the wave of emotion.

  “Elly, my friend and colleague. She fancies Alex and I wanted to get Alex interested in her. I wanted to tell Alex about Elly tonight.” Jamie looks confused, he keeps staring at me.

  “What? You think it’s inappropriate to introduce a friend to another friend? Look, I’m always right about potential partners…” I carry on talking. Why does he have to stare at me like that while I talk? This is very uncomfortable. A moment later, he inhales deeply and then begins to chuckle.

  “What’s funny?”

  “No-nothing, I promise.” Jamie tries to pull himself together.

  “Then stop laughing at me, I could get offended.” I cross my arms on my chest. Jamie is the most enigmatic man that I’ve ever met in my life.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to offend you.” He lays his hands on my arms, staring straight into my eyes. “Considering that your plans for the night have changed, why don’t we try to make up for it with the wine?” His smile overwhelms me and I’m unable to mutter a reply. Why is a single touch from him enough to give me these emotions? I must be sick, that’s the only answer. I should have an early night, but the red wine is equally attractive right now. My willpower is not strong enough to resist this.

  “Hmm… I’ll accept your invite… but only if you let me eat another one of those chocolates. They’ll help me to perk up!” Jamie smiles at me. When he smiles, his face becomes brighter and even more attractive. I can’t contain my excitement for the chocolate and wine, even if I should be upset by the sudden change of plans. For once, I almost forgot that Jamie is contributing to my happiness!

  *

  The beef was even tastier than it looked and the second chocolate was better than the first one. In fact, it was so tasty that I couldn’t help but eat a third one. The mint-flavoured chocolate was a bit of a surprise – I wasn’t expecting to taste cinnamon with mint and chocolate, but it was a pleasant surprise. The almond and the mint ones are definitely my favourites so far… I haven’t made my mind up about the blueberry chocolate, but it’s definitely unique. The sweetness of the chocolate contrasts nicely with the sour blueberry juice, creating a surprisingly original taste. I think I understand why Dad wanted to keep Jamie close to him. It’s difficult to resist his chocolates – obviously, this is a thought that I would never dare to say out loud.

  Jamie finally opens the bottle of wine to toast the renewed peace in the apartment. I limit myself to one glass, as I’m aware of the overwhelming effect that alcohol has on me. When he talks to me, I can’t help my glance at his hands and his lips – it seems that I’m going to have to deal with this issue for a long time. I have to work on self-control.

  “That’s a shame – you’re nicer to me when you’re drunk.”

  “I think I’m quite nice tonight?”

  “Yeah, you’re not too bad tonight.” His patronising tone should irritate me but it somehow has the opposite effect.

  “Ah, it’s good to know that I live up to your high standards.” I say and then I smile at him. He gives me a resentful look for a moment, and an alarming wave of worrying emotions washes over me.

  “I’m just joking.” I clarify – I don’t want to upset Jamie. I have to endeavour to be a lot more diplomatic for the rest of the year. A year? That sounds like an eternity.

  “Yeah, I know, but I thought it would be funny to make you panic for a moment or two.” Jamie laughs. I should have predicted it – now that he knows that I have learnt to apologise, he will take advantage of it.

  “That’s not funny,” I complain, then I take my plate and get off the stool. He grasps my arm again and restrains me. Why does it get so warm when he stares into my eyes?

  “Let me wash the dishes,” he says. Then he takes my plate and puts it in the sink.

  “Okay, thanks. I had better go to bed now.” Jamie turns towards me, looking slightly worried.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Sure, I mean, I think so. I just have a bit of a cold and I don’t want it to get worse, which is why I want to have an early night. I’ll be fine tomorrow!” I try to be more positive, because he looks even more worried now. I’m unsure whether it is really a cold, or something else that makes me feel like I do right now. I don’
t want to linger on these thoughts.

  “Okay, sleep well.” He sounds a little frustrated.

  “Good night!” What was he thinking?

  A good nights sleep will help me to clear my ideas – yes, sleep will be the answer to all of my problems.

  7

  When I open my eyes, my mind slowly realises that it’s a new day, even if the sunlight seems to have forgotten to fulfil its daily duties. The wind howls outside, and my window seems to struggle to withstand it. The alarm on my bedside cabinet warns me that it’s half past nine in the morning, but it’s so dark outside that it feels like three in the morning! I sit up on my bed and pull the curtains apart to take a peek at the weather outside. The rains hits the window violently and doesn’t seem to want to stop any time soon. Why is the world so angry at me today? It’s Sunday but I know that the weather is not going to help me feel any better today.

  I close the curtains with the intention of ignoring the weather outside, and slide back under my blanket. This is going to be the first Sunday I spend with Jamie, and I want to have a good plan for it. The thought of being stuck at home with him overwhelms me with anxiety and joy all at the same time. I can’t ignore the fact that Jamie has an effect on me, and I would try my best to ignore it, if only I could stop dreaming about him at night. Luckily, I’m not one of those who remembers dreams vividly – all that I recollect in the morning is a few sentences and some of the faces. Yet, I struggle to sweep the thought of him away – this problem seems to be getting worse and worse!

  What am I going to do today? I could choose to remain locked inside my room all day. While this idea sounds attractive, I have to reconsider it almost immediately – I would get terribly bored. No, I don’t want to spend a wet Sunday locked in my room just to avoid Jamie. I breathe in deeply to pull myself together, have a quick shower and then put on some comfortable clothes. I head downstairs for some breakfast.

  Before entering the kitchen, I take a peek inside to make sure that the room is empty. I can’t see the whole room, but it’s very quiet this morning – Jamie has probably gone out somewhere. Or maybe he’s still asleep.

  “Good morning”. Jamie’s sleepy voice scares me half to death. I turn round to look at him – he’s wearing a white t-shirt which reveals his muscles, and a pair of tracksuit bottoms. He seems taller now that I’m not wearing high heels. He’s barefoot, which is why I didn’t hear him approach. I look at his sleepy face. He has some pillow marks on his face and he hasn’t shaved yet – this makes him look even wilder than usual. Once again, a wave of negative emotions wash over me – I hate to see him so at ease in my apartment, when I struggle to even walk into the kitchen on a Sunday morning.

  “Good morning,” I greet him, confused. He walks past me into the kitchen. Without saying another word, he fiddles with pans and cutlery and prepares some pancakes for me and him, which he dishes up on plates on the counter, together with two mugs of coffee. I was planning to have just some yoghurt – maybe another time. If he keeps spoiling me like this, I’m going to get fat in a blink of an eye. I could reject the pancake offer – and for a moment, I’m tempted to – but then he sits on a stool and pulls another one out for me, inviting me to sit down. The smell of the pancakes is too good to resist. I have to work on my weaknesses – and food is definitely one of them.

  I sit next to him, and then I hear him laugh, because he notices my hesitation.

  “You’re in a good mood today, aren’t you.” I comment.

  “It’s Sunday today!”

  “And you’re in a good mood every single Sunday?”

  “And you’re in a bad mood every single day?” He speaks without any resentment, he sounds truly happy today.

  “I’m usually in a good mood on a Sunday, but the fact that I’m going to have to share it with you doesn’t help.”

  “Why do I have an influence on your mood? I have nothing to do with your Sunday plans.”

  “Whether you want it or not, you’re here, and that’s enough to change my mood for the worse. It’s not your fault, I know, so I’m just going to try to ignore you today and have a good Sunday anyway. Just so you know – I usually spend my Sundays watching TV, I have a late lunch and then have a long nap in the afternoon. I usually go out in the evening, but I might not today. Everything clear?” I sound rather detached while I speak – my approach reassures me somehow. I should have maintained with this attitude consistently from the first day that he came to live at my apartment. Perhaps I really just had a bad cold.

  In the meantime, Jamie carries on eating his pancake without even raising his eyes towards me. I win, this time. For a moment, I thought that this arrogant young man would have an influence on my emotions, but I think that I’ve learned how to control them. It just takes time. Ignoring him seems the best approach for now – I finish my breakfast, then I get off the stool and leave the plate in the dishwasher.

  Let the Sunday begin!

  I walk out of the kitchen and head to the second sofa upstairs. It might not be as comfortable as the downstairs sofa, but it’s not that bad. I sit comfortably between two large cushions, then I turn on the TV with my remote. This was my father’s favourite TV – he spent a lot of time trying to find the perfect size of plasma TV to fit on the wall in front of the sofa. He wanted a large screen to enjoy watching baseball matches without having to squint and spent way too much money on a good TV and an additional sound system. I can’t believe that it’s all mine now.

  I flick through the channels and decide to watch the ABC, where they broadcast repeats of my favourite series – Bones and Grey’s Anatomy. If I could, I would spend whole weeks watching TV series, but I have a full time job and my time is limited. After all, it is the lack of time generally devoted to hobbies that makes my Sunday mornings special. I won’t let anyone disrupt my routine on Sunday mornings.

  I breathe in and out deeply, then I grab one of the pillows and hug it tightly while I stretch out my legs on the pouffe in front of me. A new episode of Bones is about to begin. The following two hours fly by – I hope that the rest of today will fly by like this. I’m pretty sure that the annoying man I share the apartment with will make it very difficult to have an easy time.

  When I least expect it, he sits down next to me on the sofa, puts his feet on the pouffe and stretches his arms out behind his head. I pull myself together, struggling to believe that he walked upstairs just to sit next to me. I glance at him several times in disbelief. My plan to relax has failed miserably.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I burst out.

  “Shhh, this episode is one of my favourite!” He whispers.

  “No, no, no! You can’t stay here! Stop invading my personal space!” I yell at him. Jamie turns his eyes towards me, he pulls an expression that is between surprised and offended.

  “I’m just watching TV,” he mutters.

  “No, you’re watching my TV on my sofa, somewhere in the apartment you’re not allowed! You’re invading my privacy and you’re also ruining my Sunday!”

  “You’re going crazy…” He comments. “Why the hell do you always have to act this way?”

  “You’re asking why I’m trying to defend my private space and keep you away from me?”

  “No, you’re not defending anything – you treat me like I was some kind of evil man who wants to take your life away from you, but I’m nothing like that.”

  “You’re not? I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

  “I never asked your father to let me live here for a year, Ashley. I’m forced to live here just like you… when will you realise?

  “Stop with that patronising attitude, it’s annoying.” I say to him angrily.

  “I’m not being patronising, I’m just saying that it’s useless for you to be so nasty to me. I thought that yesterday’s wine meant that you were trying to make our co-habiting easier and that you wanted a break from our arguments…” He pauses for a second, trying to find the right words. “I thought that
you wanted to stop the hate.”

  “No, that bottle of wine meant that I’m sorry for what happened the other night. This doesn’t mean that I trust you. Try to give me space and keep away from the rooms where you’re not allowed to enter. Do you think that you can do this?” My words visibly irritate him – he won’t stop staring at me intently, with disappointment. I’m worried that he might punch me. His fist is clenched and his facial muscles tremble with anger. He closes his eyes for a moment, then he surrenders and exhales deeply. He stands up and walks downstairs without saying a word. I hear him stamp a few times, even if he’s not wearing shoes. I don’t understand how he always finds a way to annoy me. What’s wrong with him? Does he think that we have to share every single moment of the day like a couple, just because we have to live under the same roof? Well he’s wrong. I have my own life and will still have it at the end of the year.