I eyed the bag. “What do you do now that you’re no longer a student?”
“I’m an academic.” He shrugged. “There’s nothing much else out there for a guy with a PhD in history but to continue on. I’m a professor at the University of Aberdeen.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Thanks. You still happy at the library?”
“Very. It keeps me busy. So do the girls.”
“No plans for Valentine’s Day tonight then? Are you like me and Jules… at the mercy of our family?”
I shook my head, feeling that annoying little knot I knew shouldn’t feel. It was just Valentine’s Day for goodness sake! “Nope. No plans.”
***
“Liv, your phone is ringing in your bag.” Angie, one of my library assistants rushed out to the help desk. “It keeps ringing. Someone clearly wants to get a hold of you.”
Worried, I let her take over with the student I was helping and hurried into the staff room to rummage through my bag for my phone. I shot apologetic looks at the staff that were trying to work as I looked at the screen.
It was Nate.
I called him back, locking myself in one of the staffroom toilets.
“Hey, babe. I tried you a few times,” he said.
“I know, is it urgent? Why didn’t you call the office?”
“Because it’s not urgent.”
“Then why try me three times?”
“Because I want to talk to you.”
Hearing the rumble of affection in his voice I slumped down on the closed toilet seat and smiled, that little knot in my chest loosening a little. “Yeah? About?”
“Your day. I had to rush out of the house this morning so fast I didn’t even kiss you properly. I felt bad.”
Relief whooshed over me. “Yeah, I noticed.”
“Aye, I know you would have noticed that, that’s why I’m calling to make sure you know I noticed it too.”
“Well I appreciate that.” I laughed softly. “Is that all you were calling about?”
“I’m on a break so I just thought I’d call. If you have to get back to work though it’s fine.”
“Nope.” I shook my head, enjoying hearing his voice too much to let him go just yet. “How did the shoot go?”
“Great. Mikael turned up with the bloody lens, which was good because we needed it after all. How’s your day been so far?”
I thought about the strange meeting. “You’ll never guess who Ellie and I bumped into and ended up having lunch with.”
“Who?”
“Do you remember Ben?”
There was silence on the end of the line.
“The postgrad guy?” I offered.
“Yeah I know who it is, Liv,” he said, sounding a little impatient. “Why did you have lunch with him?”
Hearing the edge of jealousy in his voice I rolled my eyes. “He’s married. Her name is Jules and she’s pregnant.”
“And if I hadn’t been in the picture her name would probably have been Olivia.”
“Oh come on.” I sighed. “It was just two old friends having lunch with another friend. I thought you’d find it funny. It was weird to see him after all this time. And on today of all days.”
“What does that mean?”
Yup, he’d totally forgotten Valentine’s Day.
“Nothing. I guess.” I stood up, a little annoyed with his reaction. “Well I better get back to work.”
“I’m finishing early today. I thought I’d pick up the girls so they don’t have to go to the after school program.”
“Okay, great. Make sure to let the school know they won’t be there.”
“Got it. I’ll see you at home.” He hung up and I glowered at the phone. Nate had no right to be pissy at me because of a stupid lunch.
Ugh.
What an unbelievably crappy Valentine’s Day.
***
Walking up to the house in the dark of the early evening I stared at it in confusion. Usually the house was lit up when I came home from work. Whereas I did breakfast and the morning school run, Nate always arranged his schedule so that he could pick the kids up from the after school program and he more often than not had dinner on the table too.
There was only a faint glow of light peeking out of the blinds that covered our front window.
Opening the front door I was immediately hit by the comforting heat and the delicious smell of Chinese food.
My favorite.
Maybe Nate felt bad for being all grumpy and jealous on the phone earlier. “I’m home!” I called out as I closed the door.
I was usually barraged with something along the lines of ‘Mum! Jan stole my Barbie!’ while said thief came running at me from wherever she was in the house.
Nothing.
“Nate?”
“In here, beautiful.”
Smiling at the compliment I shrugged out of my coat and shoes and followed the smells of divine food to the dining room.
My eyes widened at the sight before me.
The room was lit with candlelight and there was a huge bunch of stunning red roses in a vase on the middle of the table. A table that was set up for dinner.
Nate stood by the table in his favorite jeans and a long-sleeved black top that did nothing to hide his still muscular and trim physique. He was barefoot and relaxed and staring at me with a familiar heat in his eyes.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, babe.”
I grinned, my stomach letting out a rumble at the sight of the Chinese food. “Did someone remind you?”
He shook his head, mischief in his eyes. “I called my dad last week and asked him if he’d take the girls tonight. My parents picked up Lily and Jan this afternoon.”
“But… you made it sound like you’d forgotten?”
He shrugged and laughed. “I was just messing with you.” He strode toward me and grabbed a handful of my shirt to tug me to him. His kiss was hot and deep and I instantly wrapped myself around him.
When we broke apart, he stared into my eyes and whispered, “I’ve missed you, Liv. I thought we could use some time alone.”
And just like that the knot in my chest loosened completely. “I’ve missed you, too.”
***
A few hours later I laid on our sofa, my legs stretched out across Nate’s lap, while I sipped at the ice cold beer he’d just handed me before settling in. The living room was lit by the flames in our fireplace. It was cozy and intimate and romantic.
It was also weirdly quiet.
“You feel it too?” Nate drew circles on my ankle with the tips of his fingers.
“The girls?” I said softly.
He nodded. “It’s quiet without them.”
“Yeah. You get used to having them around.” I chuckled. “Lily said something so funny this morning.”
Nate smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, I just can’t remember what it was.” I rested my head on the back of the sofa hearing Nate laugh. “It’s been a weird day. I can barely remember any of it.”
“Except for the part where you had lunch with an ex?”
I shot a look at him. He was drinking his beer and still tracing my skin casually but the lines of his shoulders were tense. “Ben wasn’t an ex.”
“Close to.”
My brows drew together. “You honestly had a problem with me seeing him today?”
He turned his head and our gazes locked. “Yes. I had a problem with some guy getting to have a quiet lunch and a nice conversation with my wife because until right now I couldn’t remember the last time I got to have a quiet lunch and nice conversation with my wife.”
“Nate.”
“I know I’m being an arse.” He rubbed a hand over his face and groaned.
I smiled. “You’re not an ass. On retrospect, considering how little time we’ve had for each other lately, I would have been mad if you had lunch with some other woman who had some affiliation with your romantic history.”
Nate squeezed my ankle. “Doesn’t matter now. We’re here.”
“Yes we are.”
We lapsed into comfortable silence, the only sound the crackling of the flames in the grate of the fire.
And then I couldn’t help myself.
“Would you rather take part in The Hunger Games or the Tri Wizard Tournament?”
Nate contemplated the question. “Depends. Am I competing in the 74th annual Hunger Games or the 75th?”