After the End: Book 4

5. Shy

Louis POV

Becca was giving me that look she always gave me when she thought I was being coy. We were in the final moments of our meeting with the marketing execs. I'd done most of the talking this time. I'd not ever been the one in the lead before, but since I'd steamrolled the established plan by stowing Harry at our mums, I was kind of in a position to be explaining myself.

Things had gone well. Becca had seemed pleased with my responses to their inquiries. I was personable and made some jokes about the predicament we were in while Harry took his vacation. We worked out several ideas to expand on and approved a few things for the coming days. We had a lot of existing material to work with. The details all revolved around the execution.

As things started to come to a close, the symphony of shuffles began throughout the conference room. People started packing up their papers and sliding back their rolling chairs. I rose too at Becca's cue. She was directing me on professionalism again. According to her I was becoming too comfortable and the way I bowled over established plans was gaining me a reputation as just a bit difficult to work with. Her role had always been to teach me how to navigate the job, so I was gladly taking the criticism.

I remained stationed at the head of the table beside her to shake hands and answer any questions people still had as they filed out. That's where I'd been when the head of our marketing team, Kenny,  had approached me with a few of his associates to invite us to dinner. I'd started working my way through a rejection and Becca had given me the look.

I wasn't being coy. I was tired and stressed out and I was still thinking about whether or not I could get away with driving to Doncaster for the night. I made a point of not meeting her eyes.

"I really appreciate the offer, bu—"

"We'd love to!"

Becca cut right over me and smiled up at the marketing head in that alluring way she often did. I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming urge to scream.

Kenny seemed thrilled to hear that. If he noticed my own hesitancies, he didn't let on. Instead he shook both of our hands and then rattled off a time and place before leaving out the way the rest of the team had gone.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded as soon as I heard the click of the door closing. I rounded on Becca, who looked entirely unbothered. She was smiling at me.

"You need to work on your networking," she stated crossing her arms. "You need more friends."

"I have friends!" I argued annoyed.

"You need friends that can do things for you," she corrected. She took a step closer to me and leaned over to plant a kiss on my pouted bottom lip. "Like me. I do lots of things for you."

I didn't think I needed more friends that did the things she did for me, but I didn't think those things were what she meant. Not with that last expression anyways.

"You didn't even wait to ask if I was busy," I argued instead.

Becca just raised her eyebrows. With a shake of her head she said, "Were you busy Louis?"

"I might have been," I stated evasively. "I was considering going back to Doncaster."

"You just got back from there," Becca reminded me.

"And I've done nothing but think of Oliver since I got back," I informed her. I felt my face fall a bit. "I don't like being away from him."

Becca made a face I couldn't read. One thing I'd always worried about in our relationship together, even as friends was the disconnect between parents and non parents. Navigating my obligation to my children came naturally to me in a lot of ways. I didn't struggle to put them first by nature in most cases and Becca often had a hard time understanding that.