Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 52

Two hours later, David said, "So what made you go down this route?" The question was unexpected by either of them. It was something that kept him wondering but he hadn't expected to voice it. That clearly surprised him. But the last two hours were the longest personal conversation between them, for the last two years. He knew he had gone out of his way to avoid any conversation with her. And he wasn't sure why?

When she arrived at his home-town it irritated him, he knew that. Why come here, to this town? Because the town was small he would see her. But he had avoided asking questions, let alone asking about her personal life. Until recently.

Ella was surprised by the change in their topic. Why ask about her profession? Her career wasn't important to him. She nearly shouted at him, 'not your business' but her eyes narrowed further when David repeated his question.

"So what made you go down this route?" He repeated and leaned back in his chair.

She tensed, but she answered. "It gave me a chance to use my degree." She watched his eyes, and saw him process her response. She was pretty sure that her response was not what he expected. The last two hours had been interesting, for both them. She got to see him, the un-varnished him. And she was certain that David saw her through the lens of reviewing her reasons for her house. Ella lowered and rolled her shoulders to ease the tense. She knew, he really wanted his home to have the same ambience as her place. Not that she was sure you could generate that type of mood with just a colour scheme and similar furniture. But it told her something about him.

"There's a degree in interior design?" He said automatically, with a smile in his voice.

"Probably." She began to pack some of the pencils and pens away. Time to stop. Before he took this conversation further, before her guard remained down, permanently. She pretended to look for something.

But obviously, he wasn't a mind-reader, and he ignored her body's signal. "Probably?" He asked hesitantly.

Ella was tempted not to answer his question. Why ask now? They rarely talked, and why this particular conversation today. David leaned closer.

Despite her reservations, she said, "Yes, there might be a degree in Interior design." She looked at him and scowled. "But I have a business degree." Why did she volunteer that information? She got to her feet, collected some of the files and walked towards her desk. She needed space away from him. Albeit in an office, it would be hard. Distance.

A few moments later, he asked, "So how did you end up in interior design?"

Ella's spoke in a curt voice, "Does it really matter?" She turned around, put her files on her desk and pretended to tidy up her desk. His words continued to hurt. She was not going to leave herself open to more heartbreak by explaining anything to him. "I'll get the new items to you by the start of next week." She looked at the top of her desk as if there was something important on her desk.

David squared his shoulders, and looked at Ella more closely, just her back, but he could tell from the tenseness in her shoulder, that she was not happy about the topic. "It was just a question. Anyone would think you had something to hide."

The silence lengthened. In the ensuing quiet, Ella grew uncomfortable.

She folded her arms, took a breath, and then turned back around. "I used to do evening classes renovating things, and someone asked me to do their flat."

"I thought you said you did a business degree."

"Yes. I did."

And you moon-lighting as an interior designer."

"Sort of."

He chuckled. "Is it a trade secret?"

Deliberately she unlaced her arms and lowered her voice, "Yes. I did a business degree and I went to evening classes. Did a couple of rooms for friends. Word of mouth and I was soon inundated with work." Keep it simple, avoided any emotion in her tone, and just give him enough to keep him happy! She rolled one of the diagrams and fed it into a canister. She quirked her eyebrow. "So I set up the business. Anything else?" So much for that, not including emotion!

He hesitated before saying, "You've changed." She was always a quiet girl, but she was so caring, thoughtful and calm back then. But now, even though she was still calm, now she was closer to self-controlled. She was still thoughtful but she kept her thoughts to herself. And now, her compassion was saved for her friends, her very close friends.

"Not really." She shrugged her shoulders. Of course she had changed. She learnt not to trust. People would misinterpret her. It would be her words against others.

"You're more self contained. Really remote." Self sequestered. Insulated from everyone. But definitely stubborn, resilient and abrasive.

David reached for the jacket he had removed three hours ago and had draped on the back of the chair. Their history had repercussion for both of them. He knew, it was second nature, to double check anything before he took steps. No one-stand night. Sex, only after his girlfriends confirmed, verbally, that they wanted sex without any expectation or emotional commitment. No spur-of-the-moments. But he thought about his partners' wishes, which explained why he had so many good ex-girlfriends.

"How would you know?" Ella challenged softly.

"Excuse me?" He frowned and said quite seriously, "Do I hear bitterness?"

She had schooled her mind not to release any information but her heart was over-ruling her mind. "You knew me for probably the sum total of sixty minutes, nearly ten years ago." She said angrily, more than a little nervous.

"You were a friendly, kind, gentle, thoughtful girl. Warm hearted. Considerate. Attentive." He confronted her with bluntness. "Nothing like the frosty, unfriendly, uncommunicative self centred woman that arrived two years ago." Ella continued to roll up the diagrams, ignoring the cut of each word, even as they registered and lodged silently in her heart. When she said nothing, David growled, "You can understand why people called you an Icicle." David wished he hadn't said that. He ran his fingers through his hair. He remembered the conversation with Seth. David tried to rescue the situation. "Sorry, Gabriella. It is just, well, people think you are more reserved. Haughty, I guess."

Icicle. Ella's heart stored what Evie shared David's opinion of Ella. Evie was right he did think she was an icicle. He just confirmed it. Ella replayed David's words.

She squared her shoulder. Said calmly, "I will get those items as soon as possible." She turned the conversation back to the job.

"Ella."

She looked over at him, her eyebrows quirked, waited for him to speak.

"Sorry."

"For?"

"For what I just said." He just wished he hadn't changed the topic to her career route. The last two hours had been amazing: sifting through their statements, under the guise of creating a warm mood for his place generated an amazing atmosphere here, at her office. They actually laughed. Really laughed. Usually when David suggested something that was way over the top. But they also talked seriously. Sharing pertinent information without realising it.

Ella shrugged. "You are entitled to your opinion." What a shame that the last two hours were just a mirage. It was so easy to generate that illusion. Definitely a delusion. That camaraderie was just a hallucination.

Her head told her heart, she really must resurrect her guard, because it is too easy to fall in love with him. Again. The last two hours showed that.