What the Lightning Sees: Part One by Louise Bay Read Free Book Online

here?”
    “Monday,” I said. Drunk Sandy might be more interesting than sober Sandy. Couldn’t Harry’s phone call wait? Although, I wasn’t sure she’d planned to have me tag along.
    “Your mind is always on your work, Harry. You need to carve out some time for a little fun.” She turned, winked at him over her shoulder and spun off.
    “Well, there are no mixed signals there. I’m guessing she’s a sure thing,” I said.
    Harry shrugged and we packed up our stuff and headed to the car.
    “Do you like her?” I asked.
    “You keep forgetting that I’m asking the questions.” I hated that he dodged the question. I wanted to know whether he found her attractive. What was his type?
    “So ask.” I liked that he wanted to know things about me. That he was interested enough to keep this up. It was like our own private game, and somehow he made me feel safe, like I could answer truthfully and nothing bad would happen.
    “What’s your favorite food?”
    I laughed. He was keeping things on safer ground. “Eggs,” I replied.
    “Really?”
    “Yeah, love ’em.” It was true. There was nothing nicer than an egg.
    “Served any particular way?”
    “I’m not fussy.”
    “Well, I know that’s a lie,” he said and grinned.
    I poked him in the ribs, our eyes met and I quickly pulled my hand away. All of a sudden touching him didn’t seem very appropriate. I’d forgotten myself. I’d thought I was with Luke or Ash.
    “With eggs, I’m not fussy.”
    “What about time of year?” he asked.
    “It seems very one sided and unfair that I can’t ask any questions of you.”
    “That’s the deal, and anyway, my favorite food is steak. Not very original, but true nonetheless.”
    He helped me load my bag into the back of the car and folded his too long legs into the passenger seat of my tiny car. Maybe he wasn’t spoiled as I’d thought he was.
    “I like the spring,” I told him. “The pussy willow, the daffodils. The lengthening days and the promise of summer.”
    He nodded and smiled. “Me too.”

    Luke scooted Ash and I up his sofa so he could sit down. I loved it when it was the three of us together. We were in a bubble and nothing could touch us, nothing could hurt us. Even though my brother lived with his girlfriend, somehow their flat was very much his. There weren’t many signs of Emma at all.
    “So how’s it going with that guy who called you a bitch?” Luke asked as he set down the popcorn in front of Ash and me.
    My cheeks burned at the thought of Harry.
    “Who called you a bitch?” Ash asked.
    “A new person. Harry. But it’s fine now. I think.”
    “A new guy?”
    I nodded. “A photographer. Some Uni friend of Robert’s. You know how Robert gives his friends jobs.”
    “Is he being an asshole, or were you being a bitch?” Ash asked.
    “No, actually. I think I was being a bitch.”
    I caught Ash and Luke exchange a glance.
    “Are you two flirting?” I asked, trying to throw the spotlight back on someone other than me.
    “No we are not. When I make a play for your brother, he won’t be able to resist me and we’ll be wedding planning within weeks, so you’ll be well aware.”
    “Ash,” Luke said, a warning in his voice. I wasn’t sure if he really didn’t like her teasing him about their imaginary life as a couple, or whether he felt he should say something because he was living with Emma.
    “Anyway, back to you. Is this new guy hot?”
    I rolled my lips together. He was very definitely hot. And very definitely too hot for me to even consider him hot. “He’s fine, if you’re in to that kind of thing.”
    “Interesting,” Ash said.
    I glanced at Luke and he raised his eyebrows.
    “What? I asked, raising my palms.
    “Well, normally you make gagging sounds when I ask you if a guy is hot. Or you tell me that he smells like he hasn’t washed since before Robbie left Take That, the first time. Or that he walks with a limp, or—”
    “Okay, I get the picture, funny