“Hey, Louisa, sorry. I’m being a prat. Honestly, we were with clients who live in the city. It’s normal to smoke hash here. Bryce and I were being social. It’s not something we’d ever take up, I can assureyou.”
“I know that. It’s a sore subject forme.”
“When time can we expect you back?” Max asks, filling the awkwardsilence.
“We should be back around midnight tonight. I can’t wait to get home, I’ve been missing you likecrazy.”
“Thanks, Hud, I can’t say I’ve missed you, though,” Max says, giving me awink.
“Ha bloody ha,” Hudson responds. “You’ve been enjoying your alone time with Louisa way too much, Ithink.”
“It’s been great, mate,” Max ribsgently.
“That late? We were expecting you back a bit earlier,” I say, cutting over theirbanter.
“Yes, I know. Sorry, Louisa. We’ve had some business to wrap up and it’s taken us a bit longer than we originallythought.”
“It went well, then, I take it?” I ask. I’m not entirely sure what they’d gone out to Amsterdam to discuss. I think it was to do with finalising a new venture, purchasing holiday apartments abroad somewhere exotic, but it had been all very last minute and I hadn’t been filled in on all the previous months’negotiations.
“Very well. We have some amazing news, but I’ll fill you both in when we’re back. There may even be a little surprise for you too,baby.”
“Surprise? I’m not sure I like the sound ofthat.”
“You will this one… Fancy aholiday?”
“A holiday?” I glance at Max, who is smilingknowingly.
“Uh-huh. Pack up for a warm climate because Sunday we are all going to fly off to an exotic country surrounded by the AndamanSea.”
My mouth drops open in shock. Max grins his megawatt smile at me. “That’s right. We’re all heading to Thailand for a fewweeks.”
“You’re kidding me.” The only time I’ve been abroad was to Alpe D’Huez where I met the brothers. Flying to Thailand is like a dream cometrue.
“Nope, I’m not. This time next week we will all be lying on a beach in Krabi in front of a new holiday complex we’ve just bought,” Hudson says. I can tell by his voice he issmiling.
“Right, I’ve got to go. See you later. Love you, baby.” I don’t get a chance to say goodbye before the phone cutsoff.
I turn to look at Max. “Is this reallyhappening?”
“Yep.”
“Holy shit,” I say, flabbergasted. Who would have thought that three months ago I would meet the brothers Freed, fall in love, move in with them and then get the opportunity to go Thailand? Not me, that’s forsure.
But Iam.
The thought of lying on a beach next to three sun-kissed Adonises is an image I do not want to lose any time soon. “We’re really going on holiday toThailand?”
Max smiles. “Yep, we reallyare.”
I let out an excited squeal, traverse around Max’s desk and throw myself into his arms. Thailand, here wecome.