Mum was smiling too, staring across the table at me and just as keen for the details. But it wasn’t the finer details I was so keen to share.
It was the pang of want for Mr Lindon. Of need for Mr Lindon.
The pang of knowing that this was the man really meant to be my first. Because he was. He really was meant to be my first, even if the rest of the world didn’t know it yet, especially him.
My belly was still fluttering with nerves as I tried to find the right way to answer Dad’s question. I didn’t want to tell him that Erica had shoved me into the filing room like I was some dumbass little idiot who shouldn’t be anywhere near there.
“It was good,” I said. “It was really nice to see everyone again. They were all really nice to me.”
I wasn’t lying. The women in the office had been lovely for the little I’d seen of them.
“And what did you learn?” Dad pushed. “Did Miles show you around the sale room?”
I shook my head and took a bite of broccoli. “Not yet,” I told him. “Erica was showing me the admin today, but Mr Lindon says I’ll be working with him tomorrow.”
I told them as much as I could about the day without making it obvious I’d spent it trying to get the filing sorted and little else, realising that no matter how hard I tried to steer clear from gushing, it was still Mr Lindon this, and Mr Lindon that.
Mum let out a sigh. “Surely she can call him Miles, Colin? It’s not as if she hasn’t known him her whole life.”
I felt my cheeks burn up at the thought, and it was weird, because she was right. I had known him my whole life, and I wasn’t quite sure exactly when he’d turned from Milesssss in an excited squeal back when I had gaps in my teeth, to Mr Lindon, Daddy’s boss, when I was putting my fingers down my knickers and imagining him telling me off.
One thing was for sure. He was definitely Mr Lindon, Daddy’s boss, now.
Dad shrugged and turned his head to Mum. “I think the other women in the office call him Mr Lindon. Faith doesn’t want to be setting herself up with any unfair privileges.”
“I don’t mind calling him Mr Lindon,” I said. “I mean, he’s my boss now.”
“And I’m sure he’ll be a good boss,” Mum said.
I felt that naughtiness down deep again, picturing Penny Andrews at the bottom of our garden with his hand around her throat for the billionth time.
“Miles is a great boss,” Dad said. “He’s firm but fair. A true expert in the field. Faith is going to be a very lucky young lady to learn from him.” He shot me another one of his smiles. “Be very thankful you’re getting his time, sweetie.”
Dad had always been such good friends with Mr Lindon. They’d been working together forever, as long as I knew. I’d only ever heard nice things said about the man who was the boss of both the property business – which Dad managed – and the antiques and auction side, which I was so transfixed by.
I guess that’s one of the reasons it had been such a naughty shock to see Mr Lindon making such a bad girl of Penny Andrews. A shock I wanted. A shock that had turned everything upside down and sent me crazy with dirty thoughts for the past two years straight.
Sure, there had been plenty of nice enough guys at college trying to be the one to claim my V card. My best friend, Holly, had been trying to get me to give up my crazy crush and splurge on some random hot guy solidly. But I hadn’t been tempted for a second. Not even close.
There was only one hot guy for me, and he was well and truly worth waiting for.
Talking of Holly, I knew she’d be waiting with bated breath for my first day update. I forked up some more potato and knuckled down to finishing my dinner.
I couldn’t help but notice, as Mum and Dad smiled and stared across the table at me, that in their world I was still the seven year old schoolgirl coming home with a gold star in my maths book. I guess that’s the thing about being an only child. You are always the child. Always the little one. Always the girl who has to be good and eat up her vegetables.
There was no way my parents saw me as a woman rocketing towards her eighteenth birthday in just a few short weeks’ time. If I had to bet on anything, I’d say I’d still be having the sparkly pink balloons and the glittery cupcakes for my birthday party. Not that I’d mind that. I love glitter.