want to go through them.’ There was a pause, an interminable pause, and Kate sat at her desk frowning as Nina continued. ‘Don’t try and mess me about, Aleksi. You assured me I’d have them well in advance of the meeting…’
‘One moment.’
‘You do have them?’
‘Of course.’ He walked out his office and to her desk.She could see his pallor, and was relieved when he closed the door behind him. ‘I’m sure you heard all that.’
‘I couldn’t exactly not hear,’ she said dryly.
‘Are you sure about this?’ Aleksi looked over to her, and it was Kate’s turn to be angry.
‘It’s a bit late for concern now, Aleksi—I’ve already told Georgie, and she knows she’s starting her new school tomorrow. I’m picking her up from Julie’s in an hour, to bring her to her new home, and all of a sudden you’re concerned for us.’ She glared at him. ‘You promise me one thing,’ she said. ‘Never, to anyone, do you reveal this is a ruse.’
‘I won’t.’ He meant it.
‘Swear it, Aleksi,’ Kate said. ‘I’ll sell myself for my daughter’s sake, but she must never, ever know about it.’
‘And she won’t.’ Aleksi said, ‘We fell in love, remember?’
Somehow she felt as if he were mocking her—or rather, Kate realized, it was the impossibility of his words.
‘When the time comes, we’ll say we fell out of love. That when I got well I saw that perhaps the accident had made me maudlin for a while…’ He gave her a smile, tried to reassure her, but she couldn’t return it. ‘We’ll talk about this later. Right now I need the Krasavitsa projections…’ He raked a hand through his hair—he still hadn’t had it cut. ‘I need you to get straight onto it. I’ll tell Nina they’re nearly ready, but you’ll need to give it your immediate—’
‘They’re done,’ Kate interrupted him, clicking a button on her computer. From behind where he stood the figures he needed started printing. ‘You still need to go through them.’
‘I need the original figures. Not the ones—’
‘I’ve got them for you.’ There was just the tiniest flicker of a frown on his face, but then normal services resumed and Aleksi picked up the paperwork and scanned the figures. It was Kate frowning now. ‘You don’t remember do you?’
He didn’t answer.
‘Aleksi, you don’t remember her asking for these earlier…’
‘Shh…’ He hushed her, as he often did when concentrating, but Kate would not be silenced. There had been too many small things he’d missed—too many details that could no longer be glossed over.
‘I’ll be going home, then.’ As she stood, only then did he look up. ‘I want to oversee the removalists.’
‘When will you be back?’
‘Should I really come back to work?’ Kate’s eyes were wide. ‘I’m supposed to be your fiancée.’
‘You know I need you here.’
‘You don’t remember her asking, do you?’ Kate asked again, and she saw him swallow, saw his eyes dart to the door to check that it was closed. ‘You don’t remember Nina asking for those figures.’
‘Of course I do,’ he said, giving her a scornful look.
He could never admit it.
Never.
Not once had he admitted to any weakness, and now, when he most needed to be strong…
‘Aleksi?’ Her eyes were worried. ‘Your hair needs a cut.’
‘I’m busy.’
‘Every fortnight, without fail—’
‘It suits me longer,’ he said, daring her to contradict him.
‘Since when,’ Kate said, walking over, taking one of his hands, ‘did you cut your own nails?’ He withdrew his hand and she wondered if she was right. Yes, his hair was just a touch longer, and, yes, he had been phenomenally busy last week—too busy perhaps for a manicure? Yet this was Aleksi Kolovsky…
He never forgot, never missed an appointment at the salon. He made everyone else look scruffy with his fastidiousness. No one looking at this elegant coiffed man would see a hair out of place, would see him as
‘One moment.’
‘You do have them?’
‘Of course.’ He walked out his office and to her desk.She could see his pallor, and was relieved when he closed the door behind him. ‘I’m sure you heard all that.’
‘I couldn’t exactly not hear,’ she said dryly.
‘Are you sure about this?’ Aleksi looked over to her, and it was Kate’s turn to be angry.
‘It’s a bit late for concern now, Aleksi—I’ve already told Georgie, and she knows she’s starting her new school tomorrow. I’m picking her up from Julie’s in an hour, to bring her to her new home, and all of a sudden you’re concerned for us.’ She glared at him. ‘You promise me one thing,’ she said. ‘Never, to anyone, do you reveal this is a ruse.’
‘I won’t.’ He meant it.
‘Swear it, Aleksi,’ Kate said. ‘I’ll sell myself for my daughter’s sake, but she must never, ever know about it.’
‘And she won’t.’ Aleksi said, ‘We fell in love, remember?’
Somehow she felt as if he were mocking her—or rather, Kate realized, it was the impossibility of his words.
‘When the time comes, we’ll say we fell out of love. That when I got well I saw that perhaps the accident had made me maudlin for a while…’ He gave her a smile, tried to reassure her, but she couldn’t return it. ‘We’ll talk about this later. Right now I need the Krasavitsa projections…’ He raked a hand through his hair—he still hadn’t had it cut. ‘I need you to get straight onto it. I’ll tell Nina they’re nearly ready, but you’ll need to give it your immediate—’
‘They’re done,’ Kate interrupted him, clicking a button on her computer. From behind where he stood the figures he needed started printing. ‘You still need to go through them.’
‘I need the original figures. Not the ones—’
‘I’ve got them for you.’ There was just the tiniest flicker of a frown on his face, but then normal services resumed and Aleksi picked up the paperwork and scanned the figures. It was Kate frowning now. ‘You don’t remember do you?’
He didn’t answer.
‘Aleksi, you don’t remember her asking for these earlier…’
‘Shh…’ He hushed her, as he often did when concentrating, but Kate would not be silenced. There had been too many small things he’d missed—too many details that could no longer be glossed over.
‘I’ll be going home, then.’ As she stood, only then did he look up. ‘I want to oversee the removalists.’
‘When will you be back?’
‘Should I really come back to work?’ Kate’s eyes were wide. ‘I’m supposed to be your fiancée.’
‘You know I need you here.’
‘You don’t remember her asking, do you?’ Kate asked again, and she saw him swallow, saw his eyes dart to the door to check that it was closed. ‘You don’t remember Nina asking for those figures.’
‘Of course I do,’ he said, giving her a scornful look.
He could never admit it.
Never.
Not once had he admitted to any weakness, and now, when he most needed to be strong…
‘Aleksi?’ Her eyes were worried. ‘Your hair needs a cut.’
‘I’m busy.’
‘Every fortnight, without fail—’
‘It suits me longer,’ he said, daring her to contradict him.
‘Since when,’ Kate said, walking over, taking one of his hands, ‘did you cut your own nails?’ He withdrew his hand and she wondered if she was right. Yes, his hair was just a touch longer, and, yes, he had been phenomenally busy last week—too busy perhaps for a manicure? Yet this was Aleksi Kolovsky…
He never forgot, never missed an appointment at the salon. He made everyone else look scruffy with his fastidiousness. No one looking at this elegant coiffed man would see a hair out of place, would see him as
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