I guessed the night was drawing to a close. From what I could see from my secret vantage point in the shadows, there was only one table of diners left, three men and a woman clearly discussing business and taking their sweet time about it.

That was when I saw Micah, and right on cue my heart rate increased considerably. Okay, so I knew it was a high end kind of place, I knew it was very formal, I knew that. But I was still not prepared, not at all, for seeing Micah dressed as he was. In smart black trousers and a white shirt he looked positively edible.

He was standing so perfectly still he looked like a statue, his posture perfect, his eyes fixed on something on the wall I couldn't see. One arm was spread across that magnificent toned stomach of his, the other held behind his back and I realised he was just waiting for that one table to b.u.g.g.e.r off before he could go do anything else. Were they completely oblivious to him stood there looking so tired? Could they not see they were the last ones? Some people could be so ignorant!

Oh but wow, he looked so d.a.m.n gorgeous. I was literally swooning, and probably drooling too.

Eventually they left, but then the woman turned and walked back to him. I watched their exchange carefully. The woman had her back to me, but even so I could tell she was flirting with him. He was smiling at her, nodding along to whatever she was saying. And then she leaned in close to him and right before my eyes rubbed his crotch before slipping her hand into his trouser pocket, patting him on the b.u.m and sauntering off. As she came outside I had to resist the urge to run across the road, rugby tackle her to the ground and slap her silly. I had felt a huge wave of jealously, and worse, inadequacy watching their exchange. I glanced back at him, to deflect my attention away from the middle aged tart clip clopping down the road in her cheap stilettos to find Micah was now standing talking to a young girl. Christ, he was always literally surrounded by women, wherever he went and whatever he did. It occurred to me that even if by some miracle that went against the laws of nature he did become my boyfriend, there would be no way in h.e.l.l I would ever be able to hang on to him for long.

He was laughing about something with the girl who had come out from the kitchen, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Now there were five of them Micah, three other men and the girl and they were all chatting away, obviously very comfortable with each other.

It occurred to me then that if the last of the customers was now gone it was just a matter of time before the place shut and Micah would be heading out to go home. The absolute last thing I needed was to be sprung here spying on him.

With that thought in mind I reluctantly stood and headed for the flat.

Chapter Seven.

Jewls When I woke the following morning I was surprised to find it was gone nine. Thank goodness it was my day off. I checked my phone to discover a text from Micah, sent at 6.45am. G.o.d, he can't have gotten any sleep at all.

Morning beautiful. Wishing you a lovely day off. Have a duvet day, you've earned it! I'm in today, eight until four. Come by at twelve if you fancy it, have some lunch with me, yeah? Lots of love, M x.x.xx p.s. look on your doormat and please don't get mad. Seriously. I'm just trying to help. x.x.xxx I frowned and it took all of five seconds to bolt out and downstairs to check what he was talking about.

I took the non-descript brown envelope and ran back upstairs with it, flopping on the sofa and tearing it open. What I found inside took my breath away.

In the s.p.a.ce of ten seconds, my emotions shifted from confusion, to excitement, to shame and then settled on anger.

How dare he? What made him think I needed this? And then I remembered him in the flat, catching him rummaging through my cupboards.

Oh. My. G.o.d. He thought I was some sort of desperate pauper who couldn't afford to feed myself.

Oh, this was just too much, with the phone as well just...too much. The flat might not have been much, and I might not have much in it, but it was mine. I had found it, I had provided a roof over my own head and I was paying for it. And I was going to go shopping in my own time.

I certainly did not need someone I had only just met really; someone I had started to believe might respect me after all, posting wads of cash through my door to supposedly help me out. Couple that with giving me a phone and telling me telling me I wasn't going to pay him back for it, cause he could afford it, like it was nothing at all, and it smacked of controlling behaviour. Money might mean nothing to the likes of him, when he had enough to place stupid hurtful bets, buy expensive phones and stuff an envelope of cash through the letterbox of a girl he had just met but it meant something to me, and more importantly it meant something that I was going out and making my own money, supporting myself.

I did not need some arrogant, jumped up man like Micah looking after me. I didn't need anyone's help, I was doing just fine on my own. And I absolutely did not need to be in his debt, vulnerable to him throwing it back in my face somewhere further down the line, telling me I needed him, he saved me.

As the anger sunk in, I stomped into my bedroom, grabbed my phone and furiously typed a text in reply.

Just one question to start with. What. The. Actual. f.u.c.k?

I pressed send and just sat there holding the phone in shaking hands, tears rolling down my cheeks, tears of anger and of humiliation.

Micah "s.h.i.t." I muttered to myself and Alex looked up at me, frowning.

"What's up?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger and closed my eyes. Okay, no need to panic, I could fix this.

"I think I have monumentally f.u.c.ked up, Alex. Worse than the bet."

He narrowed his eyes cautiously. "Jewls?"

I nodded regretfully. "Yep."

I hesitated for a moment and then pressed call on her name. It rang twice and cut off. I sighed and rang again straight away. This time it only rang once. I tried four times and each time she cut me off.

I let out a groan of frustration and quickly typed out a text.

Answer your phone, Jewls. Please?

I pressed send and looked back at Alex, who was watching me curiously. "I was just trying to help, she'll see that right?"

He smiled a little. "It would help if I knew what you'd done, Mic."

"I put something in her letterbox." I muttered and he grinned at me.

"Micah Machvaya, you dirty dog!"

I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for his jokes and innuendo. "Five hundred quid, I put five hundred in an envelope and put it through her door. I was trying to help her out. Only I think she's a little p.i.s.sed at me."

"Why'd you think she needs five hundred quid?"

"Because..." I started and then it occurred to me that Jewls wouldn't appreciate me saying all this to Alex, of all people. "Never mind. It was a mistake, I think I've offended her." I paced up and down a few times, debating what to do next, wishing I wasn't stuck at work. "Alex, can you cover for me, just for twenty minutes? I swear I won't be long, I just need to see her, explain."

"No need..." he said, half smiling.

"There's every need. She won't answer her phone and isn't texting me back, I need to get round there and explain."

"No need..." he repeated and nodded behind me. I spun round and spotted her immediately, stomping through the park like she was heading for war, her eyes fixed on me.

"Jewls-" I started, but that was all I got out before she cut me off.

She held the envelope up. "A word? In private?"

I hesitated and glanced at Alex. He was looking at me like he thought I was in serious trouble, but he looked amused too. b.u.t.t munch.

"Um..." I gestured to the waltzer office. "In here."

She nodded and followed me in. We weren't open yet so the ride wasn't working. It occurred to me the office wasn't exactly private, but apparently that didn't particularly bother Jewls, who reeled on me the moment I shut the door.

"What the f.u.c.k...is this?" she screeched, slamming the envelope into my chest angrily.

"It's five hundred quid. I got it last night at work. I wanted you to have it."

"Why on earth are you trying to give me five hundred quid, what makes you think I even need it? Truth, please."

I wished people would quit demanding the truth of me, because that was what they always got, and sometimes like now the truth said out loud didn't sound good.

"I noticed in your flat...you don't have a lot of stuff."

"So? I don't need stuff."

"You need shopping though."

"I know. I plan to go shopping. I don't need your help for that."

"And you have money for that?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" she yelled. "And even if I didn't, what's it to you?"

"I just wanted to help you out, Jewls."

"I'm not a child, I don't need supporting, I don't need looking after! I can support myself, I am supporting myself. I never intend to be reliant on a man again, not so long as I live. You start thinking you can control that part of my life, next you're telling me what to wear, how to speak, where to go...you start out subtle, walking me home to keep me safe...then a phone, next thing I can't move without you tracking me...it's not healthy..."

"What are you on about?" I said, my voice rising too in frustration.

"I'm talking about man's infinite obsession with controlling women. Well not me, not me this time. Not this time."

"I was just trying to do something nice for you!"

"Yeah? Would you just hand over five hundred to Alex if you thought he had no food in?"

"Probably not." I conceded.

"So what's so different about me? Why me if not Alex?"

"I'm not smitten with Alex!" I yelled and then sighed. f.u.c.king h.e.l.l. The first time I said something like that to her was not supposed to be in an argument.

"You're not smitten with me either! You just feel sorry for me. There's a world of difference. Believe it or not, I'm doing just fine looking after myself and this? This is just offensive, can't you see that?"

"I never meant to offend you, Jewls!"

"No? Then how come you keep doing it?"

"I don't know!" I shouted, "I guess I'm just not used to this!"

"To what?"

"The heavy stuff, relationships! I've never been in a relationship!"

"We're not in a relationship!"

"Doesn't stop me wishing we were!" I yelled, my frustration finally getting the better of me. "f.u.c.k, Jewls I can't stop thinking about you, and I care so much about you!"

"You don't even know me!"

"I know enough! I f.u.c.king like you, I really like you! I wish you'd just let me in. I'm sorry about the money okay? You don't have to take it, it was just...a thought. It's not my wages, it was...a tip."

She narrowed her eyes. "You got a five hundred pound tip?"

"Yes!" I said in an exhale. "There were these rich business types in last night. There was a woman; she took a shine to me. She left me that as a tip. I don't need it, but I thought you could probably use it. I can see now how it looks but honestly...my intentions were good."

She let out a sigh, finally seeming to run out of steam. "I don't doubt it, Micah. But you gotta stop doing this. It's not your job to look after me."

I took both her hands in mine and looked at them for a moment. I loved her fingers entwined with mine. It felt like they belonged there. "I wish it was..."

"No you don't..."

I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. "You know...you can call me an idiot as much as you like. You can say I'm insensitive, offensive, a fool and a control freak and by the way, I'm none of those things, except maybe a fool but you can't tell me how I feel. I know how I feel. I just want you to give me one chance. Because I reckon I could stop acting like such a p.r.i.c.k if you just...let me in a bit. I think my racing heart would settle and my mind would clear if only you admitted to me just once, that you feel something for me too. Do you? Do you feel anything?"

She didn't answer me, and took a couple of steps back, pacing a few times and then stopped with her back to me. "You're gonna break my heart. And I won't survive...I just won't survive."

"I'm not; I swear I'm not, Jewls. If you give me your heart, I swear I will cherish it, and never let it come to harm."

I walked to her and put my hands cautiously on her shoulders. I applied just a little gentle pressure and turned her to face me.

"By all means...tell me when I make a mistake but don't write me off. I'm human, Jewls. I will f.u.c.k up but I will never intentionally hurt you. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"I know..." she mumbled. She was looking down at her feet nervously. "This is all just...you're just...too good to be true. Can you really be meant for me? You. for me. It's insane."

"It's real. No one is going to jump out from the shadows shouting April fool. This..." I took her right wrist and settled her hand on my chest over my racing heart, "...is real."

I waited to see what she might do next. She dropped the envelope on the desk beside her and then to my surprise and utter delight, she raised her left hand and settled it on my chest too, palms flat against me.

Jewls I couldn't believe myself I was doing it, but I pressed on ahead anyway, not allowing myself enough time to think too deeply about it. I allowed my hands to glide over his chest, feeling the heat radiating off him even through his tee shirt, and then moved further down, sliding my fingers over his firm abs to his stomach, in a moment of extraordinary bravery allowing them to slide in the gap between his shirt and his jeans, scratching my nails lightly across his stomach. He hissed in response as though he had been burned, and leaned his head back a little. At first I thought I had hurt him, but a look at his expression had me stunned.

Jesus, he was aroused. Was I doing that to him? Was he really aroused? I trailed my hands back up, over the path they had travelled down, further still, up to his face, enjoying the feel of his rough beard on my soft palms and then interlocked my fingers behind his neck, brushing the bottom of his soft hair. He took a step forward, bringing his body up flush with mine and settled his hands on my hips. I hummed in response, entirely against my will as his hands explored up and down my back, making me shiver before settling on my b.u.m.

"I know this is affecting you the same as it is me. Nod if I'm right."

And just like that I found myself nodding. "Yes..."

"Let me in, Jewls. Please."

I swallowed. "I'll try. That's all I can promise."