You And Me, Always(33)

‘The car would wait. That's what they get paid to do.'

‘I know, but I need to get back. For work.' It was set to be busy at the  yard; Marty had the day off and they were due a visit from one of their  biggest overseas buyers.

‘Could you not even be a little bit late?' said Eddie.

‘I really can't.'

‘You're breaking my heart.'

Lily smiled. ‘No I'm not.' Of course it would be possible to keep the  car waiting downstairs then drive that bit faster back to Stanton  Langley in order to make up the time. But if she was going to sleep with  Eddie, she wanted it to be more than a ten-minute quickie.

‘If I wasn't stuck doing interviews,' he murmured, ‘I'd come with you.'

‘I'd still have to work.'

‘Not all the time.' He stroked the side of her face, his smile  regretful. ‘OK, I don't want to, but I'm going to let you go. For now.'

The way he was looking at her caused Lily's stomach to do a mini-flip, which was doubtless what he intended. She nodded. ‘OK.'

‘But this is definitely unfinished business. You do know that, don't  you? I like you,' said Eddie. ‘And I'll call you later, OK?'



Lily emerged from the mirrored lift on the ground floor and stepped into  the foyer of the hotel. Her phone rang and Eddie's name flashed up.

She pressed answer. ‘Hi, did I forget something?'

‘No. Just wait there. I'm on my way down.'

‘Um, is that wise, considering you're not wearing any clothes?' A  Carry-On scenario flashed through her brain, of Eddie emerging from the  lift just as the doors closed, snatching away the towel around his hips  …                        
       
           



       

Then she saw him descending the staircase; in twenty seconds flat he'd  pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, though his feet were still bare.

‘Missing you already.' He was smiling. ‘Plus, how bloody rude of me not to walk you to your car.'

He picked up her overnight case, slid his hand around her waist and  together they made their way out through the doors and down the steps.

When the case had been stowed in the boot of the waiting car, Eddie kissed her once more.

‘What are you doing?' Lily pulled back. ‘People are watching!'

‘Let them watch. I don't care.'

Excited on the inside but determined not to show it, Lily said, ‘Well  you might not have a reputation to keep up, but some of us do.'





Chapter 26



‘You made it back then,' Dan remarked when Lily came into the office at five to ten.

Was she glowing? Lily felt as if she might be glowing. Oh, but it was so  hard to play it cool when you had this much adrenalin sloshing around  your system.

‘Of course I made it back.' Reaching for the charger on the desk, she  plugged in her phone. ‘I said I would, didn't I? What are you doing here  anyway?'

‘Coral called me an hour ago. She couldn't get through to you and was  worried in case you'd been held up. I offered to come over and help out.  I know I can't do much,' he added as Lily opened her mouth to protest,  ‘but I can man the phone, deal with emails and print out receipts.'

‘Why would I not turn up? Have I ever let anyone down before? I forgot  my charger and my phone's dead, that's all. I could have stayed longer  in London if I'd wanted to,' Lily added, ‘but I didn't, because I'm  reliable. And when I make a promise, I keep it. You know I do.'

They stared at each other in silence. Whoops, was it the look in Dan's  eyes or her own surfeit of adrenalin making her defensive? Why was she  suddenly feeling guilty, for heaven's sake?

Finally he said, ‘Did you have a nice time?'

Lily exhaled. ‘Yes I did, I had an amazing time.'

‘What was the film like?'

‘Great!' OK, it hadn't been that great for her, what with it being  sci-fi, but that was beside the point. ‘And afterwards we went back to  the hotel with Mira Knowles, had pizza in her suite and played word  games.'

‘Rock and roll,' said Dan. ‘And what happened after that?'

‘Why are you looking at me like that?'

‘Did you sleep with him?'

‘Well that's none of your business,' said Lily.

‘I'll take that as a yes, then.'

‘And so what if I did?'

‘Nothing. I just thought you'd have had more sense. Because all he was doing was using you.'

‘Oh, we're back to this again, are we?' Why couldn't he be happy for  her? Why was he being like this, trying to spoil everything? ‘Except  maybe you've got it the wrong way round and I'm the one using him.'

Before Dan could reply, the door swung open and Coral exclaimed, ‘You're  back! Oh my God, can you believe you're on the front page of the paper?  I screamed when I saw it!'

‘Am I really?' Lily was startled. ‘I haven't seen it. I mean, Eddie said it might happen, but I thought he was joking.'

‘Show her!' Coral nodded excitedly at the newspaper lying face down  beside the computer, and Dan pushed it across the desk towards Lily. Her  eyes widened further still when she saw the photos and read the  accompanying piece.

‘You definitely chose the right dress. You looked fantastic.' Coral was  bubbling with enthusiasm. ‘And there's more on the next page! Everyone  was wondering who on earth you were! It says you kept giving them  different names and it just made them all the more interested and now  they want to know if you're Eddie's new girlfriend!'

The next moment, Lily's plugged-in phone began to ring and she saw that the caller was Eddie.

‘Hi.' Her eyes felt as if they were actually sparkling as she listened  to him. ‘I know, my phone died. I've only just seen it now.'

After a bit longer she said, ‘Me too. Definitely.'

Then a short time after that: ‘Sounds great. Yes, I know. Of course I do   …  that'd be perfect  …  Yes, we will  …  brilliant  …  can't wait. Bye  …  yes,  OK. Bye.' She finally hung up, aware that she was smiling like a  lunatic.

‘Wrong number?' said Dan.

She said, ‘I'd call it the right number. Eddie's coming down here tomorrow evening to see me.'                       
       
           



       

‘Oh my goodness.' Coral clasped her hands together. ‘You really like him, I can tell!'

Lily nodded. ‘I do,' she said simply.

Dan had turned his attention to the computer and was apparently engrossed in the words he was reading on the screen.

‘Anyway, I'm back now,' Lily went on cheerfully. ‘You don't need to be  here any more, looking all superior and disapproving.' With a flourish  she handed Dan the crutch he'd left propped up against the desk. ‘You  can go.'



OK, so it had been a slightly odd experience, having a first date under  the discreet but watchful gaze of your ex-husband. On the other hand, it  had meant she hadn't needed to drive anywhere, and at least the food  had been guaranteed to be good.

It was just a shame that the date himself had chatted to so many women  online that he'd got Patsy's details muddled up with those of another  divorcee who definitely didn't want children at some stage in the  future. After that, he couldn't get away fast enough, evidently  terrified that she might force him to impregnate her before the night  was out.

He'd also meticulously divided their dinner bill according to what each  of them had eaten, and announced with pride that he wouldn't be tipping  because he didn't believe in tips.

‘Oh well, at least you didn't find out a year from now.' Sean had  beckoned for her to join him up at the bar after the dreamboat had left.  ‘You haven't wasted any time on him.'

Patsy pulled a face. Apart from this evening. Her friend Finola had  invited her to an impromptu barbecue in Chipping Norton and she'd had to  say she couldn't make it because she already had a date. She wondered  what the evening might have been like if she'd gone along to Finola's  instead. What if the perfect man for her was there, wishing he could  meet the perfect woman for him?

Not that there was any way of ever knowing the answer to that question. It was too late to go over there now.

‘Cheer up. Have a drink,' said Sean, opening the wine fridge. ‘Chablis?'

Chablis was her favourite. Patsy shook her head. ‘Thanks, but it's OK.'

No one else was currently in earshot. Sean said, ‘Don't let it get you  down. Have you given any more thought to  …  you know, what we talked  about before?'

‘Of course I've thought about it.' She smiled faintly. ‘It's not the kind of offer you forget about.'

‘And?'