Chapter 28
Jed Diamond didn’t like it when a plan didn’t go according to . . . well, to plan. But here they were, stuck in a jam on the M60, having already veered wildly off course.
Karina was less than happy. ‘Why did we even have to set out this early?’
‘I booked a table for lunch at twelve thirty, that’s why. The restaurant has two Michelin stars.’
Jed, who adored fine dining and had loved nothing more than visiting excellent restaurants with Juliet, had been excited to read the reviews of this one. But a lorry had jack-knifed on the motorway a couple of miles ahead of them and the traffic wasn’t moving. For now, they were trapped, going nowhere.
‘This is booooring,’ Karina wailed five minutes later. ‘I’m so bored .’
‘I’m sorry. But there’s nothing I can do about it.’
‘You should’ve booked a helicopter.’
I should have broken up with you weeks ago.
Jed didn’t say this, but he was thinking it very loudly indeed.
Karina videoed the queue of vehicles stretching ahead of them, then turned the camera round to herself and said in the sing-song voice she liked to use on social media, ‘Hiya, everyone! Here we are, off to a great start on my special birthday getaway. Looks like we’re going to be stuck here for hours. So what I reckon is, the least Jed can do to make up for it is to let me open my presents!’
‘No,’ said Jed.
‘But there’s nothing else to do, is there?’ She took off her sunglasses, uploaded the video and waited for a response. Ping ping ping went her notifications, and she said triumphantly, ‘See? Three people already saying yes!’ Ping ping. ‘Now it’s five. Jed, don’t be so mean, you have to let me open one of them, at least.’
The volume on her phone was up, because hearing the arrival of her followers’ responses was like a drug to Karina. Jed said, ‘It’s Thursday. Your birthday isn’t until Saturday.’
‘Exactly, it’s my birthday. And right now, what I want most of all is to open one of my presents.’
‘Fine.’ He couldn’t be bothered to argue.
Karina gave an ear-splitting squeal of delight, leapt out of the passenger seat and retrieved the bag of gifts from the boot.
Seven minutes later, the interior of the car was awash with crumpled turquoise and gold wrapping paper and matching ribbons, and every present had been ripped open.
‘Happy now?’ Jed had always prided himself on his wrapping skills; it had taken him almost an hour to get them looking perfect.
Karina looked up from her phone, where she’d been messaging a friend. ‘Babes, no offence, but did you keep the receipts?’
‘Why?’ Although the answer to that was obvious.
‘Well, the bag’s not quite the right colour. When I said blue, I meant a medium kind of blue? Not dark blue.’
Jed said, ‘You could have mentioned that before I bought it.’
‘And the jacket . . . I mean, it’s great, but it’s almost exactly the same as Gaynor Masters’ one. And the last thing I want is to look as if I’m copying her .’
‘What else?’ said Jed, because now she was pointing to the box containing the sky-high silver heels from Manolo Blahnik.
‘They’re the wrong size.’
‘But I heard you last week talking to some girl in the club about shoes. You told her you were a size four.’
She pouted. ‘That was only so she’d think I had small feet. I’m really a size six. You should know that.’
Up ahead, the traffic was beginning to crawl forward. Jed put the car into gear. ‘Well, that was it, so now you won’t have anything to open on Saturday.’
Karina reached across to give his left thigh a playful squeeze. ‘Don’t be such a meanie! There are plenty of decent shops in Cheltenham, aren’t there? You can always buy me some more.’
Maeve was experiencing the first hiccup in her brand-new relationship with Dane Cruse.
‘I wish I could stay. I don’t want to leave, but I have to.’ After her second shower of the morning, she’d hastily dressed once more then launched herself back onto the bed to say goodbye. ‘It’s changeover day at the Cedars and I need to get on with it.’ Smoothing his hair back from his face, she gave him a lingering kiss. ‘But I’ll be finished by three. Will you be free then? I could come straight over.’
He frowned. ‘To clean this place? It’s fine, we don’t need anything else done today.’
‘Not to clean .’ Teasingly Maeve slid her bare foot along the length of his shin. She couldn’t wait for a replay. ‘The sooner I’m back here, the sooner we can have some more fun!’
‘That would’ve been good, but there’s other stuff happening this afternoon. No can do,’ said Dane regretfully.
‘Well, what time will you be finished? Six?’ Maeve said eagerly. ‘Seven?’ She saw the look on his face. ‘Eight?’
‘Sorry. I’ll be busy all evening. A friend who collects my work is flying in from Boston today and I can’t abandon her. You understand.’
Maeve didn’t understand; the previous twelve hours had been heavenly.
‘OK then, what time tomorrow?’ If it was when she was supposed to be working, she’d bribe one of the others to switch shifts. But why was Dane shaking his head at her, looking pained?
‘Hey, it’s been great. But from now on it has to be all business, no pleasure. I’m going to be completely tied up until Monday morning.’
‘All the way through?’ This really wasn’t meant to be happening.
‘Afraid so.’
‘And then you leave?’
‘That’s the way it is. London next, then Edinburgh, then over to Dublin. Can’t disappoint the fans.’
Maeve felt as if she’d stepped off a cliff with no warning and was now falling from a great height. Feeling sick, she said, ‘And that’s it, we don’t see each other again?’
‘Well, never say never , but . . .’
She levered herself up off him and off the bed too. ‘I thought you liked me.’
He shrugged. ‘I do like you.’ But it was said in a way that clearly indicated not that much .
‘I slept with you!’ She gave a wail of anguish.
He spread his arms. ‘I know, and it was cool! For both of us. We had fun, didn’t we? You were as up for it as I was.’
She turned away, no longer able to meet his gaze. In the space of forty seconds he’d ruined everything and left her feeling stupid. Stupid and ashamed. Not to mention heartbroken, angry and embarrassed. And gullible, that was another one.
How ridiculous she’d been to fall for his so-called charms. She’d been unable to believe her luck, had thought he was the best thing ever to have happened to her and that yesterday had been the start of something sensational.
Whereas for Dane Cruse, it had been a way to pass the time.
Just . . . mortifying.
‘Got it.’ She nodded and turned to the door, eager to escape.
‘You’re a great girl. We had a laugh. I had no idea you were taking it seriously,’ Dane protested. ‘It didn’t occur to me that you’d think it could be anything more than a—’
‘Really, don’t worry.’ Her jaw clenched and her shame complete, Maeve said, ‘You’ve taught me a lesson I won’t forget.’
It took all of her self-control to close the door and not slam it shut behind her.