Chapter 30
Each day, they got up at dawn to continue the process of getting to know each other while the clock ticked away on the meeting with Donna Rushton.
Nic felt he knew more random details about Aria than his own mother, while she had extracted more information out of him than he’d shared with a woman in years.
She had a disarming honesty, an enthusiasm when their likes and interests collided, and she genuinely seemed curious about him in a way that other people weren’t.
But even during their most comfortable conversations, on long dog walks, Nic kept Theo’s accident to himself.
On this subject, fear of judgement outweighed the reward of confession.
He found himself looking forward to the dinner, reassured once again of his fake fiancée’s culinary skills as they tucked into a lunch of goat’s cheese frittata accompanied by a spinach and pumpkin seed salad.
As promised, he discussed his ideas for how she could upscale her campaign to clean up the lake.
‘You know the charity Surfers Against Sewage? Check out what they do. Perhaps you could start your own local group. You could organise a protest at water companies dumping stuff, and it’s always worth writing to the local MP on this kind of matter.
If it was me, I’d organise a two-pronged attack based on speaking directly to the people who are doing the damage and those in a position to put pressure on them. ’
Afterwards he grabbed the dishes while she suggested a quick dip in the lake before they got on with work. ‘I know people were sick, but it’s a compulsion with me and I don’t put my head in anymore. It would be fun to swim together?’
‘I don’t swim.’ He picked up their water glasses and clutched them in his fingers.
She looked at him curiously. ‘Can’t or don’t?’
‘Won’t.’
‘Ever?’
He paused. ‘Not since a jet-ski ride spooked me.’ That was all he was prepared to give her and he walked briskly to the sink.
‘They can be dangerous. When I first arrived back in Inglemere, I came down to the lake and there was this idiot blasting around, almost killing himself and certainly putting both me and the ducks in danger.’
He recognised that idiot. He’d been angry and had taken it out on the water.
The feelings came back in a rush now as he turned the tap on and lifted his dirty glass up to it, clipping the fragile object and cutting his finger.
He gasped at the sharp pain, dipping his hand into the bowl of water, where he was confronted by the blood dispersing.
All at once, he saw ripped flesh in salt water and heard Theo screaming.
Aria had heard the crack and seeing his reaction, reached for a tea towel and then his hand.
He closed his eyes and hissed at her, ‘I’m fine.
Stop fussing.’ Opening his eyes again, Nic could see the hurt in hers.
He adjusted his tone as she backed off, telling her not to worry as it was no more than a paper cut.
But he could tell she was upset as she grabbed Tiger and started cuddling him.
‘Why don’t you get to your swim and then I’ll give you a lift to work,’ he suggested, not wanting to discuss his overreaction.
When she left the room to get changed, he picked up his laptop and logged on, taking exaggerated breaths to calm himself down.
***
She walked in from her swim dressed in a dry robe, sat along from him on the sofa and granted Tiger access to her lap. Casting a subtle glance at her brown legs, he was curious about her ‘compulsion’ to dive into the lake at every opportunity, despite her campaign.
‘Why is cold-water swimming so important to you? You told me you miss your dad the other day. Do you feel closer to him in the lake? I would imagine it might also trigger difficult memories?’ He realised the question was partly projection as she looked at her phone and declared it was later than she thought.
‘Have you ever worn a watch?’
‘Of course not. I use my phone. What kind of boomer question is that?’ she laughed, leaning over, and twisting his arm to see his smartwatch.
He looked down as her fingers came to rest on his wrist. ‘Oh wait, yeah, your watch controls your entire universe,’ she said, softer now as she traced around it with her index finger.
As they both froze, he looked up and saw her lips clamp together.
A second later she let go and he grabbed a cushion, placing it on his lap.
Like any bloke, his universe was controlled by his cock, but she didn’t need to see that right now.
‘I’ve set up a bunch of meetings, so I won’t be around till late tonight. Are you OK doing the small jobs in advance for the dinner?’ he asked her.
‘Absolutely. I’ve got a viewing in town and then I’ll start browning the beef so I can marinate it in wine and herbs overnight,’ she replied. ‘Did you buy the bottles of wine we discussed?’
‘Yep. Two cheap-as-chips bottles for the beef bourguignon. I’ve put the dog’s-bollocks wine in the garage, by the way. We can schmooze her in style.’