Chapter Sixteen #2
‘Thanks for lending a hand,’ he said warmly. He’d never looked happier than she’d seen him today, getting stuck in and helping the club.
‘It’s a pleasure. Like I said, I wanted to do my bit for the club and for your grandad.’
Matt’s eyes lit with what Zennor guessed were good memories. ‘He’d have been in the thick of it, organising everyone, although he might have said it was too nice a day be to be inside, really.’ He raised his bottle to the white water breaking on the sand. ‘Especially with surf like that.’
‘True.’ She hesitated a moment but wanted him to stay in the happy place he seemed to have reached. ‘Actually, I dropped into the theatre earlier too. Paul reminded me of when you sang in the choir with your grandad back in the day.’
‘Did he?’ Matt grinned wryly. ‘Dad had to twist my arm to do it. He said it would mean a lot to Grandad and I was bricking it for days beforehand but actually I really enjoyed it.’
Even with all the resentment, Zennor realised she wanted him to be happy …
He cut into her thoughts before she could dwell on them any longer. ‘Remember when you used to help out at the theatre? Do you miss it?’
‘I didn’t think so but today, seeing the kids, I realise I do. Do you miss performing?’
‘No. Those days are behind me.’
Zennor didn’t want to reopen a conversation about what happened at the wedding. A little nervous and at a loss for words, she couldn’t resist saying something she’d wanted to for the past few minutes. ‘Did you know you have a blob of paint on the end of your nose?’
‘Do I?’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘Suppose it kind of goes with the job.’
His goofy smile made Zennor’s stomach start a full Olympic gymnastics routine.
‘Is it really bad? I don’t have a mirror, you see, so I can’t rub it off.’ His eyes sparkled again, yet with a hint of desire besides amusement.
Zennor shivered despite the hot sun. ‘Not really bad … but quite.’ Without thinking, she’d lifted her finger and touched the tip of his nose. ‘It’s right there.’
His eyes widened. ‘You mean like here?’
He touched the tip of her own nose, so lightly and briefly that it was like a butterfly landing. Sparks shot through her.
‘Yes,’ she said breathily. ‘Exactly there.’
‘I wonder what I ought to do about it …’
Maybe you should kiss it away … Matt didn’t say those words, yet they galloped through Zennor’s mind anyway.
Matt didn’t have to say anything. All he had to do was look into her eyes and Zennor knew he wanted to kiss her too. They were so close that, in a heartbeat, their mouths would meet and they’d be kissing in full view of everyone at the club …
The club!
Heat flew to her face and she moved a metre away, frantically unscrewing the top of her water bottle.
‘You’d – um – better go and wash it off,’ she mumbled. ‘Or I can – er – give you water on a tissue.’
His shoulders slumped. ‘Yeah, but frankly, I don’t care how I look.’
She downed a gulp of water, hoping it would cool her down. They were only a few paces from other people – people they knew. She’d touched him and he’d touched her and they were on the cliff edge of actually being in each other’s arms.
‘I’d better grab something to eat,’ she said quickly, eager to put distance between them. ‘I’m off to check out a potential client shortly and I can’t be late. It’s a band. They’re called the Driftstones.’ Zennor knew she was babbling.
Matt sipped his beer and then shook his head. ‘The Driftstones?’ he said, sounding as if he couldn’t care less. ‘Nope. Name doesn’t ring a bell but I’m not into the music scene these days.’
‘Well, they might not be any good, but please keep that to yourself in case we don’t sign them.’
‘Like I said, the music scene’s of no interest to me these days.’ He checked his watch. ‘I’d better get back to the clubhouse and help clear away. It’s time everyone packed up. Catch you later, maybe?’
‘Hmm …’ Zennor wasn’t sure who was keenest to get away from the other.
All she knew was that she’d let her guard down and wanted to touch him – had touched him and then got cold feet.
It was hardly surprising he was confused.
It wasn’t fair to flirt with him when the last thing she wanted was to start up a relationship.
Her life was complicated enough with the season in full swing and Trev back in town. He’d already messaged her asking if Kernow Entz might be interested in supplying some artists for the hotel events programme.
Zennor stayed only long enough to grab a burger and drink before a hasty wash and change in the new locker rooms. The ladies’ had already been refitted with new tiles and showers.
She was stunned by the transformation. The walls still needed a lick of paint but gone were the broken basins, chipped tiles and showers that produced, at best, a dribble of lukewarm water.
In their place were smart, modern facilities which were exactly what you needed when you came off the water cold, sandy and salty.
There was underfloor heating for the winter, too, which meant training could continue all year round.
She had to hand it to Matt and his team: they’d done a cracking job.
Harry would have been gobsmacked and very proud.
Zennor had a lump in her throat just thinking about Harry’s reaction so she could only imagine how Matt felt.
It had been an emotional day – in more ways than either of them had expected.
He’d always had good intentions – that was part of the problem. He just didn’t know when to let people go their own way.
She caught her breath. Was time softening the way she felt about him? It certainly hadn’t dimmed her physical attraction to him in any way, judging by her reaction to him at the club earlier.
All she knew was that every time she thought they could settle into being friends, she’d no idea how they could ever reach that point.