Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
A mber shares the instructions for me to go and pick up my new boarding pass, and I make my way out of the busy departure lounge, collecting my case on the way. On approaching the airline’s customer service desk, which is near the bag drop, I’m relieved to see that there’s only one person in the queue ahead of me.
At first, I wait patiently, but the man in front of me doesn’t seem to be being served by anyone. He’s also leaning on the counter poring over some paperwork and there’s no one behind the desk, which means he’s probably a staff member, not a customer. As he seems to be in the middle of something, I wait patiently for him to finish and attend to me, but after another minute or so, it’s apparent that he doesn’t even realise I’m here.
‘ Excuse me? ’ I call to him. ‘Are you from the airline? I was told to come here to collect a boarding pass?’
‘I’ll be with you in a moment, madam,’ he replies, without looking round.
I frown, unsure what to do. Isn’t the whole point of a customer service desk to provide a service? Which he is not. I wait a bit longer, trying to refrain from tapping my foot with impatience, because I can’t help thinking this guy is making me stand here unnecessarily. What could be so important that it requires him to ignore a living breathing customer who’s got a flight to catch?
‘Um… excuse me, sir?’ I call across to him again. ‘I realise you’re in the middle of something, but I’d really appreciate your help. I’ve already missed my first flight today and my friends will kill me if we miss the next one.’ I don’t actually know the departure time of our new flight – Amber didn’t tell me – but she was hurrying me along before. And I just need this to work out.
‘ Relax. Your flight isn’t for a while yet,’ he replies to my utter bafflement.
‘OK, but…’ I stop dead. ‘Hang on… how do you know when my flight is? You haven’t even asked my…’ I tail off, an uneasy feeling settling over me.
I scrutinise the back of the man’s head. It couldn’t be, could it? No, he has a different voice. I’m losing the plot. My brain is now making stuff up.
While I’m giving myself a mental shake, the man finally turns towards me and I discover that my brain is, in fact, functioning just fine.
‘Hello, again,’ says a smiling James, this time in his own voice.
‘Oh my god… you … what are you… why would you even do that? ’ I’m half-mortified, half-relieved and (if I can be allowed to go over quota just this once) half-delighted to see his gorgeous face. This is clearly another set-up of sorts, orchestrated by Amber. And undoubtedly the reason why she was rushing me to get down here.
‘I knew you liked me.’ His grin is as sharp as a crescent moon .
‘Eh… what? I never said that.’
‘Are you really going to keep playing that game, Emma?’
‘I’m not playing a game…’ I raise my eyes to the ceiling and let out a monumental sigh. ‘Amber told you. Of course, she did, even though those words never came out my mouth. Fine. I’m too exhausted for this. Yes, I like you… as it transpires. And I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted pretty much every time we’ve crossed paths during the last few weeks.’
‘Apology accepted.’ He chuckles. ‘Especially as you had no idea why I was in the bar on Friday. I get why it looked weird.’
‘You do?’
‘Sure. And maybe there was an element of truth in what you said. Maybe I overstepped a bit when I ran into you the first couple of times. I have a habit of trying to solve other people’s problems for them.’
‘Right. Gosh. ’ My eyes widen at this admission. ‘So maybe we can start again?’
‘I think that’s a great idea.’
‘Me too.’ I bite my bottom lip while drinking him in properly for the first time. He’s taller than me, but he’s more of an average height, with broad shoulders and a natural-looking, muscular physique. My eyes roam over his thick, dark hair, his days’ old stubble and deep, chestnut-brown eyes that feel like they could bore a hole through my soul. He’s even more attractive than I remember and apparently a decent guy. Who’d have thought it?
‘So…’ James moves closer to me, giving me a waft of the alluring, citrusy scent I smelled on him in the travel agency, causing my legs to turn to mush. ‘As you have some time to kill, how about we have that date now? I’ll make sure you’re on your way in plenty of time.’
My anxiety over potentially missing another flight is already kicking back in at this suggestion, when I remember that I’m here at the airport – and there’s no way he would let me miss it. What could possibly go wrong now? Unless the queue for security gets really long or—
‘I’ll make sure you get through security if there’s a delay.’ He interjects my thoughts, seemingly reading them. ‘I have contacts here. And Amber’s checked you all in for your new flight, so your new boarding pass will already be on the app in your phone – that was just a ploy to get you down here.’
I fold my arms and laugh. ‘Why is that not a surprise? Well, as you’ve left me with little excuse to say no – one drink, OK?’
‘Of course.’ His chestnut eyes glint, leaving me in no doubt that there will be a second round.
He leads me to a pub-slash-bar opposite the café I was camped out in earlier, where a waiter immediately appears at our table to take our order.
‘Two glasses of Champagne, please,’ says James after quickly consulting the drinks menu – but not me.
‘Hey, that’s too much,’ I protest. ‘A glass of house wine would have been fine.’
‘I don’t like “fine”.’ He winks at me, displaying a row of near-perfect white teeth. ‘Anyway, I know after Friday that you have a taste for the finer things in life.’
‘That was a…’ I stop before I say too much. He doesn’t know my situation, and as much as I’ve admitted that I do like him, I’m not ready to share it yet.
James must sense that something has made me uncomfortable because he diverts the conversation to more neutral territory. We chat lightly about holiday destinations we’ve visited until the waiter reappears with our Champagne .
‘Cheers.’ His gaze locks on mine as he clinks my glass and a shiver of desire runs through me.
‘Cheers. So… eh… you must get discounts on holidays working for a travel agency then?’
‘I sure do. One of the perks of the job. As is getting to serve a beautiful woman like you.’ He raises a flirtatious eyebrow, sending my core temperature through the roof.
‘Right, well… that’s good,’ I say, flustered. ‘It’s… um… a good job then?’
‘It pays the bills.’ He appears amused by my faltering conversation. ‘It’s part-time and temporary until I finish the uni course I’m doing.’
‘Oh? You’re a student?’
Please don’t tell me I’m on a date with a man who’s almost a decade younger than me. I will never hear the end of this – even despite Amber being the one who set it up.
‘I’m what’s classed as a mature student. I worked in the corporate world for several years after my first degree, but it wasn’t for me, so I went back to do a full-time Masters in Astrophysics.’
‘You’re going to be a scientist instead?’ I’m both intrigued and impressed by this.
‘That’s the plan. It’s also why I know the solar system more intimately than you.’ He grins cheekily, reminding me of my faux pas at the travel agency.
‘Perhaps not my finest moment.’ I sip at my Champagne to hide my embarrassment.
‘Hey, I thought it was cute.’ He touches my arm gently. It’s like a bolt of sexy lightning rushing through me. I look at him and this time he smiles a warm, affectionate smile, making my insides melt. I want so badly for him to kiss me. Or to reach over and kiss him. But I’m not brave enough to initiate either scenario, nor am I able to maintain the intensity of the eye contact, so instead I examine my gel nails.
‘Oh, by the way…’ James rests his Champagne flute on the table. ‘I forgot to say – my parents say hi.’
‘Huh?’ I look at him quizzically. ‘Do I know your parents?’
‘It turns out you do. Eva and Archie. They live in—’
‘The same street as Lottie.’ My jaw drops in astonishment.
‘That’s right.’ He nods. ‘When my mum told me about this young woman called Emma who was so upset about their neighbour’s accident, I knew the chances of it being you were slim. But I had an instinct, so I found you on Facebook and showed her a photo. She confirmed it was you.’
‘ What are the chances? ’
‘It’s nuts, isn’t it? But good news for you.’
‘How so?’
‘Means you’ve already met the parents.’
‘That’s a bit presumptuous.’ I raise my eyebrows at him, while still trying to get my head around this information.
That must be why James was in the car park when I was leaving the hospital the day before. He must have been picking Eva up. Then I realise something else. I told Eva – his mum , as it turns out – everything that’s happened in the last few weeks. Including all the drama with James. Oh my god, what’s she going to think of me? What if she’s told him?’
James laughs, evidently reading the emerging horror on my face. ‘Don’t worry, my mum’s discreet. She won’t tell me anything. I don’t know what you said to her, but she thinks you’re lovely.’
‘Thank goodness for that.’ I rub my jaw with relief. ‘I like her just as much by the way. ’
‘Most people do. She’ll take good care of Charlotte while you’re away. And I’m going to help out too, until I go on my own holiday, that is.’
‘Well, it’s certainly reassuring to know that Lottie’s in such good hands. So, thank you – to both you and your mum. And your dad.’
We clink glasses again and finish our drinks, then, as expected, James orders us two more. With the ice now well and truly broken, we laugh and flirt our way through our second glass of Champagne, leaning in further towards each other and snatching any opportunity for the slightest physical contact. The chemistry between us is unmistakeable.
By the time we’ve left the bar and are about to say our goodbyes by the entrance to airport security, I’m already disappointed about not seeing James again for another couple of weeks.
‘That you all sorted, then?’ he asks. ‘Got your boarding pass ready on your phone?’
‘Yup.’ I wave it in front of him. ‘I still can’t believe you lot, scheming like that to get me on a date with you.’
‘It was all Amber really. I was just part of the supporting cast – as well as her lift to the airport.’
‘It was you who picked her up from the side of the road? She said it was Cat.’
He raises his hands. ‘Guilty as charged. It was on the way here that she came up with the whole surprise date plan and roped me into it. And before you say anything, I went and got her because I would never leave a person stranded. Not because of my male ego.’
‘Don’t worry, I wasn’t thinking that,’ I reassure him. ‘Having met your mum, I get where your “rescuer” side comes from. She was in a caring profession, so it’s either in your family blood or she’s rubbed off on you. I can’t believe I fell for Amber’s nonsense again, though. She’s a law unto herself, that girl . ’
‘I thought she did a stellar job. Would you rather we hadn’t had our date?’ He gives me a playful nudge.
‘ No .’ I push him back, feeling like a fifteen-year-old girl with a massive crush.
James hands me my carry-on luggage, which he insisted on carrying for me. ‘Have a brilliant time, Emma.’
‘Thanks.’ I suddenly feel shy. This is the moment where he’ll either kiss me and send my hormones into a tailspin, or he’ll leave without kissing me, and I’ll spend my whole holiday wondering why. ‘I hope you have a great time too – wherever you’re going. We never got around to talking about that.’
‘We had better things to chat about. Like how you spent the last few weeks pretending you didn’t fancy me.’
‘ Oh, you …’ I eyeball him as he deftly slips his arms round my waist, pulling me in towards him, and as our lips finally meet, it’s like fireworks going off inside me. He tastes delicious, the scent of his aftershave heightening my senses.
We continue our embrace, lost in each other and barely aware of the passers-by making ‘get a room’ style jokey comments, until we eventually pull apart, laughing almost guiltily.
‘See you soon?’ he asks.
‘Definitely.’ I’m panting slightly from that mind-blowing kiss. ‘You have my number now, so keep in touch.’
With one last lingering look between us, I turn and go through the security barriers, my body jangling with excitement that I might have finally met the real man of my dreams.