I languish in the bath, thinking about all that’shappened today and enjoying the grandness of my surroundings as bubbles driftaround me on the silky water, like perfumed lace.
I can’t let Doug pay for all of this, can I? He seemeddetermined, though...
I sigh, still feeling quite muddled about my feelings. I reallylike Doug and I can’t deny there’s a strong attraction between us. It’ssomething I’ve never experienced before, this tug of longing that makes myheart hammer whenever he’s near and sends my head spinning with a curiouslybreathy sense of... what? Nerves? Excitement? Anticipation?
I don’t know much about his life up till now, though. But maybewe’ll remedy that over dinner tonight.
When he knocks on my door and I open it, all ready to goout, he just looks at me for a moment as if he’s too stunned to speak. And I’mso glad I packed the pink dress and my pink wedges because wearing them makesme feel like a million dollars!
‘Hi! You look great.’ I grab my bag from the bed and slippast him into the corridor. ‘I’m absolutely starving.’
‘You look incredible,’ he says. ‘Really. Stunning.’
‘Thank you.’ My heart is doing its little happy dance as Iclose the door and we walk together along the plush carpet towards the lift.I’ve made a real effort tonight with my make-up and hair, taming the white blondetresses into an elegant up-do like pictures I’ve seen of actress Grace Kelly.My dress feels fabulous and the silky fabric swishes around my knees when I walk. The shoes are a bit of a problem,especially on the deep carpet. I sway a little and laugh, and Doug steadies mewith a smile, slipping a strong arm around my waist. He keeps it there, evenwhen we walk into the lift.
We eat in the hotel’s Brasserie Prince restaurant, havingrealised earlier that other city-centre restaurants tend to be packed outduring the Festival, and the evening passes in a whirl of sparklingconversation and laughter and a growing intimacy between us in the elegantParisian-style surroundings. As the wine slips down, so do my barriers, and ourflirty glances become lingering.
Doug talks a little about his family – how his parentsdivorced a year ago but how they still live in the same house, which I findquite amazing.
‘What about new romances? How does that work?’
He shrugs. ‘I don’t think they’re in a rush for any of that.They get on. They’ve always been good friends and that hasn’t changed.’
I nod, thinking about this. ‘Romantic love is great. But youhave to reallylikeeach other as well, if you want to stay togetherlong-term.’ For some reason, an image of Adam flashes into my mind.
‘I agree. Too many people mistake that first flush ofattraction for the real thing.’
I glance at him, detecting a bitter note in his voice.‘That’s what happened with Ryan. It was all hearts and flowers at first and bythe time I realised I didn’t actually like him very much, it was sort of toolate because we were heavily involved and talking about getting married.’
‘Wow, I didn’t realise you’d got that far. Marriage, eh?’
‘Thank goodness it didn’t happen. We would have beendivorced within the year. You know, you really boosted my spirits that night,when I was outside the pub after my row with Ryan, contemplating murder.’ Ismile at him. ‘You were my knight in shining armour, coming to my rescue afterthat scumbag tried to tap me for a loan.’
In the soft candlelight, Doug’s eyes twinkle at me. ‘Happyto help,’ he says softly. ‘I’m very glad I left the pub when I did, otherwisethis tonight wouldn’t be happening.’
I smile, feeling myself drawn further into the enchantingspell weaving around me. ‘And what do you thinkthisis?’ I murmur, myheart beating fast as our eyes lock together.
‘This? I think it’s the start of something amazing,’ hesays, his eyes never leaving mine. ‘That’s what I’m hoping, anyway.’
My throat feels dry but my eyes are wet with emotion. ‘Me,too.’
The waiter arrives at that moment with my chocolate mousseand Doug’s tarte tatin, and we sit back and smile. And although all we’re doingis enjoying our desserts and offering each other a taste and chatting aboutnever having eaten such amazing food, my heart feels like it’s glowing in mychest because it seems to me that with our confession to one another, we’vetaken a step towards a relationship that could turn out to be magical...
*****
We linger in the restaurant over coffee. And when Dougsignals to the waiter and orders liqueurs with our coffee, I’m quite surprisedwhen I glance around to find there are actually couples sitting at tablesnearby. I’ve been so engrossed in ‘us’, I was barely aware of anything else.
When we finally leave our table, it’s late. Doug takes myhand as we walk out and a little shiver of delight runs through me at histouch. In the lift, we look at each other. Then as one, we move into anembrace, kissing hard and passionately, and pulling apart breathlessly when thelift comes to a stop.
As the doors open, we stand to attention and find an elderlycouple standing there. Doug clears his throat and I glance up at him. His eyesflick to the bodice of my strapless dress. It’s slipped down a little, leavingme dangerously close to exposing something I shouldn’t.
Hurriedly rearranging myself, I smile at the couple who starefrostily back at me, as if to say,We know what you were up to in that lift.
Walking out to let them get in, we grin at each other likenaughty schoolkids, caught smoking behind the bike sheds. And as the liftcloses behind us on the severe judgement of Mr and Mrs Disdain, peals oflaughter burst out of me and we amble along the corridor as I try to get myselfunder control. But then he starts tickling my side, in the exact spot I toldhim earlier always leads to out-of-control giggles.
‘That’s not fair. Stop it!’ I whisper urgently, trying tosquirm away but in the end just collapsing against him in helpless laughter.
That’s when we realise we’ve actually got out of the lift onthe wrong floor. It feels so natural taking Doug’s hand as we retrace our stepsback to the lift.
