We staggered through my front door just as the dawn light was beginning to creep over the horizon.
Simon slumped down at the kitchen table and rubbed his face. ‘I need another drink after that.’
‘Welcome to London,’ I said, opening the fridge, but the only bottles of wine I had had long since been consigned to the recycling crate. I prodded some sad-looking onions; I was sure an ancient Absolut Vodka was hiding in here somewhere...
‘Not alcohol,’ said Simon. ‘I’m getting too old for this. I need a coffee. Actually, scratch that, Frixie, a tea would be great.’
‘Listen to you, you almost sound British.’
‘I can never win. Over there I’m a goddamned Limey and here I’m a bloody Yank.’
I moved to where he was standing to get to the cupboard. ‘The cups are behind you,’ I said.
He was leaning against the counter, but didn’t move. I went up on my toes and for a few seconds my face was level with his collarbone. He’d undone a second button, and in those stretched-out moments all I could think about was how close my alcohol-sensitised lips were to his tanned skin.
Then I remembered what I was here for and grabbed two mugs with my clammy paws.
I made us both tea and we sat down at the kitchen table to drink. After a couple of minutes, Simon rubbed his eyes. ‘I don’t know if it’s late or early, but I am exhausted.’ He gave me a sheepish grin. ‘I guess my body can’t take jet lag like it used to.’
‘Shall I make up the sofa bed?’
‘I’ll do it,’ he said. ‘Just show me where your bedding is.’
I went to the cupboard in the hall, almost tripping over my own feet. I was drunker than I realised. Simon followed me and held out his arms as I pulled out the linen. My only clean pillowcase had ‘Cyprus – Island of Aphrodite’ emblazoned across it. Talk about passion-killer.
Simon must not have noticed, however, because as I handed it to him, he leant over and planted a soft kiss on my lips.
‘Night, Miss Frixiepants,’ he said, his voice low.
I didn’t find mine to answer him, and a moment later he’d disappeared into the living room.
Thirty minutes later, I was still feeling dazed. I lay in bed, my mind too full to sleep. I could just about act normal having Simon back in my life, but a single, gobsmackingly sexy Simon, whose preferred method of saying goodnight was a kiss on the mouth, was something else entirely.
