Page 55 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

Our main courses had been cleared away and we were sharing the remains of a bottle of red wine and a cheeseboard. My car would be staying here overnight and I’d be getting a taxi home, blow the expense. I’d hesitated less than a second before making that decision. Saskia wasn’t the sort to miss out on a decent Barolo, and Clare found it a damn sight easier to flirt when her edges had gone a bit fuzzy. Although, at this point, I’d told so many lies that I’d have to switch to water soon before I started to contradict myself.

‘Me too.’ Adam’s blue-green eyes flashed suggestively in the candlelight. ‘Not literally, obviously. I’ll forever feel bad about scalding you. But I’ve never met a location scout before. Such a cool job. You must have travelled all over the world?’

He speared the last sliver of Blue Vinny with his knife and offered it to me. Phwoar. He was getting sexier by the minute. I peeled it from the tip of the blade and put it on my tongue. Adam watched my every move. And I watched his. I was pretty sure he liked me. Either that or I had a smear of fig chutney on my face and he didn’t know how to tell me.

To think I’d almost gone home at the same time as my mum. Imagine if I’d managed to persuade her to stay the night with me in Bath instead of dashing back to Salcombe. I’d have missed all this.

Adam swirled the wine around in his glass, still looking at me, and I realised I hadn’t answered his question.

‘I do get to visit some incredible places.’ I shrugged nonchalantly. ‘But, you know, the job still has its downsides.’

‘Oh?’ He waited for me to enlighten him, but I couldn’t think of anything. I agreed with him; it did sound like a cool job. I only wished I knew more about it.

Fortunately, a member of staff picked that moment to collect our empty plates, saving me from digging myself into any deeper holes.

‘Have you stayed at this hotel before?’ I asked, taking control of the conversation once we were alone again.

Adam chewed his lip before replying. ‘No, this is a first for me. Although it’s been on my radar for a while.’

I studied him over the rim of my glass. ‘It’s my first visit too. I bet the rooms are gorgeous.’

‘I could show you mine if you like.’ His gaze was steady.

He was asking me up to his room.

I was no expert in these matters, but I don’t think it was to look at the view from the window. Which was good, because it wasn’t the view I was interested in. I’d liked what I’d seen of Adam so far and I was keen to see more. Clare Elizabeth Marriott, you minx …

‘I’d like that.’ I gave him an enigmatic smile.

I was actually doing this: picking up a man in a hotel bar and going back to his room. This was not like me at all. But I wasn’t me, was I? I was Sexy Saskia the location scout. And we were two consenting adults who fancied the pants off each other.

Talking of pants. I wracked my brain to remember the details of mine. They were fine, I recalled with relief. I’d made an effort because I knew there’d be a communal changing room. I always darted into the cubicle if there was one. It pays to be careful in my job. This hotel was only a few miles out of Bath, there could easily have been parents from school here; I’d hate to have been caught in a state of shabby undress by one of the mums. I’d made that mistake before. Got stuck in a sports bra once in the changing rooms at my gym, only to be accosted by Izzie Millington’s mum. I’d had to grapple topless with both arms in the air tangled in straps, with her giving me full barrels about the substandard lunch her daughter had been served the previous Tuesday. Once bitten, twice shy on that front. So, luckily, today’s underwear was suitable for public consumption. Or private.

Adam stood up and offered me his hand. ‘Shall we?’

I put my hand in his and got to my feet. A dart of pleasure ran up my arm as I felt his fingers close over mine. ‘Just before we go … anywhere. Can I just check …’ I swallowed, nervously. ‘Are you … you’re not …?’

He smiled, his expression open and honest. ‘I’m not married or anything, if that was what you were worried about.’

‘Good. And … um, you haven’t got any kids?’ I needed to be sure before this – whatever it was – went any further. He might not be local, but what if he had been once and he was here visiting his children and those children were pupils at my school and one day he turned up, took one look at me and said, ‘Saskia? Is that you?’

‘No kids,’ he promised and then stepped closer to me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. ‘Now, shall we get out of here?’

‘Yes.’ I nodded, my knees so weak that I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d dropped to the floor as soon as I started to walk. ‘Yes please.’

We lay side by side in the vast bed, catching our breath. I could feel my pulse thudding at the side of my neck. I hadn’t been this energetic since I won the teachers’ race last sports day. Put me in a competitive situation and I’m compelled to aim for first place. I couldn’t walk for a week afterwards, which served me right. Mind you, I had a feeling that might be the case tomorrow too.

‘Was that OK?’ said Adam beside me.

He sounded unsure of himself, which made me like him even more. Saskia would probably have said something provocative, like, not bad for starters, but I couldn’t find it in me to tease him. He was too nice.

‘More than OK.’

I turned to look at him. The room was mostly in darkness – I’d insisted on that – the only light was a glow from the bathroom. But I could see enough.

His face was inches from mine. He had nice lips, full and soft and the most perfect Cupid’s bow I’d ever kissed. And I’d been right about his hair: it had felt gorgeous when I’d tugged it. I felt myself blush. I’d managed to keep up my Saskia persona throughout the whole act (or two acts, if you counted the one in the shower). But I was beginning to wish I’d never lied about my identity. Clare was beginning to emerge, and I was already worried about having to get out from under the covers naked and finding my knickers in the dark.

Maybe I’d just lie here a bit longer.