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‘I’m just making conversation!’ Brenda huffed playfully.

Sienna smiled at Robin’s mother. ‘It was a pleasure to meet you, Brenda.’

‘And you!’ Brenda said. ‘Keep an eye on this one in the studio, won’t you?’ she said with a nod to her daughter. Robin groaned.

‘I always do,’ Sienna replied quietly.

Sienna glanced over at Robin. She gave her an unusually shy smile. ‘See you later, Vance,’ she said.

‘Yeah,’ Sienna said.

Sienna turned and started down the road, her feet dragging against her own better judgment as she fought the odd urge to turn back.

So what if she’s not that bad? she bargained, picking up her pace. Why does it matter if you don’t hate her anymore? It’s fine. It’s normal. You spent time together, and you changed your mind a little bit. So what?!

Sienna was doing pretty well with that line of thought. Until her body betrayed her. Before her brain could veto the impulse, her chin turned, and she glanced back over her shoulder.

Robin was talking to her mother, trying to take the bill away from her. Then she glanced up. The moment their eyes locked, Robin’s face lit up, and she shot Sienna a quick, easy wave alongside a warm, dimpled smile.

The effect was instantaneous. Just like in the lift, Sienna’s heart sped up. But in addition, her chest felt hot, and her throat was dry.

No, no, no, no, no….

Sienna pulled her eyes away and looked straight ahead, her fingers tightening around her handbag strap as her body acted the fool for Robin.

Sienna’s ability to remain in denial about her attraction to Robin Croft was officially dead.

Twenty-Eight

Robin leaned back in the studio’s leather swivel chair, adjusting her headphones while she watched Sienna fiddle with a pen like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

She wasn’t meeting Robin’s eyes much this morning.

She knew, didn’t she? She knew feelings were developing. Of course she did. Because as far as Sienna was concerned, Robin developed three crushes a day before she’d even brushed her teeth.

But she didn’t know that Robin had never liked someone like Sienna. That she’d never liked someone in this very particular way. Being dragged into the feeling, kicking and screaming and fighting it the whole way.

The red ON AIR light flicked on.

‘Welcome to Head vs Heart,’ said Zoe. ‘Today, we’re talking Date Three. An evening at Robin’s cottage. Our listeners have been flooding the boards since the episode aired. The universal consensus online? You two were... extraordinarily nice to each other. Almost suspiciously polite.’

Robin thanked God the evening had been pure audio. If anyone had seen her touch Sienna, the internet would have gone rabid.

Zoe’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. ‘So come on, dig in for us. The listeners want details. What actually happened out there?’

Sienna adjusted her microphone. ‘Honestly, Zoe, it was pretty low-key,’ she said. ‘We made dinner, kept the fire going so we didn’t freeze, and talked for an hour. Nothing revolutionary.’

‘It was just a nice meal and a nice chat,’ Robin added smoothly. She offered Zoe a shrug. ‘I know it’s a boring episode.’

Zoe could barely contain her disappointment. ‘It really was terribly civil. The one thing people seemed interested in was your chat about former partners.’

‘Well, everyone knows my misadventures,’ Robin said.

‘Mine too,’ Sienna added.

‘But it was the first time you discussed it with each other,’ Zoe pointed out.

‘Why not?’ Robin said. ‘That was what I was supposed to do, right? Dig a little?’