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She looks gorgeous, with her pretty blonde hair swept up high in a bun. Her eyes are as light blue as mine are and her grin is so sweet it should blow me away, but it doesn’t.
I feign enthusiasm about wanting to use the time to get some lengths in, but she keeps up with ease, smiling with every stroke alongside me. I feel like a jerk as I try to keep the smiles flowing back at her without giving her the wrong signals. Cass shoots me grins of her own every time we cross paths in the pool, and I can see how she’s rooting for me and her friend. I wish I could please both of them, but I can’t. I can’t force myself to feel what I don’t.
I’m exhausted when the session comes to an end, heaving myself out of the pool having swum way more lengths than I’d have ever predicted. I jump in the shower as quickly as I can, then it’s back to the locker to get myself changed and ready to go.
The girls are still in their cubicles when I’m done, so I wait on one of the benches in the reception area, checking my phone for messages.
There’s one from Ant.
You going to get your dick in sweet little blondie, then?
I feel like telling him to fuck off, but I don’t, I ignore it.
The girls are out a few minutes later. Cass’s hair is towel dried and hanging loose to her shoulders, and she has another bright grin on her face when I get up to join them.
I announce my plans for the evening straight off, to avoid any awkward suggestions of hanging out as a group for the night ahead.
“I’d best get going,” I say. “I’ve got a couple of work calls lined up.”
Cass looks disappointed, flitting a glance from me to Janie before giving me another smile.
“Yeah, of course, cool. Let’s go.”
“You coming too?” I ask, surprised, and she nods.
“Yeah, I’m coming too. Still recovering from being ill, you know?”
Janie looks as disappointed as Cass does, giving me another hug before we walk away.
“Same time next week?”
“Sure, yeah,” I say. “If I’m in Malvern, that is.”
I make sure my tone is casual and then turn my attention to Penny with a nice to meet you, keeping that casual as well.
We wave each other off in the car park and I let Cass’s car out ahead of mine, following her up to the house. We pull up together in the driveway and she lets us in through the door, already brimming with obvious pointers.
“Janie was really pleased you came along.”
“Yeah? That’s cool.”
“She really likes you.”
“Good. She seems really nice as well.”
The hints stop coming when she sees how avoidant of them I’m being. Instead she hangs her keys up by the front door and hangs her coat up alongside them without another word. I’m relieved at how well she’s reading me, not pushing me to reveal any interest in Janie at all.
“How about a lovely vegetable paella?” she asks. “Ant’s recipe.”
I give her a chuckle.
“I wasn’t quite thinking healthy vegetable paella, since I feel like I’ve just swum the English Channel.”
She laughs. “What did you have in mind, then?”
I pretend to think through the options, even though I already know my favourite.
“Pizza?”
She looks as pleased with the suggestion as I am.
“Pizza Delight?”
I nod. “Hell yeah. I love their spicy chicken.”
“That makes two of us.”
I call their app up on my phone screen. “Stuffed crust?”
“For sure.”
“Some fries on the side?”
She tips her head. “I shouldn’t.”
I smirk. “Ok, well I’ll get some. You can dip in and pinch some if you want.”
I place our order and grab a bottle of soave white wine from the fridge, offering a glass to Cass.
“I shouldn’t,” she says again.
“No? Who says so?”
She knows who I’m referring to. She shrugs with a smile.
“Oh go on then, thanks. It’ll give me a break from De Chante.”
I wasn’t lying when I said I had some calls to make, so check in with Finn quickly while Cass bounces away upstairs to get comfy in some PJs. I’ve just finished up with Finn when she appears again, in the unicorn top she was wearing the first morning I spent with her in Berlin.
“I must look like a superstar in these,” she giggles, and I give her a nod of approval and a thumbs-up, just like she did with me in swim trunks.
She puts a hand on her hip. “Shall I give you a twirl or a catwalk saunter?”
I laugh along with her. “You’d look cool doing either.”
“Thanks,” she says, and takes a sip of her wine.
Pizza Delight are quick on delivery, and the buzz of the intercom sounds out from the front gates before we get into conversation. Cass is rubbing her hands together excitedly when I present our takeout dinner.
