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‘Oh,’ said Rob, and Hannah could practically hear his inner panic. ‘Hannah told me last night, I think. We were talking about where you guys had been.’
How smoothly he lies, thought Hannah.Just like Graham. She checked herself, because Rob was obviously nothing like Graham. She was just brooding because everything felt confusing right now, and another night in Rob’s company probably wasn’t going to help.
‘How are we doing?’ said Olly, appearing on the other side of the table directly in Hannah’s eyeline. ‘Shall I book us a taxi? Nine o’clock in the hotel car park?’ She noticed him keeping his voice down and scanning around for anyone listening, so this probably wasn’t a plan that Mark the head coach would approve of. Maybe Rob was telling the truth after all.
Jess and Gaynor both nodded, so Hannah shrugged her agreement.
‘Great,’ said Rob, although his slightly strained tone suggested otherwise. ‘Six gentlemen will escort you, including myself.’
‘You found five gentlemen?’ said Hannah, turning to glance at Rob in wide-eyed innocence. ‘Can’t the other coaches make it?’
‘You’re very funny,’ said Olly, giving her a wry smile. ‘We promise to protect you from unwanted attention.’ Hannah hadn’t spent much time with Olly, but he had an entitled arrogance about him that she found deeply unappealing.
‘Maybe we don’t need protecting,’ said Trish, looking directly at Rob with a twinkle in her eye.
Seriously?thought Hannah, grudgingly impressed that Trish could pull off that level of playful flirtation. She couldn’t see Rob’s reaction, but presumably he was enjoying the attention. He was a tennis coach, after all.
‘Let’s get dressed up,’ said Trish excitedly. ‘Make a bit of an effort.’
Hannah watched Rob and Olly wander back to the other coaches as Gaynor and Trish started talking about outfits and shoes. Overall, this plan was a good thing, she decided. She could hang out with the group, and if she and Rob did end up chatting she could just be cool and fun and not obsess about something that was never going to happen anyway. She stood up to go to the bathroom, wafting her tennis top in the sticky air and wondering why she was sweating so hard right now.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘Look up,’ said Jess, gently brushing mascara onto Hannah’s lower lashes. ‘Why are your lashes so long? It’s really unfair.’
‘I’m naturally hairy, my mum is Greek,’ said Hannah. ‘But it means I’ve got really hairy arms as well, look.’
‘I bet bikini waxing absolutely kills,’ said Jess, standing back to check out her handiwork. She screwed the mascara wand back into the tube and reached for a red lip liner.
‘I’ve never done it,’ said Hannah. ‘I shave around the edges to keep it all tidy, but otherwise it’s all totally natural.’
‘Oh my God,’ gasped Jess. ‘I heard women like you existed, but I’ve never met one.’
‘Met who?’ said Gaynor, strolling into the room to borrow Jess’s hairspray. ‘My God, Hannah. You look amazing.’
‘Hannah doesn’t wax down below,’ said Jess. ‘She’s got a full bush going on.’
‘No fucking way,’ Gaynor exclaimed.
Hannah laughed. ‘It’s true. Other than a quick tidy if I’m going swimming, it’s entirely untouched.’
‘Wow,’ said Gaynor. ‘And look how thick and curly your hair is. Your husband must have needed a machete to hack through that.’
‘He never complained,’ Hannah shrugged. ‘Although he was cheating on me, so maybe that was why.’
‘I had all mine lasered off,’ said Gaynor.
‘What, all of it?’ asked Hannah.
‘Yeah, years ago,’ said Gaynor, spritzing hairspray onto her fringe. ‘When Hollywoods were all the rage. Ed loved it, so I spent HOURS having it lasered off. Now I’ve got a fanny like a nine-year-old girl and I hate it.’
‘Doesn’t it grow back eventually?’ asked Jess.
‘Not properly,’ said Gaynor glumly. ‘Bits of it grow back in little tufts, like a mangy dog. It’s easier just to keep it all smooth.’
‘Did it hurt?’
‘Yeah,’ said Gaynor. ‘And it took ages and cost a fortune. I could have kept my pubes and had a lovely holiday.’
