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Miles gave him the name of a different hotel.
Thea looked at him surprised. ‘But the card in your wallet said—’
‘Oh, I’m not staying at that hotel. The company has put me up in a different hotel. I think they’re cutting costs. It’s not as nice.’
‘Really?’ Thea’s heart leapt. All the things that had been going through her mind – namely that everything coming out of his mouth was an outright lie – vanished the moment he explained that he was staying elsewhere. Thea smiled at him. She got in the taxi. He was about to follow when his phone rang. He closed the door to the taxi and then answered his phone, walking a few paces away from the car.
Thea frowned at him as she watched him turn his back. A moment later, he came back to the taxi. ‘Sorry, that was work. Look, it turns out I haven’t got the afternoon free. Why don’t you go home. I’ll call another taxi.’
Thea shook her head. ‘It’s all right. I don’t mind sharing. Where is your office?’ She’d never seen his office building before. He’d said he worked for a foreign bank. She imagined it was in The Square Mile in the heart of the city. She eyed him.
He smiled. ‘All right. The taxi can drop you off first.’
‘No, I’m sure your office is on the way.’
The taxi driver said, ‘It would be quicker to swing by your office first, mate.’
Thea turned to him.
‘Oh, all right.’ He leaned forward in his seat, and gave the driver the address. He caught her surprised expression when he leaned back in his seat. ‘What?’
‘Oh, nothing.’ Thea glanced out of the window, feeling stupid for doubting him. He had said he worked at that bank, and that was where they were headed.
‘Do you want to do a detour and pass by the hotel?’
Thea shifted her gaze from the window. ‘Huh?’
‘You know, I said I could show you where—’
Thea smiled at him, and took his hand in hers. ‘No, that’s all right.’
‘Okay then.’ He returned her smile and squeezed her hand.
The taxi took longer than expected to get through the traffic, during which time Thea enjoyed making plans for when they would next meet up. She was disappointed to discover that Miles was flying out the next day. It had already been arranged. Something had come up as a result of the meeting, and he was being sent off to Dubai urgently.
‘Dubai! Wow,’ Thea exclaimed.
He nodded.
‘I know you’re busy the rest of the afternoon, but what about this evening? Let’s meet up. Come round to mine. We could go out to a restaurant for a meal.’ She saw his smile falter. ‘Or we’ll eat in. Get a takeaway.’
‘I’m not sure, Thea. Depends what they’ve called me back in the office for.’
Thea sighed. ‘You might have to work late again?’
‘Quite possibly.’
‘That’s going to be disappointing.’
‘Yeah, sorry.’
‘Oh, don’t apologise.’
He leaned towards her and kissed her cheek. ‘I’ll make it up to you, I promise, next time I’m in London.’
‘You sound pretty sure you won’t be able to make it this evening.’
He sighed heavily. ‘Well, I know work. When they call me in, it means there’s something pretty important that they need my expertise for.’
