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‘Sounds good to me.’
Jamie measured out the liquids, pouring them carefully so that the rainbow effect of the different densities of liquid wasn’t disturbed. A dash of spirits, and then a cherry on top. He carried the drinks over to the sofa, and they sat down together.
‘This is all very nice.’ She took a sip from her glass. ‘And that’s lovely. So what’s the occasion?’
Jamie grinned. ‘Oh, it’s Friday evening. You’ve been working hard all week, and you’ve just driven all the way down from London.’
‘That’s it?’
‘Well, I know it’s not my birthday. It’s not yours, is it?’ He knew so little of the minutiae of Anna’s life, but still he felt he knew everything about her.
‘No.’ She slipped off her shoes, tucking her legs up underneath her. ‘Although if it meant getting one of your foot massages, I could always change it.’
‘It’s Friday. That’s sufficient excuse for a foot massage.’
‘Ah, wonderful.’ She leaned forward, kissing him. ‘You are a dream.’
Jamie wanted to be more than just a dream. He wanted to be part of Anna’s reality. But he’d ask about that later.
‘We’ll eat first, though? I’m not planning on stopping with just your feet...’
‘Mmm. Good idea. Do you want a hand?’
‘No, everything’s sorted. Just relax in here for ten minutes and then we’ll eat.’
* * *
It was really nice of him. He’d made a tasty chicken casserole with roast potatoes, and they ate in the dining room rather than the kitchen. There was a snowy white tablecloth, heavy silver cutlery and candles on the table, and after crème brûlée for dessert he served coffee.
‘There’s something I wanted to ask you.’ His eyes were sparkling in the flickering candlelight and he looked so handsome. Anna was sure that her answer was going to be yes.
‘What is it?’
‘We’ve been seeing each other for a month now. We’ve shared so much and... I want you to trust me.’
A flutter of uneasiness beat suddenly in her chest, and it occurred to Anna that this wasn’t going to be the automatic yes that she’d thought. ‘Trust you? With what?’
‘I want you to trust me enough to tell me what hurt you so badly. You always say that your marriage is in the past, but I know there’s something you can’t break free from.’
The flutter became a determined beat of panic. Jamie had asked before, but there was something about his manner that told Anna he wasn’t going to back off this time.
‘I don’t want to talk about it, Jamie.’
She couldn’t talk about it. If she told him why Daniel had left her then he’d know that she couldn’t have children. Maybe he’d say that he didn’t care, and she’d believe him. Anna suddenly realised that it would hurt a great deal more if Jamie did as Daniel had done, accepted her as she was and then changed his mind. And he would change his mind, Jamie so obviously wanted kids of his own.
He was shaking his head slowly. ‘I need to know, Anna. What we have now...’
She stared at him. What they had now was suddenly changing. She dreaded it, but it seemed unstoppable.
‘I need to know that you trust me, the way I trust you.’ His voice was as gentle as a lover’s sigh. ‘I made one huge mistake when I blundered blindly into a relationship with Gill, and... I want ours to be different.’
‘But...’ Anna shivered. He’d used the ‘R’ word, and they’d promised not to do that. It seemed Jamie had already found a promise to go back on. ‘We said this wasn’t a relationship, didn’t we?’
‘Yeah, I know. But things change, Anna. I think about you all the time, and I want to share everything with you. You’ve changed me on a level that I just didn’t realise anyone had access to. And I love being with you.’
He reached forward, catching her hand and pressing her fingers to his lips. Despite herself, Anna smiled.
‘I love being with you, too.’
