Million Love Songs(25)

Cindy, probably. And then I chide myself for being so stupid. What if he does manage to persuade Cindy to warm his bed instead of me? It’s no skin off my nose. I’ve had a nice evening with Mason. Better than I’d expected and I feel that he enjoyed it too. He’s good company and the world’s most accomplished charmer.

He presses the button for the lift. ‘Sure you won’t change your mind?’

‘No. It’s been a lovely evening though. Thank you for bringing me here.’

‘Let’s do it again,’ he says.

As we stand and wait, he kisses me softly on the lips and, I’m not joking, I think my head might explode. My lips tingle where his mouth has been and I feel like I’m on fire. We both intensify the kiss and my head swims. He holds me tightly and, at this moment, I could stay. I could throw caution to the wind and spend the night with him. Insert all of the things here that I said before about not getting enough/any sex. I have condoms in my handbag which are calling to me.

I know that I’d have a great time with Mason. I just know it. He is definitely a man who knows how to please a woman. Of that, I have no doubt.

Then the lift arrives and the doors bing open. Quickly, I scuttle into it before I lose my senses. It would be utter madness to let this go any further. I know what he’s like. I’ve been warned. But, my word, he’s got my motor running.

Mason touches his fingers to his own lips. ‘Wow,’ he says.

‘Goodnight.’ I don’t think I’ve ever been more flustered. My cheeks are burning and, as the doors slowly close, we both look at each other – with what? Lust? Longing? There’s definitely some chemistry going on here. ‘I’ll see you at work.’

‘You should never kiss your boss, Ruby Brown,’ he teases. ‘And, my goodness, you just did.’





Chapter Twenty-Two





When the taxi dropped me home, I fell into bed. But sleep eluded me. I kept going over and over what had just happened. One kiss and I’ve turned to jelly. A particularly rampant jelly. Honestly, my nipples tingled all the way home. I probably should have had a cold shower. I might have got off to sleep quicker.

The sky is lightening over the lake when I finally close my eyes and nod off. What feels like about ten minutes later, my phone rings and it’s Charlie.

‘Are we still doing cooky brekky, chummy?’

I groan. ‘I’d forgotten all about it.’ I look over at my clock. It’s gone ten. I let my head drop back on the pillow. I feel as if I’ve been drinking when I really haven’t had that much at all.

Scrap that. When I recall the number of cocktails we downed, it was loads.

‘You sound like shite.’

‘Late night,’ I confess. She’ll probably find out anyway. That woman misses very little.

‘Doing what?’

I have to bite the bullet and tell her, don’t I? We are friends and, as such, should not have secrets. Sitting up, I wrap my duvet around me. ‘I went out with Mason last night after work.’ I brace myself for the backlash.

‘Shagger?’ I hear the incredulity in her voice. ‘You went out with Shagger?’

‘For a drink. Or two. That’s all.’ I might be fessing up, but I’m still not telling about our steamy goodnight kiss.

‘He’s not in bed with you now, is he?’

‘Of course not.’ I try to sound as indignant as I can whilst realising that I really don’t occupy the moral high ground here.

‘Are you mad?’

‘Possibly. But it was fun. He asked me to go to a club that he’s just opened in the city. What else was I going to do on a Monday night?’

‘He’s opened a club?’ Now Charlie’s interest is piqued.

‘Yeah. It’s a lovely place,’ I say. ‘Very classy. The Vibe Lounge. Have you heard of it?’

‘No,’ she admits.

‘Well, it’s fabulous. And he was the perfect gentleman.’

Charlie makes a harrumphing noise.

‘He was. I had some gin, some chips and he paid for my taxi home.’ I get an unexpected warm glow when I think of it.

‘Sounds like the perfect date,’ Charlie agrees, grudgingly. ‘It wasn’t a date. He wanted my opinion on the club. He’s surprisingly insecure.’

‘Beneath all that twattery.’

‘He does hide it well,’ I concede. ‘But he’s a really nice guy when you sit and chat to him.’

‘Now I definitely need to see you for brekky,’ Charlie determines. ‘I want a minute-by-minute account. Get up, get showered, your presence is required at Café Rouge in half an hour. This definitely needs to be discussed over a sausage.’

‘OK,’ I say, tiredly. ‘See you soon.’

I fall back onto my pillow again and yawn. Charlie likes to know chapter and verse. She won’t be happy until she knows every single detail about my outing – not a date – with Mason. It won’t just be the sausage that’s grilled.

We are in Café Rouge. At a window table. Overlooking the water fountain in the pavement that squirts on and off and regularly catches unsuspecting people passing by. That’s why we like coming here.

The waitress puts two full English breakfasts in front of us and we both fiddle with our tea, toast, eggs.