This Could Change Everything(72)

‘Give me another kiss first, Cinderella.’ Paul grinned. ‘And don’t worry, you won’t have to be a skivvy for much longer. Now we’re together again, you’ll be leaving this place and moving back in with me.’





Chapter 34


‘Well?’ said Essie a week later as they sat around the table in Zillah’s kitchen. ‘Am I brilliant or what?’

Conor put down Zillah’s iPad and heaved a sigh. ‘Look at your eager little face. You make me feel like Simon Cowell about to tell some deluded girl she’s tone deaf.’ He pointed to the screen. ‘Essie, I’m sorry, but these really aren’t great.’

‘How can you even think that? Oh!’ Leaning across, she seized the iPad. ‘Those were the wrong ones. Hang on, sorry about that, they’re the rubbish ones. These are the good photos . . .’

Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, Conor took the tablet back from her. ‘And that’s the kind of mistake you should never make.’

Essie watched him gleefully as he began scrolling through the second set of photographs. She saw him slow down and look more closely. On Sunday evening, over at the Red House, she’d told him she was going to take some photos of him so he could see if she was up to the task if ever he was unable to be there during one of the wishes. Ha, but what he didn’t know was that Scarlett had also been taking surreptitious photos on her phone during the course of the evening . . .

‘No, sorry.’ Conor shook his head. ‘These aren’t good enough, either.’

‘What? Are you crazy?’ Scarlett had taken such care, editing and adjusting her very best photos. Essie stared at him in disbelief. ‘They’re fantastic.’

‘You think so?’

Outraged, she said, ‘Anyone can see they are!’

‘Just teasing,’ said Conor. ‘They’re great. I’m impressed.’ He nodded at her. ‘Well done.’

‘Thank you! So does this mean I’m good enough to stand in for you if there’s ever a time when you can’t make it?’ Essie was triumphant; she couldn’t wait to tell him that—

‘Well,’ Conor tapped the screen of the iPad, ‘it’d make more sense for Scarlett to do the job, seeing as she was the one who took these.’

Zillah burst out laughing and Essie rocked back in her chair. ‘I don’t believe it! How did you know that? How could you possibly tell?’

‘I caught her taking sneaky photos of me. Twice.’ Conor looked amused. ‘Which was probably the first clue. After that, it didn’t take a genius to work out what was going on. I did almost say something at the time, then thought it’d be more fun to pretend I hadn’t noticed and see how you two decided to play it out.’

‘So annoying. We thought you hadn’t spotted a thing. But it’s worked, hasn’t it?’ Essie beamed at him. ‘I’m so glad! And Scarlett will be thrilled.’

‘Does she even know how to use a proper camera?’

‘Yes, she does. Her uncle spent ages a couple of years ago teaching her all about lenses and light meters and shutter speeds. She knows her stuff, I promise.’

Zillah pointed to one of Scarlett’s photos on the iPad. ‘This is my favourite of all of them. How brilliant is that? Your face!’

Together they leaned over to study the photo of Conor and Zillah standing together watching as, across the room, Caz said something outrageous to Belinda. Caz was making some over-the-top gesture with her arms, her head thrown back as she shrieked with laughter. Next to her, Belinda was grinning at whatever it was she’d just come out with. But it was the expression on Conor’s face, in the foreground, that really spoke volumes.

‘Look at you,’ Zillah exclaimed. ‘Talk about a picture painting a thousand words. This one’s certainly telling us how you feel about Caz!’

‘Don’t worry, she’s never going to see it,’ Essie reassured him. ‘You can delete the photo. Poor Caz, I know she drives you nuts, but she means well. She’s just a bit loud and excitable.’

‘A bit?’ Zillah feigned horror. ‘I thought I was going to have to pop back here and pick up some earplugs. She’s no shrinking snowflake, that’s for sure!’

The doorbell shrilled and Conor let out a groan. ‘Oh God, don’t tell me that’s her, come to give me grief.’

Essie jumped up. ‘It’s OK, you’re safe, it’s only Paul.’

‘Oh dear, only Paul,’ Zillah said teasingly. ‘Don’t let him hear you say that.’

Essie opened the door and gave him a hug. ‘Come on through, we’re in the kitchen. Conor’s just agreed that Scarlett can stand in for him if he can’t be there to take the photos. Isn’t that great?’

‘If you say so, it’s definitely great.’ Paul gave her a kiss and followed her through to the kitchen, greeting Conor and Zillah with a polite smile and refusing Zillah’s offer of a drink because he was driving.

‘And I’ve had to park on yellow lines, so we need to make a move,’ he told Essie. ‘Table’s booked for eight and we don’t want to be late.’

He was taking her to a new French restaurant and looking handsome in a cream linen jacket and dark trousers. Essie said, ‘I’m all ready,’ and was glad she’d worn her best navy dress.