said, coming back into the lounge ten minutes later to beam his best twinkly smile at her.
Donna, trying to work out who Khan was and how Spock was going to feature in the next film when he was dead, had lost the plot. ‘Wouldn’t what?’
‘Search for Spock in favour of you stark naked.’ Mark walked towards her, his eyes wickedly sexy as he bent to tease her lips with his. ‘Though you might have to lose the rabb… Ahem.’
Mark straightened up smartly as Matt waltzed into the lounge, his eyes sliding from Mark to his mother, then suspiciously back.
Mark coughed awkwardly. ‘I’d, er, better get off. Early start tomorrow, you know.’
‘Right.’ Donna scrambled to her feet and deposited Findus on the armchair, to Sadie’s befuddlement.
‘Right.’ Mark ran his hand through his hair, hesitated, then shook Donna’s hand. ‘Bye,’ he said, turning to shake Matt’s hand manfully, before heading to the hall.
Donna glanced at Matt, who rolled his eyes so high they were in danger of disappearing under his Bench cap. ‘You’d better go after him,’ he said, his mouth twitching into a smirk, as he retrieved his beloved rabbit in case Sadie sat on it, ‘before he finds a hole in the hall floor to disappear into.’
Donna laughed. Matt obviously approved. He must do if he considered Mark worthy of a whole energy-sapping sentence. ‘I’ll see you out,’ she called, scooting quickly after him.
****
Mark had started his engine when his mobile beeped from the hall floor. Uh, oh. It had obviously slipped out of his jacket pocket as they’d scrambled in from the rain. Donna turned to scoop it up, then waving it, dashed out of the front door. ‘Mark?!’
Damn. Too late. She ground to a halt as his tail-lights disappeared around the corner. Ah, well, never mind. She’d just ring him and… Yes, excellent idea . Not really likely to answer though was he, given she was clutching his mobile. So how was she going to get in touch with him? She hadn’t got his home number. Donna felt suddenly a teensy bit adrift.
Well, that was just silly. His number would be in his phone, somewhere. And if she couldn’t find it, she’d just reply to the last text sent, tell whoever it was he’d lost his mobile and ask them to contact him if they had another number. Simple.
She headed for the fridge for a snack — the events of the evening leaving her rather peckish, whilst trying to do the decent thing and not read the incoming text in too much depth. Perhaps she should send a message to all his contacts, she thought distractedly, reading it anyway, then almost choking on her Cadbury’s Whole Nut. What time do U want me 2 come over tomorrow? She read it again. Will I need my toothbrush? Jody xx
Excuse me?! Who the bloody hell was Jody-kiss-kiss!?
Donna almost regurgitated a nut. And what the bloody hell was she doing coming over to his house? With a toothbrush?
Cleaning her teeth, obviously. Donna stuffed the last of the whole nut in her mouth and closed the fridge door. Then opened it again, extracted the leftover Easter egg she absolutely wasn’t going to eat and trailed into the lounge.
Checking to make sure there were no Findus-shaped cushions, she sank dejectedly onto the sofa. So what did she do now? Devouring half the egg in three seconds flat, Donna guiltily rewrapped the foil. She could hardly ring the woman and make slitty-eyed accusations, and she couldn’t ask Mark, because, apart from the fact that she shouldn’t be reading his texts, she hadn’t really tried that hard to find out anything about him. She had no rights, whatsoever. If he had a harem queuing outside his bathroom brandishing toothbrushes, she had no right to question or judge him.
Miserably, Donna picked at the foil and slowly peeled it back. She should have known. Did know, deep down. That he… That any man, especially a good-looking man, would cheat on her sooner or later and she’d be hurt all over again.
Thank God she’d
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