what you were doing this morning – drawing me?’
Kay nodded. She could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks. ‘I didn’t mean to stare. Only, well, I suppose I was, wasn’t I?’
‘Looking at a person through binoculars is usually construed as staring,’ Oli said.
Kay hid her hands in her face for a moment. ‘I’m so sorry. You must have thought I was so rude.’
‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I’m used to being stared at. Comes with the territory.’
‘Of being handsome?’ she said and then bit her lip. What a thing to say.
‘Of being an actor,’ he said with a little smile. ‘And I suppose there’s a certain amount of staring to be done in your line of work.’
‘Running a bed and breakfast?’ Kay said.
‘No!’ he said with a laugh. ‘ Illustrating! ’
Kay laughed too. ‘Yes. I suppose so. I mean, it’s what I have to do – if I want to capture a face.’
Oli looked at her. It felt strange having those piercing blue eyes fixed on her. How many times had she gazed at them within the safe confines of her television set? And now here they were – just a couple of feet away – staring at her.
‘I’ve never been drawn before,’ he said. ‘It must be a rather intimate experience.’ He held her gaze and Kay felt riveted to the spot, believing that a tornado wouldn’t have the power to move her if it struck at that very moment.
‘Intimate,’ she said and the whole world seemed focused on that one word, its three syllables vibrating on her lips.
Oli nodded and took a step towards her. ‘Perhaps I could sit for you some time.’
Kay frowned. Had she heard him right? ‘Really? You would? I mean, would you?’
‘I would be honoured,’ he said.
She smiled and felt as if her face would break in two from the very width of it.
‘Oli!’ a voice suddenly called from the other side of the hedge. It was Beth and she wasn’t looking very happy as she entered the knot garden and saw them standing there. ‘ There you are,’ she said as she approached them, looking down her perfect nose at Kay. ‘You’re wanted.’
‘Already?’
‘Not by Teresa – by us,’ Beth said, slipping an arm through his. ‘We want your opinion on a scene from the zombie film.’
Oli turned to look at Kay as he was marched away and gave her a wink. Kay blushed and couldn’t help smiling as Beth turned round to give her a Medusa-like glare. Her moment of magic was over but Kay felt as if she could feed off it for decades. She’d walked in a beautiful garden with Oli Wade Owen and they’d talked about heroes and he’d promised to sit for her! And he’d looked at her. He’d really looked at her.
She wrapped her arms around her body and looked up into the sky. The darkest of the clouds had passed and there were patches of blue promising kinder weather. Kay inhaled deeply and all seemed well with the world. Oli Wade Owen was going to sit for her.
But you mustn’t think any more of it , a little voice told her. You know what you’re like – you always get carried away.
‘I’m not going to get carried away,’ she said. ‘He just wants his portrait done – that’s all. How can anyone possibly read more into it than that?’
But Kay was already imagining. She’d be sitting there drawing him. He’d be wearing a white shirt, unbuttoned at the top, his blond hair flopping over his face. They’d have been sitting together in silence for a few minutes when, suddenly, Oli would get up and stride across the room.
‘I can’t stand it any longer!’ he’d say.
‘What?’ Kay would ask, her eyes wide.
‘You staring at me like that – with those huge eyes of yours and that perfect mouth that I just want to kiss.’
‘Oh, Oli!’ she’d say before his mouth came crashing down on to hers, her paintbrushes rolling to the floor in abandon.
‘Kay?’
Kay gasped, spinning around at the sound of her voice being called.
‘Oh, Adam!’ she said.
‘Sorry. Didn’t mean to shock
Kay nodded. She could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks. ‘I didn’t mean to stare. Only, well, I suppose I was, wasn’t I?’
‘Looking at a person through binoculars is usually construed as staring,’ Oli said.
Kay hid her hands in her face for a moment. ‘I’m so sorry. You must have thought I was so rude.’
‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I’m used to being stared at. Comes with the territory.’
‘Of being handsome?’ she said and then bit her lip. What a thing to say.
‘Of being an actor,’ he said with a little smile. ‘And I suppose there’s a certain amount of staring to be done in your line of work.’
‘Running a bed and breakfast?’ Kay said.
‘No!’ he said with a laugh. ‘ Illustrating! ’
Kay laughed too. ‘Yes. I suppose so. I mean, it’s what I have to do – if I want to capture a face.’
Oli looked at her. It felt strange having those piercing blue eyes fixed on her. How many times had she gazed at them within the safe confines of her television set? And now here they were – just a couple of feet away – staring at her.
‘I’ve never been drawn before,’ he said. ‘It must be a rather intimate experience.’ He held her gaze and Kay felt riveted to the spot, believing that a tornado wouldn’t have the power to move her if it struck at that very moment.
‘Intimate,’ she said and the whole world seemed focused on that one word, its three syllables vibrating on her lips.
Oli nodded and took a step towards her. ‘Perhaps I could sit for you some time.’
Kay frowned. Had she heard him right? ‘Really? You would? I mean, would you?’
‘I would be honoured,’ he said.
She smiled and felt as if her face would break in two from the very width of it.
‘Oli!’ a voice suddenly called from the other side of the hedge. It was Beth and she wasn’t looking very happy as she entered the knot garden and saw them standing there. ‘ There you are,’ she said as she approached them, looking down her perfect nose at Kay. ‘You’re wanted.’
‘Already?’
‘Not by Teresa – by us,’ Beth said, slipping an arm through his. ‘We want your opinion on a scene from the zombie film.’
Oli turned to look at Kay as he was marched away and gave her a wink. Kay blushed and couldn’t help smiling as Beth turned round to give her a Medusa-like glare. Her moment of magic was over but Kay felt as if she could feed off it for decades. She’d walked in a beautiful garden with Oli Wade Owen and they’d talked about heroes and he’d promised to sit for her! And he’d looked at her. He’d really looked at her.
She wrapped her arms around her body and looked up into the sky. The darkest of the clouds had passed and there were patches of blue promising kinder weather. Kay inhaled deeply and all seemed well with the world. Oli Wade Owen was going to sit for her.
But you mustn’t think any more of it , a little voice told her. You know what you’re like – you always get carried away.
‘I’m not going to get carried away,’ she said. ‘He just wants his portrait done – that’s all. How can anyone possibly read more into it than that?’
But Kay was already imagining. She’d be sitting there drawing him. He’d be wearing a white shirt, unbuttoned at the top, his blond hair flopping over his face. They’d have been sitting together in silence for a few minutes when, suddenly, Oli would get up and stride across the room.
‘I can’t stand it any longer!’ he’d say.
‘What?’ Kay would ask, her eyes wide.
‘You staring at me like that – with those huge eyes of yours and that perfect mouth that I just want to kiss.’
‘Oh, Oli!’ she’d say before his mouth came crashing down on to hers, her paintbrushes rolling to the floor in abandon.
‘Kay?’
Kay gasped, spinning around at the sound of her voice being called.
‘Oh, Adam!’ she said.
‘Sorry. Didn’t mean to shock
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