worry. “That’s the one,” I replied dryly.
“Is she a good friend?”
“Sadly.”
He chuckled. “I take it she’s keen to see you settled down.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Isn’t that how it works? The girlfriends who have settled down are keen to see you in a relationship too?”
I couldn’t help myself. I started laughing and then discovered I couldn’t stop.
Paul watched on with a look of concern, which morphed into something registering alarm as I struggled for air.
I waved a hand at him, took a deep breath and managed to contain myself. “I’m sorry, Paul,” I managed eventually. “It’s just that the words Scarlett and settle down don’t really go in the same sentence.”
Paul stared at me. “I don’t get it.”
“Scarlett likes men, but she doesn’t really do relationships,” I clarified.
“So why is she so keen to see you in a relationship then?”
“Because it’s been four years and she thinks I need …” I cleared my throat uncomfortably and was painfully aware of a blush creeping up my neck.
“Right.” Paul mirrored my discomfort and cleared his throat too.
“That’s not why I’m agreeing to the dates, by the way,” I went on quickly. “It’s about more than that for me.”
Paul held up a hand. “We can drop it if you like.”
I studied him, feeling suddenly bold or perhaps very tipsy. “I value your opinion. You’re more than simply a business mentor, you know.”
Paul turned and looked directly at me, something flickering in his cool blue eyes. “Madeleine – ”
I ignored him. “I’d like to think we’ve developed a friendship too.” My heart was pounding wildly and my palms felt clammy, but I didn’t take my eyes from his.
“We have,” he said, carefully.
“Is that a problem?”
He looked startled. “No. Of course not. I value our relationship too.”
I wanted to laugh at his formality, but resisted. This man was not good at talking about anything personal. Maybe it was why his marriage failed, yet here I was urging every cell in my body not to take a step toward him and kiss him.
Instead, I inhaled another deep breath and smiled at him brightly. “I’m glad.”
Fortunately the loud blast of a car horn alerted us to Scarlett’s arrival. “Speak of the devil,” I told him.
“I’ll see you next week, then.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” a loud female voice called out.
I swallowed a grin. Hi Scarlett. She was already out of the driver’s seat before I had a chance to protest.
“Paul,” I said, “this is Scarlett.”
“It’s a pleasure,” he said, smoothly. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Oh, have you?” She reached over and shook his hand briskly. “I could say likewise.”
Scarlett! I wanted to scream. We needed to get out of here.
I recognized the twinkle in Paul’s eyes. “All good things I hope.”
“Mostly.”
Oh dear God. “Alright then,” I said. “We’ll see you – ”
“You’re being rude, Maddy,” Scarlett shot back. “You’re forgetting to introduce him to John.”
It’s generally pretty hard for my complexion to go pale but I was fairly certain it went several shades lighter. I watched, deer in the headlights style, as John opened the passenger door of Scarlett’s car.
Bitch. We had not discussed this.
“Paul, this is John,” Scarlett continued. “You’ve probably heard I’m not one for relationships, but as it turns out, I’m pretty good at setting them up for other people.”
John gave Paul a broad smile and shook his hand firmly. “Nice to meet you, Paul.”
Then he turned to me. I suddenly felt like I was back on that damn surfboard out at sea, powerless to fight the tide. John’s dark eyes were amused as he looked at me. “Hi, gorgeous.”
I opened my mouth to respond – I wasn’t sure with what – but before I had a chance to reply, John’s mouth was on mine. My initial reaction was to push him away – what the hell was he doing? –
“Is she a good friend?”
“Sadly.”
He chuckled. “I take it she’s keen to see you settled down.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Isn’t that how it works? The girlfriends who have settled down are keen to see you in a relationship too?”
I couldn’t help myself. I started laughing and then discovered I couldn’t stop.
Paul watched on with a look of concern, which morphed into something registering alarm as I struggled for air.
I waved a hand at him, took a deep breath and managed to contain myself. “I’m sorry, Paul,” I managed eventually. “It’s just that the words Scarlett and settle down don’t really go in the same sentence.”
Paul stared at me. “I don’t get it.”
“Scarlett likes men, but she doesn’t really do relationships,” I clarified.
“So why is she so keen to see you in a relationship then?”
“Because it’s been four years and she thinks I need …” I cleared my throat uncomfortably and was painfully aware of a blush creeping up my neck.
“Right.” Paul mirrored my discomfort and cleared his throat too.
“That’s not why I’m agreeing to the dates, by the way,” I went on quickly. “It’s about more than that for me.”
Paul held up a hand. “We can drop it if you like.”
I studied him, feeling suddenly bold or perhaps very tipsy. “I value your opinion. You’re more than simply a business mentor, you know.”
Paul turned and looked directly at me, something flickering in his cool blue eyes. “Madeleine – ”
I ignored him. “I’d like to think we’ve developed a friendship too.” My heart was pounding wildly and my palms felt clammy, but I didn’t take my eyes from his.
“We have,” he said, carefully.
“Is that a problem?”
He looked startled. “No. Of course not. I value our relationship too.”
I wanted to laugh at his formality, but resisted. This man was not good at talking about anything personal. Maybe it was why his marriage failed, yet here I was urging every cell in my body not to take a step toward him and kiss him.
Instead, I inhaled another deep breath and smiled at him brightly. “I’m glad.”
Fortunately the loud blast of a car horn alerted us to Scarlett’s arrival. “Speak of the devil,” I told him.
“I’ll see you next week, then.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” a loud female voice called out.
I swallowed a grin. Hi Scarlett. She was already out of the driver’s seat before I had a chance to protest.
“Paul,” I said, “this is Scarlett.”
“It’s a pleasure,” he said, smoothly. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Oh, have you?” She reached over and shook his hand briskly. “I could say likewise.”
Scarlett! I wanted to scream. We needed to get out of here.
I recognized the twinkle in Paul’s eyes. “All good things I hope.”
“Mostly.”
Oh dear God. “Alright then,” I said. “We’ll see you – ”
“You’re being rude, Maddy,” Scarlett shot back. “You’re forgetting to introduce him to John.”
It’s generally pretty hard for my complexion to go pale but I was fairly certain it went several shades lighter. I watched, deer in the headlights style, as John opened the passenger door of Scarlett’s car.
Bitch. We had not discussed this.
“Paul, this is John,” Scarlett continued. “You’ve probably heard I’m not one for relationships, but as it turns out, I’m pretty good at setting them up for other people.”
John gave Paul a broad smile and shook his hand firmly. “Nice to meet you, Paul.”
Then he turned to me. I suddenly felt like I was back on that damn surfboard out at sea, powerless to fight the tide. John’s dark eyes were amused as he looked at me. “Hi, gorgeous.”
I opened my mouth to respond – I wasn’t sure with what – but before I had a chance to reply, John’s mouth was on mine. My initial reaction was to push him away – what the hell was he doing? –
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