Page 85 of Match Point

‘I’m on your side,’ I state, pleased to have the opportunity to say it out loud. ‘You won’t feel alone today. Is there anything I can do to help lessen the nerves?’

‘Oh I can think of a fair few things, but annoyingly I don’t think we have time.’

I roll my eyes. ‘I’m serious, Kieran. Get your mind out the gutter.’

‘You can wear the Snoopy T-shirt.’

‘You’re obsessed with this thing,’ I giggle, resting back into the pillows.

‘Snoopy is one of my favourite cartoons,’ he says matter-of-factly, checking his watch and swinging his bag over his shoulder.

‘Wait, are you serious?’

‘Yeah,’ he says with a lazy grin. ‘The moment I saw you wearing that on my first morning here, I knew I didn’t stand a chance.’

‘And here I was thinking I would wear my sexiest lingerie for later, but it turns out there’s no need. I can just wear the Snoopy T-shirt.’

His eyes light up. ‘I don’t think there’s any harm in a bit of variety.’

I smirk into my mug. ‘That so?’

He comes round the side of the bed and leans in to kiss me on the lips. ‘I’ll make sure a car is arranged to pick you up to bring you to the grounds, okay?’

‘Thank you,’ I whisper, a thrill shooting through me as he kisses me again before he goes to leave. ‘Good luck for today.’

‘Why would I need luck when I’m just going to play a bit of tennis?’ he calls back over his shoulder.

*

FLORA

Have you seen what they’re saying about me?

IRIS

Have you seen you in that DRESS?

????????

‘Rumoured property heiress’

That’s what one paper has called me!!

I think that sounds quite cool

Yeah, it would be cool if I WAS one

But Dad’s wife isn’t exactly planning on

leaving me her family’s empire

Have you seen all this stuff about Kieran?

Some people are on his side

Anyway ignore the stories

I believe your version of events

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