Page 15 of Stolen Kiss

“The underdog. I don’t to play trivial pursuit either,” she confessed.

Heidi burst out laughing and leaned across the table to give her hand a squeeze.

“Okay, if Keith wins then you can choose next week’s game.”

“Wait, why won’t I get to choose?” Keith said.

“Because I’ll be uninviting you because you’ll be over the top obnoxious about winning. You’ll spoil my appetite with your smugness.”

“Beats the frown,” Freya’s dad mumbled, but they all heard.

“All right, let’s get going,” Freya said.

A round of hugs and kisses and then Heidi was back in the buggy holding on for dear life as Freya drove them back to their houses. The buggy came to a screeching halt, almost knocking over a man standing in the way of their parking spot.

“Bloody hell, man, why are you standing there?” Freya yelled.

Heidi knew who it was, she’d memorised his new physique from the previous night. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, feet apart. Even with his back to them she knew who it was.

When Jason moved his head to look over his shoulder, Heidi heard her gasp when his eyes locked on her. Then a lazy smile graced his mouth. A mouth that had grazed hers less than a day ago.

“Oh,” Freya said.

“Hi,” Jason said turning fully making Heidi light headed at the sight of him. She put it down to afternoon drinking but knew deep down it was Jason giving her a full body sweep.

“I’m going to head in. Come round if you want to,” Freya said in a squeaky voice and hightailed it away from the smouldering atmosphere before her.

He broke it off all those years ago, so she couldn’t understand why he looked like a starving man and he wanted to eat her.

“Hi,” she said in the same squeaky voice Freya had just used.

“Where have you been?”

Jason shoved his hands in his pockets, staying in front of the buggy. Heidi hadn’t moved from her seat, still holding onto the grab rail above her head.

“Sunday lunch with mine and Freya’s family.”

“Keith there?”

“Yeah.”

“Did he say anything?”

“No more than usual. What was he likely to say?”

“Not sure. I went for a surf with him yesterday and he cut it short when I started asking questions about what happened eleven years ago.”

“What did happen eleven years ago?”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

“I think you should talk first.”

The alcohol was making her bold. She climbed out of the buggy, put her handbag crossways over her body and scrunched her fingers into fists for a few seconds to fortify herself to move nearer Jason. When she was ready, she stepped towards him. He was between her and the path to get to her house.

“Why don’t we talk about what happened?” Jason said quietly when she was a foot away.

Heidi was getting light-headed as she inhaled his scent and got lost in his gaze.

---