Page 32 of A Night with Damien Spur

‘Yes?’ she said.

‘Can I use your loo?’

Sophie gave a dry laugh. ‘Why do you have to ask? Really, Nicholas, every time you visit me it’s the same question. As if I were a stranger. It’s almost an insult.’

Sophie, keep your temper.

‘Force of habit. Sorry, darling,’ he said.

‘That’s okay. Just want you to feel at home.’

‘I do, I do. Especially when you cook… Smells delicious. Let me guess – minestrone, isn’t it?’

‘Yes,’ Sophie said. ‘I remember you saying your mother used to make it.’

‘My very favourite. Can’t wait,’ he said. ‘I’ll just be a tick.’

Sophie shut the kitchen door.

She took the porcelain teddy bear mug out of the cupboard and shook it. Yes, the pill was there.

She removed the rind from the soup and stirred in the grated parmesan. Soup in the bowl, bread in a basket, salmon in the fridge, just in case the pill took longer than expected to work its magic.

The good girl said,Oh, Sophie, how could you! An innocent soul like Nicholas. Who knows what could happen? He could have a meltdown. Totally immoral. And absolutely illegal. You’re worse than any man.

And the bad girl said,Come on, Sophie. Don’t take any notice. He’ll love it, once he does it. All that foreplay and nowhere to go… frustrating for both of you.

‘Yes, it is. But…’

No buts, Sophie. Just get on with it.

If he finds out, he’ll never trust you again, said the good girl.

How would he know, unless you tell him? He’ll just be soproud he can go all night, said the bad girl.

‘Okay. You win,’ Sophie muttered.

‘Gosh, that looks fantastic.’ Nicholas had crept up behind her and peered over her shoulder.

Sophie swung round with the ladle in her hand. ‘You gave me a shock!’

‘I’m sorry. What’s the matter? You’re not usually so jumpy.’

Sophie, you’re going to blow it. Calm down. Be nice.

‘Nothing.’ She brushed his cheek with a kiss. ‘You just surprised me, that’s all. Now go and sit down.’

Breathe, Sophie, breathe.

She handed him the basket of French bread. ‘Here, take this in.’

‘I’ll open the Rioja. Where’s the corkscrew?’

‘In the top drawer. Please, I need some space. You know what I’m like when I’m cooking.’

‘Just like looking at you, so sure of yourself,’ he said. ‘Kate’s such a ditherer. She’s probably out of practice. Mind you, she used to cook when I first married her.’

‘Oh, look at that cute little mug,’ Nicholas picked it up. ‘You’re such a complicated woman. One minute a sophisticated diva with your silk and pearls and the next you collect things like this.’ He waved it in the air. ‘Oh, there’s something inside.’

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