Page 86 of A Night with Damien Spur

Nicholas felt vindicated. His was a very different affair. Kate had chosen to leave him and didn’t care that he was in love with Sophie.Yes,he thought,you couldn’t compare the situation.

Kate was happy with Greta and now he was free to be with the love of his life.

He looked at Sophie’s beautiful face and felt at that moment a sublime contentment.

He held her eyes with a tender, loving gaze and gently stroked her cheek.

‘How did this happen, Sophie? You are a miracle.’

Well, then…

Chang brought out the dessert: rose-petal panna cotta with damson and lavender Viennese shortbread.

Sophie was happy. Nicholas was happy. Elizabeth, Harriet and James were happy. So were Justin, Anna and Claudia.

Damien and Jane were not.

‘Hard for me to take the moral high ground.’ Damien popped a rose petal in his mouth. ‘I have always enjoyed a this and a that. Given a choice, I would always take both.’

‘Can you translate, please?’ said Jane.

‘Duality. Two women. Split focus… until now.’

She still looked confused.

Oh, my goodness,the Voice piped up with an offended tone.The woman’s an airhead. Why would she understand your cryptic thoughts? What the hell! If you want to spill your heart out to some random stranger, be my guest.

‘The problem is,’ he said, fiddling with his fork, ‘I have fallen in love. Do you see that woman?’ He glanced at Elizabeth. ‘She is my nemesis.’

‘I’m sorry, your what?’ Jane looked at his untouched dessert. ‘Are you going to eat your pudding?’

‘No.’ He shifted the plate towards her. ‘I’ve lost my appetite. You can have it if you like.’

‘Thank you so much. I do like puddings. They’re my downfall.’ She took a bite. ‘Mmm, just right. Not too sweet.’

‘When I’m unhappy, I just can’t eat,’ he said.

‘You’re lucky. I just can’t stop, like now.’

Damien’s eyelids were dropping. He had a habit of falling asleep when he was bored.

Jane didn’t seem to notice until his chin fell on his chest and he started to snore. She prodded him hard with a forceful index finger.

Damien woke up from his cat-nap.

‘You’re an arrogant bugger, Mr Big-shot Writer,’ Jane said. ‘I might not be the most exciting company – but falling asleep…’

‘Not my fault,’ he replied. ‘I was under attack with your mind-numbing chatter.’ He tapped his forehead. ‘You tasered my brain cells.’

Jane looked dismayed. Damien could see her mulling over his words. Was she really that dull? Perhaps that was why Simon had gone online.

‘I’m going home,’ she said. ‘I hope your head feels better.’ She took her chair and clambered back over the garden fence.

Excellent!said the Voice.Now we can move on to the fun stuff.

Damien, happy to be alone with his thoughts, gazed at Nicholas and Sophie, who were cooing like doves.

‘Sophie, let’s go away,’ Nicholas was saying. ‘I miss the sea. Why don’t we go to Italy again, maybe Sardinia?’

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