Page 45 of Hook, Line and Single

‘It’s not been your finest hour,’ I admit.

‘I think I just over-reacted because I wanted it to be true,’ she observes eventually. ‘I’m sad now, because I was genuinely excited to think you might have met someone. It looked so natural when he kissed you.’

‘Sorry to disappoint you.’

She wraps me in a big hug. ‘You could never disappoint me,’ she murmurs into my ear. ‘I was just hopeful, for a moment.’

‘You’re such an incurable romantic.’

‘It’s a fair cop.’ She laughs. ‘Cop, geddit?’

We hug for a while longer before she releases me and looks me in the eye. ‘What’s the plan, Ruby?’ she asks.

‘How do you mean?’

‘Now that you’ve come out in public, you’re going to have to maintain the charade. Have you thought about that?’

‘I’m sure we’ll manage. It’s not like we have our tongues permanently down each other’s throats.’

‘Why don’t we spend the day together tomorrow as a four?’ she suggests eagerly. ‘You could get to know Robin and I can grill Cameron about his intentions for my best friend.’

‘He doesn’t have any intentions, and I don’t think playing gooseberry to the two of you is on our sightseeing list. How’s it going, anyway?’

As I hoped, she seizes on the opportunity to fill me in. ‘Things have moved on a little,’ she says with a smile.

‘Which means?’

‘Well, he’s an amazing kisser, let’s just say that.’

‘That’s good.’

‘We’re taking things slowly though. It’s a little bit frustrating, because he got me all revved up with all this incredible kissing, but when I started to try to move things on, he slowed it right down.’

‘Hm. What’s that about, do you think?’

‘I don’t know. I did get a bit upset actually, because I thought maybe he didn’t fancy me as much as I fancy him.’

‘Did you ask him about it?’

‘Yeah. He said he’s totally into me but wants to get to know me more before we let a physical relationship get in the way.’

‘Get in the way? Of what? Surely the whole point of getting naked together is that there’s nothing in the way.’

She sighs. ‘I’m not sure. He says he wants us to know each other fully as people before we know each other intimately. It’s actually kind of hot, in a weird way.’

‘Maybe he’s got a point. Keep him on ice until he lets on what he does for work. It would be awful to go to bed with him and then find out he’s a professional kitten strangler or something.’

‘I don’t think that’s an actual job.’

‘You know what I mean.’

Her expression lights up again. ‘If you’re not going to spend the day with us tomorrow, have dinner with us at least?’

‘I’ll have to ask Cameron. Thinking of which, we should go back in before he thinks I’ve been kidnapped and raises the alarm.’

As I follow her back into the hubbub of the Nautilus lounge, I reflect on our conversation, particularly on the need to keep up the pretence that Cameron and I are in a real relationship. Maybe I should have thought this through more carefully before saying yes to his suggestion. Oh well, it can’t be changed now, and I do trust him. How hard can it be?

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