Page 74 of Hook, Line and Single

‘Overruled. Do you think he fancies you?’

‘Irrelevant, given my previous answer. Move on.’

Jono laughs. ‘Oh, Ruby, my love. You’re so full of shit it’s a miracle your eyes aren’t brown.’

* * *

On the day of our shooting trip, I’m feeling distinctly jittery as I get ready. I’ve given Cameron my address and he’s collecting me at nine, but I’ve been up since half past six, and that’s only partly because I have no idea what I’m supposed to wear for a trip like this. Having experimented with a variety of different looks, I’ve gone for jeans with a fitted jersey top. The weather has turned distinctly cooler, so I’ve also dug out a gilet that Mum and Dad gave me a few Christmases ago. It’s really not my style, but I reckoned it would be perfect for shooting as it would keep me warm while leaving my arms able to move freely. At least, that’s my theory. I’m totally at sea here.

The main reason for my anxiety, however, is seeing Cameron again. I’m not so worried about Jono’s predictions that we can’t be friends; I’m confident I can manage that. My primary concern is whether the easy friendship we enjoyed during the cruise will translate into the real world. It’s going to be a difficult day if our conversation proves to be awkward and stilted.

‘Interesting,’ Sam observes when I show her my outfit before she leaves for work. ‘If you’re going for garden centre Barbie as your vibe, you’ve totally nailed it.’

‘I’m not sure that’s the look I’m going for. I was aiming for practical for being outdoors, with a hint of chic when I take the gilet off for lunch.’

‘Oh. Well, that works too, I guess. Underwear?’

‘Yes.’

‘No. What type?’

‘Why does that matter? He’s not going to be seeing it.’

‘You sure? He’s seen an awful lot more in the past. I’ve just had a thought. This isn’t some nudey shooting gig, is it? I mean, you do have history in that department.’

‘Behave.’

‘OK, well, I’m running late so I’d better go. Have fun and I’ll look forward to hearing all about it when I get home. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’

She’s barely out of the door before the bell rings. The knot of stress in my stomach as I open it is only slightly alleviated when I see that Cameron is also wearing jeans and a gilet over his shirt.

‘Snap,’ I say awkwardly as I step aside to allow him to enter the flat.

‘I like your thinking,’ he says with a smile. ‘Although you might prefer the one I’ve got for you in the car. It has a built-in pad to stop the gun bruising you.’

As Cameron steps into the living room, Samson opens his eyes and watches him warily from the sofa.

‘This must be the famous Samson,’ he says, approaching slowly and holding his hand out for the cat to sniff. ‘You’re just as handsome as I was led to believe.’

Having decided that Cameron is not a threat, Samson starts up his loudest purr and headbutts his hand, demanding attention. Watching how natural Cameron is with him eases the tension in my stomach a bit more.

‘You’ve got a fan there,’ I tell him. ‘Did you want a coffee or anything before we go?’

‘I’m good. I’ve got our guns in the back of the car, so I can’t really leave them. I only came in because I wanted to meet this chap. Are you ready?’

‘As I’ll ever be,’ I tell him with a smile as Samson stretches luxuriously and headbutts Cameron’s hand again. ‘I’m not sure Samson is though. He’d happily let you keep that up all day.’

‘Sorry,’ Cameron says, gently withdrawing his hand, much to Samson’s evident disgust. ‘Maybe later.’

Cameron’s car turns out to be a bright red, sporty-looking hatchback, and I can’t help smiling as ‘Everybody Wants to Be a Cat’ fromThe Aristocatscomes out of the speakers when he starts the engine.

‘I’d love to tell you that I spent all of yesterday compiling a Disney playlist for today,’ he tells me. ‘But the reality is that this is the playlist I keep for whenever my niece is in the car. I did remember to cue up your favourite though. Do I get points for that?’

‘Absolutely,’ I tell him with a grin.

As we potter through the inevitable queues of traffic trying to get out of the town, I’m relieved to note that our conversation flows just as easily as it did on the cruise. Silence does fall when we reach the dual carriageway, but it’s comfortable, and I take the opportunity to stare out of the window and watch the view.

The further we go, the more I can feel my anxieties dissipating. We’re knocking this just being friends gig out of the park.

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