Page 78 of Wild About You

Even now, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The memory of us, our bodies locked together, hands clasped above my head as we moved in our own rhythm… Therefore, the open bottle of wine.

My phone chimed again and I picked it up to see what Fi’s next stage of excitement looked like.

JAMIEI meant it when I said congratulations. We owe our success to you. And I’m grateful for your kindness about Belheddonbrae. It means a lot.

I stared at the words on my phone screen until the blue light hurt my eyes. It was a nice message, a kind message. So why did it hurt so much?

In the precise moment I clicked the screen off, the light flashed again.

JAMIEWe need you in London, Anna. I don’t think you understand how important you are to this project.

I chucked the phone onto the coffee table and poured another glass of wine. When the phone started ringing, I felt proper fury. What did he want from me? Blood?

I snatched the phone up. Withheld.

‘Whatis it?’ I said.

‘Anna?’ said a male voice that definitely didn’t belong to Jamie. ‘It’s me.’

I’d always liked Sean’s soft voice. It was one of the reasons I’d fancied him. But it crossed my mind that he sounded slightly lacklustre. My tastes had clearly changed.

‘Er, hi,’ I said.

‘Hi you.’ Silence.

‘What is it you wanted?’

‘Have you been drinking?’

‘One glass.’ I looked at my second glass, half drunk, and wondered why he was calling me on a Tuesday rather than a Sunday. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’

‘I’ve just got home after a terrible date.’

I rolled my eyes as he told me about it. The gist seemed to be that he’d been running through the stock of available women in London, but there was no one like me, and that this was a deeply romantic compliment. I carried on sipping my wine and stifled a yawn. Then, when he’d finished, I let the silence sit between us.

‘Have you,’ he said eventually, sounding coy, ‘seen anyone? Dated anyone – since we split up?’

‘Yep,’ I said.

‘Oh.’ He sounded crestfallen.

‘Goodnight, Sean,’ I said, and hung up before he could say anything else.

There was no chance of getting out of the trip to London. So I didn’t protest – other than privately and repeatedly, to Fi and Rose – and six weeks later I found myself hurtling through the London suburbs, being driven by Jamie. Fi sat up front with him; I sat behind. I had bolted for the back seat in an attempt to keep my distance. We were studiously polite to each other.

We would have the evening to rest, then a packed itinerary: two full days of networking and press events before the ceremony, then plans to visit a couple of other conservation projects on the outskirts of London. As we drove, Fi was typing furiously on her phone in response to further requests for meetings.

The corporate apartment Roshni had arranged for us was in a smart Art Deco block on the north bank of the Thames. Jamie had been allocated a reserved space in the underground car park and when we walked into the reception, we were greeted by a bright-eyed woman in uniform who was so immaculately turned out I found myself fiddling with my hair. Ah yes, I thought,London. We all seemed to be feeling a bit shell-shocked. Jamie had handled the London traffic with aplomb but we’d already earned a tut from a commuter when we’d emerged onto the pavement as a group.

‘I forgot everyone walks sofast,’ said Fi, popping herphone in her pocket as we attempted to keep up with the uniformed lady.

The apartment was extraordinary. It took up a floor of the building, was all cream and white, smelt of high-class incense, and was pristine. Every bedroom had an en suite stocked with bathrobes, toiletries and the fluffiest white towels I’d ever seen. When I noticed my bed had a TV screen built into the foot of the bed and a complimentary hamper of sweet treats, I almost cackled with delight.

‘Oh my goodness.’ Fi collapsed onto the sofa as I put a mini pack of cookies on the table. ‘This is amazing! Can you massage my feet, Anna?’

‘I told you not to wear new shoes,’ I said.

She was already taking them off as she checked her phone and cackled. ‘Poor Tobias, left alone with the inbox. He’s had five events enquiries today alone.’ She looked around the room. ‘Just look at this place!’

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