Page 94 of Alice Carver Manifests Her Perfect Life
‘Speaking of rudeness,’ said Guy, silencing me with a squeeze of my waist, ‘I’m going to cut in, and verify that you are, indeed, the Mr Lloyd who owns the place?’
‘I am.’
‘Which uni did you go to?’ asked Guy.
‘Er, Cambridge,’ answered Matthew, looking slightly perplexed.
‘College?’
‘Oriel.’
‘Fucking knew it,’ said Guy, almost to himself. ‘I take it you were in the wine society?’
Matthew nodded.
‘Oriel’s is the only one to rival ours. I was in Durham’s wine society. Superb wine list you’ve put together here. I’m impressed.’
‘Sorry,’ said Matthew, ‘have we met? Do you work in wine?’
‘No, no,’ said Guy. ‘But I believe our paths are crossing work-wise. I’ve been wanting to meet you. Well, if you’re who I think you are!’
Matthew gave me a sideways look, but I didn’t know any more than he did.
‘You’ll have to forgive me.’ Guy did not look remotely sorry. ‘But as soon as they told us, I looked up the LL Group. I’m sure people do that all the time. Probably why your website is so sparse.’
Matthew said nothing.
LL Group… Why was that name familiar?
‘And then when Alice mentioned a Matthew Lloyd who owned a hotel in the same village, I thought, what are the odds?’
‘So,’ said Matthew. ‘You’re at Carsons.’
Why were they talking about Carsons?
‘Indeed,’ said Guy.
Just then Guy’s phone started buzzing. ‘Sorry.’ He looked at the screen. ‘The wife keeps on bloody calling.’ He pocketed his phone and put his hand on my lower back, proprietorially.
‘The wife?’ Matthew raised his eyebrows. ‘Alice? Aren’t you going to introduce us?’
‘No,’ I said. It didn’t work.
Guy smiled but told me ‘not to be fucking rude’ and waited for me to introduce him.
‘Guy, Matthew,’ I mumbled eventually, hoping Matthew wouldn’t remember our conversations about Guy. That didn’t work either.
‘Guy Carmichael?’ Matthew looked at me pointedly. ‘How interesting.’
My palms were clammy with stress – was Matthew about to tell Guy what I’d said about him?
Guy extended a hand. ‘A pleasure to meettheMatthew Lloyd – we’re delighted to have the LL Group on board at Carsons.’
‘Good for you,’ said Mathew, insincerely. ‘A lot of people in your position find it all rather stressful. Especially as we’re independent rather thanon board.’
‘Sorry, what exactly are you doing at Carsons?’ I asked.
Guy ignored me and smoothly continued. ‘Of course no one wants a merger, but it’s crucial it’s done the right way: your reputation precedes you. I note you won a Hunter award for social justice.’
