Page 50 of The Twelve Dates of Christmas
Sarah caught her breath. She hiccupped trying to hold back a sob.
“He didn’t want to leave Bromley,” said Sarah. “All his friends were there. His job. He didn’t want to have to start again. So that was it. And now... now he’s here.”
Sarah looked at Kate with big brown eyes that welled with tears and overflowed, spilling down her cheeks. Kate’s heart ached for her.
“Get me out of here,” Sarah whispered. “Please.”
“Of course,” said Kate. “Tell me where he is. I’ll casually make sure he’s looking the other way and we’ll make a break for it.”
“He’s over by the slot machine,” said Sarah.
Kate looked over with what she hoped was nonchalance.
“The blond one or the one in the denim jacket?” asked Kate.
“No, no!” said Sarah. “The other slot machine. The tall Indian guy with the beard.”
Kate moved her eyes across to the Test Your Knowledge machine.
“What? Oliver?” said Kate.
“You know him?” Sarah sniffed.
Kate grimaced.
“Kind of,” she said.
Myriad hazy inappropriate images, hot kisses, and wandering hands flooded Kate’s mind.
Oliver chose that moment to turn around. He locked eyes with Kate and grinned wolfishly. He waved and, after he’d drawn his friend’s attention away from the machine, the two of them began to make their way across the pub.
“Shit! He’s coming over!” Kate hissed through a tight smile.
“Oh God, no,” said Sarah. “I can’t see him. I can’t. Don’t let him see me!”
Kate was panicking. She half stood and sat down again and chewed her finger.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked.
“Anything!” said Sarah. Her tears had fled now; her eyes were wild, her cheeks red and blotchy. “Cause a distraction and I’ll sneak out and meet you by the car.”
Kate jumped up and kicked out at the table, sending it flying onto its side and the glasses rolling off along the bobbly floorboards, their contents splattering the legs of anyone in the vicinity. Sarah drop-rolled off the chair and onto her hands and knees, where she broke into a fast crawl, away from Oliver, swerving around chairs and table legs as she made for the exit.
“Whoa there!” Oliver laughed. He grabbed hold of Kate and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. His scent made her blush.
“Hi!” said Kate. “I didn’t know you’d be at this one.”
“Yeah, it was a last-minute thing,” he said as he righted the table and retrieved the now-spent glasses. “They had me down for the go-carting evening, but my brother’s flying in from Edinburgh that night and I need to pick him up from the airport. So I swapped to pub quiz night.”
“Great!” said Kate.
“I’m glad I did now,” said Oliver.
Kate giggled girlishly; she didn’t seem to be able to stop. Oliver’s friend coughed loudly.
“Oh God, sorry, mate,” said Oliver. “Kate, this is my friend Andy. Andy, Kate.”
They exchanged hellos and shook hands awkwardly.
