‘Did you have a nice time?’ Dulcie asked.
‘Er, yeah, it was okay.’
Dulcie’s gaze sharpened. ‘Just okay?’
With a sigh, Carla realised she might as well come clean. Dulcie would hear about it anyway because Adam was bound to tell Maisie what he’d seen.
‘We kissed,’ she said, stepping into the room. Otto grinned at her.
‘You didn’t!’ Dulcie sounded incredulous, but the disbelief was tinged with satisfaction.
Glumly, Carla replied, ‘We did. In the middle of the lane.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘Do you think it’s possible to get high from looking at toadstools?’
‘What?’
‘I saw a toadstool and crouched down to have a closer look, and so did Ashton. I’m not sure what happened, but he kind of fell over, pulling me with him, and then we were kissing.’
Dulcie smirked. ‘Just like that?’
‘Yes, just like that. Then Adam drove up the lane and caught us.’
‘Hedid?Oh, my! What happened next?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Nothing at all?’ Dulcie’s eyebrows rose.
‘No. Ashton went home.’
‘Are you seeing him again?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then why so glum?’
‘For one, I don’t make a habit of sitting in the middle of a road, snogging. For another, I don’t want to get involved with anyone. Not here, and definitely not now.’
‘So why are you seeing him again?
Carla shrugged. Admittedly, she was attracted to him and enjoyed his company, but was that sufficient reason to go on a date?
Her inner voice let out a snide laugh, and she was forced to admit that she’d gone on dates for far less valid reasons.
‘A bit of fun will do you good,’ Dulcie continued.
‘I didn’t come here for fun. I came here to cry on your shoulder, not to get involved with some guy.’
‘But you like him and he likes you, otherwise he wouldn’t be helping you with your photography.’
There’s no future in it,’ Carla pointed out.
‘Since when have you been bothered about the future? It’s a date, not a marriage proposal.’
Carla decided to change the subject. ‘I spoke to Vicky earlier,’ she began and proceeded to recount the conversation, ending with, ‘I’m going to call Anita Campbell in the morning.’
As Carla prepared for bed, she assumed she would lie awake mulling over the information Vicky had given her, and how, if it were true, it could affect the hearing.
However, it wasn’t that which occupied her thoughts, it was Ashton – because as kisses went, it had been simply delicious.
