Mattie clicked her seat belt into place and leaned back against the head rest. “That was a long old day,” she said. “I’m thinking shower, dinner, and mindless TV in my warm and dry hotel room.”
Moeen rubbed the three-day-old growth on his chin. “I need to shave this off before I chat with Lulu, or she won’t recognise me.”
Mattie smiled. Moeen was so enthralled by his little girl. She was only fifteen months old, but he spoke to her every day when he was away from home. The calls Mattie had overheard—privacy wasn’t always a given, considering the close proximity they sometimes had to work in—were a total cute-fest. Working in a team with him as the camera operator was different in so many ways to Jon. Not better or worse, just different. Jon had more of a single-minded focus, like her, and between them, they were always consumed by the stories they were working on. Moeen was far more family-focused and ring-fenced his personal time. She frowned.Personal time. What did that look like for her? Simon and his family, yes. Shona and Lisa were her besties and adopted sisters rolled into one. But beyond that? Lots of drinking buddies and colleagues, but she had no onespecial. She sighed. Enough thinking for one day. Time for a nano-nap while Moeen drove to their hotel.
Later, after luxuriating in a wonderfully hot shower, she had dinner with the rest of the crew and the team from the BBC. They were professional rivals but enjoyed hanging out together outside of work. The camaraderie made up for missing out on home comforts, and she propped up the bar for longer than she’d planned. It was gone ten by the time she fell into bed and caught up on her messages. One from Simon:Are you def still on for Olivia’s birthday?, a rude meme from Shona, and...a text from Nell. How unexpected.I recognise that shirt.
Mattie’s heart did an odd skip as she read it. Had she secretly hoped that Nell would catch her wearing it and re-establish contact to challenge her about it? Maybe her sneaky brain and hungry libido had been in collusion. She grinned as she typed a response.Busted. Having laundry crisis. Only clean thing left.
I’ll take it as a compliment that you think so highly of my shirt that you’d wear it on national TV.
Mattie laughed out loud.I’ll take it as a compliment that you’re watching me on national TV.Had you down as a BBC woman.
I am a BBC woman. Angie had it on.
An instant picture came to mind of Angie’s kitchen, warm and cosy and smelling of freshly baked cake. There’d be no piles of dirty clothes waiting to find their way into the washing machine. She was about to reply when her phone pinged again.
Anyway, I wasn’t watching you. I was watching Lucky the Scottie dog.He’s adorable.
Lucky had added a cute factor to a grim news day.So says you and half the nation begging to adopt him.
Looks like his name was apt after all. So, my shirt?
Mattie rolled over to get more comfy. She’d missed bantering with Nell. It wasn’t just the banter, if she was honest. Nell’sdelicious body and luscious curves were high on the list too. Mattie had been so cranky when she’d got back to London after her holiday, and when Shona had made her smart-arse comment, “That hot police officer tire you out, did she?” Mattie had put her right.
But Shona had laughed in her face. “How many times have you dumped a date in favour of a story and barely given it a thought? Now you know how it tastes being on the other side.”
“Brutal but fair,” Mattie had said. Shona’s astute analysis had taken some of the sting out of her irritation.
Now Mattie’s fingers danced over the phone keyboard.I suppose you want your shirt back?
You suppose correctly. Freshly laundered.
Mattie smirked.You drive a hard bargain.
Ironed too.
Ha ha. Now you’re expecting way too much.She glanced at said shirt hanging over the back of the chair. At least she’d avoided flashing her breasts while wearing it. Three bouncing dots on her screen showed that Nell was typing a message. Mattie waited, but the dots disappeared, and no message arrived. She frowned, realising she’d settled in, hoping for a longer chat than that. At the cottage, they’d talked for hours. Mostly, it’d been about the small stuff that made up everyday life, but Nell had confided in her about the bigger stuff too.I liked mattering to her. Why had she only realised that now? Because she was on her own in a hotel room yet again, or because she was in denial?
Mattie tossed the phone on the bed and glared at the floral print on the wall. It was bland and generic, and she’d seen a variation of it on hundreds of other hotel walls. Right now, it was annoying the hell out of her. She’d play Tetris on her laptop until she bored herself to sleep. Her phone buzzed, and she snatched it back off the bed. Nell again. She smiled.
Post it to me.
Clearly, the only reason for Nell reaching out was to get her shirt back. Mattie fired off an equally unemotive reply.Will do. It didn’t matter. Nell had been nothing in her life but a fun summer fling.
Mattie genuinely intended to launder and send the shirt back to Nell, but long hours at work and a family weekend to celebrate Olivia’s birthday meant she didn’t get around to it. She hadn’t managed to get to the supermarket either, which was why she’d just ordered takeaway chicken noodles from her favourite Japanese restaurant. Earbuds in, she leaned against the wall while she waited to collect the food. The buzz of a text notification sounded above the 90s songs playlist she was listening to.
How’s my shirt?
Mattie smiled. The playful tone made her ridiculously hopeful she’d been wrong about the clothing being the sole reason Nell had reached out.In a queue for the washing machine.
Nell replied with a rolling eyes emoji.
It’s a very long queue.
Mad week?
Okay, so it seemed Nell was up for chatting this time. Mattie typed quickly.As always. Surprised I don’t have trench foot. Did your lovely garden get trashed in the storms?
