I had kissed Patrick.
This was not part of the plan.
I pulled away, cheeks burning, to see him with a stunned look in his eyes.
‘That … that was –’
‘A mistake,’ I said hastily, breathless still.
Shit, what was I thinking? I could not go around passionately kissing this man! This was all fake! A sham!
We were playing pretend, and I’d let my fantasies run away with me.
Or maybe Anna’s words had lodged themselves deeper in my mind than I’d realized. Either way, in less than a month we would be saying our goodbyes and never seeing each other again.
Patrick was blinking as though I’d knocked him on the head. Which, considering how swiftly I’d fallen those last few feet, maybe I had. ‘Mistake?’
‘Yeah, yeah, stressful situations can lead to intense and unexpected romance – have you never watchedSpeed?’ I’m pretty sure I was misquoting Sandra Bullock, but I was even more sure the reference would be completely lost on him. ‘It could happen to anyone.’
‘Anyone,’ Patrick repeated, staring at me as though I had grown another head.
Think, woman, think!
I glanced up at the building we’d just thrown ourselves off and groaned inwardly. There was only one way I was going to properly distract him from my brief loss of sanity.
Smiling as brightly as I could manage, I said, ‘Should we get in round two before today’s real dangerous activity – lunch with your record label?’
ELEVEN
Can you be alone in a crowd? I know the answer but it’s not the truth, lights swirling as I smile, my teeth bared, ready for a fight …
–from ‘Crowd’, by These Exiles
THIS WAS A MISTAKE.
Well, not a mistake. But after a whole twenty-four hours of not seeing Jessy after a mildly successful lunch spent mostly trying not to make her smile, I’d cracked and gone against Derek’s suggestion.
‘Twice a week is more than enough – you don’t have to see her again for three days, remember. Besides, it will start to look fake if she goes everywhere with you.’ He’d had a point.
But three days was too long.
‘Your next date is the Soundscape Awards after-party,’ Derek had explained to me that morning. ‘And this time, maybe don’t arrive late? You know, try not to make me look incompetent?’
I should have felt bad, but I didn’t. Still, I usually tried to avoid making Derek’s job harder. ‘Sorry, man, we … we didn’t –’
‘Right, tonight your life is your own. I managed to get youout of Lily Ross’s perfume launch, and don’t think I won’t be cashing in on that favour.’
Oh, I was sure he would.
‘Just try and stay out of any trouble, understand?’
I did.
For the first time in – I don’t know how long – I had a night all to myself. And I knew exactly how I wanted to spend it. I just had to hope that Jessy was free.
Paddy
What are you up to tonight?
