Sabrina hiccupped. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’
Breaking into Rod Stewart’s bestselling hit of the same name, Lowen mirrored her words and without thought added the“how you broke my heart”bit.’
‘Very funny. But what happenedwasn’tfunny.’
Lowen looked genuinely upset. ‘I’m sorry. I really am.’
‘Don’t be. It’s fine, and what was it that Maya Angelou said? “When you know better, do better.”’ She clumsily stood up and did a funny little dance. ‘The only way is up baby!’ She grabbed him by the hand and led him into the bedroom. Without losing eye contact, she slowly slipped off her silk cream shirt to reveal a sexy white laceVictoria’s Secretbra, then undoing his belt slowly, she purred, ‘You know I said earlier that you could do better.’
A captivated Lowen nodded.
‘Then fuck me like you mean it.’
Chapter Twelve
The dawn chorus was not quite so appealing at seven a.m. with a thumping headache and a mouth as dry as a nun’s chuff. Sabrina groaned as she remembered what had happened the night before. She swept her hand over to the other side of the bed and with a rush of relief found it empty. She shouted out a shaky ‘hello’, and thankfully the only reply was a high pitched ‘kiou-ki-ki-ki’ from a Red Kite hovering above the cottage. Not wanting to be spotted by either Isaac or Belle in this state and for fear of them being angry at her for inviting a near stranger to their land, rather than head up the garden like she usually did for her morning coffee, she opened the back door, flicked on the kettle, then stood on the toilet seat and called Dee.
‘Rini, it’s seven a.m.’
‘But you’re always up for the school run by now.’
‘Not on a Saturday, I’m not,’ her long-suffering friend continued.
‘Oh, mate, I’m so sorry, shall I call back?’
‘I’m awake now. Hang on, I’m going downstairs to make a cuppa.’
‘What’s up?’
‘I’ve done something really terrible.’
‘Oh, Rini, what now?’
‘I’ve shagged someone else.’
‘Good for you, I say.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. Who was it– and more importantly, how was it?’
‘From what I can remember, it was hot. Lowen– you know, the market inspector bloke I told you about the other day?– it was him. He’s got a great body and did make me laugh.’
‘Well, as long as you were safe and nobody got hurt, then what’s the bother?’ Dee underplayed.
‘I just spotted an open condom wrapper on the sink, so all good.’
‘I guess that means the contract for the market stall was sealed with far more than a kiss, then.’
‘Very funny, but yes. I want to do this, Dee. I’m certain. And it was you who said I would have to be getting a proper job.’
Dee laughed. ‘In jest, I did, yes. I didn’t think for one minute you’d take it literally. But, joking aside are you OK about last night?’
‘To be honest, I feel fine about it, although that might still be the drink talking. Drunken sex with a nigh-on stranger has made me feel young again. I instigated it, like a proper harlot. And I know an eye for an eye is not the answer, but stupidly it doesn’t make me feel such a fool, now. And we had fun, he seems like a nice guy.’
‘Well, that’s a good thing.’ A short pause. ‘Rini, I need to talk you about something, too.’
‘Oh dol, I knew something was up.’
