‘I’ll try.’ Gracie handed over his cash, which he tucked into the pocket of his jeans.
She declared her thoughts. ‘It’s so weird telling a stranger so many intimate things but it kind of works.’
‘Yes, yes. Goodbye, Gracie. Take care.’
Scott closed the door behind her and reached for hisRacing Post. If he was quick, he’d still get a bet on the 7.20 at Southwell.
NINETEEN
Lewis Blair sat at his desk staring into space. His secretary knocked lightly and put a cup of coffee down in front of him.
‘All OK?’ she enquired politely.
‘Actually, I’m not feeling so good, Rosie. Think I might be coming down with something. I’m going to work from home this afternoon. Can you shut the door behind you, please?’
He reached into his pocket and opened the small red jewellery box that had been there since that awful night with Gracie. The sun coming through the window lit up the beautiful diamond ring which threw glints of light onto the wall.
He put his head in his hands in despair. Why, oh why had he been so incredibly stupid?
TWENTY
Gracie was only half a mile into her first run and already felt like she was going to die. Her cheeks had gone bright red and her heart was beating way too hard under her new Nike T-shirt.
‘Keep up now, stragglers,’ Keen Kate, the posh organiser of the running club, shouted from the front.
Maya raised her eyes to Gracie, who managed to splutter between wheezes, ‘Jeez, if I’d realised it was going to be this hard, I might have thought twice.’
‘Keep going, Gracie, we will feel better for doing it, I’m sure. Mind you, I might have to stop and have a fag in a minute.’
Gracie laughed. ‘Quick, over here.’ She ushered Maya off the path and onto the carved bench she had found herself on last week. ‘You have your cigarette, I need a bloody sit down.’
Maya laughed. ‘Yes, sod this for a game of shoulders, that is what you say, isn’t it?’
‘That’s funny. No, it’s soldiers.’
‘Ah, mind you, this is like being on an army training camp. I think I may stick to sex, it must burn as many calories and at least it’s enjoyable.’ Maya retrieved her fags and a lighter from a pocket in her leggings.
Gracie’s face dropped. ‘Chance would be a fine thing.’
‘It’s not so bad being single, you know, Gracie. I am. And you can still have sex without all the messiness of a relationship. That’s what I do, anyway.’
‘I don’t think I could do that non-connected sex thing. I’m just out of a very long-term relationship.’
‘All the more reason, then. Get out there, Gracie, have some fun.’
‘But you’re young, Maya.’
‘And what’s age got to do with anything? Life’s all about fun and it looks like you could do with some right now.’
‘I need to adopt your attitude.’
‘You do. You’re a sexy woman, Gracie. And you need to grab life by the balls.’
Gracie leant back on the bench, her breath having returned. ‘You speak very good English, by the way.’
‘Thanks. I started learning it at school when I was five and have been over here for four years now. I’ve picked it up as I’ve gone along, really. But still not quite up on all the English slang, as I just proved.’
Maya lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. Just as Gracie leant forward to tighten her laces, a quad bike came speeding round the corner at full pelt and screeched to a sudden halt right in front of them. She didn’t know whether to be pleased or mortified. Pleased that it was handsome Ed or mortified that she must look a red sweaty mess.
