‘But that’s weird. I split up with Shaun ages ago.’
‘She said something about you holding a flame for someone back home and I assumed…’
‘Well, you know what they say about assumption, don’t you? Is that why you thought kissing me was such a mistake?’
Amy watched as a muscle twitched in Tad’s cheek, and he set down his fork.
‘So, you’re single, too?’ he asked.
‘Yes. So single it hurts sometimes. Not that it matters…’
They stared at one another, Amy allowing Tad’s intense gaze to wash over her like melted chocolate over a strawberry.
‘Are you two planning on eating your starters, or are we going to have to wait all night for the main course?’
Kathleen’s Aussie tones, none too subtle as they broke through Amy’s thoughts, finally shook Tad into action as he took a breath and lifted his fork once more.
17
‘Everything OK?’ Hugh said as Tad swept past, collecting up the last few starter plates.
‘More than OK, Hugh, thank you very much,’ Tad said as he headed for the kitchen.
‘Good lad. Don’t mess it up again,’ Hugh said as he lifted a glass and took a mouthful of wine.
Tad wanted to ask Hugh what he meant, but he had a fair idea. The old man seemed to know what he wanted even before he knew it himself.
The mystery remained as to why Billie would tell him one thing, when the opposite was true. It wasn’t as though Billie had done anything more than make a few flirty comments to him. It wasn’t about him, he felt sure – it was about Billie’s relationship with Amy.
‘You want me to plate up the mushrooms?’ Matteo said, spatula in one hand as he pulled open the oven door.
‘Yes. Please do that. I’ll take the salad through.’ Tad was on autopilot, at least as far as the food was concerned. His mind was full of other thoughts, of standing at the summit of Monte Baldo and the way he’d felt when Amy was hit by the mountain bike. Of what happened in the base of his stomach when she suggested he might like to inspect the site of the impact. Her comments earlier about the bruising. His intense desire to kiss it better.
He closed his eyes, seeking clarification. She was there, the image of Honor he’d grown used to seeing lately, her smile as bright and warm as the rays of the early-morning sun. Was she willing him on? Was he waiting for permission from his long-gone former partner?
Lifting the bowls of salad, he threaded his way back to the dining room, settling them on the table before he shot back for the crusty bread and salad dressing. A lighter main course than others through the week, but he’d discovered that most clients struggled with seven days of heavy eating, and that a lighter dinner part-way through worked well.
With everything on the table, and the stuffed mushrooms served, he took his seat beside Amy again.
‘Hi,’ she said. ‘You’re back.’
‘I’m back.’
This time it seemed to Tad that Amy was focusing her attention on him as much as the other way around.
‘Can I ask you something?’ he said. When she nodded, he took a breath, deciding there was only one way to find out. ‘Why did you say it didn’t matter that you’re single?’
She frowned. ‘Maybe it came out wrong. I meant it’s probably better that way, what with my lifestyle.’ There was another pause. ‘I think it all went sideways with Shaun because he struggled with the long-distance thing.’ She shrugged. ‘So did I, to be honest. I’m not sure I would try to do it again.’
‘Oh. Right. Are you still talking about a long-distance thing – or any kind of relationship?’
‘Would you try a long-distance relationship, then?’
He scratched at the side of his cheek. ‘For the right person, I suppose I’d give it my best shot.’ He almost added that for the right person he’d do almost anything, finding out about Amy’s single status had ignited something inside Tad, like a genii released from its bottle, and as difficult to stuff back in.
She smiled. A whisper of sadness inhabited the smile, then it was gone as she said, ‘Well, that person will be the lucky one. Not everyone is willing to try that hard.’
Amy’s grin broadened, and Tad had the feeling the brightness of her smile might work as a defence mechanism. The sunnier she looked, the more she was trying to magic the emotion into being. He should know: he’d produced enough fake smiles over the years.
