“I think I’m going to open the champagne. Do you want a glass – it is four o’clock so it’s not too bougie.” That was my explanation.
He nodded, looking from me to the window adjacent. “I’ll pour it if you want and bring it in. Just make sure you’re decent.” His eyes dipped to my breasts and back to my face. I knew exactly what he was thinking about.
“Are you sure you’d want me decent?” I pushed it.
“No.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure about that at all.”
The air was sucked from my lungs, and I felt lightheaded, like I’d already had too much champagne.
“You’ll have to see what you get then, won’t you?” I headed straight back into the bedroom and closed the door too, trying to recover some wherewithal.
That was the first actual indication that he really was thinking about more. I checked my reflection in the mirror, the size of the room meant it didn’t get steamy. The bath was almost at the right depth, so I slipped off the robe, leaving it in a pool on the floor, and climbed into the bath, the water warm and satiny from the bubbles. Rain hit the window, blurring the view, but that only made it feel cosier.
I had nowhere else to be today, no commitments, no pressures, nowhere I needed to be seen. If I wanted, I could stay here all evening with room service and movies in bed.
With Caleb in bed with me.
I sunk under the water, the bubbles enough to hide under. I heard the sound of a champagne bottle being opened, and then I waited.
Seven Years Ago
“I saw the interview. You did well.”
Caleb’s voice came through the car’s hands-free system crystal clear, which given we were over five thousand miles apart, felt slightly surreal. I wished he was here even if he’d have been trying to spend most of his time next to the ocean.
“Thank you. You’re up late if you’ve just watched it air.” I’d been on one of the big chat shows, filming it this morning, LA time, and it’d been broadcast just now. I hadn’t watched it; I hated seeing myself on screen, and I’d needed to drive myself back from a meeting anyway. I had two more days in America and then I was flying to Manchester, picking up a rental car, and heading to Puffin Bay and Caleb.
“Yeah, I was at a party. I have something I need to tell you.”
“Oh god. Have you got someone pregnant?” I didn’t like that idea for many reasons.
“No, not that.” He laughed. “You’d be a great Auntie Zoey though.”
“I would not. You have me worried now. What do you have to tell me?” My pulse had elevated. I hated surprises and this didn’t sound like a good one.
“I won’t be here when you get back. I’m heading off to Mozambique tomorrow night.” His words were flat, there was no enthusiasm, even though I knew this was a place he’d been dying to visit.
“That’s cool. You’ve always wanted to go there.” I tried to pep up how I sounded. I was gutted I wouldn’t see him. I had a week in Puffin Bay and I doubted Caleb would be back before I headed off to London.
“I wanted to see you. It’s been months.”
“Maybe you can get to London – are you flying back through there or direct to Manchester?” Caleb had often gone through London when he was flying out somewhere for research purposes, meaning we’d managed to snatch a few hours to catch up and have dinner or breakfast, or even just a coffee.
“London both ways. I’m there for three weeks – a place came up on a research project and I’d have been stupid to say no.”
“I get it. How many times have I had to cancel on you. Maybe I’ll fly out to Mozambique and you can show me some fish.” I wondered if I could swing it.
“Surprise me. It’d be great if you can, but I get it if you can’t. That was a huge interview you did.” I heard his fridge open, the sound familiar. “I could feel your enthusiasm.”
“My acting skills were on point then?”
“Very much so. You had me convinced – but who’s the guy you were talking about? The one you thought you might have something serious with? I don’t remember you mentioning anyone recently – was I drunk when you told me?”
I laughed, mainly to bide myself some time while I thought what words to use which weren’t it’s you, you daft idiot. “It’s something to say to throw the press off. They’ll dig and keep talking about me, but find nothing, which drums up its own drama.”
“Makes sense. Me and Niamh have ended, but I probably didn’t need to tell you that, did I?”
“Not really. We were getting up to the three month mark so I knew it’d be happening soon.”
