‘Are you not?’
‘No. I can’t sleep.’
‘Me neither. Is it too quiet for you?’
‘That could be the reason.’ Alicia knew it was not. The silence was serene. It was Jamie. Being next to him was like being plugged into a power grid. She was too stimulated to sleep.
‘Want me to snore?’ he suggested. ‘Remind you of the LA traffic.’
‘That’s the last thing I want reminded of.’
‘You’re not a city girl then?’ Jamie rolled onto his back.
‘Well, I live in the big city, and it has its conveniences, but I’m not sure in my heart that I’m a “city girl”. Don’t they wear suits with shoulder pads and drink iced lattes and broker deals with London by noon?’
‘Hmm. Not being a city girl myself, I couldn’t say, but you don’t strike me as that type.’
‘I’m not. I live in LA because my family is there,’ Alicia was bolstered in confidence by the dim light and Jamie’s lack of prying. ‘I didn’t mention it last night but my parents are actors. We lived in Norway for a short time when I was young because my mom is of Norwegian heritage, but Dad was spending so much time travelling to the States for work that they decided to move back.’ She paused, her words hanging in the darkness like a rope swing, expecting Jamie to swing back on them with a question about what shows her parents had been in. But he didn’t.
Instead, he said, ‘That must have been a tough decision. Although it would be a no brainer for me.’
‘Country boy, huh?’ Jamie had told her the night beforethat he lived in a small village called Kinshore, about 150 miles away, where the family distillery was located.
‘Through and through.’
‘Small-village life is all you’ve ever known?’
‘I’ve travelled for work, so it’s not that I’m set in my ways. My brother Cal and my sisters live near Edinburgh, so I visit them and we hang out in some great places. I’ve visited Niall, another of my brothers, in Australia where he runs a surf school. But my heart will always be here, away from the bustle and hustle.’
‘Hustle and bustle,’ Alicia corrected.
‘And this is my point. Imagine me trying to cross the road when there’s more than one car coming or trying to catch one of those trains that goes under the ground.’
Alicia giggled again. ‘I’m sure you’d be fine.’ She turned onto her side towards Jamie. ‘So, tell me more about your role at this whisky company. You like your job?’
He looked at her for a second, eyes flashing with interest at something – her curiosity perhaps – but remained on his back. ‘I love it. The company was founded by my ancestors over two hundred years ago. My dad’s the CEO and he wanted all of us to work for him, but it was only me that ended up doing that, although my brother Sean works for a cooperage that makes the barrels for our whisky.’
‘So are you and your dad quite similar?’ Alicia was conscious she was like a small child who’d eaten too much candy after midnight, asking all these questions, but Jamie intrigued her and talking in the inky anonymity of the box bed was easy.
‘In some respects, yes. The company means a hell of a lot to both of us, but if I were in his position, I think I’d be more willing to relinquish certain duties. Although maybe I wouldn’t. Who can say?’
‘His position?’
‘Aye.’ Jamie’s voice turned a semitone more sombre, his words more measured. ‘He’s got a terminal illness. Motor Neurone Disease – ALS – and likes to pretend it isn’t happening.’
‘Oh, my goodness.’ Was this where the sadness she had witnessed earlier came from? ‘That must be so hard on all of you.’
‘Yeah, it was especially hard at the start. He was given up to five years to live, and we all focused on the end for too long, but we’ve learned to shift our focus to enjoying the time he has. He’s still with us, still trying his best to keeping working while he can. But ultimately, he needs to retire, promote someone to my job and then I can do his job.’
‘And that’s not going to happen?’
‘He doesn’t want to let go without being certain the company will keep thriving amidst new competition. The reason I came to the hotel was to come up with some innovative marketing ideas.’
‘Oh! I see. Is that what you were scribbling in your book earlier?’
‘Aye. Or trying to. Turns out it’s hard to innovate when you’re in holiday mode. All I want to do is chill and sleep.’
Jamie’s family sounded so very different from the large dynasty of egotists Alicia had assumed from the article online. And Jamie himself exuded warmth and naturalness. She knew she’d done the right thing in bringing him up here to the bed. And by the encroaching sleepiness in his voice, he would be out like a light soon and no more of a threat to her than a puppy dog.
