Alex smiled back and opened his menu, reminding himself that maybe she was nervous.
‘Ooh, it all looks lovely, doesn’t it?’
‘It certainly does.’ He scanned the menu and then snapped it shut.
‘Oh, have you chosen already?’
‘Yes, I’m ravenous so I know exactly what I want.’
‘That’s a good sign, I always like a man who knows what he wants.’ She shot him an X-rated look as she reached for her wine glass. ‘In that case, I had better make my mind up quickly, best not to keep you waiting. I wouldn’t want to make you impatient.’ She continued holding his eye as she spoke and was delivering each line with a slightly breathless air which instead of reeling him in, left him itching to ask if she needed an inhaler. If Sylvie were here, she definitely would do.
Claudia finally tore her eyes away and looked down the menu, occasionally tutting, before she closed it and looked around the restaurant. The young waiter was serving a table nearby but before he could finish Claudia had clicked her fingers and rolled her eyes in Alex’s direction.
‘Looks like I was right about the staff.’
The poor waiter scurried over and the two of them ordered but not without Claudia breathlessly explaining that shewouldn’t have a starter because she was looking forward to getting to the pudding, shooting Alex another very pointed look whilst rubbing her feet against his leg. The waiter nearly passed out.
‘Really, they should hire staff who are a little less pubescent. Did you see that poor boy?’
Alex grimaced and nodded. What had looked like it could be a dream date in the initial seconds was turning into a bit of a nightmare. He was increasingly as keen to leave as she was, just for very different reasons.
‘So, I haven’t seen you on screen for quite some time. Rumour has it you’re on an extended sabbatical.’
How the hell did she know that?
‘Yes, you could say that.’
‘So, what prompted that then?’
‘I’ve been in the job for a long time and thought it was time to have a look at what I wanted to do next.’ He delivered the standard answer, designed to give no real information at all.
‘Mental health then? Don’t you worry, I’m very good with this sort of thing. My sister-in-law is an absolute loon, howling, licking windows, the lot.’
‘And how does she feel about you labelling her like that, then?’ Alex couldn’t help himself, she was just getting increasingly unpleasant. Who on earth thought such things, let alone vocalized them?
‘Hohoho, she knows I say that. She and my brother get a bit tetchy but you often find that, don’t you – some people simply don’t get a joke. I can tell you and I share the same sense of humour.’
‘Hmm.’ His dad had drummed it into him that a gentleman was polite at all times but it was becoming a bit of a struggle.
‘So anyway, your sabbatical. I had heard a whisper that you had rescued some orphan Annie out in Africa and that’s whyyou have buried yourself down here, but I’ve been watching you for years so I told the person who told me, that it was abject nonsense. Of course you wouldn’t, you’re much savvier than that. I said, look, orphans are ten a penny. Alex McKenzie, he knows he can make much more of a difference using his celebrity status to raise awareness rather than just plucking one child out of obscurity. And I mean, we both live in the city, neither of us are stupid people, what on earth would anyone want a child for? Poor Richard seems to have dozens, emotional vampires the lot of them. I’m like you, I’m a good judge of character. After all, I could hardly make a living in the financial markets if I couldn’t read people, could I? Hedge-fund management is all about good judgement, sorting the weak from the strong and acting accordingly. Do you not like your steak?’
‘I seem to have lost my appetite.’
‘Well, we can’t have that, can we? We need you all strong for later.’ She winked across the table at him and this time her foot moved up from his leg and into his groin. That was enough.
He was all for people being sexually confident but as far as he was aware dinner did not mean consent. What she was saying was offensive and if he had put his foot inhergroin during dinner then she would rightfully be able to claim assault. Sorry, Dad, being gentlemanly was one thing, but sometimes one has to draw the line. He pictured Marion’s face as he told her that Claudia was not just a loathsome individual but had also come on far too strong and crossed the line into harassment.
Maybe that was harsh, maybe she had made a mistake – that might be all it was. The least he could do was finish his dinner, be polite, not make anyone uncomfortable but get his message across very clearly.
He started by pointedly putting his knife and fork down, lifting her foot off him and dropping it back on to the floor.
‘Let’s just eat, shall we?’ Surely that wasn’t rude, merely clear without being impolite?
‘Oh, of course. I do apologize.’ She had the grace to look abashed as she returned to picking at her salad. OK, that was easier than he had thought. Hopefully the rest of the evening would proceed in a dignified fashion and then he could hotfoot it back to Penmenna. Alone.
‘I should have realized, Alex McKenzie is a man who likes to take the lead. I’ll tell you what, I’ll make it up to you later.’ Oh, for Christ’s sake!
His mind immediately took him back to Ellie with her hands on her hips on the beach. Oh no, maybe it was him who had taught her to swear and not Angelina after all! It did seem to be something he was thinking quite a lot recently; maybe he had been saying it as well. Did this mean he owed Angelina an apology?
