Kit coughs. ‘With no thought at all for the security system.’
My hearts skips a beat. ‘There are cameras?’
Kit squeezes my shoulder. ‘That’s how everyone knew about our swim with Shadow, but we were a lot more dressed than these two.’
My blood is running cold. ‘Are you saying there was proper film of me pashing your face off?’
He laughs. ‘There might have been.’
I’m hopping about on the spot. ‘Stuff that! Did you delete it?’
He sounds more serious again. ‘I wiped it from the system, but it was too cute not to save. I mean, what if we go the distance and end up with grandchildren? You’d want me to keep it to show them the night it all began?’
And this is exactly what I meant when I told Sophie that proper dating was too complicated. Two minutes of random conversation, and I’m so far out of my depth I can’t even see the bottom let alone reach it. Sometimes you have to go straight in and say it like it is.
‘We’re never having grandchildren, Kit.’
His lips are twisting into a smile. ‘Okay. Anything else I need to know?’
‘We’re supposed to be taking things a second at a time. Even if you’re teasing, you’re assuming way too much.’
He’s biting his lip. ‘I spend all day pretending I believe in love. My romantic side has a habit of leaking out. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.’
‘And you’ll show me the film when we get back?’
He nods. ‘So long as you promise to let me keep it.’
I let out a groan. ‘Whatever happened to snatching a fleeting moment? We’re supposed to be here and gone, not stored on your iCloud for the rest of time.’
He’s nodding. ‘I know. I agree. It’s just some things are too good to lose – viewed in my professional capacity.’
I’ve always believed you have to pick your battles. When it’s one in the morning, given the choice between this and a hot chocolate, I’m giving up on the argument and going for the cocoa hit.
‘What are we going to tell Rye?’
Kit sighs. ‘I’ll call him when we get back and he can delete the pool footage straight away.’
I just hope for Mum’s sake no one finds it too cute or engaging, orshemay end up on someone’s iCloud too. But she’s a big girl. I just hope she can look after herself.
40
Milla’s ring-making day at Latitude One, High Tides Hotel, St Aidan
More splashes than Jackson Pollock
Saturday
Rule number one with Milla-the-brunette is to always anticipate a little extra, so when she and her ring-making group clatter up my steps at nine instead of arriving at Kit’s at ten as arranged on Saturday morning, Shadow and I exchange a smile and carry on as we were. We’ve been up a good three hours already, so we had time to pull in a walk and baking for a busy weekend at the Pleasure Dome. Shadow’s now back to napping, and I’m doing my last jobs in the kitchen before heading over to Kit’s.
Milla leads the crew into the living room, where they drop their bags in a pile and then flop down onto every available surface. ‘We thought we’d drop in at The Hideaway to put the finishing touches to our outfits and make-up, Aunty Flo.’ Cue the usual mass clothes swap, in other words. ‘And are we good to have Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes, custard and ice cream on the deck while we’re here?’
I’m already in the kitchen loading a tray with cups and cereal boxes. ‘Can you serve yourselves while I take my last batches of scones off the cooling trays?’
Milla wiggles her eyebrows at me. ‘Of course.’
I’m covering every eventuality. ‘And if Jean and Shirley come past with their walking group, can you point them to the “Once they’re gone…” ginger cake and triple chocolate muffin stack by the bottom of the steps?’
She nods. ‘All good, M— Aunty F.’ She laughs. ‘I nearly called you Mum there. By the time we all get our blonde wigs on for the Ken and Barbie fancy dress roller-fest it’s going to be well confusing.’
