‘Better not,’ she agreed. ‘Hey, I thought Kenneth said he wouldn’t leave the lights on for us?’
No sooner had she uttered the words than they heard a heavy clunk that reverberated between the ski centre building and off the hills as the big floodlight blinked off, taking with it the buzzing sound of electricity that they only noticed in its absence.
The strings of white bulbs stayed on, and Euan offered Kenneth his silent thanks. The big softie.
Alone in the moonlight shadow cast by the ski centre building at their backs, their eyes met as if asking, what did they do now?
The prosecco was still cool and they passed what was left of the bottle between them.
‘Reminds me of drinking on a park bench on a Saturday night,’ Euan said.
‘Can’t relate,’ said Peaches, tipping her head back for another swig.
‘What? You never sneaked out with your mates and got pissed in a field or a bus stop, or anything? It’s a Scottish institution!’
‘Nope, not me.’
‘Your mum wouldn’t be keen, eh?’ Euan took his turn to drink.
‘We have a glass of wine with Sunday lunch, maybe, at home. Champagne at Christmas and on birthdays.’
Euan looked like he didn’t know what to make of this. ‘I have a feeling we’ve lived very different lives. My mum didn’t ever mind where I was or what I was up to, so long as I didn’t get into bother.’
‘And did you stay out of bother?’
‘Hmm, mostly,’ he said with a sly smile.
‘I feel like I’ve been avoiding getting in trouble all my life, but I still can’t get away from the feeling that I’ve somehow always done something wrong anyway. Do you know what I mean?’
He shifted against the chair to face her. ‘To be honest, no.’
‘Well, I’m always agood girl, right?’
He nodded.
‘But Mum still disapproves of me a hundred times a day.’
‘What sort of things does she disapprove of?’
‘Oh, friends calling me, or if I’m staying out a bit later at uni. That kind of thing. She doesn’t tell me off exactly, but she’ll sulk, or say snipey little comments so I know to keep the call short or that I’d better get home again soon.’
‘I see. Aren’t you like twenty…?’
‘I’m twenty-three.’
‘Two years younger than me.’
‘But still, not a kid.’
‘No, definitely not.’ Something in his eyes turned swimmy and soft. He was looking at the way the silver light touched the curve of her lips.
Maybe it was her vision adjusting to the moonlight now too, but she wanted to take in his face properly, bit by bit.
For a while they only looked at one another.
Euan had to be the one to break the silence as she’d lost her thread of the conversation completely.
‘Your mum wouldn’t like you being out here with me then?’
