‘That’s what I thought.’ Callum shoots me a brief yet crushing look.
‘So what happened?’ asks Clio. ‘Was there a mix-up with the tickets at Heathrow?’
Callum has folded his arms and is looking pointedly at me. ‘Yes, what happened, Moss?’
‘Gosh, I’m not sure. Must have been a mix-up as you say,’ I add breezily, back to my old sweeping-it-under-the-carpet tricks.
Callum narrows his eyes suspiciously.
‘Funny kind of mix-up,’ he says. ‘They don’t usually get these things wrong, do they?’
I stare at him, telepathically ordering him to drop it. He is immediately disobedient.
‘Not that I’m complaining.’ He grins in what, outwardly, looks like he’s making a joke. Inwardly, I know full well that he means every word. ‘I got even more space to spread out, slept like a baby and they let me eat your meals as well as mine. Delicious prawns.’
Urgh, I think, mind returning to the definitely less sumptuous meals I picked through in economy just now,arômede body odour making me feel less keen to eat.
‘Oh Cal,’ Clio laughs. The poor thing. Why must everyone be fooled but this devil in disguise?
‘Clio,’ Brody suddenly pipes up. He’d been slumped in his seat but quickly transforms into being animated and extremely loud. ‘CLIO! Are we going to join the mile high club or what?’
Similar but different to the dream, I note. Maybe this was a blip, after all. I watch closely as Clio hands her fiancé the protein ball I already know will keep him busy for the next ten minutes, and gives us a can-you-believe-him look.
‘Honestly, I love this man to bits but sometimes I do also want to kill him,’ she chuckles.
‘If you ever need any help burying the bodies,’ Callum says, gesturing towards me. ‘Nina’s your person. She might look sweet but she can be ruthless.’ The delivery is of a man who is just joshing. I paint a smile on my face, laughing away,ha ha ha, but when I turn my smile in Callum’s direction, I make sure to bare teeth.
‘Oh Callum!’ I fake-chuckle, patting him on the back just a little too hard. ‘Such a great sense of humour. Is that the first thing you put on your dating profile? Or do you have to come clean about the whole no garlic, dates in the dark only, will-probably-drink-your-blood thing first?’
‘Says the woman who has teeth like a little vampire. Surely blood lust is number one onyourdating profile, Moss.’
‘I do not have a dating profile. Or little vampire teeth!’ I add, appalled.
‘Oh my God, babes,’ chimes in Clio, peering at me delightedly. ‘You actually do! They’re so cute, Nina. Like adorable little fangs.’
I round on Callum with my sternest look. He is elated with the way things are panning out.
‘Adorable little fangs,’ he echoes with a superior grin. By now, I would like to wipe that smile from his face for evermore.
‘Careful,’ I mutter. ‘Iwillbite.’
‘Ah, yes. Nothing says perfect dating profile more than the threat of attack.’
I run my tongue over the sharp points of my teeth.
‘Come to think of it, these could do some damage. Puncture marks.’
I watch Callum’s gaze drag down to my mouth and stay there. I wait for a witty riposte, but he says nothing. His jaw tenses and when he swallows, I’m temporarily paralyzed watching the way his throat bobs.
Eventually, he clears his throat.
‘Phew,’ says Clio, fanning herself with an actual fan. ‘You two. How much longer do we have to wait until you bone?’
Oh my goodness.
I’d clean forgotten that Callum and I are standing right next to our clients and, indeed, squabbling in front of them. Something I promised I would categorically not do. This is so incompetent of me! I curse Callum and the fact that he muscled his way onto this trip. If he weren’t here I’d be cool, calm and collected. Brilliantevents planner Nina, at your service! Instead, his very presence is making me flustered and irritable, and I do believe I just threatened to leave puncture marks on his skin with my tiny vampire teeth in Clio’s presence. (I’m not counting Brody, he’s still very busy trying to open his snack.)
Mortifying. Unacceptable.
