‘Do they now?’ he drawls, lips quirked into a smile.
‘Yes, they do. Lots of people! All my clients. My friends and family. Basically everyone who isn’t you.’
‘I don’t doubt it,’ he says, locking gaze with me for way too long. To the uninitiated, Callum’s combination of startling green eyes and scholarly glasses is a heart-melter. He’s one of those rare breeds of ridiculously good-looking people who nobody seems to resent for having won the genetic lottery.
I remain impervious.
‘I had heard that you were coming on the trip, by the way,’ I say.
‘So why did you ask me what I was doing here? Wishful amnesia?’
I roll my eyes. ‘I meanthere, in the beauty hall.’
‘Oh.’ Callum looks around us and seems to remember where we’re standing. ‘I love it here, they always have such a good selection of products. I was going to do some shopping of my own when I spotted you.’
Finding that we have a love of duty-free and beauty products in common is unsettling to say the least. Thankfully my good friend caffeine is really helping me to keep things calm and casual.
‘Don’t let me stop you.’ I step back, waving dramatically around the aisles as if he should make the most of them immediately. A tiny tidal wave of coffee splashes out of the takeaway cup and I quickly lick the lid to stop it seeping over the sides.
Callum watches me steadily.
‘Nope.’ He shakes his head.
‘I’m sorry?’
‘You don’t get rid of me that quickly. Kat wants us to become sympatico, remember?’
My lip curls.
‘How could I forget?’
‘Well now, don’t soundtookeen, Moss.’
‘Oh come on, it’s not like you’re champing at the bit to spend the next twenty-four hours in transit with me, is it?’
‘I’m sure you’re notallbad.’
‘That’s funny, I was just thinking the opposite about you. Maybe we should just steer clear of each other for a while, hey? We’ve got a whole week of this, after all. Plenty of opportunity to, to …’
‘To?’
‘Collaborate,’ I eventually manage.
‘Ah yes, a week-long work trip full of collaboration. Sounds great.’
‘Doesn’t it?’
‘One problem though,’ he offers.
I can’t narrow my eyes any further because if I did, they would be completely closed. So instead, I ask: ‘Is it you?’
Callum sighs demonstratively.
‘It might be tricky to “steer clear” given that we’re on the same flight. We might even be sitting together.’
That horrifying thought has me pulling out my boarding pass.
‘31A,’ I read out.
