Amy made a dismissive noise and avoided Kit’s eyes. ‘Interesting,’ he said to Sam, his tone dripping mischief. ‘I’ve known her eight years and she’s never mentioned you.’
‘I’m wounded,’ Sam complained, looking at Amy and flashing her an amused smile that suggested he was anything but. He folded his arms across his chest, which was clad in a white cotton shirt, sleeves rolled up to expose golden-skinned forearms. He eyed her speculatively.
Amy sighed and pouted at him. ‘I’m sure you’ll live.’
‘Are you two visiting?’ Sam asked, addressing Kit. ‘Is Amy showing you the sights?’
‘Kind of …?’ said Kit, looking at Amy as though he wasn’t sure what he was allowed to say.
‘I’m here for a while, actually,’ Amy said, her tone clipped and chilly.Channel Carolyn,she told herself.Be more Carolyn.
‘Ah,’ Sam nodded, swivelling in her direction. ‘Taking care of Grace?’
Amy dipped her head to confirm this, then took a deep breath to cover her ire. It was bad enough that Barbara, Dave and Gran’s other friends had known what was going on with her when Amy didn’t– but she was incensed that Sam Ainsworth of all people should have had the full picture while she remained ignorant.
‘Well then,’ Sam said smoothly, ‘no doubt I’ll see you around. I’ve been back here a few years now.’
‘Oh …?’ Amy said vaguely. She hadn’t expected this.
On the occasions when she’d looked him up on social media, usually late at night, it had always seemed as though he lived between London and whichever exotic location he was currently holidaying in.
She didn’t feel bad about stalking his Instagram from time to time– it was a perfectly normal thing to do in this day and age, she told herself. In any case, she mostly checked out Sam’s photos for the sake of curling her lip at them. He was typically in some sun-soaked, rich-person setting, surrounded by people who were doubtless called things like Tarquin and Barnaby and Araminta.
‘A story for another time, perhaps,’ Sam said, smiling as he retreated. ‘Have a nice evening.’
With that, he walked off in the direction of the bar. He settled on a stool and immediately became embroiled in conversation with Jed, who looked the same as he always had but with greyer, wilder hair.
Once Sam was safely out of earshot, Kit said: ‘You have some explaining to do, young lady.’
‘Urgh,’ was all Amy could manage by way of response.
‘He’s no one, I can’t even remember his name,’ Kit sing-songed, reminding Amy of the lie she’d told him earlier. How long had that taken to come back and bite her on the arse?
‘Spill,’ Kit instructed, before leaning back in his chair. ‘God, I wish I wasn’t driving. I could definitely sink another pint while you get into this.’
Amy put her face in her hands, willing the situation to go away. When she straightened up again and looked at Kit through her fingertips, his eyebrows were so high in his forehead they were mere millimetres from his hairline.
‘That was Sam,’ Amy said.
‘Yeah, he told me that himself. What I want to know is, who is he– orwashe– to you? My spidey senses are tingling.’
‘Sam is the son of the Viscount,’ Amy sighed.
Kit’s mouth dropped open. ‘Whoa. So he’s an aristo-in-waitingandlooks like Heath Ledger at his hottest? Clearly there are times when God gives with both hands.’
‘He looks nothing like Heath Ledger,’ Amy insisted, even though she could see what Kit meant.
‘Oh myGod,’ Kit said softly, closing his eyes as if in understanding. ‘He’s Heath Ledger and you’re that blonde lass– the one that wanted to get into Juilliard.’
‘What?’ Amy boggled at him.
‘Julia Stiles! That was her name. The actress who was inSave the Last Dance. Then inTen Things I Hate About You, opposite Heath.’
‘First-name terms now? You know I don’t watch romcoms.’
‘Ten Thingsis based on a Shakespeare play, I’ll have you know.The Taming of the Shrew. Heath and Julia bicker and argue all the while but are secretly hot for one another. That’s the vibe here, there’s no point denying it.’
Why did Kit always have to hit so close to the mark? It was infuriating. But there was no way Amy was going to admit to having harboured a continent-sized crush on Sam as a teenager– it was simply too embarrassing.
