‘Thanks for walking me home,’ Amy whispered as she scrambled up onto the window ledge and pushed her way into the house.
‘That’s OK,’ Sam said, smiling again. ‘I’ve been waiting for an excuse all year– constantly thwarted by Hari and his driving licence.’ Then his face fell and he frowned. ‘Do you really think he’ll be alright with this?’ He moved his hand to indicate his proximity to Amy.
‘I really do,’ Amy promised him. ‘Trust me, I’ll talk to him. He’s going to be fine about it.’
‘Really?’ Sam said doubtfully. ‘How can you be so sure?’
‘Because,’ Amy said, poking the top half of her body out of the window and reaching for his hand, ‘thisleaves less time for what he refers to as our “relentless bickering”.’
Sam smiled then, giving in to her good humour. He stretched up to kiss her one last time before disappearing into the darkness.
‘Relentless bickering?’ he murmured, laughing. ‘Something tells me we’ll always find time for that.’
ROWTON-IN-ARDEN & COPLEY HERALD ONLINE
06:21 GMT
Saturday 21 June 2008
LOCAL TEEN DIES IN RIDGE LANE CRASH
A Rowton-in-Arden teenager has been killed in a car crash on Ridge Lane– the most serious incident to occur at the ‘accident hotspot’ in recent years.
Hari Chauhan was travelling in a Vauxhall Corsa towards Copley on Friday afternoon, apparently on his way to a venue where a birthday party was due to be held that evening.
The 51-year-old driver of a Ford Transit van, which was seriously damaged in the collision, has been treated for minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. The cause of the crash is not yet clear.
Kenneth Bradley, principal at Shakespeare’s County Sixth Form College where Chauhan studied, said: “Words can’t convey my heartbreak at this news. Hari was among our most gifted students and had such a bright future ahead of him.”
Chauhan, expected to achieve four A level A-grades, was due to take up a place to study law at Balliol College, Oxford, this autumn.
A spokesperson for Warwickshire Police commented: “Friday’s incident is the most horrific we’ve seen in the Rowton area for many years. The loss of this young man is simply tragic.”
Police are asking for anyone who witnessed the collision to notify them immediately. Information can be provided via the incident hotline, on 0800 545 123.
Chapter 1
‘One for the road,’ Kit announced, plonking a cocktail down on the table in front of Amy. They were in a dimly lit Mayfair bar that seemed to be ninety per cent mirror. Almost every surface was shiny– made of glass, granite or some polished metal that meant you had to look at yourself from a new angle each time you moved your head.
The place was heaving, which wasn’t surprising given it was Saturday night. Everyone in here was tall, slender, attractive and well dressed– no doubt because anyone with a normal amount of appearance-based insecurity wouldn’t be able to stand more than a few minutes of constant confrontation with their own reflection.
While catching sight of herself every few seconds wasn’t exactly enjoyable, Amy did like the fact that most people in this place were far more interested in themselves than others. In that sense it was rather like a mini London: a sea of individuals pursuing independent courses who, quite frankly, had neither the time nor inclination to wonder who you were or where you were going. She liked the anonymity this afforded: the freedom to wander the city streets alone and unencumbered.
‘Kit,’ Amy moaned as he sat down opposite her. ‘You said you were going to the gents! I was supposed to head home almost an hour ago. Also, this place is really starting to get to me … I think I need to do some sort of pore-minimising face mask, or maybe get one of those electric toning wands that shrink your jowls.’
‘You donothave jowls,’ Kit said, rolling his eyes. ‘And your pores are fine. Now drink up and stop complaining. It’s weeks since I’ve seen you properly, and it’s your birthday eve! We’re supposed to be celebrating.’
Amy pulled her glass further towards her and assessed its contents. The heavy-bottomed tumbler was full of orange liquid, its sugared edge garnished with lime and a lurid red cherry. The drink smelled sweet but strong: cloyingly alcoholic. ‘Mai Tai?’ she guessed, lifting the glass.
‘Got it in one,’ Kit said, clinking his martini against it. Amy sipped her drink, enjoying the burn-y sensation that bloomed in her throat as multiple spirits slipped down it.
‘So, what’s Hugh got planned for you tomorrow? Assuming he doesn’t bin you off for being back late, obviously.’
Amy cringed and took another gulp of Mai Tai. Kit and Hugh didn’t particularly like one another, and neither bothered to make a secret of the fact. Kit was Amy’s best friend: they’d hit it off eight years ago on her first day at Howard-Knight Publishing, where all three of them worked.
Kit suspected that Hugh was unhappy about how close they were, despite Kit’s dating life mostly involving buff guys he met at the gym. Though Amy refused to admit it, Kit wasn’t far wrong.In truth, Hugh was uncomfortable with Kit’s obvious hotness. He looked a lot like the guy who played the Duke of Hastings in the first season ofBridgerton– and although she’d never felt even slightly attracted to him, he was, objectively speaking, very pretty indeed.
Kit’s antipathy to Hugh occasionally hit nerves that Amy wished he’d steer clear of. While she could live with criticism of what Kit called Hugh’s ‘middle-aged man at Harvey Nicks’ wardrobe and questionable taste in music (like an idiot, she’d let slip that he owned several James Blunt albums), rants about her boyfriend’s ‘possessive psycho streak’ made her uncomfortable. Granted, worrying excessively about what time she’d be home wasn’t Hugh’sbestquality, but by most people’s standards he had all the makings of A Great Boyfriend. He was clever, handsome and financially solvent, as well as good company … most of the time. What’s more, his personal hygiene was impeccable and his flat was always tidy. In short, Hugh was a fully functioning adult– something an alarming number of men, in Amy’s experience, definitely couldn’t claim to be.
