Page 95 of So, I Met This Guy . . .

‘Please. Allow me to send your luggage up to your room and one of our front desk will show you to the bar.’

Suddenly they were being escorted through the lobby and into the lounge.

‘Maybe he’s found out we’re following him,’ whispered Flick, her heart racing. Maybe they hadn’t found him, he’d found them.

‘And the hotel we’re staying in?’ Maggie didn’t look convinced. It didn’t make sense. How could that be? And yet, abruptly she felt sick with nerves. Was this it? Was this the moment?

Hearts thumping, minds racing, they were met by a waiter who led them past tables of hotel guests, over to a booth by the window where a man was sitting, his back turned away from them.

‘Señor?’

There was split second before the waiter got his attention. Later, it would transpire he’d been wearing his AirPods and listening to a true-crime podcast; they were his favourite, and he was just at the part where the killer was about to get caught red-handed . . . But then, abruptly, he saw them out of the corner of his eye and jumped up from his seat, flinging his arms out wide and yelling.

‘Surprise!’

And that’s when Flick got the shock of her life.

‘Rory?’

It’s Complicated

If there’s one thing in the world Flick didn’t like, it was surprises. Some people love them. Flick was not one of those people. Surprises made her deeply anxious. If the pressure to look pleased and happy and excited by this unexpected event wasn’t stressful enough, it was the sudden loss of control over the situation.

And as far as surprises go, having your boyfriend fly to Mallorca and show up at your hotel was one hell of a big one.

‘I can’t believe it. What are you doing here?’

It was a few minutes later and Flick was sitting in a booth with Rory, still staring at him in disbelief. After brief introductions, Maggie had made her excuses and gone up to their room. ‘I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it,’ she’d smiled, disappearing to take a shower. And now it was just the two of them.

‘Well, that’s not the welcome I was expecting,’ he laughed.

‘But how did you know where I was?’

‘Call me Sherlock.’ Winking, he tapped his nose.

‘No, seriously.’

‘We share the same hotel booking account, babe.’

Of course.

‘And I had the weekend off, so I thought I’d fly out and surprise you.’

‘Well, you certainly did that.’ She forced a bright smile, while trying to hide the complicated feelings inside her. There were many things she was feeling right now, but one of them definitely wasn’t lovebirds.

‘Good one, huh?’

‘Brilliant.’

They were interrupted by a waiter who came to take their drinks order. Rory ordered another beer. He was in shorts and T-shirt, thrilled to be in Spain. He’d got there earlier and was red from sitting in the sun. Flick realized she felt irritated by his surprise appearance. Also, she felt like a completely different person since she last saw him. Was it only a week? She’d changed so much and seen so much. She’d even hiked a volcano.

‘And a vodka tonic for the lady.’

‘Actually, can I have a negroni?’

Rory frowned. ‘What’s got into you? You always have a vodka tonic.’

‘I don’t know, I just fancied a change.’ Flick shrugged. ‘Have you had one? They’re delicious.’