‘Oh – great,’ he says with forced enthusiasm. ‘Sounds like you won’t even miss me.’
Both our eyes widen as his words hit their mark. He blinks, shakes his head, and looks away.
‘I only meant—’ He stops himself. Huh – maybe Ididn’tmisjudge things.
After a moment, he meets my eye and mentally I give him kudos, marvelling at how the tables have turned.
‘You only meant…?’ I ask, slipping the straw into my mouth and arching my eyebrows.
He grins. ‘Geez, Delaney – un-fucking-fair and you know it.’
I release the straw then smack my lips together. EvenI’mimpressed with this sex-kitten coquettishness. Who the hell is this gal?
‘Gah!’ he growls and the couple at the next table look over.
‘Shh,’ I whisper, leaning in close, ‘you’re scaring the tourists.’
‘Hah!’ he laughs.
I sit back and we lock eyes for a long beat.
‘Iwill, though,’ he says, his voice low and gruff.
‘Will what?’ I ask – no guile, no flirting this time, because I’ve completely lost the thread of our conversation.
He leans across and pins me with a potent look.
‘Miss you.’
‘Oh.’
And I’m right back to being the dorky gal from LA, the one who’swayout of her depth and trapped in a situation straight out of a frigging romcom.
22
NICK
I really shouldn’t have said that. Those words carry weight – it wasn’t just a throwaway remark. But I have no idea what the future holds for me and Delaney. Maybe my film will get made – maybe not. Maybe our paths will cross again in some other way. Maybe not.
What Idoknow is that I need be back in London when Pippa arrives the day after tomorrow. I can’t put this off any longer.
‘So,’ I say with a bright smile, ‘favourite John Hughes film?’
She watches me closely, not replying straight away. Will she let me off the hook, or press me on the other thing? She purses her lips and I get ready to explain myself.
‘Some Kind of Wonderful,’ she says, her eyes boring into mine. ‘Up there with the best screen kisses of all times.’
Oof.And here’s me thinking it was an innocuous question. She’s right about that kiss too – Keith and Watts in the garage…Supersexy. Only…
‘But wait – does that count?’ I ask. ‘Hughes wrote it, but it was directed by someone else.’
‘It counts,’ she says, not breaking eye contact. She’s let me off the hook for saying I’ll miss her, only to spear me with an entirely different hook.
‘Okay,’ I reply feebly.
‘And yours?’
‘I suppose I’d have to go withFerris Bueller.’