Page 70 of Hot Girl Summer

“While the shoulder injury is quite visibly painful right now, you may start to notice pain in other areas of your body; your muscles, ligaments, soft tissue. It’s completely normal, but I just want you to be prepared.”

Dr Khan takes a deep breath, and smiles underneath her surgical mask. “The good news is that this is temporary, and will most likely be relieved by taking a few days to rest and recover. A combination of ice and over-the-counter pain medication will help to reduce the pain and inflammation, then you should be right as rain. I’d also strongly advise that you take a few days off work, just until the swelling subsides. If it takes longer than seven days, your GP can issue you with a fit note.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“No need to thank me. I’m just glad it wasn’t serious for you. Take care of yourself, and make sure you keep nice and warm.”

“I’ll look after her. Thanks again.” Danny says.

En route, we stop off at my house to pick up a couple of changes of clothes, my phone charger, toothbrush and contraceptive pill. With Stefan and James both working, Danny manages to convince me to stay with him for a few days while he works from home. It makes sense, and in all honesty, I don’t have much of a say in the matter. Unsurprisingly, Stefan and James are totally on board. They’ve been riding that Danny train since that first night in Lilura.

Along the seafront road, we pull into a private estate, through a gated driveway, then park up outside a large, white and grey three-storey dwelling. Again, I question my life status because I feel like I’ve died. This house looks like it belongs on a Pinterest board or one of those Instagram home accounts.

As soon as Danny opens the front door, a cream-coloured golden retriever comes bounding towards us.

“There’s my beautiful girl,” he says, bending down to pet her. She looks so happy; I swear she’s smiling. “This is Penny.”

“Nice to meet you, Penny,” I say, bending down and adopting a light, friendly voice, like I’m speaking to a small child. With a closed fist, I offer my hand to her, and turn to face Danny. “Like Johnny’s partner in Dirty Dancing?”

The golden-haired pup makes my acquaintance, then fusses over Danny once again, wagging her tail so hard, it looks like it’s about to fall off.

“Weird take, but no. Like Penny Lane."

"The Beatles song?"

"Exactly."

The space is vast, with a large, open plan kitchen and living area with dark oak flooring, white furnishings and white walls throughout, and a staircase with glass panels leading up to a mezzanine area.

Even though I feel like I’ve just walked into a Home and Garden magazine photoshoot, the cream and taupe accents create an elegant, homely feel. Still, I don’t want to sit down or touch anything for fear of breaking something, and I have no idea how dirty I am from the fall.

“I know, baby girl. Daddy’s home early.”

It melts my heart to see this side of him. Father figure. Animal lover. Budding economist. God, this man.

He scratches Penny's ear for a few moments, before she bounds off again, and leaps onto a chunky knitted blanket on the sofa. He glances at his watch. “Actually, not that early. Have you eaten anything today?” he asks me.

I think about the limp salad that stared me down while I listened to my mother sobbing on the phone. It’s the last thing I ate—and I’d barely touched it. “Not really.”

He loosens his tie, pulls it over his head and undoes the top button of his white dress shirt, then cocks his head towards Penny. The shock must be having an effect, because my body temperature has skyrocketed. It’s a wonder I’m still alive after that display.

“Will you be okay here while I take this one for a walk? I’ll grab some food on the way back. Anything in particular you fancy?”

“I’ll come with you.”

“No, you heard the doctor, you need to rest.”

Considering we’ve known each other less than a month, I find it hard to believe that he trusts me to be alone in his house. Which goes to show how wary I am of people.

“Then something food-shaped and delicious will do,” I say, smiling.

I take up residence on the couch, and before Danny leaves, he prepares a small stockpile for me; the remote control, an ice pack for my shoulder, a glass of water, a cup of tea, and a blanket—even though the weather outside is stifling. He shows me the direction of the bathroom, and leaves his number in case I need to call him.

Our earlier conversation regarding the origin of Penny’s name sparks nostalgia, and I feel inspired in the form of eighties romance movies. Imagine my surprise when I find Dirty Dancing, one of my favourites, on a streaming service, and the discovery dampens every urge I have to snoop.

Ninety minutes later, Patrick Swayze’s iconic line feeds through the surround sound as Penny bounds through the front door and jumps onto the couch beside me. She gives me a little sniff and a nuzzle, then settles on her blanket while I stroke the back of her neck.

“I’ll be right back,” Danny says, briefly checking both us girls are okay before he disappears again. When he returns a few minutes later, he sets down a takeaway pizza box, and a small, rectangular deli box on the coffee table.

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