Page 85 of From Notting Hill with Love…Actually
I’d fled inside, leaving Sean still standing on his balcony. Now as I stood outside his room, thinking what a dope I’d just been, he opened the door to let me in.
“What on earth were you thinking of?” Sean asked, still looking at me strangely.
I shrugged as I walked past him into the room. “Don’t know, really—just seemed the natural thing to do at the time.”
“Right…” Sean said, closing the door behind me. He held up my note again. “I’m so sorry, Scarlett—if I’d known where you were tonight…”
“You’d have what?”
“I’d have cut short my dinner and come at once. I did try and phone you.”
“I know, but I accidentally left my phone in my room when I went out.” I walked over to the window and looked at the street below. They were just pulling the shutters down on the bistro opposite. I hoped they hadn’t seen me earlier, doing my Spiderman impressions. “So how was business tonight?” I asked casually, turning back to face the room again.
“Fine, why?”
“Where did you go?”
“Nowhere interesting really. Listen, you didn’t spendallnight on top of the Eiffel Tower alone, did you?”
“I might have done.”Twocanplayatavoidingthequestions, Sean.
“I’m really sorry, Scarlett. Honestly I am.”
Why was he being so nice to me? It must be guilt, because he certainly wasn’t telling me the truth about Jen.
“Have you eaten tonight?” Sean asked, looking about him for the room service menu.
“Have you?”
“Scarlett, what is this? Why aren’t you answeringanyof my questions?”
“Why aren’t you answering any of mine…truthfully?”
“What do you mean?”
Without looking at him, I walked away from the window and sat down at the desk. I picked up one of the hotel pens and doodled on the headed notepaper that lay in front of me. “Does the name Jen ring any bells with you, Sean?”
Sean jumped. “How do you know about Jen?”
Oops, how did I know? Oh yes…“I saw the two of you earlier—in the restaurant over the road.”
Sean’s eyes flickered toward the window for a moment. “Oh, I see. Yes, I did have dinner with Jen. It was a thank-you for her helping us out with the information about your mother—she’s the contact I was telling you about.”
“Did you not thinkImight like to thank her too?” I asked, swinging round in the chair to face him.
God, I was good. I could almost have been Reese Witherspoonat the end ofLegallyBlondeputting my client under pressure. But strangely, winding Sean up like this wasn’t as much fun as it should have been—he looked extremely uncomfortable as he tried to justify his actions to me.
“Yes, perhaps I should have asked you along as well. But,” he added brightly, as an excuse occurred to him, “I couldn’t, could I? Because I couldn’t get hold of you—the dinner was what I was trying to call you about earlier.” Sean gave a satisfied nod of his head and visibly relaxed again.
Damnyou, Sean—touché!
“Hmm, that’s true, I guess. So this Jen, is she just a work colleague?” I asked, pushing on ever further.
“Actually she…wait a minute,” Sean said, narrowing his eyes. “How do you know the person I was having dinner with was called Jen if you only saw us through a window?”
“I…er…”Nowhe’d got me.
“Did you hear us in here earlier, when you were out on the balcony? I didn’t think we were that loud—our voices must have carried.”
