Page 86 of From Notting Hill with Love…Actually
Thatwouldbethereason—yes!
“Yes, they did. I didn’t hear everything, though—only her name really because I was on the phone to David for most of the time.”
Sean looked relieved again. “Good. I mean I’m glad we weren’t too loud.”
“Why?” I inquired politely. “Were you shouting then? Was there a problem?”
“No, no problem. Look. I asked before if you’d eaten. Would you like me to order something up for you?” He reached across the desk for the room service menu.
“No, thanks, I had a snack at the top of the tower.”
Damn, I didn’t want to bring that up again.
“So youwereup there a long time?”
“A while…maybe I am a little peckish after all.” I pulled the menu away from Sean and began to examine it, eager to steer the subject quickly away fromthatembarrassing topic.
Sean snatched it back and knelt down in front of me.
“Hey, I was looking at that!” I cried, trying to take it back from him.
Sean held the menu away from me at arm’s length. “Not until you answer my questions.” He looked up at me in earnest. “Why did you ask me to meet you up there, Scarlett?”
“I told you, there’s a movie where—”
“Forget the movies for once. Is that the only reason?”
I looked down at Sean—his eyes were fixed firmly on my face; they didn’t waver. “I don’t know,” I said flippantly. “What other reason would there be?”
Sean closed his eyes, sighed, then sprang to his feet again. “Thatis just what I was rather hoping you might tell me, Scarlett.” It was his turn to walk over to the window now. He stood with his back to me, supposedly gazing out of it.
“Maybe I’m not telling you for the same reason you didn’t tell me about Jen being your ex-girlfriend?”
I saw Sean’s back stiffen, then he turned around.
“You heard that?”
I nodded. “I heard all of it, Sean. I know she was the one you told me about in Glasgow—the one who broke your heart.”
“I’m sure I didn’t say that,” Sean said lightly. “That sounds more like something Oscar would say.”
“I never discussed you and Jen with Oscar.”
“Oh.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” I said, standing up and joining him at the window. “I don’t mind if you want to see your ex while she’s in town, why would I?”
Sean shrugged. “I didn’t want to see her particularly. When I rang her for help, I thought she was in New York, not in Paris. I’d forgotten she’d be over here for fashion week. As far as I was concerned, if I’d never seen Jen again for as long as I lived, it would have been too soon. In fact, it was bad enough speaking to her over the phone.”
“Then why do it?” We were facing each other now and it was my turn to look up into his eyes. “Why did you even call her?”
“For you, Scarlett, you know that. I swallowed my stupid pride and called my ex-girlfriend to help you.”
We were moving closer to each other all the time. I should have moved away then, backed off before something happened I’d regret. But I couldn’t—Sean’s intense gaze paralyzed me. It buried itself deep within me, taking a hold in places I shouldn’t have allowed it to go.
“Now I’ve told you the truth about Jen, it’s your turn, Scarlett,” Sean said in a low voice, still not taking his eyes away from mine. “Why did you leave me this note?” He pulled the folded piece of paper from his pocket and held it up in between our two faces.
“I wanted to see if you’d come.”
