Page 12 of The Last Saturday In July
Any moment now, Jess’s face would burst into flames. Forcing herself to stay calm, she turned and crossed the foyer.
But Adam reached the door a fraction of a second before her and opened it before stepping aside. ‘After you.’
Jess folded her arms tightly across her chest, every nerve in her body tingling as she stepped past him.
Wordlessly, they crossed the road to Butlers, as Jess struggled to think. If she’d learned nothing else from yoga, it was that brain fog was the first symptom of panic.
At the counter, Adam turned to her. ‘What would you like?’
Right now, she’d love an entire bottle of gin. ‘A latte, please.’
‘One latte, one black coffee.’
They stood in silence as the coffees were made, then Adam gestured to a table nearby. ‘Let’s sit down.’
Jess’s legs were like jelly as she slid onto a chair, surreptitiously glancing at her left hand. She’d worn her engagement ring for two days after Simon had given it to her, before almost leaving it behind in the loos, when she’d taken it off to wash her hands. After that, she’d told Simon she didn’t want to risk losing it and had tucked it away in its box.
Adam met her eyes across the table. ‘It’s good to meet you … again.’
If there was any justice at all, Jess thought, the ground would open obligingly for her. Or better still, for him. Why couldn’t she even get a one-night stand right? She wondered how much he remembered, or how much he’d guessed. Maybe he assumed that she regularly went clubbing in a white tutu and neon-pink T-shirt, withRIDE-IN-TRAININGin big iron-on letters across her chest. After theBhad fallen off, her T-shirt had made no sense. Although no doubt Declan-slash-Adam figured it made perfect sense.
Jess stared at her coffee and realised she’d gone right off it. She folded her arms more tightly around her. ‘Why did you tell me your name was Declan?’
‘Ah. It’s actually my first name, so it’s on my passport. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lie, it just seemed easier to use it when we were on the ferry together and then, well, at the hotel.’ He looked a bit sheepish. ‘Adam is my middle name, but it’s the one I use.’
Just not for a drunken one-night stand. Jess focused on the small table between them. ‘I had no idea who you were.’
‘Me neither. Look, it was just one of those things. We were attracted to each other, and we had sex.’ He shrugged.
Jess blinked hard and concentrated on keeping her voice steady. ‘Don’t mention it, I’d forgotten about it.’
‘Really?’
She looked up. Clearly, she wasn’t fooling him for a moment. Hardly able to meet his eye, she did her best to sound dismissive. ‘As you said, it was sex, nothing more. And nothing special.’
His eyes narrowed, but he finished his coffee before he spoke again.
‘Glad I made an impression. I guess we’ll write it off to experience.’
Briefly, Jess wondered how it was possible to feel this hot and sweaty without exercise. Taking a deep breath, she adopted her most dignified tone.
‘Don’t let me keep you, I want to finish my coffee.’
‘I’ll need somewhere to work,’ he said briskly, ‘What’s your office like?’
She’d rather quit than work at close quarters with him. ‘Tiny. I’m sure you’ll find somewhere, though.’
‘Fine. As soon as you can, let’s talk about this wedding. It’s the reason I’m here.’
The reminder pulled Jess straight back to reality. The chemistry might have sizzled between them that one night, but in the cold light of day Declan Adam Rourke was all business. Which would make working with him easier.
She spoke coolly. ‘I have to go down to Linford on Friday afternoon to meet the couple and their wedding planner. They’re flying in to see the hotel. I’ll know more after that.’
‘Perfect, we can go together, I’ll drive.’
‘There’s no need for both of us to go.’ She tried not to sound panicky.
Adam gave her a long look. ‘Jess, I’m sure you grasp the enormity of this for the group. We’ve poured millions into Linford and all eyes will be on this wedding. If the high rollers like what they see, they’ll come. But we need to make it pay. Fast.’
