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Onceoutside, he sucked in a deep breath, wondering if he should say goodbye to her.
No.Heshould leave now.Gostraight home, callJess, and get an early night before his meeting withConnortomorrow.
Hewas about to start towards the tube whenFrancescaappeared next to him, laden with bags.Theexhaust-heavyLondonair swirled around them.
‘Thatwas one hell of a wedding,’ she said casually.
Henarrowed his eyes at her.Hewondered what had happened with her andNorman.Werethey still together?Whathad she been up to for the last five years?Wasshe still making documentaries?
‘Fancya drink?’ he asked, surprising himself.Thethought had completely skipped his frontal cortex and gone straight to his mouth.
Hewas even more surprised when she said, ‘Yeah, sure.’
Shit,balls, and bollocks.Whatwas shedoinghere?
Thelast thingFrancescawanted was a tell-all reunion.Andyet here she was, surrounded by their bags at a corner table in theBleedingHart, watchingKrishorder drinks at the bar while she tore up a beermat.Hesmiled his wide smile at the barmaid, who was laughing with him about something.Ofcourse she was.EverybodylovedKrish.
Todayhad been a trial.Betweenthe best man’s grabby hands, her ex-boyfriend turning up, and the dull pain in her abdomen, this wedding had sucked beyond the usual.Larry, as it happened, had taken a shine to her and had chatted and joked with her all day like she was one of his gang.Buthis friendship had an edge to it.Itreminded her ofPike, her childhood dog.Onesecond he’d be licking her and begging for attention.Thenext, he’d try to sink his teeth into her.Larryfelt a bit like that.Shesaw him flip when the bride’s brother made an inane, but harmless, joke.Onesecond they were laughing and then—fangs out.Shewas glad to escape before she’d experienced his bite.
Krishreturned to the table, moving with his casual, leonine grace: the walk of a man who was confident that the world was on his side.Sheused to envy this quality in him, his self-belief and the faith that everything would work out.She’dlove just an ounce of that.
Hepassed her the vodka, lime, and soda.Theirfingers grazed, and her hand jerked involuntarily, spilling some drops on the table.Unfazed,Krishsat down and removed his tie, tucking it into his camera bag.Ashe undid the first few buttons of his shirt, a hint of dark hair peeked out.Sheremembered hours spent in bed, running her hands through it.
‘Cheers,’ she said, lifting her drink.
‘Cheers.’
Theyboth took a sip and slipped into silence.
Hecleared his throat. ‘I, um, can’t stay too long.I’vegot to call my girlfriend soon, check in.’
Smooth, she thought.Hecouldn’t have crowbarred the mention of a girlfriend into the conversation any less conspicuously if he’d tried.
Francescaleaned back into the shadows and crossed her arms.Sohe had a serious girlfriend…that was good.Safe.Evenso, she had to concentrate to keep her voice steady when she said, ‘Sohow have you been?Areyou still assistingConnorKnight?’
Hesipped his beer. ‘Yup.Connor’son a round-the-world trip with his wife and baby right now.Prettymuch handed me his business while he’s gone.’
Shebit her lip and shook her head.
‘What?’ he asked, all innocence.
‘Jammybugger.’Theireyes met and they laughed before retreating into their drinks again.Shealways used to tease him about how opportunities seemed to fall into his lap.
Krishstrummed his long, tapered fingers on the table. ‘Andyou?Whathave you been up to?Areyou still…are you still withNorman?’
Norman?That’sright.She’dnamed her relationship-wrecking mystery lover afterNormanBatesinPsycho. ‘No, we broke up.’Herchest tightened.Anotherlie on the pile.
‘Oh.I’msorry,’ he said in a voice that implied the opposite.
Shehad to move the conversation away from this line of questioning. ‘Soare you still torturing girlfriends withBollywoodfilms?’
Hethrew his head back and laughed, treating her to his infectious smile. ‘No,Ilearned my lesson there.’
‘Whatwas the name of that one you made me suffer through?’Sheknew exactly what it was called.She’dwatched it at least ten times since they’d broken up.
‘DilwaleDulhaniaLeJayenge.’
‘OrasIcall it “ThreeHoursofMyLifeI’llNeverGetBack.”’Shepropped her head on her hand.
