‘No problem,’ James assured her, patting her hand. ‘It’s been a lovely evening and I’m quite tired myself.’
When they arrived at her room, he took her bag, retrieved her key card and opened the door for her, helping her inside before saying goodnight. She staggered over to the bed, flopped down and closed her eyes, her head spinning.
She woke up slowly, eyelids stuck together, feeling groggy and sluggish. After a moment’s panic, thinking she needed to get up and deal with Ezra, she remembered she wasn’t at home, and allowed herself to enjoy the dreamy moments of not quite being awake for a little while longer. When her eyes finally decided they had the will to open properly, she realised she desperately needed the loo.
Hauling herself out of bed, she noticed her dress and underwear hung neatly over the back of a chair, her shoes tucked underneath. Amazing what you manage to do when you’re drunk. She didn’t even remember getting undressed.
To be honest, she felt better than she’d thought she would. Her head didn’t hurt, just felt a bit woolly, her mouth dry as dust. Nothing that some orange juice and a good cup of coffee wouldn’t resolve. It was only when she’d finished dressing and was putting on her watch that she realised what time it was. Eleven o’clock! No wonder she felt muzzy-headed, with all that sleep. Quickly, she left her room, crossed the corridor and knocked on James’s door, but there was no answer. Not surprising, given the time, she thought as she walked towards the lifts. He’d probably had his breakfast and was enjoying the sunshine in the gardens somewhere.
She was thankful they’d decided to keep the morning free, booking some treatments in for the afternoon. James had insisted, even though she’d resisted initially, telling him that a weekend away was relaxing enough. A massage would be lovely, she thought. And a facial. Then she was getting her nails done. And at some point, when the time felt right, she’d have that conversation with James.
I should probably check in with Matt and Hailey. Real life took charge of her thoughts again as soon as she exited the lift into the foyer, all the worries scurrying out of their hidey-holes, so many things she hadn’t allowed herself to think about. Like Matt’s business and whether he was doing something illegal. Something that could get them into trouble. Like you did, a voice in her head reminded her. But I’m putting that right. Her fingers flexed. I am.
James was still in the dining room, reading his book, and he smiled at her when she arrived at the table.
‘Sleep well?’
‘Like a proverbial log.’ She sat down and poured a glass of orange juice from the jug on the table, gulped it down. ‘I don’t know when I last slept this late. Before I had kids, I suppose.’
James poured her a cup of coffee from the cafetière that had miraculously arrived on the table. ‘Well, you must have needed the rest. And there’s nothing to do today except relax.’
Relax? Fat chance of that happening. She stopped the ticking-off she was about to give herself and decided there would never be a right time to have the conversation with James. Now would have to do.
‘James, I need to talk to you properly about…’
He turned his back on her and signalled for the waiter to come over. She tutted, annoyed that he wasn’t listening, then hesitated and decided to wait. Can’t do anything on an empty stomach, she told herself, her thinking still a little foggy.
James turned to her. ‘Sorry, what were you saying?’
She gave him a quick smile, shook her head. ‘Nothing. Just… It’ll keep.’
He started chatting about his book – the latest Andy McNab thriller – and she sipped her coffee, no longer listening as she wondered how best to phrase her question, how to put herself in a position to negotiate. It was a tricky one, because as she saw it, if this was a game of poker they were playing, he had all the best cards.
‘I’ve got a couple of things to sort out,’ he said when her breakfast arrived. He held up his phone, as if that explained everything. ‘I’ll see you outside, shall I? In that seating area we picked out yesterday. I’ll be half an hour at the most.’
In one way, it was a relief that he’d gone, but it was frustrating too, as she’d just got herself psyched up for talking about the terms of their deal. Had he sensed that? By the time she had some food inside her, and another cup of coffee, her brain had started to function properly again, and a slow smile crept across her lips as a new idea formed.
By covering up her crime, James was an accessory. That’s right! He’s done something wrong too. And Fiona would use that in an instant to sack him. Which left them with stalemate. But that wasn’t a bad place to be, she decided as she mulled it over. Better that they were both in debt to each other, then she could repay him the money, nullify their deal and everything could get back to normal. How she longed for that.
Although James was the perfect gentleman, and she had enjoyed his company, there was something a little odd about him. His precision, the desire to buy her clothes, have her dress the way he wanted. Fiona’s warning rang in her mind again. Maybe it wasn’t jealousy that had made her speak out. Maybe she’d been talking to her as a friend. The more Sara thought about it, the greater her sense of unease, stirring the contents of her stomach, making her feel a little sick.
I don’t want to be here.
She wanted to be at home with her children and her husband, doing the things they always did on a Saturday. This was an alien environment. What was I thinking, imagining I’d been missing treats like this from my life? It was an empty pleasure compared to spending time with Ezra and the girls. And spending time with Matt? Well, that was something she needed to do more of too.
An urgent need to speak to her family swelled inside her, filling her chest until she couldn’t bear it, and she dashed outside to her car to retrieve her phone. It took her a moment to realise the battery was flat. With a silent scream, she slammed the car door and locked it before taking the phone up to her room to recharge.
Feeling more resolute now she had her bargaining position worked out, she plugged in the phone and waited for it to buzz to life. No messages. A twinge of hurt squeezed at her heart. You told them it was a no-phones weekend, she reminded herself. Still, it would have been nice to feel needed, or to know they were missing her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the dress draped over the chair. It suddenly felt like a symbol of James’s control. Was this what Fiona meant? she wondered, thinking of the way James had gradually been taking more of her time, slowly separating her from her husband and family. She gave a little shiver, and hung the dress up in the wardrobe, out of sight, along with the bag and the jewellery. He could have it all back. She didn’t want him to decide what clothes she would wear.
The more she thought about it, the odder it felt.
I’m going home, she decided. I’m going to have that chat, get this sorted, then I’m going.
She rang Matt. No answer.
She rang Hailey. No answer.
Where are they?
A knock on the door made her jump. She answered it to find James standing there.
‘I was waiting for you,’ he said, a note of impatience in his voice.
‘I’m going home.’ Sara opened the door wider to let him into the room. ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be here. I can’t relax.’ She caught the panic in his eyes, made herself go on. ‘I just feel too guilty. I should be with my family.’