‘But what about our deal?’
She stepped away from him, not so confident now. ‘You covered up a criminal act by lending me that money, so the way I see it, if the truth comes out, you’re in as much trouble as me.’ At last she’d stood her ground, and she straightened her back, pulled herself up to her full height.
He looked startled, just for a second, then regained his composure and gave her a warm smile.
‘Look, why don’t you come into the garden? Let’s get a coffee and have a proper chat about this.’
She knew she’d feel happier talking about everything outside, where there were other people around, rather than in the confined space of her bedroom, so she followed him down the corridor. They made their way to the gardens, ordering coffee at reception on the way.
Sara perched on the edge of her chair, determined to get their discussion over with.
‘Don’t look so worried,’ James said, settling back in his seat. He smiled at her, eyes searching hers. ‘I’m just trying to treat you in the way you deserve, that’s all. I know it may seem strange, but it gives me pleasure to see you having a good time.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘And we did have a good time last night, didn’t we?’
She thought about their dinner, the easy chat, the laughter, and nodded. ‘Yes, we did. But the thing is… I’m homesick. I know that sounds daft, but I’ve never been away from the kids before, and although I might have yearned for this type of weekend, the reality is different. You know Matt’s being really awkward and suspicious, and now I’ve started thinking about it, I can’t relax. I need to go home. Be with my family.’
James pressed his lips together, thoughtful. He picked up his coffee and took a sip before putting the cup carefully back on the saucer. ‘I don’t want to bully you into spending time with me.’ He looked a little sad, and she realised she’d been insensitive, perhaps hurt his feelings. ‘But a deal’s a deal.’
‘I can pay you back.’ This was her trump card, and she saw the surprise in his eyes, felt a moment of triumph, like she had the upper hand for once. ‘Matt’s finished his contract, so he’ll get paid soon. I can pay you some of the money, if not all of it.’
He stared at her, an intensity in his blue eyes that she hadn’t seen before, and she looked away, hands fidgeting in her lap. It was all she could do to stop herself from getting up and making a run for it back to her room.
‘Well, I’m pleased for you.’ The curtness in his voice suggested the opposite. ‘But until that money is in my account, our deal has to stand, doesn’t it?’ He sighed. ‘I think you’ve got me all wrong, though, Sara. I’m not trying to make life hard for you. I’m just a friend, someone who wants to look after you. And now you’re going to run back to that yob of a husband.’ He held up a hand. ‘Sorry. No offence, but I can…’ He took a deep breath, his voice gentle, pleading. ‘Why don’t we stick with plan A? Just for this weekend. I’ve booked the treatments for this afternoon. Then we can have a lovely dinner tonight. You get another good night’s sleep and we’ll leave before lunch tomorrow instead of staying the whole day. How about that? Just allow yourself to relax and be treated for once in your life.’
She thought about the massage, how nice that would be, how much she needed her muscles untangling, all the stress smoothed away. She glanced at him and he gave her a hopeful smile. ‘Nobody’s expecting you home until tomorrow. Your family will have made their own plans, and to be honest, it’s good to let them try and manage without you. Then they’ll understand what you do for them and they might treat you a bit better.’
She bit her lip as she wavered.
He carried on. ‘I know I can trust you, Sara. I know you’re an honourable woman. I know taking the money was a moment of madness, a mistake. And I know you’ll pay me back one day. But…’ he shrugged, ‘humour me, however strange it may seem. I like making people happy; it has value to me. So our deal stands, but just until the money is in my account, okay?’
She let his words sink in, still torn, part of her wanting to run home, another part yearning for time to herself so she could work out what had happened to her life and who she could really trust. She studied his face, his eyes imploring her to stay. He looked like a dog waiting for its owner to decide if it was time to go for a walk, scrutinising her every move. She thought about the time they’d spent together. Although he’d been attentive, he’d never made a move to seduce her, even when she’d been a bit drunk the night before. He’d only ever been kind to her.
‘This has to be the last time. The last favour,’ she said.
He smiled and finished his coffee. ‘Is wanting to look after a friend such a bad thing?’
She had to admit that it wasn’t. And so she stayed.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The rest of the day passed in a pleasant blur of treatments, and by the evening, the stress had been kneaded from her muscles, her skin was silken, her nails perfect and her face glowed. Never had she felt so pampered. But it was tiring work, this relaxation, and by the end of their evening meal, her limbs were so heavy it was a job to lift a spoon to eat her dessert.
After her conversation with James, she understood this was about him being lonely and needing somebody to lavish attention on, and she felt more comfortable about the situation. It was sad that he’d got to the age of forty-five and was alone, nobody to share his life with, but that wasn’t her problem. He knew their deal was nearing its end, which meant this was the last time they’d be having dinner together and despite everything, that made her a little despondent. Once she’d got over her initial nerves, it had been nice to get out of the house on her own, nice to experience the company of a different type of man to her husband. And if she was being honest, she’d miss James’s attentiveness.
A pleasant and slightly strange interlude, she told herself. She’d still see him at work; Matt couldn’t argue with that. They could still do lunch, if they were careful. Friends. It was a thought that warmed her heart, because James had added a new dimension to her life that she rather enjoyed. Innocent bordering on the illicit.
When she nearly fell asleep in her dessert for the second time, she remembered the therapist’s warning that she might feel weary after the massage, something to do with expelling toxins. ‘I’m sorry, James. That was a lovely meal and I hate to cut the evening short, but I’m dead on my feet here. I’m going to have to have an early night.’
He dabbed at his mouth with his napkin, finished his wine and gave her an indulgent smile. ‘No problem. Here, let me make sure you get back to your room. Can’t have you falling asleep in the lift.’ He stood and offered her his arm for support as they made their way to the foyer. ‘I bumped into a friend, actually, while you were having your massage, so I’ll probably go and have a drink with him. He’s on his own, I think he said.’
Sara was relieved that at least James would have some company for the rest of the evening, her focus now on getting to bed. She stumbled out of the lift and down the corridor to her room, glad of James’s support.