‘Lots you don’t know about me, Mia.’
‘Clearly.’ Her gaze swept away from the Lowry and across the quays. ‘Yet why do I have a sneaky feeling you brought me here not for the galleries, but so you can ogle Old Trafford?’
Laughter shot out of him. ‘Christ, you’re way too smart for me.’ But he grabbed her hand and tugged her in the direction of the Lowry. ‘Still, as we’re here, you should cross this one off your list.’
They didn’t spend long studying the paintings, neither of them knowing much about art.
‘I think my etchings would have been better,’ he murmured to her at one particularly weird canvas of swirls and splodges.
She stifled a giggle, and his chest puffed out a little. Making her laugh was becoming one of his favourite pastimes. ‘Maybe, but then I would have had to go to your flat to see them.’ She gave him a sly smile. ‘As you’ve pointed out, I’m too smart to fall for that.’
Yeah, he couldn’t deny she had his number.
They moved on to the next gallery; the permanent exhibition of Lowry paintings.
‘He used to live in Salford,’ he told Mia as she came to a stop in front of one of Lowry’s famous industrial landscapes. ‘I kind of have a soft spot for his matchstick people.’
They stood next to each other, studying the picture, and Luke was acutely aware of everything about her. How she smelt – floral with a hint of spice – the warmth of her body. The soft look of her hair, which his hands itched to touch.
‘I love how he didn’t care about the usual rules and conventions.’ Mia lifted her shoulders. ‘He did his own thing.’
Luke slid her a look. ‘Is that a rebellious streak you’ve got there?’
‘I’m not a rebel.’ Her eyes remained fixed on the painting. ‘But I hate to be pigeon-holed. People making assumptions based on how I look or what I do for a living.’
‘Is that the reason for the coloured streaks in your hair? You want to keep people guessing?’
Another shrug. ‘I decided way back when I was in school that I wasn’t going to invest time and energy in trying to be something I wasn’t. I mean, I enjoyed maths, so why say I didn’t? Sure, I got the mick taken out of me, but that was easier to cope with than having to pretend all the time.’
‘What you see is what you get, huh?’
Her lips curved in a smile that added sparkle to her eyes. ‘Exactly right.’
Unable to resist, he nudged his arm against her shoulder. ‘I like what I see, Mia Abbott.’
A faint flush crossed her cheeks. ‘Yeah?’
‘Most definitely.’ An odd lump settled in his throat. Shit, he had a feeling he more than liked this woman. As if she sensed his churning emotions, her eyes widened and the air around them filled with a taut silence. ‘You’re without doubt the best Smurf I’ve toured Manchester with.’
Her answering laugh was so loud people turned to look at them, but Luke didn’t care. The tension was broken, and his chest felt free again.
‘Come on, let’s get out of here before we’re kicked out. We can grab a quick coffee on the quay.’ He took her hand – he loved the feel of his fingers wrapped around hers – and led her out towards one of the cafés that lined the canal. As it was a rare sunny day in Manchester, they opted for the outdoor seating and ordered two lattes.
‘How did you get on with Sandy the other day?’ he asked as the waitress placed their drinks in front of them.
‘Good. She told me how she wants the website to look and gave me all the social media links to incorporate.’ Her lips quirked in a half-smile. ‘Apparently I have to like the new Facebook page.’
He smiled sheepishly at her. ‘Sorry, she can be pushy at times.’
‘Maybe, but she’s also really nice.’
‘Sometimes she’s nice.’ Luke took a sip of the coffee. ‘Sometimes she’s a giant pain in my backside.’
Mia laughed softly. ‘Only because she cares about you.’ Across the table, she caught his eye. ‘She told me you ended things with Tanya.’
Her statement caught him by surprise. ‘Yes.’ Was she making conversation or was she interested? ‘It didn’t seem right to keep seeing her when I’ve got my eye on someone else.’
‘Oh?’ Her gaze avoided his. ‘Is it Michele? Her hair is amazing, so sleek it’s like a flaming shampoo advert. And did you know her nails are natural?’ Mia glanced down at her short, unvarnished nails. ‘Sometimes I wish I could grow mine. Just a bit, so they don’t look like I chew them. Which I kind of do now and again, so I guess it’s my fault.’
Luke struggled not to laugh. ‘You think that’s what guys look for in a woman? Nice hair and nails?’
‘On current evidence, it seems to be what you look for.’
‘It isn’t.’ He hesitated, unsure whether to say the words that hovered over his tongue. Surely there was no point hiding what was so blinking obvious? ‘You know who I was referring to, Mia.’ Immediately a blush swept over her face and this time, when she darted him a glance, she looked uncomfortable. Maybe some things were better left unsaid. ‘But it’s okay,’ he added quietly. ‘I’m enjoying life with this really cool, funny girl just as it is.’ When her eyes lifted to his, he smiled. ‘Turns out non-dating is more fun than I thought.’
A slow smile started across her face, and when it reached her eyes, the blueness was as vivid as he’d ever seen it. ‘You mean that?’
He nodded. It was the truth, though if she wanted more, he’d give her it in a heartbeat. ‘Especially when my non-date decides galleries are okay, but what she really wants to do this afternoon is go on a tour of Old Trafford.’
Mia threw back her head and laughed, the sound so infectious he ended up laughing, too. God, she was gorgeous, so natural, so pretty, even though she’d probably hate him for calling her that.
The phone he’d left on the table buzzed, and he glanced at the screen.
I’m around next week. Hope we can get together. Vicky x
Damn, there was still one more loose end to tie up.
When he looked back over at Mia, she quickly averted her eyes, pretending an interest in a couple who were trying, unsuccessfully, to encourage their toddler into a pushchair.
Had she seen?
After settling the bill, he took her hand again and led her towards the footbridge that crossed the canal. The one that would bring them out at the Theatre of Dreams.
‘We’ll have to up the pace if we’re going to make it in time for the five o’clock tour.’
Her head snapped round to his. ‘You booked it already?’
Say yes, he’d be presumptuous. Say no, he’d be a liar. He gave Mia his most winning smile. ‘Maybe?’
She rolled her eyes, yet the smile that had been so full, so easy a few minutes ago looked strained now, and Luke’s heart sank. Of course she’d seen the bloody text. He supposed there was a chance she was annoyed because she was jealous, yet more likely she was annoyed because she felt he was being less than truthful with her.
What was certain was that Vicky’s text had considerably dented his chances of persuading Mia he wasn’t the player she had him down as.