Jill Mansell - Falling for you

By the time the brunette emerged from her cubicle, Maddy had installed herself in front of the sinks and was brushing blusher onto her cheeks. She smiled at the brunette in a friendly fashion, via the mirror in front of them both, and the brunette politely smiled back.

See? That was all it took to show other people you were a nice person.

‘Busy tonight,’ said Maddy, by way of getting the conversational ball rolling.

‘Um, yes.’ The brunette squirted liquid soap onto her hands and began washing them.

‘Quite hot, too. I’m baking!’ Maddy beamed and energetically fanned herself. ‘Good music, though.’

‘Absolutely.’ Having finished at the sink, the girl gave her hands a good shake and moved over to the hot-air dryer.

Hmm, not exactly a chatterbox. In desperation, Maddy said, ‘I just love your shoes. They’re incredible!’

‘Uh, thanks.’

‘Where did you get them?’

The brunette frowned. ‘Gosh, I can’t remember. Faith, I think.’

‘Well, they’re brilliant.’ This was definitely the way to go about it. Since marching up to complete strangers and asking really quite personal questions was generally regarded as impertinent –

unless you were Michael Parkinson – Maddy had decided to go the more subtle route and become the brunette’s friend. Then with a bit of luck, once they were chatting away as if they’d known each other for years, the subject would just naturally crop up. OK, maybe with a bit of a nudge in the right direction, but still. ‘I bought a great pair of boots in Faith last year,’ Maddy said brightly. ‘Grey denim, with silver studs up the sides. Remember them?’

The brunette frowned. ‘Remember them? I’m sorry, do I know you?’

‘Oh no, I just meant do you remember seeing them in the shop?’ Seizing the opportunity, Maddy put down the lipstick she was currently applying and held out her hand. ‘How rude of me not to introduce myself. My name’s Maddy.’

‘Right!’ After a moment’s hesitation, the brunette shook hands. ‘Um, Annalise.’

Annalise. Nice name. Maddy pictured Kerr saying it and had to force herself to smile. Was there a way she could ask yet about boyfriend-type stuff without sounding pushy? How about if

‘Well, bye.’ Having hastily gathered up her lilac bag, Annalise made a dash for the door and disappeared.

Chapter 53

‘ Hi,’Dave exclaimed. ‘I was beginning to wonder where you’d got to!’

‘Oh, right.’ It was hard to concentrate on Dave when all she could think about was Annalise currently queuing up for drinks at the bar less than six feet away.

‘I bought you a glass of wine,’ Dave said eagerly, waving it in front of Maddy’s face. ‘You don’t need to queue up.’

‘That’s so kind.’ Maddy looked suitably grateful. ‘And I’ll buy you a drink in return, I promise, but could you do me a huge favour and leave me alone for five minutes? It’s just, there’s someone I really want to talk to.’

Dave’s pudgy chipmunk cheeks quivered with disappointment. He held up his paws ... hands, in defeat. ‘Fine, I know when I’m not wanted.’

Feeling terrible, but not that terrible, Maddy said, ‘You are wanted—’

‘But not until the better-looking bloke’s turned you down. Don’t worry,’ Dave sighed. ‘I’m used to it.’

Honestly, life would be so much easier if only she could fall for a nice man who looked like a chipmunk. Ooh, gap in the crowd .. .

‘Hello again!’ Having wriggled through, Maddy beamed at Annalise, who was with her blonde friend.

‘Oh, hello.’ This time Annalise’s shoulders visibly stiffened and her tone was wary. Since flattery had seemed to work well last time, Maddy exclaimed, ‘Gosh, look at your eyelashes!’

Which, in the absence of a mirror, was probably impossible.

Startled, the girl said, ‘What?’

‘Your eyelashes. They’re so long! You lucky thing, how on earth did you get them to grow like that?’

‘They’ve, um, always been long.’ Annalise was attempting to back away now. ‘Actually, I don’t think we’ll have that drink. Maybe I’ll ring my boyfriend and ask him to come and pick us up.’

Maddy tensed; why had she deliberately emphasised the word boyfriend? Did she know? Why were she and her friend exchanging significant glances? For heaven’s sake, it wasn’t as if she was a mad axe-woman – why couldn’t she just ask Annalise a few simple questions and find out what she wanted to know?

Then again, nothing ventured .. .

‘What’s your boyfriend’s name?’

Annalise said, ‘Right, we really should be making a move. Come on, Bren. Let’s go.’

Avoiding her eyes, the two girls slipped away. As they left, Maddy saw Annalise take a mobile phone out of her bag. Honestly, why did life have to be so complicated?

And where was Paul McKenna when you needed him? He could have quickly hypnotised Annalise, asked the relevant questions, discovered all he needed to know then de-hypnotised her, leaving her none the wiser.

Infact, why wasn’t Paul McKenna a member of the SAS? Or was he?

‘You’re not dancing!’ shouted Kate, materialising hot and breathless at her side. ‘Come on, you’re missing out on all the fun!’

Maddy was touched by her concern. Kate’s eyes were shining. After all her exertions her foundation was starting to melt, but she clearly wasn’t bothered. Still out on the dance floor, Nuala and Dave and a group of Dave’s friends were having a whale of a time lowering the tone of Bath’s trendiest club and competing with each other to see who could dance in the least cool manner. Tonight was Kate’s first foray into nightclubland since her accident, yet you wouldn’t know it. Belatedly, she was discovering that if you smiled instead of scowled, laughed instead of glared, people were far more likely to smile back.

At this rate Dexter was going to have his work cut out keeping her under control.

‘Bit hot.’ Maddy fanned herself by way of apology. ‘What?’

‘ BIT HOT.’ Above the noise of the music, Maddy bel lowed, ‘I’m just going outside for a few minutes, to cool down.’

‘Then you have to come and dance,’ shouted Kate. Maddy nodded. ‘Definitely. Just give me five minutes. I’ll be back.’

Outside, she made a point of proving she was hot, in case any CCTV cameras were pointed in her direction. Well, it had been tropical inside the club; what could be more natural than wanting to gulp down a few lungfuls of fresh air, unstick your top from your torso and fan yourself with your hands, Al Jolson-style?

She only had to wait a couple of minutes before Annalise and her friend emerged from the club.

‘Oh, hi!’ sang Maddy, her Al Jolson hands going into overdrive. ‘Hot in there! Just came out for a breather.’

‘It’s all right,’ Annalise murmured out of the corner of her mouth. ‘He’ll be here any second.’

Turning to Maddy, she added, ‘My boyfriend’s coming to pick us up.’

Well, good, because that’s why I’m out here, thought Maddy. Duh.

Oh dear, was she getting a bit carried away here? If Annalise’s boyfriend did turn out to be Kerr, was she going to be tempted to jump into his car and run away with him? Would she be able to curb the impulse to—

‘Look, you’ve made a mistake,’ Annalise began to say as a white Volvo drew up, illuminating them in its headlights. Muttering, ‘Thank God for that,’ and visibly relaxing, she returned her attention to Maddy. ‘I’m very flattered, but the thing is, I’m not ... that way.’

Puzzled, Maddy said, ‘What way?’