Jill Mansell - Chapter 1

‘Isabel. Your girlfriend.’

He relaxed. ‘She isn’t my girlfriend. I finished with her weeks • ago. On the night of your dinner party, in fact.’

‘What?’

‘I smuggled away the photo album. By the time I’d finished looking through the old photos of us, I realised Isabel couldn’t compete. I told her I couldn’t see her any more and she handed in her notice.’

‘Poor Isabel’ Lola did her best to sound as if she meant it. ‘I gave her a great reference. She’s working in Hong Kong now’ Dougie moved towards Lola. ‘You don’t know how close I came to ringing you that night.’

Lola remembered the wrong number and her reaction when the phone had begun to ring. ‘I wanted you to. So much. Oh Dougie ...’ It was no good; having a counter between them wasn’t helping at all. She came out from behind it and threw herself into his arms.

Oh yes, this was where she was meant to be. It was all she’d ever wanted. As he kissed her — at last — she knew everything was going to be all right.

Despite the odd potential drawback.

When he’d finished kissing her, Dougie smiled and said, ‘What are you thinking?’

‘That this is one of the happiest moments of my life.’ Lola stroked his hair. ‘And that your mother’s going to be absolutely furious when she hears about this.’

‘Don’t worry about my mother. After Dad died, she became over-protective of us. When she made you that offer she thought she was doing the right thing. But it’s OK, I’ve had a chat with her. All she wants is for me to be happy, and she accepts that now. She’ll be fine.’

God, he was a heavenly kisser; no one else even came close. And there was so much more fantastic stuff to look forward to. Double-checking that they were safely out of sight — the lights were still on in the store but from here no one walking past in the street could see them — Lola allowed her hands to start wandering in an adventurous fashion.

‘What are you doing?’

‘What I’ve been wanting to do for a long, long time.’ She smiled playfully up at him. ‘Ever got intimate in a bookshop before?’

Doug surveyed her with amusement. ‘Is that a dare? Are you trying to shock me?’

Lola gazed into his dark eyes. Then, slowly and deliberately, she reached out and unfastened his belt.

‘Shouldn’t do that,’ Dougie murmured, ‘unless you’re sure you’ve got the nerve to go through with it. From start to finish.’ He trailed an index finger down her chest until he came to the top button of her shirt. It came undone, exposing the top of her lacy lilac bra.

‘Are you calling me chicken?’ Lola retaliated by pulling his shirt out of his trousers.

‘I think you might lose your nerve.’ Deftly he undid the next button on her shirt.

Trembling now, Lola struggled with the fastening on his trousers. ‘I think you know me better than that. If I say I’m going to do something, I’ll— aaarrgh!’

‘Lola?’ The door at the back of the shop opened and Tim poked his head round. ‘Oh sorry!’ His eyes popped as he realised what he was interrupting.

‘I thought you’d all left!’ Flustered, Lola clapped both hands over her exposed bra.

‘Everyone else has. I’m just off now. I wondered if you’d made up your mind yet about coming along to the party.’ Hmm, have sex with Dougie or go to a party with Tim and Darren. That was a tricky one.

‘Um ... I don’t think so, Tim. But thanks anyway.’

‘OK? Hardly knowing where to look,Tim backed away. ‘Well, have a ... nice time.’

Lola nodded and somehow managed to keep a straight face. When the door had closed behind Tim, she looked at Dougie and said, ‘OK, now I’ve lost my nerve.’

‘Thank God for that.’ Doug smiled his crooked smile and tucked his shirt back into his trousers.

‘So, your flat or mine?’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘I have Pot Noodles.’

Giddy with joy, Lola made herself decent. ‘That settles it then. A nice time followed by Pot Noodles.’

Dougie put his arm around her. ‘Who could ask for more?’