It was the look she’d seen on Lola’s face when at the age of seven she’d opened a drawer and found, hidden away in a matchbox, all the baby teeth that hadn’t been magically whisked away by the tooth fairy after all.
‘Why not?’
‘I don’t want to.’
More eyebrow action. Something told Blythe he wasn’t often turned down.
‘Is it because of this other chap of yours? What’s his name ... ?’
‘Malcolm.’
‘Malcolm.’ For a split second Nick’s mouth twitched as if he might be on the verge of saying something disparaging about his rival. Evidently thinking better of it, he reined himself in and said instead, ‘Sweetheart, it’s us.You and me. Malcolm doesn’t have to know’
Blythe gave him a long look. ‘Oh Nick. I wouldn’t do that to Malcolm. And you shouldn’t ask me to.’
He had the grace to look ashamed. This time his expression uncannily echoed Lola’s on the morning of her first-ever hangover when, at fifteen, she had gone along to a friend’s party and ended up falling asleep in her friend’s parents’ bed.
Nick shook his head. ‘Blythe, I didn’t mean to—’
‘I know, I know, it doesn’t matter. And I’m not saying no because of Malcolm,’ Blythe told him.
‘I’m saying it because of me.’
He half smiled, accepting her decision. ‘Fair enough. That’s absolutely your prerogative.’ He paused, then added with a complicit glint in his eye, ‘It might have been fun though.’
Amused, Blythe showed him to the front door. ‘I daresay. I’m just not curious enough to need to find out.’
‘Mum? Hello?’ Lola’s voice snapped Blythe back to the present. ‘What are you daydreaming about now?’
OK, probably best not to say sex with your father. ‘Sorry, love, just wondering whether Malcolm would like a nice book about World War Two for his birthday next week. He likes that sort of thing.’
‘I thought you’d decided to buy him a sweater.’
‘Oh, I already have. A lovely stripy red and yellow one with an eagle on the front.’
In that case, better come with me.’ Lola steered her in the direction of the history section.
‘Sounds like poor old Malcolm’s going to need a book about World War Two to cheer him up.’
The weather had taken a distinct turn for the better in the last week; temperatures rose and the sun shone, drying out the ground and encouraging the first primroses to peek through the tangled undergrowth. Avoiding the public footpaths where they might bump into other walkers, Gabe and Savannah - strolled arm in arm through the woods on the hill below Minchinhampton Common. Savannah was talking about her experiences of working with other actors and the fights that ensued when they discovered their co-stars had negotiated bigger Winnebagos than they had. Even when you were an A-lister, evidently, size mattered.
. he said if he couldn’t have one as big as George’s, he was walking off the set. And the director said from what she’d heard— whoops.’
‘Careful’ Gabe caught Savannah as she tripped over a tree root.
‘All strong and masterful. I love being rescued by you.’
‘Don’t need any more invalids in my life just now. One woman crashing around on crutches is plenty, thanks.’
Savannah gazed up at him then reached up and pulled his head down to meet hers. There was new urgency in her kiss. Finally she let go and leaned back again, her chest heaving and her eyes almost feverishly bright. ‘Gabe, come with me:
‘Come where?’ Gabe hesitated, he couldn’t help himself; did she mean back to the cottage for yet more unbridled sex? He was as heterosexual as the next man but his heart sank slightly at the prospect. He wasn’t sure he had the energy for another bout.
‘To LA.Why not? We want to be together, don’t we?’ Savannah gripped the sleeves of his faded blue sweatshirt. ‘Well, what’s to stop us?’
‘Hang on, you mean Los Angeles? In California?’ It was necessary to ask. Gabe had learned this lesson the hard way years ago when he’d asked a girl if she wanted to go to Grease with him and she’d joyfully assumed he was inviting her on holiday. For all he knew, LA could be the name of some ubertrendy new London restaurant.
Savannah beamed. ‘No, Los Angeles in Iceland. Of course Los Angeles in California!’
This time Gabe’s heart didn’t so much sink slightly as go crashing down like a lift with its cables cut. She was making it sound like a spur of the moment idea but he knew it wasn’t; this was something she’d been waiting to spring on him.
‘Um...’
‘Don’t say um, say yes! And there’s no need to look so worried.’ Savannah shook her head.
‘When you think about it, it’s the obvious answer. My agent’s rented a house for me in Bel Air so that’s all taken care of. And I know you’d feel funny aboutcoming out just to keep me company; but that’s the beauty of your job — you can work as easily over there as you can here!’
‘Savannah, listen—’
‘So basically it’s perfect in every way! The answer to all our prayers: she rattled on. ‘We can be together, we can even go public as a couple because I completely trust you now!’
‘Hang on a—’
‘And it’ll get you away from that messy flatmate of yours .. . I mean, I’m sure she’s a nice enough person and
