‘Sounds great,’ he said with an approving nod. ‘I bet it’s harder than it looks.’
‘It is,’ Hope agreed fervently. ‘Anyway, that’s where I’ll be on Monday night. But I’m free every other evening.’
The words sounded ridiculously sad to Hope and she wished she’d made it sound like she had some kind of social life but Ciaran didn’t seem to notice. ‘Let’s pencil something in for Tuesday and I’ll confirm tomorrow.’
‘Great,’ Hope said and felt a quiver of anticipation at the thought of potentially discovering more about Elenor and her unfortunate fiancé.
Ciaran leaned forward expectantly. ‘And now that we’ve got the business out of the way, let’s get to the interesting bit. Tell me about you.’
She began with growing up in Upper Poppleton and it turned out Ciaran knew the village well. He had been part of a large family too, back in Cork, and they shared some hysterical stories of the awful things their siblings had done over the years. When Hope stopped laughing long enough to discover her glass was somehow empty again, Ciaran raised an enquiring eyebrow. ‘One for the road?’
She hesitated. ‘Didn’t you say you’ve got assignments to mark?’
He shook his head. ‘They’ll keep. So I can join you in another drink if you feel like being daring.’
Hope could already feel the effect of the alcohol fizzing through her veins but it wasn’t an unpleasant sensation. Why shouldn’t she have another? It wasn’t as though she had anything to get up for in the morning.
‘Sure,’ she said, smiling at Ciaran. ‘I like the sound of daring. But it’s my round.’
He flatly refused to allow her to go to the bar and in the end, Hope gave in. The drink he brought back wasn’t another G&T but a Tom Collins. ‘You said we should be daring,’ he said, placing it in front of her. ‘So I took a risk on what you’d fancy.’
His eyes met hers as he delivered the last sentence and a sudden fizzle of heat buzzed through her that had nothing to do with the alcohol she’d drunk. He was talking about which cocktail she might enjoy, of course, but it was still fun to entertain the fleeting possibility that he’d meant something else entirely…
‘You chose wisely,’ she responded with a smile. ‘It’s perfect.’
This time when he sat down, his leg pressed against hers immediately and she knew it wasn’t an accident. Relax, she told herself, nothing is going to happen. We are just two people enjoying each other’s company.
The next time she checked the time, she was amazed to see it was 10.30pm.
‘Time flies, doesn’t it?’ Ciaran observed. ‘I should probably think about making a move, sadly – I’ve got a two-hour lecture to deliver tomorrow morning on the preservation of anaerobic environments.’
‘Oof,’ Hope said sympathetically. ‘Rather you than me.’
The night was still warm but Hope couldn’t hide a shiver as they stepped outside and the cooler air hit her bare arms.
‘Do you want my jacket?’ Ciaran asked instantly but Hope shook her head.
‘I don’t have far to go,’ she said and pointed to the old wharf buildings just visible over the rooftops along Walmgate. ‘See?’
‘In the converted flour mills – very nice,’ he said. ‘But I’m afraid I’m an old-fashioned gentleman so I’ll have to insist on seeing you home safely.’
‘Honestly, there’s no—’ she began.
Ciaran held up a hand to interrupt her. ‘Ah, but there is. My ma would never let me hear the end of it if she knew I’d let a lady walk home alone.’ He slipped his leather jacket around her shoulders. ‘And you might as well wear this and be warm instead of shivering the whole way.’
Hope pulled the jacket around herself and conceded defeat once more. ‘Thank you. I haven’t quite got used to York’s slightly lower temperature yet. In London, the summer evenings feel much warmer.’
He nodded. ‘Plus there’s the sweat fest that is the Underground. Is that where you lived before – London?’
‘Yes. But it’s nice to be back in York, near my family again.’
‘Of course. Except for when they leave dead frogs in your bed,’ he said, grinning as he referenced one of the stories they’d swapped earlier in the evening.
She laughed. ‘I think Harry’s grown out of that now. Probably.’
They crossed the river and made their way slowly towards Hope’s apartment block, chatting comfortably as though they’d known each other for years. It wasn’t until they’d almost reached the door that it occurred to Hope that Ciaran might try to kiss her. She’d been aware of his hand pressed against the small of her back as they’d crossed the road but the pressure had vanished as soon as they were safely on the other side. What should she do if he did try, she wondered? How would it feel to kiss him back?
But it appeared she’d been worrying for no reason. He kept a respectable distance from her when she slowed to a halt a metre or so from the doorway. ‘Thanks for seeing me home, and for a nice evening.’
‘It was my pleasure,’ he said, his expression warm and sincere. ‘Although I will take my jacket back now. I’m not so much of a gentleman that I’m prepared to catch my death on the walk back to the campus.’
Hope laughed at his dramatic tone and gave him the coat. ‘I hope your lecture goes well tomorrow.’
‘Ah, they’ll all be asleep within minutes anyway,’ he said, with a self-deprecating smile. ‘I’ll let you know about Tuesday. Have a good weekend.’
He raised a hand in a friendly wave and turned to walk briskly back the way they’d just come. Hope stood watching him for a moment, then pressed her fob against the keypad and made her way to
