But what had she been expecting? This wasn't a date, after all. It wasn't as if he needed to impress her either. Perhaps this was how he dressed when he was at home.
And that had caused her to panic. Was she overdressed? What would his wife be wearing? Was her tight-fitting, crimson silk, low cut dress too much? She had been careful to make sure the dress was not too low cut, especially with her generous cleavage, but she assumed Jenny would look stunning, what with her wild red hair and incredible bone structure, and Tabbie had wanted to at least hold her own.
'This way,' he said, after hanging her coat in the cloakroom. 'I'd planned for us to eat in the kitchen but I've just realised that was a mistake. Come through to the sitting room and I'll get you a drink while I rearrange a couple of things.'
There was an odd inflection in his tone, almost as if he'd been taken by surprise.
But in a way, so had she. She certainly hadn't expected Justin and his wife to entertain guests in their kitchen. Perhaps they didn't think of her as a guest. That must be it. And she wasn't really, was she? This wasn't a dinner as such. This was merely part of a deal. A deal they'd been forced into by her in exchange for her being willing to keep their secret. She suddenly felt awkward and embarrassed. And she definitely was overdressed. That much was now apparent.
'Oh. Please don't go to any trouble on my account. I … I'm more than happy to eat in the kitchen.'
'Na-huh.' He shook his head and his eyes travelled the length of her body. 'There's no way you're eating in the kitchen dressed like that. It's a mess. I'm a good cook, but a messy one. It won't take a second and it's really not a problem. It'd make me feel happier too, so please don't argue. Take a seat. Would you like a cocktail, a glass of sherry, wine? No wait. Champagne. That dress demands champagne.'
Her cheeks were rapidly matching the colour of her dress and she quickly sat down and lowered her eyes to the floor. 'Justin, please. This is so embarrassing.'
'Embarrassing? Why? You look gorgeous. I'm the one who should feel embarrassed for not making more of an effort. I should never have expected you to eat in the kitchen. Although it is a pretty posh kitchen.' He grinned at her as she met his eyes but he was clearly disconcerted. 'I don't know what I was thinking.'
'No. It's me. It's my fault. I thought … I don't know what I thought. I suppose it's because you're a Hollywood star.' She gave an awkward laugh.
He had stopped in the doorway and now he tilted his head to one side.
'Oh I see. I think.'
'Why don't we let Jenny decide where we eat? If she prefers the kitchen, that's honestly fine with me. Really it is.'
'Jenny?' He looked confused. 'Jenny's not joining us.'
'Oh.'
A beeper went off in the distance.
'That's the timer.' He glanced over his shoulder, a perplexed expression on his face as if he wanted to say something more but wasn't sure whether to or not. 'Um. I'd better go and see to it.'
Why wasn't Jenny joining them?
This got more humiliating by the second. She wasn't joining them because this was meant to be a working dinner where Justin was giving an interview he didn't really want to give. Jenny clearly valued her privacy even more than Tabbie had realised.
Tabbie was beginning to wish the floor would open up and swallow her.
It was now emphatically clear that she was not only overdressed; she had completely misread the situation. Jenny and Justin had not invited her to dinner to 'be nice' or 'friendly'. They invited her to dinner to get the deal they had made over and done with. That was it. Nothing more.
But when Justin returned a couple of minutes later, he smiled as he handed her a glass of champagne.
'Cheers,' he said, raising his glass in the air. 'Here's to a pleasant, if somewhat surprising evening. Dinner's ready, and I've hastily set the table in the dining room. Shall we?'
'Cheers,' she replied. 'Yes, of course.'
She stood and followed him to the dining room where two candles in beautifully etched crystal holders had been lit between two place settings across from one another on the large dining table. The lights had been dimmed but not enough to cause her concern. Just enough to give an ambiance.
A bolt of lightning and a crack of thunder made her jump.
'They said a storm was coming,' Justin said, holding her chair for her to sit.
'It's as dark as night out there and it's not even eight yet. Do you mind if I record our conversation? For my blog. I won't use all of it obviously and I'll send you a copy of what I write before I hit the publish button to give you a chance to comment on anything you don't like.'
'Sure. If that helps you, it's okay with me, I guess.'
She smiled and took out the pocket-sized Dictaphone she always carried with her and put it on the table near her glass.
Rain lashed the windows and they rattled against the onslaught.
'That's something I really miss when I'm in L.A. The good old British weather.'
'I'd exchange Britain for L.A. in a heartbeat.'
'Would you? I thought I would too but having been back here for a few weeks now, I think I'll find it quite difficult to return to the bright lights and the arid nights.'
'Well, of course. That's completely understandable.'
'Is it?' He headed back to the door. 'Some people think fame and fortune is the be all and end all and I suppose I was probably one of them this time last year. But there are more important things in life. Like friends and family and being surrounded by people you know and love and trust. I've made friends in L.A. but they're not the same as my friends here.'
'Naturally. But now you're a star, you don't have to live in L.A. full time, do you?'
He shrugged. 'Not really. But my agent thinks I should until I've got a few films under my belt. Until I'm really established. Fame can be fleeting, you know. I'll be back in a sec.'
He was. He placed two large bowls of mushroom and asparagus risotto on the table, a large bowl of fresh mixed salad leaves, a dish of parmesan and a basket of divine-smelling, freshly baked bread, together with the large pepper grinder that had been stuffed beneath his arm.
'Buon appetito,' he said, taking his seat.
'This looks delicious. Risotto is one of my favourite dishes. And is that truffle?'
He beamed at her. 'Mine too. I hope you like it. And yes. What's a good risotto without shaved truffle on the top?'
She took a small mouthful and savoured the flavour and texture.
'Oh Justin. It's divine.'
'I use Carnaroli rice instead of the more frequently used Arborio. It's slightly firmer due to its higher starch content, and it's a little longer.' He laughed suddenly. 'God. I sound like I'm trying to impress you with my knowledge, but I'm not. I remembered you saying that you have recipes on your blog, so I thought you might like this one.'
'It's perfect. I should've taken a photo for the blog.'
'Take one of mine. I haven't touched it yet.'
She whipped out her phone from her bag and took a few shots.
'May I take a couple of you too, please?'
'To use on the blog?'
She nodded. 'If that's okay.'
He shrugged. 'I guess so. With the proviso that you don't say where the photo was taken.'
'Agreed. I'll simply say something like, 'Taken in a dining room at a secret location.' Would that be okay?'
'Perfect.'
Their conversation over dinner flowed naturally. Justin talked honestly and openly about growing up in Little Pondale, about wanting to become a dancer but becoming a baker like his father instead, and how it was Mattie Ward, Mia's great aunt who gave him the confidence to pursue his dream of dancing before an audience when he started The Frog Hill Hounds. Although he did love baking too. How he'd got his big break because someone had seen one of his shows, and how life in Hollywood, as wonderful as it was, still didn't somehow compare to life in Little Pondale. He talked of his lifelong friendship with Jet Cross, whose house this was,
and how Jet's relationship with Mia had totally changed Jet's life and brought out the man Jet really was.
'That's the thing about True Love,' Justin said, as they moved from the dining room back to the sitting room for coffee and brandy. 'Some people say Jet's changed. But he hasn't changed deep down. His life has but he hasn't. Deep down, Jet was always the man he now is. He'd simply tried to keep his 'real' self, his 'true' self, hidden so that he wouldn't get hurt, like his mum Sarah had, or hurt anyone like his dad had. True Love brings out the best in people. It doesn't try to change them. But that's just my opinion. And sometimes I talk a lot of crap.'
Tabbie sat on the sofa and to her surprise, Justin sat beside her, close enough that she could smell a subtle hint of sandalwood and lemon, either from his shampoo, soap or aftershave. An image of him in the shower popped into her head and it sent a wave of warmth through her body not unlike the way the brandy was warming her throat, only several times more intense.
She gave a small cough and emptied her glass which she placed on the console table beside her.
'No you don't, Justin. You make a lot of sense and I completely agree with you about True Love. I've simply never been lucky enough to find it. Unlike Jet. And you, of course.'
The one thing Justin had not talked about at all, was his wife.
He was pouring them coffee from the pot on the tray he'd carried in but he stopped, twisted slightly on the sofa cushion and looked her in the eye.
'Me?' He shook his head. 'As I said. Sometimes I talk a lot of crap. I've never found True Love. Perhaps we're not all lucky enough to get it.'
'What about Jenny?'
'Jenny?' He looked thoughtful but also a bit confused. 'Not as far as I know. At least not until now. I suppose this relationship could be it. We'll have to wait and see.'
'Oh. So it's a pretty new one?' That surprised her.
He nodded. 'Since last Christmas.' He finished pouring the coffee and he handed her a cup.
No wonder he didn't want to return to L.A. He and Jenny had only been together since Christmas. A whirlwind romance and a wedding. Gosh. But why was he saying he didn't know if either of them felt True Love? Why did they marry if they weren't sure it would be forever?
Another clap of thunder, immediately overhead this time, made her jump and her cup flew up, sending an arc of liquid into the air which unfortunately landed on the front of Justin's shirt.
'Oh Gosh! I'm so sorry. I've got a tissue in my bag.'
She hastily put the cup and saucer on the table and grabbed a tissue as he held the wet patch of cotton away from his body with his finger and thumb. He was smiling as she dabbed at the brown stain.
'Don't worry about it.'
'I think I'm making it worse.'
He laughed. 'Honestly, Tabbie. It doesn't matter. I'll nip upstairs and throw on something else. I'll only be a sec.'
He got up and walked towards the door as more thunder crashed and lightning lit up the room which, until then was only dimly lit by the flickering flames of the fire and a couple of table lamps dotted here and there.
No one would ever believe it was June. The massive six-over-six windows rattled as yet more rain lashed the glass and wide rivulets cascaded down each pane. She got up and walked to one of the windows, peering out into the darkness where in the distance the one or two trees she could see bent over so far under the whipping wind that the tops of the branches nearly touched the ground.
'This is one hell of a storm,' Justin said, making her jump yet again.
'Gosh. You were quick. Yes. The trees are bowing and almost bent double by the force of the wind. I'm not looking forward to going out in this. Or to you having to drive me back to Witt's Cottage. Perhaps I should call a cab.'
She wasn't looking forward to that prospect either. A cab would mean she'd have to walk up the little lane. In the dark. In this weather. She'd probably end up like her car. Head first in a ditch. Pond. Whatever.
He came and stood beside her, now wearing a plain light grey T-shirt that brought out the colour of his eyes.
'Don't be silly. You're certainly not calling a cab. They won't take you to the door. As for me driving you home, let's see what happens, shall we? The night is still young.'
She glanced at her watch. It was eleven-thirty. Good God! Where had the evening gone? She had been enjoying Justin's company so much that she'd lost all track of time. But she couldn't ask him to take her home right now. As he said, they'd have to wait and see what happened. Although what alternative was there?
Unless he was suggesting that she could possibly stay the night. It was a large house and clearly had several bedrooms but what would Jenny think of that? And where was Jenny? Had she been upstairs all evening? Or was she out somewhere? In which case, why wasn't Justin concerned about his wife getting home safely?
'More brandy?' he asked. 'Or more coffee?' He grinned at that part.
'I'm fine, thank you.'
'I can't argue with that.'
She looked him in the eye. What had that meant? There was something about the way he was looking at her. It sent a bolt through her body not dissimilar to the lightning shooting across the sky and when he took her hand in his, there was definitely more than a spark of electricity. His other arm slid around her waist and she felt her body move towards his.
'Justin,' she said, in a voice unfamiliar to her, and one that couldn't seem to finish her sentence.
His voice sounded different too. Slightly hesitant but oh so tantalisingly sexy and his eyes held hers as his arm tightened about her waist.
'I've been getting mixed messages all evening, so I'm not sure if this is what you want or not, but one thing I am sure of is that I want you, Tabbie Talbaine. I want you a lot.'
'Justin.'
Why couldn't she say anything more? And why did that sound like she wanted him too? It was meant to warn him off. What was wrong with her?
She felt his lips on hers before she realised he had moved in to kiss her.
And God what a kiss.
Forget the storm outside. There was one going on inside her. And it was a hurricane. A Tornado. A–
'Justin! No.'
She managed to break free but it took a second or two to steady herself.
He looked as if she'd slapped his face, but she hadn't. Had she?
Oh dear God. She had. There were thin red lines on his cheek. She could see them when the lightning flashed.
'Okay,' he said. His voice was calm but utterly confused. 'Now that message was clear.'
'I didn't mean to strike you. I'm sorry.'
He brushed his cheek. 'It was a bit of a surprise, but it's fine. You could've simply said, no though. I'm not the kind of guy who would ever step over the line. Perhaps I should've asked if I could kiss you. Not just gone ahead and done it. Sorry. It won't happen again.'
'Why did you?'
'Kiss you?'
'Yes.'
'Because I've been wanting to all evening. Because I think you're beautiful and sexy and hot as hell. Sorry. Inappropriate, I guess. Because I'm attracted to you and I thought you felt the same.'
'I … I do.' She hadn't meant to say that. 'I'm very attracted to you.' What was she doing? 'I was from the minute I saw you and all those things you said about me, I think about you.' For God's sake woman. Shut up!
'Now I really am confused. Is this some sort of game?'
'Not to me. Is it to you?'
'I don't play games with women. Well, not the sort of game we seem to be in now.'
'I don't play games either.'
He shook his head. 'Really? You say you're attracted to me after you've slapped my face. Er. You're not into that sadomasochistic sex stuff, are you? Because that's really not my scene.'
'What? No I am not. Slapping your face was an instinctive reaction, I think. I dislike people who cheat on their partners, especially if they're married.'
'Um. What's that got to do with me kissing you?'
'Justin! It's got everything
to do with it. You're married!'
He blinked several times.
'No, I'm not.'
'What? Yes you are.'
He smiled sardonically. 'I think I would know if I was married. I've been pretty drunk on several occasions, I'll admit. But even so, I'd remember if I'd married someone.'
'But … Okay. So you just live together and she uses your name. That's just as bad. That's still cheating.'
'Who uses my name? Has someone told you I'm living with them?'
'Jenny! You're living with Jenny.'
For a moment he didn't react but then he burst out laughing as another crack of thunder shook the panes and the expanse of sky behind him lit up like day.
'No, Tabbie. I am not. Most definitely not. Jenny's my cousin. I wondered why you kept mentioning her. It actually crossed my mind that you might … well, that you might be interested in her too, let's just say.'
Tabbie gasped. And blushed. And cringed at her own stupidity.
Why had she jumped to conclusions? Why hadn't it even occurred to her for one second that Jenny and Justin might be related? Because she'd seen him helping Jenny with her hair? And swinging her around in his arms? What was wrong with that? Two things that friends or relatives would do.
'I don't know what to say, Justin. I've been a total idiot. I didn't even think. I should've simply asked. I'm sorry. Can you ever forgive me? And that slap! Oh, Justin, I'm mortified. If I could turn back the clock and start this evening again – this day again, I would. I'm truly sorry.'
'If I reach out and take your hand, will you slap me again?' He was smiling and his voice was tender.
'No. Definitely not.'
He took her hand and again the spark of electricity made her tingle.
'You said if you could turn back the clock, you would. What about if we agree to turn it back to, oh, let's say, that kiss? Would that be okay with you?'
She looked into his eyes and liked what she saw there.
'That would be more than okay. That would be wonderful.'
Secret Wishes and Summer Kisses on Lily Pond Lane Page 12