The Elusive Consultant

by Carol Marinelli

  ‘You have to go to London, Max. You have to finish what you’ve started. I can see Emily’s point, I can see how hard it would be to ride out the gossip and if you come back, if you and I are suddenly on together, no one’s going to believe it just happened....’

  ‘We know the truth, that’s what’s important.’

  ‘No, Max.’ Tessa shook her head, brushing the tears that streaked her face with the back of her hand. ‘This isn’t just about us, it touches too many people.’ Tessa scuffed at the sand with her toes, a plan forming in her mind so clear, so concise it surely must have always been there. ‘I’ve been through a lot recently— the inquest, the rescue. My mum was just telling me I need to get away, take a break.’ Tessa gave a small shrug. ‘Maybe she was right. Who knows? Six months from now I might just pack up my backpack and head off to Europe. I might even look up my old friend Max Slater and see if there’s a job going in his hospital. Two Aussies far away from home, one getting over his engagement break-up, well, there’s no telling what might happen...’

  She was sobbing now, sobbing at the thought of finding him only to lose him so soon, but her tears were tempered with joy, her conscience shining clear, and Tessa knew that, as hard as her decision had been, it was the right one.

  ‘You’d come to London? But, Tessa, you love it here...’

  ‘I love you Max. It was only a dream job when I was working alongside you. I want to do things the right way. I know now that we’ve done nothing wrong, but Emily doesn’t deserve to be hurt any more than she has been and we don’t deserve to start our relationship as the bad guys with all the gossip and finger-pointing that would come with it. What you said before, Max, was true—if we’re going to do this then we’re going to do it right, and that starts here.’

  Her decision made Tessa stood up quickly, scared she might waver, scared at how easy it would be to wave the taxi off and ride the storm together.

  ‘You’ll come to the airport?’ Max voice was startled, stunned at the haste in her decision, her desire to get moving.

  ‘Do you really have to ask?’

  ‘It might be a while before I can get a flight.’

  They were walking towards the taxi, their hands entwined, lingering a last moment on the beach together as they contemplated six months apart.

  ‘I hope so.’ An impish grin spread over her face. ‘And if we’re going for a record in expensive first dates, we might as well break it in style. Surely there must be a hotel at the airport.’

  As Max started to laugh Tessa realised how much she had missed that sound, how she hadn’t heard him laughing for so long now.

  ‘Come on, then.’ He dropped her hand and turned with a smile. ‘With that incentive I’ll race you to the taxi.’

  ‘You always win,’ Tessa grumbled as she joined him, panting and breathless, at the taxi.

  ‘I always do, don’t I?’ Max beamed, wrapping her in the warmest of embraces, planting butterfly kisses along her soft cheeks. ‘And you, Tessa Hardy, are the best prize of all.’

  EPILOGUE

  HEATHROW airport was huge! It was a city in itself and Tessa tried her best not to look like the small-town girl she was, to push her trolley along the green taped line with an air of superiority, to look as nonchalant and sophisticated as the rest of the undoubted frequent flyers, as if she, too, did this sort of thing every day.

  Her resolve didn’t last.

  Suddenly she was through customs, turning a corner and surveying the throng of people leaning over the barriers with hungry eyes until the one face she wanted to see came into focus. All thoughts of sophistication evaporated as Tessa pushed her unwilling trolley at breakneck speed, clipping a few ankles as she ran to the outstretched arms of Max, eternally grateful for the tiny toothbrush and paste the airline had provided as Max kissed her, oblivious of the hold-up they were causing, blissfully unaware of the tuts and shaking heads as trolleys diverged around them and Security edged a bit closer.

  ‘I think we’d better get out of here.’ Max laughed, his arm draped possessively around her, pushing her loaded trolley with one hand as he nuzzled her neck, neither able to believe after all this time they were finally reunited.

  ‘Talk fast,’ Max warned as he slipped into the driver’s seat, ‘because once we get to the flat the talking’s over. How was the flight?’

  ‘Fantastic!’ Tessa enthused, her hand on his thigh as they negotiated the exit barriers.

  ‘You’re supposed to say it was awful, that you’re exhausted and you’re never setting foot on a plane again.’

  ‘But it was great and the food was just wonderful.’ Tessa rummaged in her handbag. ‘I kept all the menus.’

  ‘You’re crazy.’

  Everything seemed huge. The motorways had more lanes than Tessa could count, even the cars went faster here!

  ‘How are Kim and the baby?’

  ‘Great. He’s...’ Her voice trailed off for a second. ‘He’s perfect.’

  ‘You’re not getting all clucky, are you?’

  Tessa laughed, really laughed. ‘Actually, no.’ She pulled a picture out of her bag and flashed it briefly at Max.

  ‘Oh, dear!’

  ‘Exactly.’ Tessa giggled. ‘She thinks he’s the most beautiful baby in the world and the funniest part of it was when her husband Mark walked in—the baby’s an absolute dead ringer!’

  It was the sort of conversation you could only have with your closest friend and Tessa instantly felt herself relax. They were still friends; lovers, yes, partners, yes, but always friends.

  ‘Ours will be gorgeous,’ Max said easily as Tessa cheeks burned with his natural presumption. Could it all be so easy? Could she, Tessa, really have it all?

  ‘I had a drink with Emily on Friday.’ Perhaps it wasn’t the most romantic of things Tessa could have said, but she wanted it out of the way, wanted the air cleared before they got home.

  Home. She hadn’t even seen it. By all accounts it was a tiny, phenomenally expensive bedsit, but apparently it had a bed and a kettle and, more importantly, it had Max.

  So it was home.

  ‘How is she?’

  ‘Deliriously happy. The wedding’s only a few weeks away now and she’s busy organising the whole town with military precision. You know how laidback Fred is, he just agrees to everything...’

  ‘And she’s honestly happy,’ Max checked, then shook his head ruefully. ‘I must be the only guy on earth who’s actually pleased that his ex-fiancée and future wife went out for a drink and got on so well.’ He turned sharply at her intake of breath. ‘What? What did I say?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Tessa mumbled, sinking down in her seat and watching the world rush past the outside lane.

  ‘Come on, Tessa, don’t go all quiet on me.’

  Tessa nibbled her thumbnail for a moment, her eyes still trained on the world outside the car. ‘You don’t have to marry me. I didn’t come expecting you to propose or anything, we haven’t even gone out on a proper date yet.’

  ‘Tess.’ Max looked over very quickly then turned back to the road. ‘Can I call you that now?’

  She could hear him laughing at her and gave a very grudging nod.

  ‘I didn’t drag you to the other side of the world for a couple of cheap meals and a night at the movies. I know what films you like, I know what your favourite dishes on the menu would be, we’re past all that, Tess, way past it.’

  ‘I know,’ Tessa muttered, feeling silly yet pleased all the same.

  ‘And if you won’t agree to marry me, I’ll just refuse to sleep with you until you give in.’

  ‘Oh, and you’re such a fabulous lover that I’ll relent in two minutes flat,’ Tessa bit back sarcastically.

  ‘You know I am.’ His hand had moved from the gear lever and dragged her hand back to his thigh. ‘So what’s it to be?’

  ‘I’ll let you know when we get there.’

  It was a tiny bedsit.

  Tiny.

  ‘Well, there’s the b
ed,’ Tessa joked. ‘Where are we supposed to sit?’

  ‘We don’t. It’s the bed or nothing—terrible shame, that. We’re on the flightpath, by the way, so if you think the earth is moving for you around five a.m. don’t automatically assume that it’s me!’

  As great the flight had been, Tessa needed a shower more than she needed the coffee Max was making, and as she peeled off her clothes Tessa looked at the marks her jeans had left on her waist and legs and her impossibly swollen ankles, courtesy of twenty-four hours on a plane, and wondered how Max could truly want her.

  Her doubt lasted about two seconds flat as she stepped out of the shower and into his arms.

  ‘My ankles are swollen.’

  ‘You need to elevate them,’ Max said with a wink.

  ‘I’d love to,’ Tessa quipped back, ‘but you’re on a sex strike, remember?’

  ‘Only till you agree to marry me.’

  Tessa looked down. ‘Well, they really are very swollen and I do really need to lie down.’ She looked up. Max was gazing at her, utter love and adoration blazing from his eyes, and Tessa knew then that dreams did come true.

  Sometimes you could have it all.

  ‘You’re gorgeous, you know that?’ Max said, pulling her down onto the bed beside him, his hands cupping her warm breasts still damp from the shower, his lips brushing her fragrant skin as he worked his way along her neck. ‘Absolutely gorgeous.’

  ‘Keep telling me, Max,’ Tessa sighed, melting at his touch, the roaring sound of a jet plane taking off fading to a distant droan as they disappeared into their own private place. ‘I’m actually starting to believe it.’

  * * * * *

  ISBN-13: 9781460377802

  THE ELUSIVE CONSULTANT

  Copyright © 2015 by Carol Marinelli

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