One Glass is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones

Author:Jane Wenham-Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Accent Press
Published: 2011-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

13. 2000 Sauternes

Initial impressions good, but a weak vintage.

Gaynor sat up in bed, cup of black coffee in hand, watching Victor in the important task of tie selection. She waited patiently while he deliberated between a flowery number in various shades of purple and mauve and an elegant silver-grey with red polka dots. She brought her knees up beneath the duvet and carefully balanced the cup on top of them.

“You’re going to spill that,” Victor said, without looking round.

“I’m still holding it.” She put the coffee on top of the bedside cupboard and put her chin on her knees instead, watching Victor carefully knot his chosen tie and reach into the wardrobe for his jacket. He turned and smiled at her. He always looked devastatingly attractive in a suit.

“Why don’t I come to London with you?” she asked suddenly.

He carried on smiling. “Because I’m leaving in two minutes and you’re still in bed.”

“Very funny. I don’t mean right now. I’ll come up later on the train. We can go out for dinner tonight and…”

“Sorry, darling. I’ve got a client dinner. We’re taking the wall-coverings lot out.”

“Well, I’ll stay in the flat, watch TV till you come home. I can do some shopping tomorrow and then…” She hesitated. Was she imagining it or had a flicker of fear crossed his face?

He turned back towards his wardrobe. “You don’t want to stay in the flat. I let Laurence stay there a few nights last week when Paula kicked him out again – it’ll be a right mess. I need to get it cleaned and decorated anyway – it’s really looking tatty these days. He gave a forced-sounding laugh. “A real bachelor pad.”

“I’ll clear it up while you’re at work.”

Victor gave his tie a final tweak. “There’s no need. Look, come up sometime next week and we’ll stay in a hotel and I’ll take you out then, OK?” He buttoned up his jacket.

“I want to be with you now – we’ve had such a lovely weekend.”

Victor didn’t look at her. “We did have a good weekend,” he said, a hint of impatience in his voice, “but I’ve already had an extra day and now I have to go to work.”

“I know, but I wouldn’t…”

“And don’t you have to, too? Aren’t you supposed to be working in that wine bar of yours? Fed up with it already? I thought the novelty would soon wear off.”

“It hasn’t. But it’s not going to be that busy on a Tuesday and one of the students would cover, I’m sure. Look, I don’t care about the state of the flat…”

“Gaynor, not today, all right? I’ve got a pile of work to do – I’ll need to stay up late and get through it. I can’t have any distractions.”

He didn’t meet her eyes. He opened the top drawer of his chest and pulled out a handkerchief, obviously desperate to be gone. “Another time, OK?”

She got out of bed, determined not to let him off the hook. “I don’t see why I can’t come tonight.

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