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.Maybe she’d been right about the groupies.While she was still struggling with her seat belt and her make-up case and her zillions of magazines, Lewis had roared into reverse, negotiated a scary amount of traffic and was driving away from the station.He had, she was miffed to notice, not even glanced in the direction of her ruckedup skirt.The city centre roads were like a maze, with vehicles coming in all directions, but Lewis was clearly used to driving in the area and, with an apologetic look at her, merely kept up a stream of non-stop staccato conversations on his hands-free mobile which shrilled into life the minute he switched it on.‘Sorry,’ he mouthed across at her as one call followed another.‘Work.’Despite Amber being able to hear both sides of the rapid conversations, they all sounded as though they were in code.Nothing made much sense.However, the name Jem cropped up in most of them.Work my eye, Amber thought darkly.No wonder he hadn’t given her more than a cursory glance.Lewis only had eyes for Jem.Was that short for Jemma, like her friend back home? Or Jemima? Or maybe it was just a lover’s nickname?Whatever.It was obvious that Jem was the love of Lewis’s life.Sod it.Within minutes the multiple lanes of fume-belching traffic in the town centre had been left behind and they were tearing along a dual carriageway towards what looked like real countryside.Even though the phone was now switched off, with the windows open and the radio blaring, conversation was a non-starter.Lewis didn’t seem inclined to talk to her anyway.As the sweat trickled between her breasts and beaded her upper lip, Amber stared out at the unfamiliar scorched fields and dry dusty trees and tried to swallow her mounting wave of homesickness.She’d love to ask him about Fiddlesticks, and what Gwyneth was like and what sort of band Hayfields was.Although that last one was possibly self-explanatory.With a name like that, they had to be Country and Western.Her absolutely least favourite type of music.Lots of gingham and boots and wailing about broken hearts and lonesome train whistles and men who knew how to be men.There was possibly even bloody line-dancing.And Jem was probably a blonde and buxom Fiddlesticks’ answer to Dolly Parton.She blinked back a rare tear and suddenly wished she was sitting cramped in the camper van with Coral and Topaz and her parents.They may well be going to live in the dark ages in a strange country, but at least they’d be going together.For the first time in her twenty-seven years, Amber was alone.Without friends or family.She’d wake up every morning and see only strangers.It should have been a spine-stiffening moment of glorious self-discovery, but it wasn’t.Oh, for goodness sake get a grip, she thought.Now’s not the time to be wallowing in self-indulgent loneliness.She was a grown-up.She was simply going to live in a new place for a while and it would be exciting and uplifting.It would.It really would.Think about women like Ellen MacArthur, sailing single-handedly round the world, alone at the mercy of the wildest oceans, facing all manner of terrors.On her own.They’d left the main road behind and were now hurtling along narrow, high-hedged country lanes which all looked the same.The occasional small cottage or imposing house swished past and out of sight, leaving nothing but sweeping fields and hills and clumps of tired trees.‘OK?’ Lewis looked across at her quickly, raising his voice above the radio.‘Not too hot?’She shook her head.She felt as though she was melting and knew her make-up had run and her hair was clinging in sweaty rat’s tails, but she was damned if she was going to show how miserable she was.‘I’m fine, thanks.Er – Reading looked lively.What’s the nightlife like? Any good clubs?’Oooh – how bad had that sounded?‘Not that – I mean … I just wondered about—’‘Reading’s got some great bars and clubs – not that I have much time for that sort of thing, but you might enjoy them.Anyway, we won’t be long now,’ Lewis grinned.‘Everyone’s dying to meet you.You’ve been the main topic of conversation in the village for weeks.’Amber smiled weakly.‘I hope they won’t be disappointed.’Damn! Why had she said that? It sounded like a major fishing for compliments remark.‘They won’t be,’ Lewis said gallantly, clearly trying not to laugh.‘Trust me.Oh, sorry …’Mercifully the phone interrupted not only the embarrassingly awful conversation but also a particularly sad song on the radio.‘Hi,’ Lewis said.‘Fern? Not problems?’‘Only the usual.Jem can’t bear to be apart from you for a minute, as you know.Wants to know how long you’ll be and if Amber is pretty.’Lewis laughed.‘Tell Jem not to be so nosy! And I’ll be a few minutes.We’re just skirting Bagley-cum-Russet now so we’ll be in Fiddlesticks before you can blink.I’ll drop her off at Gwyneth’s and come straight over.OK?’‘OK,’ Fern chuckled.‘I’ll pass it on.Ta.See ya [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]