Читать книгу Carrington’s at Christmas: The Complete Collection: Cupcakes at Carrington’s, Me and Mr Carrington, Christmas at Carrington’s, Ice Creams at Carrington’s - Alexandra Brown, Lindsey Kelk - Страница 34

The low, quiet muffle of Tom’s voice stirs me, and I open my eyes. I stretch my arms and legs out like a starfish. Tom is in his room, but the adjoining door to the side of my bed is slightly ajar. He disappeared after leaving the karaoke bar last night, and I must have forgotten to close the door properly.

I pull myself up and peer through the crack. He’s sitting sideways on the chair at the desk wearing a grey T-shirt and jeans. He’s talking softly into a black retro-style desk phone.

‘Yes. Just as we said it would.’ I strain to hear, wondering who he’s talking to. ‘We’re nearly there now.’ Then he clicks the handset down and I hear footsteps moving towards the hallway, followed by his door slamming shut.

I jump out of bed with a vigorous burst of energy that I’m not used to, and promptly trip over the left Gina sandal. I bend down to retrieve it, smiling at the memory of the kiss from last night but wondering why he rushed off like that. As I hunt around for the other sandal, I spot my clothes dumped in a heap by my bed. I scoop them up and my stomach rumbles. I’m starving. I ponder on room service, but ‘who was he talking to’ pops into my head. An unnerving thread of doubt worms its way into my thoughts, and I move towards the adjoining door. It’s still ajar, and a horrible sense of mistrust festers in the pit of my stomach as I tiptoe through it.

He only left a few minutes ago. My brain races, quickly calculating a feasible time span before he might return, then telling myself he’s gone downstairs to have breakfast before heading straight to the conference room. My heart pounds as I rush over to the desk. But what if he forgot something and comes back? I have to be quick.

I lift the handset, and my hand trembles as I press the redial button. After the longest few seconds ever, the number he called appears on the display. It’s a London number. It starts ringing. The feeling of hunger is replaced with a rush of nausea. I wish I hadn’t done this now. I pull the handset away from my ear, desperate to ignore the knot of doubt, and I’m just about to disconnect the call when a voice breathes into the charged air.

‘Yes?’

I drop the handset down as if it’s a scalding hot iron singeing the palm of my hand and fly from the room, slamming the adjoining door behind me.

Maxine’s voice.

It was Maxine.

I’d know her breathy voice anywhere. I hate her a million times over, but not as much as I hate myself. What the hell was I thinking? I feel like a complete sucker. The flowers, his gentlemanly charm, showing me his etchings … I mean, come on, how clichéd is that? And I still fell for it. It was all a ruse after all. And what about James? I feel like a slapper. A horrible, guilty slapper. I barely know Tom, and it was only a kiss – admittedly a very long delicious smoochy one – but who knows what could have happened if he hadn’t left so abruptly. I’m not sure I could have resisted him if we’d come back here to carry on. Tears stab my eyes.

After a quick, punishingly hot shower, I decide to go and find the others. I couldn’t bear to still be here in the adjoining bedroom when Tom returns. I pull open the door and instantly grind to a standstill.

‘Oh my God. What happened to you?’ I ask, quickly taking in the scene. Ciaran is standing right in front of me with his fist in mid-air, as if he was just about to knock. And he’s totally naked and soaking wet.

‘I was minding my own business having an early morning dip in the hot tub when I’m hauled out and my shorts whipped from my body,’ he says, through chattering teeth. ‘And they nicked my robe. Any chance of a towel?’ he pleads, clutching his manhood.

‘Err, yes. Of course. Sorry, I should have offered. Help yourself,’ I say, feeling flustered at this sudden interruption. Averting my eyes, I step aside and motion him towards the bathroom. ‘So who was it? Actually, no, let me guess, I bet it was Melissa?’ I yell through the crack of the bathroom door as I start to calm down.

‘Well, get this. They only had Kate and Wills masks on, and it all happened so quickly. They obviously planned it – pathetic really.’

‘It could have been worse, at least you’re still inside the hotel,’ I tell him, as he emerges from the bathroom, having dried off and wrapped himself in a fluffy white robe.

‘Hmmm, suppose so. I had to run naked from the hot tub to the nearest indoor place, which was here. I’ll throttle Melissa when I get my hands on her.’

‘Do you think it was definitely her?’ I ask, stupidly, before realising she’s bound to have orchestrated it. I chew nervously at the side of my thumbnail; my head is still reeling.

‘Of course.’

‘Well, do you fancy a drink?’ I head over to the mini-bar, thinking I could certainly do with one. And then blush when I remember that it’s barely breakfast time.

‘God no, bit early for me – my liver feels as though it might pack up at any moment. The shots in that karaoke bar were lethal,’ he groans. ‘A glass of water would be good though.’ I nod and pour him a generous glassful, my hands still trembling slightly.

‘Can I use your phone to call Melissa?’

‘Sure.’ I hand him my mobile, and a few seconds later he tells Melissa to get herself along to my room immediately. I make my way over to one of the armchairs and Ciaran follows.

‘You OK? You look really rattled,’ he says, flopping down in the seat beside me.

‘Me? Yes, yes, I’m fine thanks,’ I say, airily.

‘You sure? Only you look kind of distracted.’ He frowns. I nod, pulling my thumb away from my clenched teeth and force a smile onto my face. ‘So how’s it going with the revamp?’ he asks, tactfully changing the subject.

‘Oh, don’t remind me,’ I reply, glancing at the adjoining door to make sure it’s definitely closed.

‘That bad eh?’ Before I can answer, there’s a timid tap at the door. Lauren is standing in the corridor looking very nervous when I answer it.

‘I’ve got Ciaran’s stuff,’ she says, tentatively, clutching a bundle of clothes.

‘Well, you’d better come in then.’

‘I’m really sorry, Ciaran, it was just meant as a joke,’ Lauren pleads, as he makes his way over towards her.

‘Who put you up to it?’ Ciaran asks, trying to sound serious.

‘Um,’ she replies, but hesitates for too long, and then the flicker of her eyes indicates she’s not alone. I pop my head out through the doorway and see Melissa and various other male colleagues skulking halfway down the corridor.

‘You’re for it now.’ I wag a finger at Melissa, as Ciaran pushes past me to get to her.

‘Oh, come on, it was only a laugh. A leg-pull for the wedding boy, that’s all,’ she says, adopting a pretend Kung Fu stance, but Ciaran is too quick and tips the glass of water over her head. Melissa shakes herself down like a wet dog.

‘We need a picture, where’s your phone?’ Ciaran yells at me, and I race back into the room to retrieve it.

‘Let me take one of you all,’ Lauren offers. So I jump over next to Melissa, Ciaran quickly follows, and we both stick up V signs above her head.

‘Thanks.’ I take my phone back and scan the crowd. ‘Where’s Eddie?’ I ask Lauren.

‘Oh, he went home. Said he didn’t feel well. Tom went with him.’ My heart sinks at this revelation. So Tom has gone then. Talk about love them and leave them – he obviously couldn’t get away from me fast enough.