Talk to Me Read Free Page B

an increasing bone of contention. The fact that Olivia embraced the social life there didn’t help.
    He was going to have some bridges to build with Emily later.
    It was as if fate was determined to keep throwing him and Olivia together. She was at reception when he went to pay his bill.
    The blonde receptionist in her tidy uniform with her keen-to-please smile that had a genuine ring of sincerity was talking to her. ‘A taxi to Reading station, you said. And the London train?’
    ‘You are bloody joking.’ The words came out before he could stop them, but for crying out loud she was doing his head in.
    He felt her stiffen beside him and to his surprise she looked a bit hurt.
    ‘Christ, Olivia. Are you going back to London?’
    She nodded, looking disconcerted and so she bloody should. Why was she playing games? So the boyfriend hadn’t turned up and her lift had fallen through. Why the hell couldn’t she just say so and ask to go back with him and Emily? Their destination was the same.
    ‘What my car not good enough for you?’ Then it struck him that maybe she wasn’t going home.
    ‘No, I just didn’t want to play gooseberry,’ she said, lifting her chin.
    ‘So you are going back to the flat?’ God he sounded accusing, he had to remember he wasn’t supposed to know and it wasn’t as if he was her keeper.
    ‘Where else would I be going?’ she asked all innocence, and for a moment he almost believed her.
    ‘Well, why the hell didn’t you ask for a lift back then?’
    She blushed. It confirmed everything and with a flash of awareness, he realised he’d been hoping that Emily might have got things wrong and there was no married lover tucked away somewhere.
    ‘Oh, for God’s sake,’ he rolled his eyes in mock disgust and turned to the receptionist. ‘Don’t worry, she doesn’t need a taxi. She can have a lift with me.’
    Memories of a hundred and one other journeys slipped into his head and without thinking he turned back to Olivia and quipped, ‘You can go in the front with the window open.’
    ‘Oy.’ She slapped at his arm and grinned at him. ‘I’m not that bad any more.’
    He raised an eyebrow and shook his head at the receptionist. ‘World’s worst traveller, this one. Don’t suppose you’ve got any spare sick bags in the back there?’
    ‘’Fraid not.’ She smiled warmly at him, clearly approving. ‘Have a nice trip home.’
    A queue was building behind them and they moved into the wide lobby area.
    ‘Right, I’ll go see how Emily’s getting on. I’ll see you back here in ten minutes.’
    ‘Are you sure this is OK? I mean, I don’t want to cramp yours and Emily’s style. I was trying to give the two of you some space.’
    Staring at her earnest face, he gripped the car keys in the palm of his hand, feeling the metal bite. When had she turned into such a good liar?
    ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he snapped and turned on his heel.
    Although I really didn’t want to travel home with Daniel and Emily, it was the most logical thing to do. Perhaps I could doze off in the back without feeling sick. I knew it was a hopeless wish.
    ‘But, Daniel …’ said Emily, her voice quavering with the unfairness of it as we left the hotel reception. She wasn’t happy that he’d relegated her to the back seat.
    ‘If Olivia goes in the back seat we’ll have to stop every few minutes because she’ll feel like throwing up. Believe me, we have history.’
    I winced. Did he have to say that? Emily was twitchy enough about our long-standing friendship without being reminded of it at every turn.
    ‘We’ll be lucky to make it back without at least one stop as it is.’
    I felt like the troublesome family dog.
    The tree-shaded car park was almost deserted when we got to Daniel’s Audi, most of the wedding guests having already departed.
    I climbed into the passenger seat, feeling guilty.
    ‘Got your two pences?’ asked Daniel in a clipped voice, as he slid into the driver’s