sound fantastic; I’ve always wanted to go there. But would you be able to get away from work that easily?’
Sean’s keen expression suddenly changes. ‘I can’t go with you, Scarlett. Not at the moment, anyway. We’ve got so much going on at the office, and so many things coming up in the next few weeks, it would be impossible.’
‘But I can’t go on my own. Not to New York!’
‘Why not, you’re a grown woman, aren’t you?’
‘I don’t want to go on my own, I want to go with you. Come on, Sean, we haven’t been anywhere in ages. It would be lovely to have a little trip away somewhere together, and New York would be so romantic.’
‘Not really,’ Sean says flatly. ‘I’ve been there loads of times. It’s not romantic at all.’
‘Yes, but that’s because it wasbusiness you were there for, and you’re hardly likely to see the city’s romantic side when you’re working there, are you? Well, I hope you didn’t, anyway!’ I say lightly, hoping to sway him, but really I know I’m wasting my time. Once Sean has decided on something, it’s rare he’ll change his mind.
‘I’m sorry, Scarlett,’ Sean says, taking me in his arms. ‘I just can’t right now. But you go. Go and visit your father, it will do you good. You’ve been …’ he hesitates ‘… unsettled just lately, and I think it will do you good to get away for a while and have a break from things.’
‘A break from us, do you mean?’ I look up at him in horror.
‘No, not a break from us, you daft thing,’ Sean kisses the end of my nose. ‘Just a break from here.’
‘OK,’ I reply hesitantly, but I’m still not sure. ‘If that’s what you think is best.’
‘It’s just that Maddie mentioned—’
I pull away from him. ‘Maddie mentioned what? What has she been saying?’
‘Hey, Red, calm down.’ Sean tries to put his arms around me again. ‘Maddie hasn’t been saying anything, really. Just for me to look out for some
key signs
, she described them as. I thought she was talking nonsense at first. But when I satdown and thought about it, they were all already there.’
‘What sort of
key signs
?’ I ask, wriggling away from him. I couldn’t believe this, people wanting to organise my life again. Hadn’t they tried to do that last year before I came to Notting Hill? Everyone seemed to think they knew what was best for me then, and now it was happening all over again. Even Sean was getting involved this time.
‘Just things like you getting bored with life and starting to become obsessed with, I mean
fascinated
with, new things.’
‘And just what sort of things would these be?’ I ask, my hands on my hips.
Sean looks uncomfortable. ‘Well, as I’ve said recently, you do spend quite a lot of time on the internet, Scarlett.’
Oh my God, I can’t quite believe this. Here we are
again
. ‘And? What’s so wrong with that? What am I supposed to do when you’re away all the time on
business
.’ I emphasise the word business by doing that little air-quotes thing with my fingers.
‘You know I can’t help that. But you still do it when I’m home. You’re always on your iPhone, on Twitter or Facebook or some other social networking site.’
‘So why did you buy me a MacBook then, if you don’t like me using the internet so much?’ I demand. ‘It hardly makes sense, does it?’
‘I bought you what Ithought you’d like,’ Sean says patiently. ‘If I’d just gone out and bought jewellery or perfume or something, you’d have thought it dull and boring.’
‘And a computer is supposed to be exciting?’ I reply, sounding horribly ungrateful. This discussion is rapidly descending into nothing more than childish bickering. ‘Do you know what?’ I say, parading back and forth across the soft carpet of the bedroom a few times. ‘If you are daft enough to listen to Maddie, and then stupid enough to decide that I’m presenting symptoms of some disease that’s only going to be cured by a
Sean’s keen expression suddenly changes. ‘I can’t go with you, Scarlett. Not at the moment, anyway. We’ve got so much going on at the office, and so many things coming up in the next few weeks, it would be impossible.’
‘But I can’t go on my own. Not to New York!’
‘Why not, you’re a grown woman, aren’t you?’
‘I don’t want to go on my own, I want to go with you. Come on, Sean, we haven’t been anywhere in ages. It would be lovely to have a little trip away somewhere together, and New York would be so romantic.’
‘Not really,’ Sean says flatly. ‘I’ve been there loads of times. It’s not romantic at all.’
‘Yes, but that’s because it wasbusiness you were there for, and you’re hardly likely to see the city’s romantic side when you’re working there, are you? Well, I hope you didn’t, anyway!’ I say lightly, hoping to sway him, but really I know I’m wasting my time. Once Sean has decided on something, it’s rare he’ll change his mind.
‘I’m sorry, Scarlett,’ Sean says, taking me in his arms. ‘I just can’t right now. But you go. Go and visit your father, it will do you good. You’ve been …’ he hesitates ‘… unsettled just lately, and I think it will do you good to get away for a while and have a break from things.’
‘A break from us, do you mean?’ I look up at him in horror.
‘No, not a break from us, you daft thing,’ Sean kisses the end of my nose. ‘Just a break from here.’
‘OK,’ I reply hesitantly, but I’m still not sure. ‘If that’s what you think is best.’
‘It’s just that Maddie mentioned—’
I pull away from him. ‘Maddie mentioned what? What has she been saying?’
‘Hey, Red, calm down.’ Sean tries to put his arms around me again. ‘Maddie hasn’t been saying anything, really. Just for me to look out for some
key signs
, she described them as. I thought she was talking nonsense at first. But when I satdown and thought about it, they were all already there.’
‘What sort of
key signs
?’ I ask, wriggling away from him. I couldn’t believe this, people wanting to organise my life again. Hadn’t they tried to do that last year before I came to Notting Hill? Everyone seemed to think they knew what was best for me then, and now it was happening all over again. Even Sean was getting involved this time.
‘Just things like you getting bored with life and starting to become obsessed with, I mean
fascinated
with, new things.’
‘And just what sort of things would these be?’ I ask, my hands on my hips.
Sean looks uncomfortable. ‘Well, as I’ve said recently, you do spend quite a lot of time on the internet, Scarlett.’
Oh my God, I can’t quite believe this. Here we are
again
. ‘And? What’s so wrong with that? What am I supposed to do when you’re away all the time on
business
.’ I emphasise the word business by doing that little air-quotes thing with my fingers.
‘You know I can’t help that. But you still do it when I’m home. You’re always on your iPhone, on Twitter or Facebook or some other social networking site.’
‘So why did you buy me a MacBook then, if you don’t like me using the internet so much?’ I demand. ‘It hardly makes sense, does it?’
‘I bought you what Ithought you’d like,’ Sean says patiently. ‘If I’d just gone out and bought jewellery or perfume or something, you’d have thought it dull and boring.’
‘And a computer is supposed to be exciting?’ I reply, sounding horribly ungrateful. This discussion is rapidly descending into nothing more than childish bickering. ‘Do you know what?’ I say, parading back and forth across the soft carpet of the bedroom a few times. ‘If you are daft enough to listen to Maddie, and then stupid enough to decide that I’m presenting symptoms of some disease that’s only going to be cured by a
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