priority.'
'Well, of course.' He reddened slightly. 'And don't think I'm not flattered.'
'I'm relieved to hear you say it' Olivia put a hand on his knee. She said gently, 'Jeremy, I haven't come to make waves—I promise. But I felt it was time to move on— professionally as well as personally. London's still the magnet—the magic place. Maybe I came for myself as well— to prove I could make it in the big city.'
'Then I hope you're not disappointed,' he said moodily. 'It isn't as easy as it seems.'
She gave him a quick, concerned glance. 'But you're all right, aren't you? Things are going well?'
'Absolutely. Couldn't be better.' He looked at his watch. 'Apropos of which, I have to be moving. I have a business dinner with some potential clients.'
'You do?' This time she couldn't conceal the chagrin in her voice. 'But I thought we'd be able to spend the evening together.'
'Not this time, my love.' He stroked her cheek swiftly, coaxingly. 'You must realise I have appointments—commitments.'
And what about your commitment to me? she wanted to cry out, but did not dare.
'Now, if I'd had some warning,' he went on, 'I might have been able to rearrange my diary, perhaps.' He smiled into her eyes. 'But we have plenty of time ahead of us— all the time in the world, in fact.'
'So when will I see you?' Flatly, Olivia watched him retrieve his briefcase.
'I'll call you.' He pulled her towards him, kissed her swiftly and hotly. 'God,' he breathed, 'if there was something I could do to unload tonight's shindig—but there it is…'
She watched him thread his way through the crowd, and out on to the sunlit pavement.
And thought, That's that.
She could remember as a child looking forward to things— a party, a particular birthday—with almost painful intensity, and finding that the occasion rarely lived up to her expectations.
She had the same feeling of deflation now as she made her way back to Notting Hill.
It was also her first experience of London's rush hour, and as she stood, strap-hanging, pressed uncomfortably between the unyielding frames of two complete strangers, she began to question her own wisdom.
Maybe she should just return quietly to Bristol and wait for Jeremy to call the shots, she thought unhappily. That was what everyone seemed to think she should do.
Including, of course, Declan Malone, she realised, wishing she had sufficient room to grind her teeth.
He was the snake in her grass—the thorn in her flesh— the something nasty in her woodshed. And she was damned if she'd give him the satisfaction of knowing that she'd trailed home with her tail between her legs. She could just imagine that cold smile of his. Well, she would do her utmost to ensure that he never smiled again.
Yes, she'd suffered a setback, but that was no reason at all to cut and run. Far better to confront her new life head-on. To take it by the scruff of the neck and shake it into line. And prove to Jeremy that she wasn't going to be some kind of drag. That she could stand beside him and play an equal part in their relationship.
And for starters she would fight her way to the door of this train, using shoulders, elbows and even teeth if she had to.
When she'd eaten her evening meal and cleared away, determinedly not dwelling on any 'might have been,' Olivia set up her laptop computer and began to compose another CV to distribute to recruitment agencies. It would do no harm to concentrate on her career prospects for a while, and let her personal life take care of itself. Maybe Jeremy needed some time to recover from the shock of her arrival, she thought drily. And he'd have more respect for her, too, if she showed her independence.
And so might Declan Malone.
She stopped, her fingers poised above the keyboard, wondering what could have brought that unwelcome idea into her mind.
After all, it was a matter of complete indifference what that creature thought about her. But it was clear, from what Jeremy had said,
'Well, of course.' He reddened slightly. 'And don't think I'm not flattered.'
'I'm relieved to hear you say it' Olivia put a hand on his knee. She said gently, 'Jeremy, I haven't come to make waves—I promise. But I felt it was time to move on— professionally as well as personally. London's still the magnet—the magic place. Maybe I came for myself as well— to prove I could make it in the big city.'
'Then I hope you're not disappointed,' he said moodily. 'It isn't as easy as it seems.'
She gave him a quick, concerned glance. 'But you're all right, aren't you? Things are going well?'
'Absolutely. Couldn't be better.' He looked at his watch. 'Apropos of which, I have to be moving. I have a business dinner with some potential clients.'
'You do?' This time she couldn't conceal the chagrin in her voice. 'But I thought we'd be able to spend the evening together.'
'Not this time, my love.' He stroked her cheek swiftly, coaxingly. 'You must realise I have appointments—commitments.'
And what about your commitment to me? she wanted to cry out, but did not dare.
'Now, if I'd had some warning,' he went on, 'I might have been able to rearrange my diary, perhaps.' He smiled into her eyes. 'But we have plenty of time ahead of us— all the time in the world, in fact.'
'So when will I see you?' Flatly, Olivia watched him retrieve his briefcase.
'I'll call you.' He pulled her towards him, kissed her swiftly and hotly. 'God,' he breathed, 'if there was something I could do to unload tonight's shindig—but there it is…'
She watched him thread his way through the crowd, and out on to the sunlit pavement.
And thought, That's that.
She could remember as a child looking forward to things— a party, a particular birthday—with almost painful intensity, and finding that the occasion rarely lived up to her expectations.
She had the same feeling of deflation now as she made her way back to Notting Hill.
It was also her first experience of London's rush hour, and as she stood, strap-hanging, pressed uncomfortably between the unyielding frames of two complete strangers, she began to question her own wisdom.
Maybe she should just return quietly to Bristol and wait for Jeremy to call the shots, she thought unhappily. That was what everyone seemed to think she should do.
Including, of course, Declan Malone, she realised, wishing she had sufficient room to grind her teeth.
He was the snake in her grass—the thorn in her flesh— the something nasty in her woodshed. And she was damned if she'd give him the satisfaction of knowing that she'd trailed home with her tail between her legs. She could just imagine that cold smile of his. Well, she would do her utmost to ensure that he never smiled again.
Yes, she'd suffered a setback, but that was no reason at all to cut and run. Far better to confront her new life head-on. To take it by the scruff of the neck and shake it into line. And prove to Jeremy that she wasn't going to be some kind of drag. That she could stand beside him and play an equal part in their relationship.
And for starters she would fight her way to the door of this train, using shoulders, elbows and even teeth if she had to.
When she'd eaten her evening meal and cleared away, determinedly not dwelling on any 'might have been,' Olivia set up her laptop computer and began to compose another CV to distribute to recruitment agencies. It would do no harm to concentrate on her career prospects for a while, and let her personal life take care of itself. Maybe Jeremy needed some time to recover from the shock of her arrival, she thought drily. And he'd have more respect for her, too, if she showed her independence.
And so might Declan Malone.
She stopped, her fingers poised above the keyboard, wondering what could have brought that unwelcome idea into her mind.
After all, it was a matter of complete indifference what that creature thought about her. But it was clear, from what Jeremy had said,
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