Love Me Till Wednesday (Sapphire Stars #1)

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SIX MONTHS LATER

Lisa was cooking bolognese when Mel walked into their kitchen. ‘Is Nick coming round for dinner?’

‘How did you guess?’

Mel nodded at the half empty bottle of Merlot next to the cooker. ‘Because you’ve used red wine, just the way he likes it. You spoil him. He’s got you wrapped around his little finger.’

Lisa grinned. ‘And other things. Do you want any spag bol?’

‘No, thanks. I’ve already eaten. I’m off to my book club meeting.’

‘What book club?’ Mel had never shown an interest in analysing books before.

‘The one the lovely Pierre runs at the library on Thursday evenings. He put a poster up in the staff room yesterday.’

‘Is this the new French teacher you said was hot?’

‘The one and only. Tonight, we’re discussing The Age of Reason by Jean-Paul Sartre. ’

‘A bit heavy, isn’t it? I thought Stephen King was more to your taste?’

‘He is, but it’s always good to explore new things, especially when the man who’s going to do that is 6ft 4, drop-dead gorgeous and has the sexiest voice known to woman. I’m hoping Sartre isn’t the only new thing I’ll be exploring tonight,’ she said as she put on her coat in the hallway.

‘Have fun,’ Lisa shouted after her as Mel opened the front door.

Nick was standing on the doorstep.

‘How did you get up here?’ Mel held the door open for him.

‘Lovely to see you too! Your neighbour was on the way out. She let me in,’ Nick said as he hung up his coat.

‘Well, it’s hello and goodbye from me. I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it. I have existentialism to comment on,’ Mel said.

‘Existentialism?’ Nick asked Lisa.

‘She’s got the hots for the new French teacher. I gather he’s quite the intellectual.’

She was expecting a smart reply, but he didn’t seem his usual jokey self.

‘I’m glad I’ve got you on your own,’ Nick said as he walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

‘Oh yes. And what had you got in mind?’ Lisa asked in her most seductive voice as she walked over and kissed him.

‘Not just that.’ He pulled away from her, looking nervous. ‘I’m going to Greece.’

‘Greece? It’s nearly winter. Why are you going there?’

‘I’ve got a part in a TV drama.’

‘How? You complained yesterday that you hadn’t got any more auditions coming up. ’

‘Someone recommended me. My agent only got the call this morning. She sent me over there straight away. It’s a role they think I’d be ideal for.’

‘Well done you.’ She sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck.’Who recommended you?’

‘Catriona.’

So that’s why he was on edge. ‘Is she angling to get into your boxers again?’

‘I don’t think so this time. She was very professional at the meeting. It’s prime time telly. It could be my big break.’

‘Worth doing then?’

‘I hope so.

‘I hope you’ll still want to hang around with me if it is.’

He kissed her. ‘Of course, I will.’

‘What if some sultry Greek goddess seduces you.’

‘She’ll have a challenge. I prefer my women pale and interesting, with bright red hair.’

‘Good job, you know someone just like that then.’ She started kissing his neck. ‘What part is it?’

‘The eldest son who’s returned from the Korean War, traumatised by his experiences. He’s joining his parents and siblings to recuperate.‘

‘In Greece?’

‘Yeah. His dad’s an archaeologist.’

‘Unusual. So you’ll be playing a tortured soul again. You’re going to get typecast at this rate.’

‘Considering my last job was dressing up as a bear for a cereal commercial, I’m not sure that’s entirely true.’

‘You were very cute in that.’

‘You mean the bear suit was.’

‘I fancy you whether you’re in a bear suit or just plain bare.’

‘Hmm. ’

‘Normally, you’d have taken that as a cue to get me naked. What’s wrong?’

‘I’m going to be away for six weeks, starting next week.’

‘Ooh! ‘ She’d expected him to say a fortnight at most. ‘I guess I’ll be away for a chunk of that anyway.’

Dougie had booked the Stars a short tour of Germany and Belgium. Lisa was dreading being cooped up in a tour bus, but Dougie had insisted they had to do it to break into the European charts.

‘I wish you could come with me,’ Nick said.

‘And cancel all those tour dates? No one’s going to go for that. I’d have to stop breathing permanently before Dougie would even consider cancelling. And even then, he might get a puppeteer to operate my poor dead body.’

‘I guess I’m going to have to make the most of our time together this week, then.’

‘Now that sounds more like the Nick I know. When do you go exactly?’

‘Wednesday. They’re booking me on an early morning flight from Heathrow. ’

Lisa laughed.

‘Why’s that funny?’

‘I know a song about that. “When you say goodbye, I’ll cry.” Some of my more profound lyrics.’

He looked at her, baffled.

‘From Love Me Till Wednesday.’

‘Oh yeah.’

Lisa pretended to be indignant. ‘Your favourite song, you said.’

‘It is. I’m just rubbish at remembering the words.’ He kissed her again. ‘I will always love you.’

‘That’s someone else’s song.’ She got up, went back to the cooker and took the bolognese sauce off the hob .

‘I meant what I said. I wasn’t quoting Whitney Houston,’ he said.

‘It was written by Dolly, actually. Dolly Parton.’ She walked back over to the table. ‘I will always love you too. Now, how hungry are you?’ she whispered in his ear.

‘Depends whether we’re talking about food or not.’

‘Definitely not food,’ she said, unbuttoning his shirt.

‘I'm going to miss you so much.’ Lisa whispered to Nick as they lay in bed together on Tuesday night. She was acutely aware of his big suitcase sitting by the bedroom door, waiting to disappear with him in the small hours of the morning.

He kissed her forehead and held her close. ‘I'll be counting the days, all 42 of them.’

Lisa snuggled deeper under the duvet to get as close to him as possible. ‘So will I.’

‘Part of me still doesn't want to go,’ he murmured in her ear.

‘I think I can guess which part.’

Nick reluctantly pulled away and checked the alarm clock settings for the umpteenth time. ‘I'll try not to wake you up when I leave.’

‘I don't mind.’

‘I suspect you might make me late if I do,’ he said, grinning.

‘And how would I do that?’ Lisa murmured in his ear, moving her finger slowly down his bare chest and onto his stomach.

The bedroom door flung open before she got any lower. A tall man stood silhouetted in the doorway. ‘Oh! Excusez moi.’

‘Try the next room on the right,’ she said. ‘I need to get a lock on my door,’ she said to Nick as the door closed behind the intruder .

‘Mel’s new conquest?’ Nick asked.

‘Hopefully. I gather discussing early twentieth-century French literature is quite a turn-on.’

‘Lise,’ Nick said tentatively. ‘How about we look at getting a place together? Just the two of us. What do you think?’

Lisa smiled. The novelty of spending time with Nick hadn’t worn off even after six months of barely being apart. If anything, she was more in love with him than ever. She couldn’t have asked for a more kind and caring boyfriend. Her gut reaction that first day had been right. They were soulmates.

‘I think that that’s a very good idea.‘ She kissed him. ‘No random men wandering into our room at night. That would definitely be a plus point.’

‘I was hoping the plus point would be spending more time together,’ he laughed.