Third Time Lucky (24 page)

‘Yes, I’m afraid he fell off the wall while trying to crash the party. I think he’s hurt his ankle.’

‘How dreadful,’ says Rafe sarcastically and, for once, we’re of the same mind.

I spare a glance behind, if only to witness what happens next. The Dean, Rafe and the security guys have reached Rupert. I leave them to it.

I walk out of the garden with Rupert’s protests and groans of agony in my ears, but they’re only a momentary distraction. In my heart, I know that however malicious and pathetic Rupert is, so many of the things
he said are true. He wasn’t lying about the necklace. I think I’d guessed it was special, and I half knew it was vintage, but I simply didn’t want to admit it to myself. And it isn’t right to keep it; it should go to Emma. Already it feels leaden, a burden to wear, however beautiful.

And I’m going to have to give it back.

With a heavy heart, I wander slowly back to the Back Quad, past couples who’ve already had enough and are meandering towards the Lodge, most of the girls with dinner jackets around their shoulders, a few barefoot, shoes dangling from their fingers. There’s a guy flat out on the lawn and a couple asleep on a bench, the girl resting her head on her partner’s shoulder while he catches flies.

Alexander is walking towards the archway.

‘Have you seen Scott and Immy?’ I ask, when he reaches me.

‘They seem to have gone AWOL,’ he says, trailing his fingers down the back of my neck, touching the necklace. I should say something …

‘The night’s still young,’ he says, looking at me in that delicious way of his. So delicious I determine then and there to put off the inevitable even longer. I will not let this night be spoilt by bloody Rupert and all those thoughts he’s just put in my head.

The clock strikes two a.m. ‘You think?’

He settles his hands on my waist. I should say something, but I don’t. The night is still young. Soon – but
not now – I’ll tell him about the job interview, I really will, and I’ll insist he takes back the necklace. Right now I need him one more time before that horrible conversation we need to have spoils everything.

My hand is in his and we’re walking, almost running, through the cloisters, up the worn stone steps where I first met him to a door. He twists the iron handle and it opens. It’s black inside and then moonlight floods in as Alexander opens another door. He has to duck low under the archway and then we’re through into a tiny courtyard, bounded by high stone walls smothered in creeper.

The music from the disco is faint here; the shouts and laughter seem very distant, like we’ve been tossed high into the air and everything is happening miles below. The scent of honeysuckle fills my nostrils, almost catches at my throat as Alexander kisses me. His lips taste of champagne and I guess mine do too. I push my tongue inside his mouth, desperate to taste him more deeply, grinding my hips against him, digging my fingers into his biceps through the cloth of his mess jacket. Maybe he groans a little, perhaps I’ve hurt him, but he doesn’t seem to care and I’m too selfish to stop.

I back him against the door and pull at the button of his trousers, almost ripping them off as I wrench down the zip. His briefs come down with his trousers, his erection demanding my hand around it. He’s hot, silky, hard beneath my circling fingers.

He nuzzles my neck, nips the soft flesh of my shoul
der so that I cry out in pain and pleasure. He hikes up my dress and I bunch the skirts around my waist, anticipating the moment when he bares me. Then my knickers are down and his fingers are seeking me out.

‘Oh my God. Alexander!’ I cry out. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted him this much. I don’t even care if anyone can see or hear us.

I’m already so swollen and sensitive under his fingers I can hardly bear him to touch me. Every inch of my skin seems super-sensitized and when he slides a finger inside me, I cry out again, louder this time.

I slide my hands under his shirt and pull him against me; the muscles shift and bunch with the tension. Then suddenly his hands are on my bare bottom, scooping me up and on to him. I cling on to his shoulders, my arms scraping on the wood of the door as he pushes inside me. The oak door shivers with every thrust, my thighs scream and his shake with the effort of holding me up. His fingers dig into my hips – it almost hurts but I don’t care. Alexander is rigid beneath me, his eyes screwed shut while I scrabble for my own orgasm, almost fighting for it, frantic, desperate even though this is a moment I should want to go on for ever.

‘Hey …’

I open my eyes. My arms are still locked around Alexander’s neck and he’s still holding me, his palms supporting my cheeks, looking at me with a kind of amused wonder.

I
come to. Vaguely. ‘Oh God, I hope no one heard us.’ I feel a little shamefaced, and more than a little shaky.

‘I don’t give a damn,’ he says softly, kissing me before gently lowering me back down to earth. ‘I need you to be like that more often,’ he says, smiling. The flagstones are cold under my feet. I hadn’t even realized I’d lost my shoes.

I smile too, and rest my cheek against his mess jacket, the medals hard and smooth under my skin. Some kind of night bird is chirping from the dark leaves close by, or is it the start of a dawn chorus? Surely it’s too early?

‘OK?’ His voice resonates under my cheek.

‘Uh-huh.’

‘Lauren?’ He pulls back a little so that I have to look at him and his eyes are shining with post-sex euphoria. ‘That was pretty spectacular. Did they put something in your drink?’

I smile. ‘I know – sorry. I hope you don’t have splinters in your butt.’

‘Christ, don’t apologize. Want to inspect me for splinters?’

‘Maybe later,’ I say, wondering if there will be a later. I don’t have to fly home for a few days. There’s still time for more … more of what?

And I have to return the necklace.

The door rattles and we hear a raised voice on the other side, cursing.

‘Fuck!
Quick.’

Still leaning against the door, Alexander tries to pull up his trousers; I retrieve my discarded shoes and smooth down my dress.

‘Ready?’ he says, and turning, twists the iron ring and opens the door.

A man in chef’s whites stands there, cigarettes in hand, then gives a knowing smirk. ‘Sorry, mate, just wanted a sneaky fag. Have I interrupted something?’

‘Not at all,’ Alexander says coolly while I try in vain to stop my cheeks glowing.

I follow Alexander out through the door and the chef winks at me.

‘I need to freshen up. Meet you by the breakfast bar in the Back Quad?’

When I get back, Immy and Scott have also made a reappearance so I tell her about Rupert’s dramatic entrance while Scott and Alexander queue for breakfast. There are plenty of people willing to wait in line for pastries and hot chocolate. I tug my wrap tighter around my shoulders; Immy has Scott’s tux jacket on, with the sleeves rolled up. I
could
be imagining it, but there seems to be a faint lightening of the sky in the east.

We find a patch of grass that’s not covered with empty plastic glasses and sit down.

‘Scott’s jacket suits you,’ I say.

She giggles. ‘Of course. He’s a real gentleman.’

I raise an eyebrow. ‘And that’s a good thing?’

She
tips her head on one side, considering for a moment. ‘I’m not quite sure.’

‘Go on, spill. You know you want to. You two did a pretty good disappearing act earlier.’

‘He’s gorgeous and lovely and I’ve had the best night ever and he said I’m sexy as hell, but as I’m your friend, he’d better not go there.’

‘Scott said that?’

‘I told him I’d feel weird too, knowing you and he had a thing.’

‘Hey, we didn’t really have a thing. Don’t let me stop you!’

‘I’m not … We both agreed it would be wrong merely to use each other for sex …’

‘I sense a “but” here.’

She taps her nose. ‘But …’ She lowers her voice. ‘He’s a
great
kisser and I’ll admit things got a little hot and steamy in my room for a while, but when it actually came to it, it was all a little like snogging someone while my mother was watching. Or George or something. Whatever, we sort of mutually agreed not to go any further.’

‘Hi there, ladies.’

We both clam up as Scott and Alexander arrive, laden with pastries and a tray of coffee and chocolate. Everyone’s a little weary but determined to last the whole night and we sit and chat until the grass grows damp and the sky turns from slate to grey, and finally the first streaks of pink appear.

‘So,
what are you doing when you go back to the States?’Alexander asks Scott.

‘I’ve got an offer from the Environment Department.’

‘You mean in Washington?’ I blurt out, surprised. ‘But I thought you were going to work for a charity in Africa?’

‘Well, I said I was considering my options. I can’t quite believe I’ve ended up on the Hill but when this job as a legislative assistant came up, it sounded too good to miss. I had a Skype interview last week and in fact I heard I got the offer while we’ve been here.’

‘Congratulations,’ says Alexander.

I’m still reeling that Scott’s going to be back in the same city as me. ‘I never thought I’d see you on the Hill, but wow!’

‘Hey, it’s only a junior advisor’s post. Don’t expect me to run for president any time soon. In fact, the most I’ll be running for is the Starbucks round.’

‘Well done,’ says Immy. ‘I might have to include Washington on my travels.’

Scott laughs. ‘Thanks, you’d be welcome. And the Ross Foundation isn’t far away so we could be seeing a lot more of each other after all.’

He directs this comment straight at me and immediately I know it’s been said in complete innocence. I also know that its effect is going to be devastating.

For a brief second, I think Alexander has missed the reference, but then after a beat, he turns to me. ‘So, the Ross Foundation?’

Scott
looks taken aback; Immy bites her lip. They both know what’s happened here.

‘Well, um, yes, I have an interview with them … It’s, um?’

‘I’ve heard of it,’ he cuts in.

‘I’m sorry to spoil the surprise; she didn’t get chance to tell you first.’ Scott jumps to my defence but I wish he’d drop it.

Alexander manages a cool smile. ‘I’m sure Lauren would have got round to it some time. Congratulations to you both.’

‘Lauren’s done incredibly well to get the offer,’ Immy pipes up.

‘It’s not an offer, only an interview,’ I put in, sensing a brewing storm.

‘I’m sure she has.’ He knocks back the rest of his coffee while Scott and Immy desperately try to move the conversation on to other topics.

Too late. Way too late.

Claiming he wants another coffee, Alexander gets up but walks right past the breakfast marquee and through the archway.

Scott groans. ‘Shit, Lauren, I’m sorry. What a jerk I am!’

‘Don’t be. I should have told him before but I was waiting until after the ball. He had to know sooner or later … I need to go after him.’

Almost tripping over my skirt, I hurry after Alexan
der and eventually find him pacing the far corner of the Chapel Garden, where Rupert fell over the wall.

‘Alexander, I’m sorry; I should have told you sooner.’ I lay my hand on his arm and he looks down at it as if it might bite him.

‘When did you decide? When did you tell him?’

‘My parents mentioned it before they left. Leah Schulze had heard that Donna Ross was looking for an assistant.’

‘Leah
Schulze
?’ He gives me the drill sergeant stare that gets my blood up. ‘Any relation or a complete coincidence?’

‘Of course it’s not a coincidence! She’s Scott’s mother and she serves on one of Donna Ross’s fundraising committees. She knows I’m looking for a career and this is a wonderful opportunity. What do you expect me to do? Ignore it?’

‘No, of course not, but –’

‘Would it have made any difference if you knew? What was the point in telling you until I’d decided to definitely go for the job?’

‘I don’t know. What was the point? Perhaps maybe because we’re supposed to be close, maybe because we’re supposed to …’ He leaves the sentence hanging, throws up his hands in frustration.

‘What? Supposed to
what
, Alexander?’

‘Treat each other like fucking adults!’

We face each other down. I force myself to be calm,
because behind the bluster I sense genuine anguish. ‘I know I should have told you sooner; it was just with exams and everything going on …’ I see his face and stop trying to find excuses. ‘Look, I’ve spent a long time thinking it over. It’s only an interview, not a job offer, and I’d be crazy not to consider it, even if I did want to stay here.’

‘Even
if
?’

He pounces on that one word, like a lion on a gazelle.

‘Even
if
you weren’t going away to who knows where – for who knows how long. Even
if
you might not get yourself killed, even
if
I stayed … how can I throw away this chance? It’s like the role was tailor-made for me.’

‘How do you know it wasn’t?’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Isn’t it a bit of a coincidence that Scott’s going to be back in Washington too?’

So he
is
jealous. ‘I had no idea that Scott was coming home too until five minutes ago. My decision has absolutely nothing to do with Scott. Why do you have to turn everything into a conspiracy?’

He turns away from me. ‘
Why?
I wonder why?’

‘What does that mean?’ I grab his arm and he winces but neither of us is in the mood for sympathy. My heart seems about to burst out of my chest.

‘If you don’t know by now, then there’s no point us continuing this conversation.’ He stiffens, back in military mode, back on duty, and I suspect that I won’t get
anything from him in his mood. Captain Alexander Hunt, number …

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t be what you want,’ he mutters at last.

‘I don’t want you to be anything other than you are. I never have.’

‘Really?’ he frowns.

I hesitate.
Have
I? Have I wanted him to be more like Scott? More like me? Am I letting him sow the seeds of self-doubt in my mind?