A Dangerous Affair

A Dangerous Affair Chapter 50

Stephanie descended the stairs dressed in a straight cream skirt and a filmy blue and cream flowered blouse. The evening was almost as warm as the day had been and she looked both cool and summery in the outfit. Tom was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and he smiled at her as she approached him.

She watched him warily. “What are you so happy about?”

“Nothing, it’s just a nice evening to be out,” he replied, following her to the door.

“It’s work Tom, remember that,” she said, opening the door for them.

They arrived at the hotel and country club at ten o clock but the hotel seemed to be a lot less busy than it had been earlier. The restaurant manager met them at the door of the restaurant and asked for them to follow him.

“How does he know they are here waiting for us?” she asked Tom suspiciously.

Tom simply shrugged and slipped through the patio doors onto the terrace after the manager. Stephanie was surprised to see that they seemed to be the only people on the terrace and she turned with a frown to watch as Tom motioned for the manager to leave them.

“What’s going on?” she said, noticing that there was only one table on the terrace that was set for dinner. The table had been laid with a white tablecloth, silver cutlery and a single red rose in the centre.

“Where are Samantha and Jack Tom?” she asked, folding her arms crossly in front of her.

“Well you know, I think…” he began, taking her by the arm and urging her to sit at the table. She snatched her arm away and stood stubbornly on the spot. “I think that we must have missed them,” he finished.

“Really? You know what I think Tom? I think that you’re press-ganging me into a date with you,” she said angrily.

“I’m doing what?” he chuckled.

“Kidnapping me! Abducting me, call it what you will. Do you think I was born yesterday?” she exclaimed.

“No, I was with you all day yesterday,” he joked. Taking her by the hand, he attempted to seat her again but she refused to move.

“How could you bring me here under the pretence that Samantha would be here? You know how much I wanted to contact her,” she accused.

“Come on Steph, We will contact her I guarantee it. She probably just couldn’t answer the call today.”

She huffed. “Anyway, I thought we agreed that we weren’t going to date,” she pointed out as he took a seat at the table and proceeded to pour two glasses of wine from a bottle that was chilling in an ice bucket.

“I don’t remember agreeing to that. Besides, it’s not a date exactly,” he said, trying to appease her.

“Hmm, what is it then?” she came back, putting her hands on her hips.

“Err, well…it’s a pre date,” he announced.

“A what?” she frowned.

“Yeah, it’s a date before a date. Not really a date at all. And if you don’t like it you don’t even have to go on the proper date,” he smiled.

“You just made that up!”

“No I didn’t. It’s all the trend now,” he lied. “Everyone goes on a pre date first,” he said, trying not to laugh.

She tutted. “You talk such a load of rubbish Tom, you know that?”

“Stephie come on, sit down. You’re causing a commotion in the dining room in there,” he said, glancing through the patio doors. She followed his gaze and noticed a group of waiters stood looking out of the window at them.