Distraction

Chapter Thirty-Six

Denying her an answer, he pushed the plunger then poured the coffee into two mugs. He handed the first to her.

'A real cup. Not that yours is as bad as Lisa's.'

Libby swatted his arm. 'If I have coffee now I'll be awake half the night.'

He didn't hide his smile. 'That's the plan.'

Libby blushed redder than Isla's wonky ears. 'You're not getting off that easily. Why?'

'After the Miss Haverton story in the paper, Mum and Dad sent me to Spain. I had to disappear for a couple of months and when I came back there was to be no more trouble. I'm on a year's probation, six months left to go.'

'Okay.'

'There are ground rules. No more drinking on a school night-'

'That explains the whisky being against the rules.'

'No hard drugs, including random drugs tests-'

'Oh my god, and there's me, waltzing in, tempting you to come to party where there's more coke being inhaled than oxygen.'

He laughed and gently nudged her. 'Tempting me. You certainly did that.'

'I'm glad you kicked me out.' No wonder he'd been so cross. 'Sorry, sorry, sorry.'

'Don't be.'

'So I get why you didn't want to come to the party, but why avoid me and not talk to me? And why say you can't be a distraction?' She didn't like the deep breath he took, or the ever lengthening pause. 'Patrick?'

'Because I've been a fucking awful son for the last couple of years and I want to make it up to my mum and dad.' He sipped his coffee. 'The other rules are no more scandals and no more newspaper articles.'

Exactly what I've become. Libby stared at the ceiling. I'm a newspaper scandal waiting to happen. I need to stand up and walk out.

'You're already thinking about leaving, aren't you?'

She nodded, still unable to look at him.

'But don't.'

'There's a thousand pound bounty on our heads.'

'I know.'

She picked at one of the snags in her holdups, making it ladder. Why had she slept with Andy? Why had she had an affair with Robbie? This was her fault. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

'Look, Libs, I've tried to stay away from you, but I think I've proved, I can't.'

'What are you going to do?' she asked.

He sipped his coffee. 'I have no idea. Do we have to worry about it now?'

Hot Patrick. This was Hot Patrick. Would he be cold again tomorrow? Surely not, not after tonight. She picked at another snag, making it run all the way down her leg.

'I've spent the last seven days vowing not to get dragged into you again,' she said.

'Really? Who were you wearing this dress for?'

She couldn't help her blushes. 'It's just a dress.'

'That's not just a dress.' He picked at one of the snags and laughed as it laddered all the way down to her ankle.

'Why did you even turn up tonight? No CSI on TV?'

'I knew you'd be there in a killer dress.'

'You know you can't lie to me.'

'I knew you'd be there in a killer dress and a bad mood, I couldn't resist that.' He toyed with another snag, but slowly, making the contact last longer. 'I wanted to prove I could behave in black tie, but I wouldn't have stayed an hour if you hadn't been there. Even if you were sulking and pretending you hate me.'