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The flight had already boarded an hour late so Ella had trouble imagining where the final passenger had got to. The plane was almost at capacity and the only seat that remained was the window seat beside her in business class. As much as she wished that the missing passenger would be seated in economy, she knew her luck didn’t stretch to her having two seats on which to, well, stretch out. She took a sip of champagne and flicked a page of her magazine, her eyes moving over the text without seeing it. She just wanted to get up in the air, to leave the past few days a few thousand miles behind her.
Several minutes later, the passenger finally turned up and, of course, claimed the seat beside hers. She lifted her feet onto the edge of her chair rather than get up. She was in no mood to be courteous. She barely glanced up as he slid past her but, as he sat down, he elbowed her champagne glass off of the drinks tray and into her lap. She gasped as the ice-cold liquid seeped through her jeans, running into places she much preferred to keep warm.
“God, I’m sorry,” he said, looking around for something to mop it up with.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ella shook her head, beckoning to the attendant who was just about to go along and close all the overhead lockers. “Can I get a cloth or something, please?”
“Sure, just give me a minute.”
While the attendant headed off to the galley, Ella took her bag down from the overhead bin and rested it on the arm of her seat, digging around until she found a pair of sweatpants at the bottom. She stalked off to the tiny toilet to change, leaving her clumsy-ass neighbour alone with his apologies. As she wriggled out of her jeans and into her sweats, she chewed her tongue, eating all the words she wanted to snap at him. It wasn’t his fault she was in a bad mood. It wasn’t his fault that she was using her anger to keep the tears at bay. She refused to take it all out on a total stranger.
When she got back, she found the leather seat clean and dry with a fresh glass of champagne on the armrest. She put her wet jeans away and sat back down, careful to keep her right elbow to herself.
“I really am sorry,” the guy said. “Can I at least pay your cleaning bill?”
She looked at him, then wished she hadn’t. He had the bluest eyes and the longest eyelashes she had ever seen. They were obscene. “They’re jeans. Who sends their jeans to the cleaner? It’s fine, I’ll just throw them in the wash. It’s not as if it’s going to stain.”
“It’s not really the best impression to make on someone I have to sit next to for almost half a day.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve had much worse first impressions.” She looked up at him again, and again she wished she hadn’t. He even managed to elicit a small smile from her reluctant mouth.
“Well if you need anything, hand sanitiser, an iPhone charger, a sachet of sugar, even a pen, do not hesitate to let me know.”
Despite herself, she laughed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d even chuckled, but this was a proper laugh. “Thank you.”
He seemed content with this and put in his earphones, relaxing into his chair and turning to look out of the window. The sky was almost black and it was raining horizontally. They hadn’t even pushed back from the gate and it had been almost two hours since their scheduled take off time.
Ella tapped her fingers impatiently on the armrest. She’d heard about the storm on the news that morning and she’d been concerned it would affect her flight. The airline rep she’d spoken to assured her that a little wind would not stop them from taking off, but this was more than a little. It was gusting so hard that they had turbulence on the ground. If this flight did not take off, she didn’t know what she would do.
“Are you trying to tap out a message? I’m not very good at Morse code.” Her seat companion took out his earphones and nodded to her restless fingers.
She put her hands in her lap, squeezing them between her thighs. “I’m sorry. I’m just eager to get going.”
He grimaced, his eyes sympathetic. “I don’t think we’re going anywhere. Sorry.”
“We have to, I really –” She stopped herself, catching her breath. No. She would not give in to tears. She cleared her throat. “I really need to get to LA.”
“To LA or away from London?”
Her head whipped around to look at him. “That’s a bit on the nose.”
He shrugged easily, shifting his weight slightly so he turned towards her. “You don’t have to answer.”
Damn, she thought to herself. Now she looked at him properly, his eyes weren’t the only problem. She sighed. “I need to get away from London.”
“Let me guess,” his eyes flicked over her, “bad break up?”
“You’re good,” she said, impressed. “How did you know?”
“I can see the tan line on your ring finger.”
Ella looked down at the faint mark her former engagement ring had left on her hand. She smiled sadly. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You haven’t,” she assured him. “I, uh, I found Mark, he was my fiancé, in bed with my best friend.”
He looked angry on her behalf. “What a dick!”
“Oh, it wasn’t that impressive.” She smiled as he threw his head back and laughed. “He tried to tell me it was the first time, but I could tell it clearly wasn’t. Then, when I was obviously having none of it, he told me how it was all my fault. That I was too focused on work, I wasn’t affectionate enough or paying him enough attention in bed. She came to see me the next day and took great delight in telling me it had been going on for months and how many times they’d done it under my nose.”
“You mean, while you were in the house?”
She nodded again. “While I was sleeping or in the bath. Once while I was in the next room cooking dinner for them, apparently.” Chris looked appalled but she shook her head, “They’re welcome to each other. I’m not going to lie and say I was ready to leave him but I’d been unhappy for a while. I’d been dithering about whether it was something we could work through, but now I know it isn’t, so…”
“No wonder you can’t wait to get the hell out of Dodge. Are you okay though?”
“I guess. I mean, I’m angry. Humiliated. And I’m kind of lonely having lost both my fiancé and my best friend. Ugh, why am I even telling you this? I’m sorry.” She rubbed her hands over her face, looking over his shoulder at the storm raging outside. By British standards, it was pretty bad. But it felt warm and cosy on the plane, curled up next to this Adonis and the champagne had loosened her tongue. “So, now you know my life story, I should probably introduce myself. I’m Ella,” she held out her hand.
There was a beat in which she saw a little glint in his eye, but it was gone before she could study its meaning. “Chris.”
They shook hands, probably for a little too long while she stared into his eyes.
“Tell me, Ella, what’s in LA for you?”
She sighed, passing a hand over her forehead. “I honestly don’t know. My ex’s company wanted him in Chicago for a while so I’ve got a work permit and a visa. LA seemed far away and, hopefully, I can find a job while I figure out what to do with the rest of my life.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m a vet.”
“Really?” He perked up. “That’s so cool. What kind?”
“Nobody’s ever called it cool or asked what kind before. I’m a domestic vet; dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, that kind of thing. How about you, what do you do?”
Again, he paused and his look was one of barely concealed amusement. “I’m an actor.”
Ella blinked. She knew she should know who he was but she didn’t. “That’s cool, what kind?”
He laughed, really laughed, and she couldn’t help but join in. “It’s more than okay that you don’t know who I am.”
“Should I?”
He grimaced, “No! I mean, you probably know the character I’m most well-known for even if you don’t know me. But it’s nice that you don’t know who I am so I’m not going to tell you.”
“I’m intrigued. Despite those biceps I know you’re not the dude who plays Superman --”
“Woah, wait. How can you rule that out so fast?”
“He’s from England. And you’re from... New England?”
“Very clever. Boston.”
Ella grinned. “So, what brought you here?”
“I was in Scotland, reshooting some scenes for a movie. I just flew down to catch this flight, that’s why I was late. Our plane almost got blown away trying to land.”
“In which case, I’m glad you’re safe and I take back all the uncharitable things I thought about you.”
“I’m sure all the other passengers were being just as uncharitable. Now I have to go back to LA for meetings about my next movie. Otherwise, I’d be on a flight to Boston and I doubt the company would be as lovely.”
She felt her cheeks grow hot and she dropped his gaze, looking down at her empty champagne flute. She was no match for him, she knew, he was so full of X-factor that his pheromones walked into the room before he did. With her confidence long gone, she couldn’t hope to keep up with him.
“Why did you choose LA? It’s not exactly the easiest city to settle in.”
“I thought all those handbag dogs needed someone to look out for them.”
He snorted in disgust, “Dogs are not accessories.”
“No, they are not.”
“I have a dog. He’s called Dodger.”
“Like the dog in Oliver & Company?”
Chris looked at her for a moment before he answered and she wished she was better at reading his expressions. “Yes, exactly like that.”
“I’m guessing you don’t keep him in a handbag.”
“No,” he said with a laugh. “He’s far too big.”
“What breed is he?”
“Not sure. He’s got some boxer in him but the rest is a mystery. He was a shelter dog.”
“The noblest type of doggo.”
“Ah, you speak internet. Are you fluent?”
“No,” she managed to hold his gaze and a tiny smile tugged on the corners of his mouth, “just conversational.”
The conversation kept flowing as they continued swapping stories. The more they talked, the more Ella enjoyed it and the less she noticed that they hadn’t even left the gate, let alone taken off. Occasionally she would get brave and say something flirtatious, but he would fire straight back and she’d have to retreat again. Despite being no match for him, she liked him. He easily made her laugh and, although her life must be dull compared to his, he listened attentively and asked questions.
She realised she was throwing out all the signals. She’d turned towards him and crossed her left leg over her right, she was flashing her hands and wrists every time she spoke, she was twisting the end of her braid around her finger and, the biggest offender, her eyes constantly flicked between his and then down to his mouth. He was so attractive that she couldn’t help but respond to him, she only wished she wasn’t making it so obvious.
“Excuse me,” one of the flight attendants materialised next to Ella, but she was talking to Chris. “I’m sorry to disturb you but a little boy recognised you as you were boarding and he wants to say hello. Would you mind if I bring him over?”
“I don’t mind,” he smiled.
“I really get the impression that I should know who you are,” Ella said once the attendant had gone.
“No, you shouldn’t. I told you, I like it.”
She bit her lip and Chris watched with a look that made it clear he’d much rather it was his teeth biting down on her bottom lip. Her stomach dived as she looked up at him under her lashes, “In that case,” she said, so quietly that he had to lean further towards her to hear, “I should tell you now that I really want to go to bed with you, just so that later on you don’t think it’s just because you are who you are.”
He raised one perfect eyebrow but before he could say anything the flight attendant returned with the little boy. He was about four or five and absolutely adorable. He was accompanied by his dad who had his phone ready to take a picture. Ella got up to make room for them but kept walking, locking herself in the bathroom. She realised that she didn’t want to know who he was, and he didn’t want her to know either or he would tell her. She didn’t want anything to spoil the vibe they had. If the plane ever took off then they had eleven hours together and she’d never see him again.
Once she was back in her seat, she turned to him. “I’m sorry.”
“For?” He frowned.
“I don’t know, not recognising you?”
“Don’t be silly. It’s good to know that you’re not flirting outrageously with me because of who I am."
“I…You…I –”
“Have trouble forming coherent sentences? You didn’t have a problem just now when you told me you want to sleep with me.”
She buried her face in her hands, heat spreading across her skin like a hand warmer once the metal inside gets snapped. She had known she wouldn’t be able to handle him and suspected he hadn’t even turned it up to halfway yet. What on Earth had possessed her to say that to him in the first place? “I did not mention sleeping.”
Chris gently took her wrists and pulled her hands down. “Hmm. You’re blushing. I wonder if there are any other circumstances under which you blush?”
There was no mistaking the tone in his voice nor what he meant. Ella’s skin grew hotter still and she shifted in her seat. “I guess I brought this on myself.”
He laughed. There was a hint of evil plan laughter in there. “Yes, you did. But,” he lowered his voice too, waiting for her eyes to land on his, “I really want to go to bed with you too.”
Ella was saved from having to find an answer by the chime of the PA system. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. Thank you for your patience during this delay. We regret to inform you that, as there has been no improvement in the weather and we are so far behind schedule, this flight is now cancelled. Please follow the instructions of the flight attendants to disembark and speak to the waiting ground staff about your options. Once again, our apologies for the inconvenience.”
Ella sighed, sagging into her seat. Everyone around them started grumbling, getting to their feet and pulling hand luggage out of the lockers. Neither she nor Chris made an effort to move.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, “I know you’re desperate to leave.”
“It’s okay.” That wasn’t why she was disappointed. Now they’d probably end up on different flights or at least in different seats and she wouldn’t get to spend all that time talking to him. She unfastened her seatbelt and went to stand up, but Chris put his hand on her arm.
“Woah, woah, not so fast. What are you going to do?”
She frowned, not sure what her plan would be. “My guess is that there are no more flights tonight so I’ll get a hotel and try again tomorrow.”
“Good plan, but I have a better one.”
Ella’s insides tried to climb out of her throat. “Oh, really?”
“How about I get a room and you come with me. We can arrange a flight for tomorrow from there. And, as a bonus incentive, you can send your jeans to the hotel laundry.”
She smiled, raising her eyebrows. “That is a better plan.”
“But?”
“No but. It’s just that... I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“No strings, Ella. You’re totally safe. I’m just enjoying your company.”
“I’m enjoying yours, too.”
“So, is that a yes?”
Her mind flicked back again, over the past couple of days, weeks, months and years. She’d put Mark before everyone and everything, and for what? She looked at Chris. He was so hot but also very sweet natured and, as irrational as it sounded, she couldn’t help trusting him. He might be exactly what she needed to lift her mood and bolster her confidence. “Yes.”
He made phone calls and arranged everything while they walked through the airport. They had to go through passport control and wait at the carousel for their luggage, then trek through customs. By the time they arrived in the arrivals' hall, there was a driver waiting to wheel their trolley to the lift and up the car park.
Ella snuck sideways glances at Chris as they strode through the car park. He made her blood rush around her body in a very disconcerting way. She couldn’t remember ever having such a knee-jerk attraction to a man before. All she wanted to do was kiss him and feel his hands on her skin. He turned to look at her, catching her blushing, and his smile was wolfish and predatory, which made her legs turn to jelly.
The car took them into Central London. Her hands were trembling and she jammed them under her thighs in the hope that he wouldn’t notice. They passed most of the journey in silence, the atmosphere between them slightly different, more loaded. The car was buffeted by the wind, and rain lashed against the windows. In the distance, thunder rumbled, barely audible over the howling wind.
They pulled up outside of one of the big five-star hotels. The doorman opened Ella’s door and offered his hand whilst simultaneously holding an umbrella over her head. She felt horribly underdressed in her sweatpants and hoodie but her companion seemed to negate any dress code the hotel might have. There was someone waiting for them in the lobby who took them straight upstairs so they could check-in in the privacy of their room. After their luggage arrived and they were alone, Chris pulled out his laptop and started to rearrange their flights.
Ella looked out of the window. Dark clouds rolled over the skyline as sheets of rain raced down the Thames. She could see the river meandering under Waterloo Bridge to her left and the London Eye on the opposite embankment to her right. Impatience surged within her, the delay was giving her too much to time to think about what the hell she was doing. She didn’t have a clue what she would do when she got to LA and she fought second thoughts.
“I need your details. Your ticket and your passport.”
She took her phone out of her pocket and called up her booking details, then rummaged in her bag for her passport and handed them to Chris.
He flipped open her passport and stopped, chewing the inside of his mouth. “Ella Evans?”
She nodded. “Why?”
“No reason,” he said. There was obviously a reason. “Is tomorrow morning okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”
He tapped a few keys and her phone beeped with an email. “All done.”
“Thank you,” she smiled. She thought she’d feel relief knowing that she was on her way again, but all she felt was sick in the pit of her stomach.
“Are you okay?” Chris opened the fridge and passed her a bottle of water, taking another for himself. “You’re quiet.”
“I’m fine.” She watched as he opened his water and took a long sip.
“Are you having second thoughts? Because if you are, I can get another room or sleep on the couch.”
She shook her head. “No second thoughts.”
“You’re nervous?”
She hesitated. She had never done anything like this before. She’d never had a one-night stand or even kissed someone on the first date. And here she was, planning a lot more than a kiss with this complete stranger. She nodded, “A little.”
He crossed the room until he stood in front of her. “We should find a way to settle your nerves.”
Ella took a shaky breath, forcing herself to look up into his eyes. God, they were so blue. “How do you propose we do that?”
Chris closed the distance between them and kissed her. Her lips parted against his in a small gasp, but she didn’t pull away. She felt light-headed, whether from kissing a man she had only just met or from kissing this man in particular, she did not know. Perhaps a combination of both. He was a great kisser, she decided, tentatively sliding her arms around him and moving her body closer to his.
More than anything, being with him showed Ella just how much she’d missed good sex. Mark hadn’t been bad but he’d never been mind-blowing, and he’d been completely absent while he’d been shagging her friend instead of her. Chris took his time and was generous and considerate. It was like going from speeding on a bumpy road in a 1988 Toyota with a dodgy transmission to cruising in a top-of-the-range Aston Martin.
Much, much later, once they’d fallen onto the pillows and caught their breath, Ella turned to look at him. “That was so good.”
“I can’t take all the credit,” he said with a grin.
“I’d forgotten that I actually quite enjoy sex.” She settled with her head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her. “I hope you know that I’m not the kind of girl who just falls into bed with hot guys she meets on planes.”
“How many hot guys have you met on planes?”
“Uh...just you.”
He smiled, smoothing her hair down her back. “Then you’ve fallen into bed with one hundred percent of the hot guys you’ve met on planes.”
“Damn! I really am that kind of girl.”
He chuckled, then, after a pause, asked, “How long were you with your fiancé?”
“Nearly four years.”
“And he threw that away to get his dick wet?”
Ella shrugged, “I guess so. I’m finally beginning to believe I’ve dodged a bullet.”
“I’ll say.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“How are you single?”
“I ask myself that all the time,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. Ella poked his ribs. “Seriously, right now it’s a matter of time and not meeting the right person. I don’t want to come across as too woe is me, but it can be hard to meet people.”
“Aren’t aeroplanes usually good pick up joints?”
“You would think they would be, but surprisingly no.”
“Oh. Because I thought maybe that was your thing. Knocking champagne over a girl and getting her to take her jeans off.”
“It has worked for me one hundred percent of the times I’ve tried it,” he mused thoughtfully. Then he was serious. “I don’t think I’m easy to date. It’s hard for someone outside the industry to understand when I have to go away for a couple of months to pretend to be in love with another woman. Coupled with the fact that, historically, I haven’t had the best reputation in that regard.”
“You surprise me,” she dead-panned, trying to make him laugh, but she chewed her lip thoughtfully. Had she really expected anything else? He was a good-looking, single guy and the fact that they were currently entwined naked with each other after less than eight hours of acquaintance was probably a huge clue. She propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at his face. It was like trying to stare into the sun. “I’m hungry.”
“Shall we go out somewhere? Or we could just go to one of the restaurants here? Or room service?”
“I don’t want to go out.”
He slid his hand onto the back of her neck, guiding her head down so he could kiss her mouth. “Room service it is then.”
They ordered from a menu on which the prices made her eyes water more than the descriptions of the food made her mouth water. Chris waved her concerns away, ordering a three-course mini-banquet for himself and telling her to get whatever she wanted. Once she had decided, he pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of sweats ready to answer the door, leaving her lying naked on the bed.
It surprised her how trusting he was of her. He showed her pictures of Dodger then went to the bathroom, leaving her holding his unlocked phone. He was brutally honest about people and events in his life and told her things she was sure were quite sensitive. “You get a kind of sixth sense for people,” he told her when she asked him about it. “I believe that you don’t know who I am, but even if you did I don’t think you’d go through my phone or sell my secrets to Just Jared.”
“Just who?”
He smiled. “See?” He crossed the room to sit beside her. She was lying on her stomach and he raked his fingers through her long dark hair, making it flow along her back. “Your eyes are beautiful. That’s what got me all flustered when I sat next to you. They’re so green that I thought you might be wearing contacts at first.”
“I’m not,” she assured him. “Were you really flustered?”
He nodded, “Couldn’t you tell? I thought I made some very clumsy efforts to strike up a conversation. You’re very pretty.”
Her stomach folded in on itself. “I’m not. Certainly not comparable to all of the gorgeous ladies I’m sure you’ve been out with.”
“More so, because nothing about you is a lie. I don’t see completely natural women very often.”
She got to her knees and leaned over to kiss him. When they were standing, he was three or four inches taller than her, but kneeling beside him she had the height advantage. Her hair tumbled down, providing a curtain behind which they kissed. He positioned her so that she straddled his lap and things were just getting interesting when room service knocked on the door.
They both sighed, then Chris reached out a hand and grabbed his jacket for her to put on, waiting until she zipped it up before answering the door. He signed the bill then, as soon as the door closed behind the waiter, he turned back to Ella. “Where were we?”
“You were sitting here,” she pointed to the bed. “And I was naked. There was some kissing involved.”
“I remember now.” There was that wolfish grin again. He looked at her like she was a snack he could not wait to devour.
Ella had no memory of how they ended up on the floor by the window. She stared up at the ceiling, waiting for her heart rate to return to normal, wondering what she was going to do when the night was over. She knew she would never have enough of him, he would never be able to sate her, she would always, always want him. Even if she never saw him again once they got to LA, she knew she would never forget him and she’d struggle her whole life to find someone who made her feel the way he did when he touched her. That thought seemed to hurt her more than walking in to find her fiancé balls deep in her best friend.
Having thoroughly depressed herself, she got up and headed to the bathroom. She stared at her reflection until Chris knocked at the door to check she was okay.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
She hesitated, unsure whether or not to tell him the truth. “I don’t know.”
“Can I do anything?”
Why did he have to be so nice? If he was a dick at least she could reason that it was just sex and have no qualms in leaving him tomorrow. “Kiss me.”
He complied and her mind went blissfully blank. When they surfaced for air, he said, “I can hear your stomach rumbling.”
“I am very hungry.”
“Let’s eat cold room service food.”
They threw some clothes on and sat down to eat. The food was, surprisingly, still warm and they both devoured everything under the cloches.
“I want to hear about your work,” Ella said, stirring half-melted ice cream into a bowl of apple crumble.
He looked at her. “We’d have to break our secrecy pact. You’ll find out who I am.”
She paused, looking up at him. She knew he didn’t look right. His hair jarred her, the soft brown spiky quiff was throwing her off. But he was starting to look familiar to her. “What’s your last name?”
He paused before answering her, his tongue in his cheek. “Evans.”
“Oh!” She laughed, understanding why he’d picked up on her name earlier. “I’m not surprised, all the best people are called Evans.”
“Obviously.”
Chris Evans, she mused. She leant back in her chair, appraising him.
He tapped his spoon against his lips and looked back at her thoughtfully. “Imagine I’m bigger. You probably think I’m taller and more muscular.”
“Oh!” Ella’s mouth dropped open. “Holy crap!”
“Are you there?”
“Snowpiercer!”
“Wait, what?”
She frowned, “That’s not you?”
“Well, yeah, it is, but I thought you’d say Captain America.”
“Oh my God! That’s you?!”
Chris laughed helplessly as Ella buried her face in her hands. “It’s okay. It’s just that I never get recognised for Snowpiercer. Or anything much other than Cap.”
“I feel so stupid. I’ve seen all the Marvel movies with my brother. I can’t believe that’s you. You look so different with a beard!”
“I can’t believe you said Snowpiercer.”
“I’ve seen it a couple of times. I liked it,” she shrugged.
“Ella…” he said, in a tone that told her he was both impressed and frustrated. “Why did I have to meet you now? It couldn’t be a worse time.”
She looked down at her plate, suddenly no longer hungry. He was right, it was a terrible time. This wasn’t real. The positive feelings she had were merely postcoital. More tears and pain awaited her as soon as she landed in LA and she and Chris went their separate ways, which was the way it had to be. She needed to heal and that wouldn’t happen while she was using him as a Band-Aid. “I like you,” she said in a tiny voice, feeling ridiculous.
Chris got to his feet and took her hand, pulling her up beside him. “I like you, too.”
She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing as his arms closed around her. He made her feel things she’d never felt. It was a cruel glimpse of how good it could actually be but a valuable lesson for her to learn before she began to process what happened with Mark. A little something to temper her level of grief, to make her realise that she hadn’t lost as much as she thought. “We’ve still got a few hours before we have to leave for the airport.”
“How will we possibly fill the time?”
Ella kissed him and showed him exactly how she planned to fill the time. If she only had one night with him then she was determined to make the absolute most of it. In the coming weeks all she would have to cling to was the memory of him so she made sure to imprint him firmly on her mind. They didn’t sleep, instead lying awake talking quietly, laughing and telling each other stories as the room got light around them.
When they’d made the most of every last possible moment, when they were dressed and ready to go, Chris took her hand. “We won’t be able to have a proper goodbye at LAX, so we should do it now.”
“This is the best cancelled flight delay I’ve ever had.”
“How many have you had?”
“One.”
He smiled. “Give me your phone.” She took her phone from her pocket and handed it to him. “This is my number. You call me if you need anything at all. Hand sanitizer, an iPhone charger…”
“Even a pen?”
“Especially a pen.” He handed it back to her and wrapped his arms around her.
She closed her eyes. “I’ve had the best time with you.”
“Me too.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “You’re beautiful, Ella, and you deserve better than that idiot. Remember that.”
She didn’t trust herself to speak. Tears were dangerously close to the surface. Instead, she kissed him, committing it to her memory for the final time. The feel of his mouth on hers, the softness of his beard, his hands in her hair.
“We’ll see each other again,” he promised. “Sooner or later you’re going to need a pen.”
By the end of her first day in LA, Ella would have been more than ready to call Chris, if only to hear his voice, but she’d lost her phone somewhere at the airport and nobody seemed to have found it. They had got separated at immigration, with Chris sailing straight through the American citizen line and her being not so much detained as thoroughly interviewed before they let her proceed. Then customs had wanted to open her bags and go through all of her things. After that, she’d stood in a long, slow-moving line to find and book into a hotel. She’d stood in an even longer, slower-moving line for a taxi and then sat for what seemed like hours in the LA traffic.
The hotel was nothing to write home about but it was clean and the bed was comfortable, which was good because she spent a lot of time curled up on it, crying. She felt like she’d made a mistake. She missed having someone to call up and vent to, like Mark or her best friend, but she found she didn’t miss them at all. It was hard to be angry when, without their infidelity, she wouldn’t have met Chris. Every day, she checked her iCloud on her laptop, hoping that her contacts would update, but it was pointless. Fate had spoken and Chris was out of her reach.
He was never far from her thoughts, though, even as she slowly pulled her life together. She started applying for jobs after a couple of weeks, giving herself a chance to cry herself out and get her head straight. She had a few promising interviews that came to nothing, and then an animal hospital in Burbank offered her a position. Once she had a job, she could finally apply to rent an apartment of her own.
Over the months, she got into a routine, helped by her shifts at the hospital. Although she had quickly made friends, she wasn’t ready to socialise. Occasionally they tempted her out but she always ended up thinking about Chris and wondering where he was and, in her darker moments, who he might be with. She tortured herself by watching his movies and thinking that, at that very moment, he might be only a few miles away from her, somewhere up in the hills. The sense of regret and wondering what could have been lingered long after any thoughts of her ex.
Ella had been in LA for about five months when she had a shift in the general clinic. She found it the hardest part of her job as it was where they most often met animals in very poor health. She’d just had to euthanize a little old lady’s beloved cat and she was feeling sad. Nobody liked putting pets down, even when it was the best course of action. Once she had scrubbed the room down, she took a deep breath and opened the door to the waiting area.
She looked down at the clipboard for the name of her next patient. The words were halfway out of her mouth before she realised their significance. Her stomach went into freefall while her heart leapt into her throat. “Dodger Evans?”
Chris and Dodger crossed the waiting room and she stood back to let them into the treatment room. Dodger sat down at her feet, wagging his tail as he looked up at her. She crouched in front of him and stroked his head, trying to control her trembling hands. “Hello, Dodger. It’s good to meet you. Aren’t you gorgeous?” She looked up at Chris. “What seems to be the problem?”
“Uh...he’s off his food. He mopes around the house a lot. He doesn’t seem to enjoy doing any of the things he usually likes to do. He really needs to see a vet.”
She looked back at Dodger who was still wagging his tail happily. She checked his ears, eyes and teeth but it was fairly obvious this was a dog at the peak of physical perfection. Much like his owner. “He seems fine to me.”
“Of course he’s fine, he’s been to almost every vet in Los Angeles. I wasn’t talking about him.”
Ella couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She stood up to face him. “I’m afraid I’m not qualified to diagnose humans.”
“I’ve self-diagnosed, I need to move straight on to treatment.” He advanced towards her, backing her up against the table. “You didn’t call.”
“I lost my phone and when I finally got a new one sorted, I discovered the old one hadn’t backed up since you put your number on there. I didn’t know how else to track you down.”
“I knew I should have taken your number but I figured you needed time to process things and settle here and I wouldn’t have wanted to wait to see you again.”
“I can’t believe you’re really here.” She looked into his eyes, everything about that night in London flooding back to her.
“I’m surprised a bunch of other vets haven’t called you to tell you some weird guy and his dog were looking for you. It’s taken almost three months and we have been all over south California. I had to tell them my dog hated vets and you were the only one he would see. I started to think maybe you’d gone back to London and I’d never find you.”
“I think about you all the time and it broke my heart that I wouldn’t see you again,” she blurted, hating herself for her lack of chill. She closed her eyes, scared that any moment now she was going to wake up in her bed and this would be just another cruel dream. “Please kiss me.”
His mouth was less than an inch from hers when something seemed to occur to him and he pulled away. “Are you going to get struck off for this?”
“While it is true that kissing the patients is strictly forbidden, you are not my patient.”
“Awesome,” he said happily. And, at last, he kissed her.