Page 35 of The Next Chapter

I’m momentarily stunned. Obviously, Noah hasn’t asked me out in a girlfriend/boyfriend type way. Even if he had, I’m only here for two more nights so at most we’d manage a quick kiss.

My tongue seems wholly on board with that idea. It’s like it’s trying to leap out of my mouth and down Noah’s throat rather than helping me to form actual words.

‘Seb could come too, if you’d feel more comfortable that way.’ He puts his hands on his knees and then takes them off again. I think he might be fidgeting.

This is very interesting. Very interesting indeed.

I haven’t said anything in too long.

‘I’d actually really like that. Not Seb coming, he doesn’t have the lung capacity for a mountain, but I’d be happy to help with your research. Thank you for asking me.’

He smiles. What a smile. Think peak David Beckham. ‘No problem. I’d better go and have a shower, but I could knock for you in the morning. Is eight okay? It’s a bit of a pull up there.’

Walking is not kayaking, I tell myself. I can definitely walk. Maybe there’s still a chance I can impress Noah with my athleticism.

‘No problem, great. I love a challenge. Anything in the name of adventure. And eight is perfect, I’ll be ready then.’

‘See you, Lily.’

‘Bye.’

I wait a respectable five minutes to give him time to get back to his cottage before I hurry back to tell Seb of the latest development.

‘And I said anything in the name of adventure!’

‘And what did he say?’ Seb asks. We’re sat next to each other on the sofa bed, an open packet of seaweed thins between us, though I’m pretty sure that I’m the only person eating them.

‘I don’t know. Everything went hazy after I said that I love adventure.’

Seb cackles. ‘Lily Brown, you’re a liar!’

Possibly it’s true. And a compulsive one at that.

‘I know. He’s just so handsome, it muddles my brain! But it’s not okay to lie to Noah, is it? It’s not like Lola, he didn’t dump me in a bin as a baby.’ Did I mention that there’s an open bottle of wine between us?

‘No one dumped you in a bin.’

I have another gulp of wine and a thin.

‘Should I cancel on him? It’s not like he asked me out, he wants help with his article. And we’re only here for…’ I count on my fingers ‘… two more nights.’

‘Please, he definitely asked you out. The article thing was just his in.’

‘You think?’ I say, not bothering to hide the hopeful edge to my redundant question.

‘I told you I kept catching him looking your way when he thought you couldn’t see. I was watching him the whole time because, you know, biceps. Men like him really go for the preppy librarian thing. He’s all strong and silent like the mountains – god, my mastery of the English language is wasted on memoirs! You’re prissy and uptight. He’s going to ruffle you up big time.’

There’s potentially something pretty fucked up about getting ruffled when you’re meant to be getting to know your long-lost birth mum. Potentially.

‘I don’t know if I want to be ruffled up.’

‘When he looks like that, who the fuck cares? We’re only here for another night after tonight, I say have some fun. You can get back to finding Mr Sensible and Boring once we’re home. You know what they say about the Isle of Skye?’

I’ve had a fair bit of wine, but I don’t think they particularly do say anything about Skye. Not in the same way that they do about somewhere like Vegas.

‘What do they say?’ I ask, as Seb tops up my wine again.

‘The people here are proper horny. It’s because of their primitive lifestyles. They get bored, so they shag all the time. That’s why men don’t wear anything under their kilts.’