High Heels & Bicycle Wheels

Despite the fact that all traces of gloss and adult fun seemed to have disappeared down her friends domestic plug-holes as their homes filled up with offspring, she might have had more than a pang of regret for the cosy domesticity they had and she didn’t, had she not been preoccupied with playbacks of Jackson’s extraordinary assets. The only plus was that she and Jackson hadn’t actually ended up in bed. She’d made damned sure of that. Bed was just too intimate of a place to go. Too dangerous. One night in bed with any guy might set a girl thinking about what she was missing. A night in bed with a guy like Jackson might be enough to blow your mind. Folly, when relationships were right off your personal agenda, and wouldn’t be on there any time soon.

The one saving grace was that it was secret. No one knew. No one was ever going to know. No one that was apart from her and Jackson and she was one-hundred percent confident that he wouldn’t be telling. And she damn well knew she wouldn’t. There was no earthly reason why she’d ever see Jackson again. And she promised herself as of now not to think about him at all, especially not the crinkles in his cheeks when his face cracked into one of those aching smiles. So, that was all good. All over. A week ago now, so it was almost as good as ancient history. She threw her bags down in the bedroom, and began to check her answer phone messages. Six from Brando, filling in the non-urgent gaps between the texts he’d sent. Three bits of news from Edgerton Manor, his place in the Cotswolds, one tip about a work contact at his London company, a warning that their mum was on the lookout for someone to look after her retrievers – and the rest were from Cressy sounding more and more irate with each call. The landline began to ring again the minute she put the phone down.

‘At last. I’ve been desperate for you to come back.’ Cressy, bursting with energy. ‘Did you get the bad boy into bed then?’

Shit, going straight in for the jugular, then. Bryony took a mental deep breath and sprang to her own defense. No way could she afford to let Cressy pounce on a hesitation here.

‘Nope.’ And definitely telling the truth there – sofa, floor, terrace, shower, but definitely not bed.

‘Jackson Gale on a plate and you didn’t end up in the sack with him?’

Bryony held her phone against her shoulder, masking Cressy’s shrieks. ‘I resisted. Like I told you I would.’ Dicing, with that last bit.

Trying not to think about falling asleep on the floor of the cabin, head clamped in the delicious crook of Jackson’s neck, waking to find he’d covered them with a quilt, because she’d promised herself she wasn’t going to go there again, and – way more pertinent – in case Cressy managed to pick up on her daydreaming.

She braced herself for Cressy’s ‘I’m disgusted with how you’ve letting down womankind by passing up a chance like that’ tirade. Surprised a little, when it didn’t roll down the phone.

‘So, lots of great news for you…’ Cressy’s voice was uncharacteristically restrained. ‘You’re going to love it.’

‘Yes?’ Having to wheedle it out of Cressy now. Like Cressy’d had a personality transplant too while Bryony had been away.

‘First, fab news about your interview with Jackson.’

That? She’d almost forgotten about it. Bryony wished her stomach would stop leap-frogging over her shoulder every time Cressy mentioned him. Guilt about the deception making her nervous.

‘That interview was such a mess; talk about newbie falling at the first hurdle. The arrogance of the guy totally rubbed me up the wrong way.’

‘Or the right way, depending who you are.’ What the? Cressy was purring now. ‘You should see it – you’re amazing in front of the camera. Management can’t think why they haven’t put you there before. And the chemistry between you and Jackson is something else.’

‘You’re kidding?’

‘Nope. It’s fantastic. So fantastic that they want you to do some presenting.’

‘Wow.’ Bryony taking a minute to let that sink in.

‘Presenting’s such a great career hike for you. I wasn’t sure about your plans…’ Cressy, hesitated, then blurted. ‘But I blagged it and told them you’d be available to work right away. I knew you wouldn’t mind?’

So that explained the holding back.

‘You know me, I don’t exactly have a lot of plans to ruin.’ Sad or what? Whatever happened to the world tour she hadn’t had the enthusiasm to book? When she was doing eighteen-hour days working on a reality show, a month off when she finished had sounded like bliss, but now it was here she didn’t know what to do with herself. Other than a bit of tweaking around her flat, the three weeks Bryony had scheduled as free time were looking horribly empty. As for presenting, Cressy was right that it would be fab for her career.

‘Phew. It’s great to hear that.’ Down the phone, she heard Cressy exhaling with relief. ‘You’ve no idea how hard we’ve worked this last week to pull this thing together. It’s the mega-coup Sporting Chances has been trying to line up for ages.’

‘Sorry, what thing’s this?’ Cressy was losing her now.

‘Nabbing Jackson Gale.’

Jackson?

Eeeek. Jaw on the floor. Trying not to hyperventilate.

‘What’s he got to do with this?’ Bryony’s stomach had given up leaping, and was on its way, slowly, but surely, to somewhere around her ankles.

‘He’s been so difficult to pin down. Then, on Tuesday, his management rang and agreed that in addition to us following his return to racing, Jackson would film a feature ride for every programme in the series from different places. It’s phenomenal – that guy is such a star.’

‘Sorry to sound dense, but where do I come in?’

Was that Cressy sucking in a huge breath? As if she were bracing herself?

‘Seems it’s his manager, Dan’s idea. He wants Jackson to do tandem rides, and Dan’s insisting it’s you on the back. And Dan’s rock-solid firm that he wants you to do the research with Jackson too. It’s the only way they’ll consider it.’ As Cressy’s words tumbled out, Bryony’s brain began to spin.

‘What?’ That would explain the huge intake of breath on Cressy’s part, and her own involuntary shriek.

‘Chill, babe. It’s cool. You don’t need to start until next week. It’s all sorted, you’ll have a ball. He’s got a camper van lined up and everything.’

Bryony gulped. ‘A camper van…?’ Heart thumping. Hands clammy. Adrenalin coursing through her system, her body instinctively leaping into action, all on its own, on red alert for the Jackson Gale one-man danger zone. Bryony opened and shut her mouth. What could she say? No way could she spill her secret, but no way either could she mosey round the countryside with Jackson blasted Gale. Not after… She’d only survived since that night because she knew she’d never have to face him again.

‘I’m sorry, it’s out of the question.’ Bryony racked her brain for a sensible reason to put forward. Because he’d shagged her senseless and she never wanted to see him again wasn’t going to cut it here. ‘I barely survived the last time. That tandem was terrifying. Plus I’d murder the man for being so cocky.’ Ouch to that word choice and the images it conjured. ‘If he didn’t kill me first that is. He hated me because I wasn’t sporty.’

‘Seems like he’s changed his tune. Big time. You know I’d swap places with you in a heartbeat, but sadly it isn’t me they’re asking for. ’

Bryony jumped in before Cressy could begin to speculate further.

‘I’m happy to try some stuff in front of the camera.’ Bryony desperately trying to appease Cressy here. ‘I just don’t think I can work with Gale.’

When Bryony held her ground firmly enough, Cressy knew to back off. It was an unspoken agreement. One more moment of silence, and Bryony knew Cressy would retreat, gracefully, like she always did in their stand-offs. Except this time Cressy wasn’t retreating.

‘Okay, I’ll lay it on the line. It’s important or I wouldn’t be pushing you.’ Cressy, not backing down. What the heck? ‘We need Jackson, Bry. He’ll raise the profile, and pump up the ratings. Without him Sporting Chances is going to struggle, so the whole team is counting on you here.’

No pressure there, then?

‘What’s in it for Gale?’

‘Cash, and the exposure will be good for him too. The company will pay for a name like his and I think his manager liked what he saw of the two of you on the rushes.’

‘What? He saw the film of the interview?’ And she’d thought it couldn’t be any worse.

‘One of his conditions – he vets every scrap of film we take. But I guess he saw how great you were together, and realised it wouldn’t harm Jackson’s profile to grab some of that. There was something about the two of you on screen, Bry. Talk about sparks. Believe me, you two sizzled, the public will lap it up. It’s a no-brainer. Gale’s man is astute, and he’s onto it.’

‘Give me a day to think about it?’

As if twenty-four hours would make any difference.

‘Pleeeeeeeease, Bry. Do it for me. It’s my first big programme – I’d hate to lose it. You can’t leave me hanging, say “yes” now.’

Emotional blackmail wasn’t Cressy’s style. Nor was begging. This had to be important.

‘You might like Jackson better when you see more of him…’ Cressy hesitated. No idea how deeply she was putting her foot in things. As she began again her voice deepened with concern. ‘He didn’t push you to do anything you didn’t want to, did he?’