First Love, Last Love

‘Lost your way?’ he taunted.

‘Certainly not!’ Her face flushed angrily. ‘Actually, I—I was looking for you.’ Oh, what had she said now? But she could hardly tell him the truth, not when she didn’t want him to know the connection between his secretary and herself.

His eyebrows rose. ‘For me?’

‘Er—yes.’ Now what did she say?

‘Well?’ His stance was challenging. ‘Now you’ve found me.’

‘Yes,’ she acknowledged huskily.

‘So?’ His eyes were narrowed. ‘What can I do for you?’

What could he do? She thought rapidly. ‘It’s what I can do for you,’ she said breathlessly.

‘Really?’ his voice taunted, a humourless smile to his lips. ‘Isn’t it a little early in the day to be making those sort of suggestions?’

Her face flushed fiery red at his jibe. ‘I didn’t mean it like that and you know it!’ she snapped.

‘Do I? And why should I know that? You seem to have two boy-friends that I know of, possibly more, and I made the mistake of kissing you yesterday. Maybe you’ve come to continue where we left off.’

‘No, I haven’t! And I don’t have two boy-friends! As for that kiss, you can’t think it any more a mistake than I do.’

‘That wasn’t the impression you gave yesterday,’ he drawled.

‘Why, you arrogant—–! How dare you!’ Her hands clenched at her sides. ‘You forced me to kiss you back,’ she accused. ‘I didn’t have any choice in the matter.’

‘A lady always has a choice,’ he taunted. ‘Although you could hardly be classed as a lady, not even a young lady, more like a girl really. How old are you?’

Lauri was so startled by the question she replied instantly. ‘Seventeen—nearly eighteen,’ she added defensively.

His eyes narrowed. ‘How nearly?’

‘Nearly!’ she repeated resentfully.

‘Which means you’ve only just turned seventeen.’ He watched the guilty colour enter her cheeks. ‘I thought so. Aren’t you a little young to be doing this sort of thing?’

Lauri frowned. ‘What sort of thing?’

‘Chasing men, especially one twice your age.’

‘I am not chasing—– Are you really that old?’ she asked insultingly.

His mouth tightened. ‘Or you’re that young, it depends which way you look at it.’

‘That makes you as old as my aunt,’ she said thoughtfully.

‘Really?’ He looked down impatiently at his wrist-watch, a plain gold affair, more indicative of his wealth than a flashy one would have been. People who were as rich as he was never needed to flaunt it, it was just there in their every movement, every word. ‘Now what did you want to see me about?’

‘Your car,’ she feverishly grasped for something to say. ‘I—er—I wanted to know if you’d had anything done about it yet,’ she explained with a certain amount of triumph, pleased with herself for thinking of something so quickly.

‘As it happens I have. But I thought your boy-friend was dealing with that?’

‘He isn’t my boy-friend!’ she said crossly. ‘He—he’s a friend, that’s all.’

‘And do all your boy-friends later become just friends?’

She drew an angry breath. ‘He’s always been just a friend.’

‘That takes care of him,’ he remarked thoughtfully. ‘And the other boy-friend departs at the end of the week. Would that be Saturday?’

‘Morning,’ she nodded. ‘But—–’

‘Then that leaves you free to have dinner with me on Saturday evening.’

Her eyes became huge in her surprise and disbelief. ‘I—I beg your pardon? What did you say?’

‘Isn’t dinner suitable? Or are you one of these females who makes do with a cracker and an apple?’

‘I’ve always had a healthy appetite. But—–’

‘Then dinner it is.’ He gave another glance at his watch. ‘I have to get to a meeting now, so if you’ll just tell me where you live I can be on my way.’

Lauri shook her head dazedly, searching his arrogant features for some sign of mockery. The mouth looked impatient, the eyes questioning, but as far as she could see there was no mockery there. ‘Who says I want to have dinner with you?’ she demanded, annoyed with his assumption in thinking she would agree.

He sighed. ‘Don’t you?’

‘Not particularly. Just because your girl-friend is out of town it doesn’t mean I’m willing to—–’

‘It would appear you aren’t willing to do anything without an argument,’ he said tersely. ‘I made the suggestion in the hope that we might come to some agreement over the payment for the damage to my car.’ He shrugged. ‘But if you would rather it went through the insurance agents that’s just fine by me. Of course, you may have a little difficulty explaining to the police what you were doing driving without L-plates, but then that’s your choice.’

Lauri’s mouth gaped open. ‘You know?’ she asked in a whisper.

‘That you’re a learner? If I didn’t before I do now. You just confirmed my suspicions.’

‘Why, you—– That wasn’t fair! You tricked me!’

‘Not really,’ he said calmly. ‘It was a natural assumption to make. Your driving leaves a lot to be desired, and by your own admission you’re only just seventeen.’ He eyed her mockingly. ‘So it would be very doubtful if you’d already passed the driving test, not with the way our system works. I took a shot in the dark and it paid off. Your friend is a braver man than I to allow you to drive his car.’

Lauri blushed at the sarcasm in his voice. ‘I don’t suppose you ever let anyone drive you.’

‘Never. Not even the girl-friend you say is out of town. Tell me,’ he taunted, ‘who is she?’

‘You must know who she is! I wish you’d stop treating me like an idiot.’ She glared angrily as she realised that was exactly what he had called her to Jane. ‘You may think that’s what I am, but that doesn’t mean you have to treat me like one. Everyone knows you’re seeing Connie Mears.’ A slight exaggeration here, but she felt she could be forgiven it.

‘Then “everyone” is wrong. Do the gossips have nothing better to do than make up stories to colour their day?’

No doubt he considered her to be one of the gossips! ‘I got my information from a reliable source,’ she said defensively.