He came to a halt and shook his head.
‘Sorry—you didn’t ask for an autobiography.’ And he didn’t usually feel the inclination to give one.
‘No need to apologise. I’m fascinated. Genuinely.’
She reached out and touched his arm, as if to back up her sincerity. The sensation was fleeting, and yet ridiculously intense, and he’d swear he heard her intake of breath as she moved back towards the window.
‘It’s a bit hard to picture you at a market stall,’ she said, and her voice was a touch higher than usual.
‘I was pretty good at it. Actually, I was very good at it.’ Seeing the doubt in her expression, he grinned. ‘You want a demonstration?’
‘Here?’
‘Why not? OK. Here goes... Roll up, roll up!’ His voice slipped automatically into the cadence and rhythm of the marketplace, instantly transporting him years back, to the crisp London air of the market, the clang and bustle of setting up his pitch, eyeing potential customers. ‘Come and see the show. How about this? A pound for whatever I sell next—can’t go wrong, really. Who’ll bid a pound? You will? OK, here you go, sir. One paper bag—good for the environment. But that doesn’t seem fair, does it? So how about I put in this T-shirt and—you know what?—as I’m feeling generous I’ll throw this one in as well. One for you and one for your missus. Look at this—excellent quality. Just the feel of it against your skin will bring a smile to your face. And that’s what I want, ladies and gents! I want to bring a smile to your faces. So come and have a look at what I’m offering next... And so on and so forth.’
He leant back and saw Sarah’s lips curve up in a smile that snagged his gaze on her mouth.
‘I can picture it now,’ she said. ‘You standing in front of your stall... I bet you cleaned up. But you were selling clothes—that must have inspired your sales pitch.’
‘Nope. It’s not the product—it’s how you sell it.’
Her eyebrows rose. ‘So you’re saying you could sell anything?’
Hearing the dare in her voice, he let his gaze meet hers, and underneath the challenge he sensed awareness swirl and solidify into a pull of attraction, a frisson he could almost see shimmering between them. Her eyes dropped, her cheeks flushed slightly and he knew she could feel it too.
Focus. ‘Yup. Try me. Pick something—first thing that comes to your head.’
‘Um... Ki—’ Her eyes widened, her expression stricken as she broke off. ‘Lips—’ Now her eyes closed, then flashed open as she continued with hardly a skipped beat. ‘Stick. Lipstick. How would you sell that?’ Delving into her bag she pulled out a tube and handed it to him.
Kudos to her for the recovery, but he couldn’t help his feeling of deep satisfaction at the confirmation that she too was aware of the attraction, that the idea of a kiss was at the forefront of her mind.
‘Roll up, roll up! You’ve seen me sell the big stuff, and now I have some small stuff. But we all know size isn’t everything. Isn’t that right, ladies? So today I am selling this here.’ He held up the lipstick. ‘But if it’s not about size, what is it about? Well, I think it’s about colour—and this is a colour that delivers a subtle wow. And, yes, I did just make that phrase up—but I think this lipstick does have subtle wow. If you want someone to notice your lips, to focus on them, notice the contour and the shape, then this is for you.’
And heaven help him. Because now his eyes zoned in on Sarah’s lips and for a second he nearly faltered. But then he pulled it together.
‘And it’s not just about other people—it’s how it makes you feel, how it makes your lips feel. This is good quality—excellent quality—and that means it will make your lips feel good, glossy, smooth... This lipstick delivers happy lips and that’s what we all want.’
There was a silence as Sarah lifted a hand to her lips and ran a finger over them. His eyes followed the movement and he pushed his hands under his thighs to counter the urge of his fingers to follow hers. He imagined the feel of her lips under his touch. Hell.
Closing his eyes, he made an attempt to regroup. ‘So, am I an ace salesman or am I not?’ he managed.
A second of silence and then she nodded. ‘You win. You’re a natural salesman. That is my lipstick and I was about to buy it from you anyway.’ A pause. ‘I accept that it’s your business that is most important to you, not your product. But do you really think you would be equally happy running a business that manufactures...cleaning products?’
‘Absolutely.’
Sarah gave a sudden chuckle, then shook her head. ‘Sorry. I just don’t believe you. I’m trying to picture you in the market selling loo rolls. I mean, what could even you possibly do with that. Roll up, roll up! See what I have here... Then what?’
‘I’d play it as a guessing game. Roll up, roll up! Guess what I have to sell today. It’s not glam, ladies and gents, but it’s definitely one of life’s essentials—and, believe you me, the texture and the quality is of gravest importance. You wouldn’t want to miss this off your shopping list.’
‘Hang on!’
Sarah reached out and put her hand on his arm again, and this time there was no point in denial; her touch stopped him in his tracks.
‘I’ve got it. How about this? Ladies and gents, forget the paddle—this is a product you definitely don’t want to go up the proverbial creek without.’
Her tone was gleefully full of pride as she awaited his response and he laughed.
‘Perfect. I vote we go and find a crate of loo roll and head to the nearest market and pitch a stall.’