There was a pause and then he said with a conviction she’d never heard from him before, ‘Abby, all you need to know is that if I say it’ll be fine, it will be.’
‘Are you really not going to tell me?’
‘Nope.’
And that was when she gave up because she could hardly force it out of him, could she? And as she wasn’t willing to throw herself from a moving vehicle, what else could she do but just as he suggested and trust him?
‘Then it seems I have little choice,’ she said a bit grumpily.
‘If it helps we’ll be there in around an hour.’
‘Do you mind if I catch up on some work en route?’
‘Not at all.’
And that was what she did. She took out her iPad, blocked Leo from her thoughts, and as they crossed the river and headed north through the city she sent emails, added appointments to her diary and made lists.
She was so engrossed she barely noticed the car slowing an hour or so later. It was only when Leo cut the engine that she glanced up and saw that they’d stopped in front of a barrier that kept people out of what looked like a huge industrial estate.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked, looking around and wondering whether she’d been right to put her trust in him after all because they appeared to be in the middle of nowhere and it was deserted.
‘We’re here.’
‘Where’s here?’ she asked, and thought that she really should have paid more attention to where they were heading.
‘They’re expecting you,’ he said, undoing her seat belt, then leaning across her, opening her door and practically pushing her out in the direction of the booth. ‘Give me a call when you’re done. Have fun.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THREE HOURS LATER Abby was back at the barrier, still buzzing, still reeling, still unable to believe that she’d just had a tour of the set of her favourite TV show, had met some of the cast and had all but got the job of planning a party to celebrate a thousand episodes.
As Thursday mornings went, this one had been a corker.
And it was all down to lovely, lovely Leo.
Caroline—fabulous producer and practically her new best friend—had told her about the drink. She’d told her about how he’d recommended her, and how he’d fixed up not just the meeting but also the tour, and as a result Abby was now filled with nothing but warm, melty, gooey thoughts for him.
Setting up a meeting was one thing, but requesting a tour surely went beyond making a simple professional recommendation, didn’t it? It meant that he’d remembered her love of the programme. It meant that he’d done something for her that he knew she’d enjoy.
Which meant...what exactly? Something? Nothing? What?
With her brain going into overdrive as she tried to work it out Abby sent Leo a quick text to tell him she was done, and leaned against the booth to wait.
Would she be reading too much into this morning if she considered the possibility that maybe their relationship was slipping into something a bit more...well, personal?
Could she even begin to wonder whether, as unbelievable and contrary to her previous experience as it seemed, he might actually be changing in his approach to emotion? After all, his declaration of his feelings in the restaurant and now this would suggest he was. A bit. Maybe. And if he was beginning to open up and their relationship was shifting then what was she going to do about it? What did she want to do about it?
Hmm.
Perhaps she was being a bit over the top with the whole business/pleasure-mixing thing, she thought, frowning down at the ground and biting her lip. Surely her business wouldn’t go down the tubes if she broke her rule just this once? Things were very different today from what they had been seven years ago. She was on a far firmer footing business-wise, and she was no longer naïve when it came to men.
Besides, Leo wasn’t the kind of man who’d use what went on between them for his own ends. He hadn’t yet, and she could think of no reason why he would. He wouldn’t need to.
So maybe disaster wouldn’t strike if she gave into the desire that had, if she was being honest, been eating her up inside and driving her totally nuts. It might even be fun. It would certainly be hot...
And right now, she thought, her heart hammering and the possibilities of an affair racing through her head as she watched his car come round the corner and pull up right in front of her, so was she.
* * *