***
After the pub closed, the four decided the night was still young. The guys bought two more bottles of champagne and the girls invited them to their flat. Even though it was November, they went outside to stand in the overgrown garden, wearing coats, mainly because Carol smoked. The outdoor table was soon filled with champagne flutes and empty bottles. Carol filled an entire ashtray with cigarette butts.
Carol played the Spice Girls and Michael Bublé. Every now and then one of the neighbours yelled over the back fence, telling them to be quiet.
“I always wanted to be a Spice Girl when I was young,” Sophie pretended to whisper to Carol.
“What a great Spice Girl you would have been,” Carol said. “I’d be Sporty Spice because I’m a dancer. Baby Spice with her blonde hair just doesn’t fit me.”
“I’d be Posh Spice and if Mickey was here, with all her red hair, she’d have to be Ginger Spice.”
“Can we stop all this talk about the Spice Girls?” Josh laughed.
“Not manly enough? Let’s do something else. I know, we’ll have a piggy back race,” Matthew said. “Sophie, you’re in my team.”
“You’ll probably drop me.”
“You’ll just have to trust that I won’t. Besides, I think we already successfully work together.”
He had a point. With all their bobbing at the pool, they looked like synchronised swimmers. Sophie leapt from her seat, springing onto Matthew’s back. Her legs wrapped round his slim waist. She ran her hands over his muscular back, appreciating his square shoulders.
Carol was suddenly clutching Josh, legs around his waist, grappling to find her balance.
“They’re going to win. She’s so light and thin,” Sophie whispered in Matthew's ear.
“I’ve got a plan.” His voice was low.
She leaned closer toward his neck. “What is it?”
“Let’s just have fun.”
“Fun and not winning?”
He nodded. “It’s not always about the winning, it’s the journey.”
“Okay,” Sophie agreed. “Let’s do this for fun then.”
On the count of three, they raced the length of the garden, sidestepping weeds and bushes. Matthew steamed ahead for two strides, carrying Sophie as if she were light as a feather. Then the inevitable happened, and he stumbled on some bricks, falling onto a bush. As they tumbled to the ground Sophie laughed until her stomach hurt.
“Victory!” Josh cried as he reached the far end of the garden, before carrying Carol all the way back to the door.
“You okay?” Matthew asked.
“Grand,” Sophie said, touching her knee, feeling a bruise. “You?”
“Perfect,” he stood up, grabbing her hand.
As Matthew pulled Sophie up, she glanced back at the flat. Carol and Josh had disappeared inside, looking for warmth and a heater.
Matthew still held onto her hand, and desire took over. Sophie shook herself.
This was Matthew, her client. She shouldn’t mix business and pleasure. Besides, he’d told her not long ago about his ex-girlfriend. Sophie knew she wasn't ready to get involved with anyone yet, not after Derek, so how could he be?
“So,” she said, feeling her body stiffen a little, all men were the same weren’t they? Sophie extracted herself, removing her hands from his by brushing down her coat. “It’s kind of cold isn’t it? Want to go inside?”
“Yeah.” He said turning away immediately, taking a few empty bottles from the garden table. “Do you still want to go and see Carol’s show with me? I mean, I don’t want to break a promise but I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to do.”
“Like the swimming?” she said as they walked into the kitchen. Sophie placed the glass bottles in the trash.
“You’ll grow to love the swimming,” he replied. “So how about it? Should we go, or should we give it a miss?”
She noticed Carol and Josh, making out intensely on the couch. The girlfriend code was to give them space, and she found herself alone in the kitchen with Matthew.
“Sure, we should totally go to the ballet. Um…you know I just recently broke up with Derek.”
“It’s just the ballet.” He shrugged. “Anyway Carol was saying it would be a group thing with your friend, Mickey, going too. There’s no pressure. It’s just a night out with a group of people to support Carol.”
“We should go. I’ll talk to Mickey. But the reason I brought up Derek is because you see, half my stuff is still at his place.”
He nodded a few times as if deep in thought. “I think you need to go and get your things.” His eyes locked with hers.
It felt like thousands of tiny shivers ran through her body. “I think you’re right,” she said, pulling her eyes away from his.
“Do you need some help?” He thrust his hands in his pockets. “I mean, I’ve got a car and can help and all that. You can’t move on with your life while your stuff is still at his place.”
Sophie nodded. She had an idea. “I know. I’m going to ring him and arrange it for this weekend. Saturday. I’m going to pick everything up on Saturday. There’s no time like the present.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. I’m going to call him and arrange it all.”
Matthew’s face looked suddenly stricken. “You don’t mean now. Sophie? It’s late. It’s not a good idea.”
Sophie felt confident, with alcohol whirling through her body. “No, I’m going to ring him.”
“You’ve had quite a few drinks. Trust me. You’ll regret it.” He looked intensely at her.
“No, this is perfect.”
“You could always send a text if you feel like you must. A text is not so in-your-face as a 2 a.m. wake-up call.”
“I’m doing it.”
“I want you to ask Carol first. Ask Josh, even ask Mickey, but it’s not a good idea to drink and dial.”
“Don’t you want to help me?” She glanced quickly at him. “I thought you'd to be on my side.”
“Trust me when I tell you this: It’s not a good idea. And you can trust me to help you, but I think you’ll feel much better in the morning. Even though you’ll probably be all hung over and stuff. Sleep on it, okay,” he urged.
“Okay, but just so I know, you're free this Saturday, the day after tomorrow which is Friday? Is that correct?”
He nodded his head vigorously. “Yes, tomorrow is Friday and I’m free on Saturday.”
“So you’ll be helping me move my things out of Derek’s?” Sophie found her mobile phone, and started running down the numbers, searching for his name. A for Adam. B for Ben. C for Catherine, Claire, Clyde.
“Yes, we’re on, but don’t call now.” He snatched the mobile phone from her hands.
“We’re not on if I can’t call, we’re only on for Saturday if you… if you….”
“If I what?” Matthew asked and his eyes twinkled. “If I what, Sophie?”
“We’re only on for the move if I can make this call!” Sophie thrust her hand out.
Matthew shoved the mobile phone deeper into his front jeans pocket. “You'll have to get into my jeans if you want to call him. Trust me. You'll thank me in the morning.”
“Do all girls thank you in the morning?”
He threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” His voice was playful. “But I guess you’ll have to move your stuff from your ex’s place first.”
Sophie's eyes darted from his face, to his jeans where the mobile phone bulged, and then back to his dancing eyes. “Is that a challenge?”
A dimple formed on his cheek. “I dare you,” he said, nodding coyly. “You’re the girl who likes challenges, Miss Skinny Dipping.”
Sophie lunged at him. He was on.