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CHAPTER 48

Gemma didn’t need to check her diary. She knew she was free. Other than book club, book club birthdays, or occasional nights out to the cinema, she was free most evenings. And yet, saying she needed to check her diary felt like an appropriate response. The last thing she wanted was for Kent to think she would be there at his beck and call. She wasn’t. She was just going for a business dinner with him, that was all.

“You’re going on a date with Kent!” Sophie squealed at the book club the following Thursday. “How come I didn’t know this? How come you didn’t tell me? When did you arrange it?”

She was talking so fast that Gemma thought she might hyperventilate.

“You didn’t know because it’s not a date,” Gemma replied. “I wouldn’t have told you at all had you not suggested we all go to the cinema tomorrow.”

“It is a big deal,” Sophie said, bouncing on the spot as she turned to the rest of the group. “They’ve been getting on really well this week. They even hugged.”

“You hugged?”

“You hugged?” Nina and Graham responded simultaneously.

Gemma was struck with the sudden urge to pick up one of the cushions she was sitting on and throw it at Sophie, but they were in Dee’s house, and everything was so elegant and expensive. She could just imagine how much trouble she’d be in if she missed and hit one of the vases.

“It was a work hug,” she said. “He got this board I was after for gifting coffees to people who can’t afford them. And I was happy about that. Hence, we hugged.”

“That sounds like a lovely thing to do,” Fleur said.

“Yes, it is.” Gemma was grateful to be talking about work. That was a topic she could handle. “Hopefully, it will help people deal with the rising prices. And Kent was sweet. He purchased twenty drinks to get the ball rolling. Several customers were there, and so it spurred them into purchasing some, too. Now, we just need people to know there’s no shame in using them. We all go through tight spots now and then.”

“Sorry, did you just say Kent’ssweet?” Sophie said, arching an eyebrow as her lips struggled to suppress a grin.

“No,” Gemma responded forcefully. “I said he did something sweet.”

“No,” Marie joined in the conversation. “You definitely said Kent was sweet.”

“That is what you said.”

Sophie’s smirk had taken over her entire face and Gemma was thinking she might have to deal with the fallout from a broken vase, when Jules walked into the room.

“What’s going on?” she said. “Why’s everyone so excited?”

“Gemma’s got a date tomorrow with our boss!” Sophie said, practically jumping out of her seat.

“I have not got a date! We work in a restaurant. We are seeing how another restaurant works.” She paused to glower at Sophie. “This is a good thing, surely? You were the one who was worried about the work environment.”

“Well, you’ll have to let us know what theenvironmentis like at tomorrow’s dinner,” Sophie teased. “And make sure you wear nice underwear.”

This time, Gemma didn’t care about the vases. She picked up the cushion and threw it straight at her friend.

CHAPTER 49

She and Kent had decided to drive to Burnham separately. It was only twenty-five minutes away, and Gemma usually hated driving. But the last thing she wanted was to find herself stuck in a situation she couldn’t get out of. Still, as she turned out of Maldon and began down the first of the narrow country lanes, she was already regretting her choice. Perhaps going with Kent would have been preferable. Or even taking a taxi. Gripping the wheel tightly, she focused on the road ahead, carefully trying to avoid the potholes, hedgerows, and large lorries coming down the other side as if it were a motorway, which it most certainly was not. As a passenger, it would have been lovely to stare out the window at the wonderful views over the River Crouch, which glimmered as the evening light reflected off the water. But as a nervous driver, it was far from an ideal situation.

It had taken Gemma far more time to pick an outfit for the night than she would have liked. The problem was the setting. It was a fancy place, which meant she probably needed to wear a dress, but she didn’t really feel comfortable in dresses. Had it been a plain old work meeting or just a restaurant in Maldon, she would have opted for jeans, a nice top, and heels, butthat didn’t feel appropriate, so she settled on a jumpsuit she’d bought for a book club Christmas party a few years back, with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. Hopefully, she wasn’t too overdressed.

When she stepped out of the car at the yacht club, she found Kent already there, standing by the doors, waiting for her.

“You look beautiful,” he said, kissing her on the cheeks.

“Thank you,” she said as the compliment caused her stomach to flutter. “And you… wow, you scrub up well.”

She had known how objectively good-looking Kent was from the first time she had seen him. His square jawline and deep eyes had been one of the first things to catch her attention. But that was before she had taken to hating him. It didn’t matter what his face looked like when she’d considered him the most despicable human to have walked the earth.

Now, though, she was reminded of the man she had seen all those weeks ago—the one she’d immediately noticed. Although, there was something different about him. A slight bashfulness, perhaps. That definitely hadn’t been there before.