Page 29 of Take the Lead

L ucy is still at work when I get back to the flat, but I know where she keeps her styling irons so I manage to twist some volume into my hair.

I go for neutral colours with my eye make-up, with lashings of mascara, and I team my favourite jeans with a low-cut lace-trim cami and a black tailored jacket.

‘Not bad for a thirty-minute turnaround,’ I tell my reflection in the mirror as I top it off with bold red lipstick.

Aleksis has suggested meeting in a bar close to The May Fair a bit before eight, so we can arrive there together.

I don’t know why I’m so fidgety on the Tube journey there, but I can’t stop rubbing my hands together, twiddling my hair, tugging my sleeves down over my hands then pushing them back up again.

Yes, it’s a weird situation, but I’m sure, between the two of us, we can make it a pleasant evening.

At least I no longer feel like I need to hide my face out in public. So much has happened since those photos were published that it really is starting to feel like old news. And if it feels like that to me, despite the turmoil it put me through, it must feel like ancient history to anyone else.

If I do catch anyone staring at me for longer than is polite, with that curious look in their eye, I just smile right at them – and they either smile back reflexively or quickly look away in embarrassment.

I spot Aleksis at the bar as soon as I walk through the door and I’m glad to see he’s also opted for jeans.

Imagine if he’d gone full suit on me and I’d underdressed.

He’s matched his with a navy T-shirt and I have to admit he looks good.

He reminds me of the catalogue models I used to swoon over as a teenager.

I can’t help grinning as I walk over, a nervous flutter in my stomach.

He stands up and kisses both my cheeks, then pulls out the chair beside him.

‘Do you think we need to kiss properly?’ I whisper. ‘In case anyone’s watching?’

He tilts my chin round so I’m facing the rest of the bar. Not a single person is glancing in our direction.

‘I think we’re good,’ he says with a grin. ‘What can I get you?’

He hands me the menu.

‘An espresso martini please.’

‘The same for me,’ he tells the barman and we both watch as our drinks are prepared.

‘Don’t you feel at all nervous?’ I ask. He certainly doesn’t look it.

‘I don’t think we’ll struggle to fool anyone this evening. When people see a man and a woman out together, having dinner, they automatically assume they’re a couple. It’s what everyone does.’

I must look doubtful because he adds, ‘I am going to make it look convincing though, don’t worry. I can switch it on when I need to.’

‘Speaking of which, should we get a photo of us here up on Instagram?’ I ask.

‘We should definitely do that,’ he agrees, and I’m glad to have something to do with my hands.

Aleksis uploads the picture with the caption, ‘ Cocktails with my favourite @katewareing.’

After that we drink up quickly because it’s time for our next stop, so I leave the bar feeling slightly tipsy.

There are only two photographers outside The May Fair as we approach and they both look pretty bored – they’re both slouching against the wall and scrolling through their phones.

There must not be many celebrity guests expected this evening, which seems to be confirmed when they get disproportionately excited to see us walking towards the entrance.

‘A few pictures?’ one of them requests.

‘Sure,’ Aleksis agrees, pulling me closer as we pose in front of them.

Moments later he puts his hand on my bum as we walk into the hotel, which prompts a few more camera flashes.

I must be tipsier than I thought, because it makes me smirk rather than wanting to brush it off and tell him to keep his hands to himself.

Knowing it’s just for show stops it from feeling intrusive.

After another pre-dinner cocktail followed by a bottle of wine with our meal, I’m definitely not sober.

But the conversation flows smoothly and Aleksis makes me laugh with tales of his childhood skirmishes with Sofiya, who once painted him blue from head to foot when their parents left them alone for a couple of hours.

He also recalls when he stuck an ‘I’m a nerd’ sticker on the back of her jacket just as she was going out on her first ever date – which the date noticed before she did. They didn’t speak for a fortnight.

We order starters and mains, and in between the courses Aleksis holds my hands across the table. At first I have to fight the urge to pull away, but by the time we get to dessert it’s starting to feel more natural.

While we’re drinking post-dinner coffees, Sofiya forwards us a picture that her friend Dan must have taken, with a thumbs-up emoji. We look deep in conversation and Aleksis’s eyes are sparkling. He zooms in on the image and a grin spreads across his face. ‘We’re nailing this.’

‘We are,’ I agree. ‘You look really into me.’

‘I think acting might be what I focus on in my career going forward.’

‘Really? You’d rather act than dance?’

I don’t know why this surprises me. I guess it’s because I’ve only seen him dancing.

‘There are more opportunities. And I can really see myself in a period drama. All those elaborate costumes … right up my street. Or maybe a police series on TV. Detective Inspector Lapsa – what do you think?’

‘I’m not sure I can picture you in uniform. I’m too used to seeing you in sequins. You’d make a good baddie though, especially when you do that look.’

‘What look?’ He seems mystified.

‘You know. The one where people can’t tell what you’re thinking. It’s so unnerving.’

He laughs at this. ‘And there I was thinking that was my sister’s speciality. What do you think, then – the next Bond villain?’

‘I could see that.’ He’d be perfect.

He shakes his head, but he’s still smiling. ‘I think I’m more Bond, personally. Suave, sophisticated, good with the ladies.’

‘Is that so?’

He gives my hand a suggestive squeeze. A small part of me – the drunk part, I presume – wants to think it’s not part of his act.

But before I can analyse this, he asks me who I’d play if I could be the lead in any movie.

The first thing that pops into my head is Julia Roberts in a Pretty Woman remake.

‘So you like an older man,’ he teases.

‘I like how romantic it is,’ I correct him.

He raises an eyebrow. ‘I didn’t have you down as the romantic type.’

I can only assume he’s basing this on my behaviour with Merle.

‘Then you obviously need to get to know me better.’

‘Fair,’ he laughs. ‘So let’s say we’re making the film of your life. What’s the plot going to be?’

‘Girl goes on to become world class dancer after beating the odds to win reality TV show with her talented partner?’ I suggest.

‘Ambitious, I like it. And who’s going to play us? I can see a bit of Emma Stone in you, I think.’

‘I’ll take that,’ I smile. It’s been said a couple of times before, and it’s just as flattering coming from him.

‘And Chris Hemsworth for me?’ he says.

‘I was thinking more the guy who plays the terminator in the second movie. The liquidy one, not Arnie obviously.’

‘I’ll take that,’ he fires back at me. ‘From what I recall he did look pretty good in uniform.’

We carry on bantering until the bill arrives and when it’s time to leave, we jump into a taxi together outside the hotel in case any of the photographers are still around – not that we see any. But it only takes us as far as the nearest Tube station as I’m heading south and Aleksis is going north.

‘I thought that went really well,’ he says.

‘Me too.’

And in the pause that follows, it strikes me that it hasn’t felt at all like we were pretending to like each other. I wouldn’t even be sad if the evening wasn’t coming to an end yet. I can’t help wondering if he feels the same way.

But Aleksis steps back and says, ‘See you tomorrow then, bright and early?’

‘Absolutely.’ I make it sound breezy. ‘See you in the morning.’

I was obviously reading too much into it. And what on earth was I thinking anyway? I imagine he’s just as surprised as I am that we got on so well in spite of everything.

There’s another surprise waiting for me when I pull my phone out of my bag to let Lucy know I’m on my way home – a message from Warren is waiting on the screen.

‘ Looks like someone got an upgrade ,’ he’s written under a screenshot of the photo Sofiya took of me and Aleksis.

He’s added a laughing face, but it still makes me squirm uncomfortably.

We probably should have had some kind of conversation after our one-night stand, just to clarify that’s all it was.

‘ I’m sorry I didn’t warn you ,’ I type, wincing. ‘ It wasn’t planned .’

Well it was, of course, but he doesn’t need to know that.

‘ Relax, no hard feelings ,’ he assures me. ‘ The guy’s hot. I’d do exactly the same in your shoes. I like you though, Kate. I hope we can still be friends.’

I breathe a sigh of relief and tell him I’d like nothing more. We’re bound to see each other again while Lucy’s dating Aiden, and that will be a lot less awkward if we’re both on the same page.

‘ The guy’s hot ’, though? I flick to Instagram to look at the photo of me and Aleksis again.

It is a flattering shot and it’s got a lot of likes.

The other pictures Sofiya took also have plenty of red hearts.

I suck my breath in when I notice the number of people following my account has risen to over two thousand.

In a day. That surely bodes well for our plan.

Thankfully, the comments are mostly positive, saying how good we look together and how happy we look. One or two say how jealous they are of me getting with Aleksis. Ha, if only they knew.

Lucy is waiting up for me when I get home, wanting to dissect the evening with me before she goes to bed.

‘So you got on really well, made each other laugh and even Warren can see he’s hot,’ she summarises.

I roll my eyes. ‘He was funny and charming, but he was also acting,’ I remind her.

She grins mischievously. ‘Well, for the record I think he’d be crazy not to try and make it official.’

And while I assure her that would never happen, I can’t help thinking how much I enjoyed his company.