What Happens in Tuscany... (35 page)

‘Afraid I haven't got any biscuits.' She reappeared with two mugs of tea. ‘If I had them in the house I would only end up eating them. Just because I'm unemployed, I don't intend to slob out on the sofa.'

She looked, as ever, utterly gorgeous. He risked a compliment. ‘I can't imagine you as anything remotely resembling a slob. You always look fantastic.'

Her head jerked up. That sounded remarkably like a compliment.
Mind you,
she thought to herself,
he's probably just trying to cheer me up
. She kept her tone light. ‘A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.'

He did his best not to think of either her lips or her hips. He turned his attention to the laptop and pointed at an address on the screen. ‘See that? Beauchamp-by-the-Sea, I know that place. Did you know the locals pronounce it “Beecham”? It's got a lovely sandy beach. Good for windsurfing, if you're ever interested.'

She concentrated on the house agents' blurb. ‘It's in East Devon. That's an area of outstanding natural beauty. I like the sound of that.'

He took a good look at the description of a terraced house. ‘It says here this one is in need of total refurbishment. Are you ready for a bit of DIY?'

She took a sip of her tea. ‘Do you know, Danny, I think I am. Something physical might be just what I need after years sitting in an office. I know what I'll do, I'll buy something in Devon that needs to be refurbished. In the meantime I'll rent a place down there, so I'm not living in the midst of a building site.' Happy with her decision, she pointed to the letter on the desk. He was pleased to see her smiling. ‘You can tell Nigel that he was right. It
is
a good severance package they have offered me. So, Danny, if you want it, this flat is yours. I'll find out what the going rental rate is and send you an e-mail. OK?'

He jumped to his feet and extended his hand. ‘It's a deal. Shake on it?'

She took his hand. ‘It's a deal.'

CARINA™

ISBN: 978 1 474 02833 2

What Happens in Tuscany…

Copyright © 2015 Trevor Williams

Published in Great Britain (2015)

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