Tiffany smiled back at her, ‘I feel the same. And I meant to say earlier, is everything OK? Sean didn’t give me any details … you know how discreet he is.’
Angel sighed. ‘I really thought we were through the bad times, but it seems as if there is always something or someone to look out for. But I’m not going to obsess. Sean has got the security in hand and I trust him completely. If I start worrying then it will take over, and I can’t have that. It’s bad for all of us and especially Honey, and I want to keep everything as normal as possible.’ She managed to smile, ‘Anyway, enough! I’ll meet you by the pool.’
Tiffany waited until Angel had left the room before stripping off and trying on the bikini. The green accentuated her eyes, as she’d thought it would, and surprisingly the top fitted, as did the bikini bottoms.
Tiffany
cast a very critical eye over herself as she looked in the mirror, turning this way and that. She breathed in, fiddled with the halterneck straps, slicked on a fresh layer of lip-gloss. Fleetingly she wondered if Sean would be by the pool. She just bet he looked good in trunks …
By the time Tiffany made it out to the stunning infinity pool surrounded by green-and-white-striped sun loungers and matching parasols, Honey was already in the water, performing an impressive front crawl.
‘She’s a complete water baby,’ Angel commented from her position on a sun lounger. She was wearing a white bikini and could easily have been one of the Bond girls from Cal’s posters. Tiffany suddenly felt self-conscious next to Angel with her effortless A-list beauty and sexy curves. She felt pale and not that interesting. Damn! she thought as she compared her pale limbs to Angel’s golden-brown skin. She should have had a spray tan!
‘How’s the bikini?’ Angel asked as Tiffany perched on the lounger next to hers.
‘Fine, thanks. I just feel a bit pale next to you.’
‘That’s because I’ve been on holiday. You look good pale – it suits you. But maybe you want to borrow this?’ Angel held up a bottle of sun cream that Tiffany gratefully took. There was only one thing worse than being pale and that was being sunburned.
‘It’s so beautiful here,’ she commented, taking in the view: the garden, the orchard, the horses grazing in the fields beyond. Imagine owning all this.
‘I know. We’re so lucky to have it. I’ve always loved the countryside. I love the city too but I don’t know if I could live there any more.’
‘I think I’m more of a city girl but I can understand why you love it here.’
‘You’ll probably change your mind when you have children.’ Angel replied.
‘I’d have to get a boyfriend first!’ Tiffany joked.
Angel turned to look at her. ‘I can’t believe you haven’t got one. You’re so beautiful.’
Tiffany shook her head. ‘I don’t think so! Anyway, to be honest, I want to concentrate on work.’
That comment raised a smile from Angel. ‘Ah, but a bit of romance wouldn’t hurt, would it? Is there really no one you’re interested in?’
At that an image popped up in Tiffany’s mind of Sean and how nice it would be if he was lying by the pool next to her. But she could hardly confess this to Angel, so she shook her head and said, ‘No one at all.’
It was relaxing chatting to Angel in the sunshine and they discussed the television show. Angel wanted the women to be styled in a way that fitted their lifestyles – which was exactly what Tiffany thought. ‘And it’s often more about raising their self-esteem and making them feel good about themselves. So many of the women we have on are down on themselves, they hate their bodies and don’t want to draw attention to them. It’s sad.’
Then their conversation was cut short when Honey insisted that Tiffany get into the pool with her. It was impossible to be self-conscious when playing sharks with a five-year-old. Tiffany chased her around the pool, and the little girl squealed with delight. She was mid-game when Cal and Sean turned up.
‘Honey, I hope you’re not pestering our guest.’ Cal said, sitting on the lounger next to Angel. ‘Feel free to stop any time, Tiffany,’ he added.
How typical that Sean should have turned up now when Tiffany was sure her mascara would be running down her face. And her fringe was probably all over the place.
‘It’s fine, honestly. I’ll do five minutes more and then I’d better think about getting back to London.’
‘I can give you a lift, if you like,’ Sean put in.
Tiffany wiped the water from her face as she looked over at him. He was standing up, arms folded across his chest – his on-duty look. She caught another glimpse of the dragon tattoo. It was a tempting offer, but maybe he was only offering out of a sense of duty.
‘It’s OK, I can get the train.’
‘Sean’s going back to London anyway, Tiffany, and the trains will be slow. Take the lift,’ Angel advised.
It would surely have been churlish to protest any more.
Sean went to brief the other security guy. So no chance to see him in his trunks, how disappointing … It must be the sunshine and the wine she’d had at lunchtime making her feel so frisky. Tiffany closed her eyes as she relaxed for a few minutes more on the lounger, loving the feeling of the warm sun on her skin, while Angel and Cal played with Honey in the pool. Tiffany felt as if she was in some kind of dream and any moment now she would wake up. Here she was in the grounds of a mansion, just a few feet away from the UK’s most famous and photographed couple. Angel Summer,
the
Angel Summer, was her sister and Cal Bailey,
the
Cal Bailey, was her brother-in-law!
THE TRAFFIC WAS
solid on the drive back to London, nose to tail on the M25. But Tiffany didn’t mind because she wasn’t sitting in a packed train, being forced to listen to other people’s mobile phone conversations and breathe in the smell of their fast-food choices. Instead she was in a luxurious air-conditioned car that carried the expensive scent of leather. And, more importantly, she was enjoying spending time with Sean. Away from Angel and Cal, he was considerably more relaxed, back to being the Sean she felt she was getting to know.
‘That was nice of you to play in the pool with Honey,’ he commented as they finally turned off the M25.
‘She’s such a sweetheart, it was no problem.’
‘So you like kids?’
Tiffany wondered if he was asking because he had a daughter and wanted to know her view on children? But most likely she was reading too much into the question. ‘I’m used to them because of Lily-Rose, but yeah, I like them.’ She paused. ‘So when are you next seeing Maya?’
And then she cursed herself as Sean looked serious again. ‘Next weekend. It’s difficult with work and everything, though Cal and Angel are really understanding.’
It was clear to Tiffany that he didn’t want to talk about his daughter as he turned the subject back to her, asking how she felt the day had gone.
‘I think it went OK, don’t you?’
A smile. ‘More than OK, it’s obvious that they both really liked you. And you and Angel already seem to have a strong bond.’
Tiffany appreciated his positive words because she still felt pretty overwhelmed by recent events. ‘It is weird. I mean, you’ve seen where my family lives … it’s like going into a different world visiting them. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and it will all have been a dream and I’ll be back to working in that pizza restaurant.’
‘I’m sure it’s strange for you, but for all their wealth and fame, Angel and Cal have got their feet firmly on the ground. That’s why I like working for them. And it’s good news about the stylist job, isn’t it?’
‘It’s absolutely gobsmackingly brilliant!’ Tiffany declared. ‘I am nervous about it, though. I really don’t want people to think I’m only there because of Angel.’
Another smile from him. ‘I’m sure you’re very talented … even if you were completely wrong about my style.’
Tiffany liked his teasing tone very much. She turned and looked at him. ‘Sean, you have no sense of style. Well, apart from the leather jacket and Ray-Bans, and I see you have got some new jeans. You’re desperately in need of a makeover. I could take you shopping … point out what you should be wearing. I’d be doing you a massive favour.’
‘Don’t be so cheeky, young lady. I’m older than you, and I’ve never had any complaints before about my style or lack of it.’ He grinned. ‘Anyway, it’s what’s underneath that counts.’
Tiffany smiled but couldn’t think of a comeback because, yes, it was underneath that counted and she was pretty certain that Sean was doing fine in those stakes!
‘I still think you could do with a makeover. How about we go shopping one day next week? Even you must get time off sometimes? You can’t be on duty
all
the time.’
‘OK, I’ll check my schedule. And how about we seal the deal by having a drink tonight?’
Better and better! ‘Sure, we could go up to a pub in Highgate that I know. I think they’ll just about let you in dressed like that.’
Sean shook his head but Tiffany sensed he was enjoying the flirtatious banter as much as she was.
And the banter continued over a drink. In place of the reserved, serious Sean, Tiffany discovered someone who laughed a lot, teased her, flirted with her and made her feel brilliantly alive, as if they were both living purely in the moment. They talked trivia about their favourite TV series and films – she loved
True Blood
and
Little Miss Sunshine
, he went for
The Sopranos
and
The Shawshank Redemption
. They were serious when he asked her about Tanya and what it was like meeting her birth mother. Often Tiffany would gloss over the details to other people, but she felt she could confide in him. He seemed to understand that she felt sorry for her mum, even as she struggled to comprehend how she could have abandoned her own children. They became more flirtatious when they talked about their first kisses – hers, aged twelve, with Darren Walters, when he bit her lip; his, aged eleven with Samantha Green, who was a good two years older than him.
‘What can I say? I’ve always liked an older woman,’ Sean replied when Tiffany teased him about being a toyboy.
Damn! She hoped he liked younger women too …
‘So, you’re not seeing Billy any more? No more friends with extras?’ Sean was gazing at her with those intense brown eyes of his. Did the question signal that he was interested himself? She really hoped so …
‘Nope. We’re just friends now. No extras.’ She paused and sipped her wine. ‘It was a mistake seeing him for so long, but I guess it was a habit. Not a very good one.’
Sean shrugged. ‘We’ve all been there.’
And Tiffany was dying to ask, did he have a friend with extras? But felt that she couldn’t without betraying quite how interested in him she was.
By now the pub had called last orders. ‘Come on,’ Sean said, standing up, ‘I’ll give you a lift home.’
‘It’s OK, I can walk.’ She was still thinking about his friends with extras comment. When in doubt, back off.
He held out his hand. ‘Don’t be silly, of course I’m giving you a lift. Remember, I’m here to serve.’
Outside the temperature had dropped and Tiffany shivered in her silk dress. Sean took off his leather jacket and draped it round her shoulders. It felt like an intimate gesture and she could still feel the warmth of his body.
‘See, my clothes have some uses after all,’ Sean said, smiling at her.
‘The jacket I like,’ Tiffany replied, pulling it round her. ‘I might have to keep it. But then I’d be depriving you of your one stylish item, apart from the Ray-Bans, and that would be cruel. You’d be forced to wear that totally uncool sweatshirt.’
By now they had reached the car. Sean opened the passenger door for her and said quietly, ‘Like I said, it’s what’s underneath that counts.’
Phew! Tiffany didn’t feel cold any more. Instead she was suffused with a warm glow of anticipation about what might happen next …
It was only a short drive to her place, during which time she decided that she was definitely going to ask Sean in for a drink and maybe something more … She tried to remember what state she had left her place this morning. She had been in a panic about what to wear and recalled leaving a pile of rejected outfits on the bed. With any luck she could shove them all into the wardrobe before he noticed.
Sean turned into her road, and managed to find a parking space outside her flat.
‘You’re so jammy!’ she commented. ‘If that had been me, I’d have been driving round for ages looking for somewhere to park. Is it one of your Special Agent powers to be able to park anywhere?’
But Sean didn’t seem to be listening; instead he was looking over at the house.
‘Is the front door usually left open?’
‘Oh, someone probably forgot to close it behind them. It happens all the time. I’m sure it will all be recorded on CCTV.’
She had meant the last comment as a joke because of course the rundown house didn’t have CCTV! But Sean didn’t smile. Serious again. It was like going one step forward with him, two steps back. Every time she thought he was loosening up, he would retreat again.
Tiffany turned to face him. ‘Thanks for the lift. D’you want to have a coffee? A glass of wine?’
Hot sex?
Because that’s the way her thoughts were running now …
‘First I want to check that everything’s OK in your flat.’ Super-serious now, not a hint of flirtation. And she had so wanted to kiss him! God, he was paranoid! What could be wrong?
Sean even insisted on leading the way up the stairs to the third floor – perhaps he wanted to show off his toned bum, Tiffany joked to herself as she walked behind him. Was there no part of him that wasn’t toned? But the smile was wiped from her face when they reached her front door, or rather what used to be her front door as it was hanging from its hinges.
‘What the hell?’ Tiffany exclaimed.
But Sean held up his hand and whispered, ‘Stay here, let me take a look first.’
He walked stealthily into the flat while Tiffany leaned against the wall and tried to work out what could have been taken. It wasn’t as if she had anything much of value. She scrabbled around in her bag – fortunately her iPod and phone were there. Fortunately she was wearing the diamond eternity ring that had been her gran’s. That just left the laptop and the TV. Bollocks! She didn’t have any insurance and who knew when she would be able to replace them? She couldn’t stay outside any longer; she had to see what had been taken.