Part 9 (1/2)

”How so?”

”It's very precise and technical. The thing I like is the mystery of it. Hardly anyone really understands what a script supervisor does. It has its own secret language. It's like the opposite of being an actor or a writer, where what you're doing is so out there and obvious. It's not the kind of job that many people think they could do.” Meredith picked a piece of gra.s.s and ripped it into two neat strips. ”Not that they'd want to. Most people would find it boring.”

”I don't find it boring.”

”You might if you had to be me for a day.”

”I doubt that.”

Meredith studied the ground and felt him looking at her. Being stared at made her uncomfortable, but she did nothing to stop it. She'd read in a magazine once that you shouldn't interrupt a man's gaze by talking. Men, apparently, like to stare.

”I want,” he said finally, ”to get to know you very well.”

So do I, Meredith thought, and was about to say, but he kissed her. A perfect kiss. Velvety, tentative, but with just the right pressure.

Meredith could barely contain her excitement. She felt like dragging him into the bushes, but she knew that wouldn't do. He was wearing all white. She folded her hands in her lap and waited for the picnic to be over.

After the sandwiches and wine, they went for a walk on the Heath. The gra.s.s was squelchy and her kitten heels sank into the muck.

By the time they started back, it was verging on nine o'clock, but the sun was only beginning to drop behind the hill.

”I can't believe how bright it is,” she said.

Gunther reminded her that London was farther north than Toronto. She asked about the climate in Munich, and as he was talking Meredith reached for his hand. By the time she had woven her fingers into his, they were nearly back at the parking lot.

As they approached the car, she had a vision of Gunther grabbing her by the waist, leaning her back against the Volvo and kissing her hungrily. Her interest was purely pragmatic. Kissing led to s.e.x. s.e.x led to pregnancy. Her pelvis throbbed with antic.i.p.ation. She would tell him she was on the pill.

She looked at Gunther, rooting through his leather man-bag for a misplaced set of car keys. Good jawline, she thought. Then he opened the door for her and he motioned for her to get in, but Meredith stood her ground.

”You want me to drive?” (She didn't have a licence-a fact she would have to remedy once the baby came along.) ”Wrong side,” said Gunther. ”Welcome to Britain.”

Meredith smiled at her mistake and walked around to the left side of the car. ”So where to now?” she asked as they got in.

He said he would drive her back to Notting Hill. Obviously this was the first stage of seduction. Everything was coming together nicely. Her mother was out for dinner with some drunken poet friends and wouldn't be home for hours. Time, Meredith knew, was of the essence.

”Come up for a drink?” she said when they reached Coleville Terrace.

Gunther put the car into park but kept the key in the ignition. His head swung and he fixed her in his sights. Abruptly, the mood between them went from buoyant to intense. Meredith had no idea why.

”I need to say something to you.” He grasped her forearm and held it in both hands like a baseball bat.

”Okay.” She nodded encouragingly.

”The first night we met I was very drunk and I didn't...I feel I didn't represent myself well.”

”We had fun,” Meredith offered, and then, feeling she ought to say something slightly more suggestive, ”serious fun.”

She leaned over and kissed him again. He returned it, but only for a moment and with barely parted lips. It was exactly the sort of kiss Meredith normally liked-but tonight she had a mission. Kissing would not do. She undid her seat belt and hurled herself over the gears.h.i.+ft in the hope of falling seductively into Gunther's lap. She landed awkwardly, with one knee between his legs and the other foot jammed against the emergency brake.

”I want to be with you,” she breathed into his hair, as she had seen actresses do in movies. With one hand she braced herself against the winds.h.i.+eld and with the other she grabbed Gunther's fingers and pushed them under her skirt.

”Whoa, whoa,” he said, and in one fluid motion lifted her over the gears.h.i.+ft and back into the pa.s.senger seat. Meredith smoothed her clothes and coughed.

”We did have a lot of fun,” Gunther began, ”but I don't want you to think that's all I'm after. The other night, I was drunk. I'm sorry for that. I want you to think better of me. And after tonight, the way we were talking...I think we should take some time to get to know each other...don't you?”

Meredith looked down. ”So come upstairs and have a drink with me.”

”That's what I'm trying to tell you,” he said. ”I don't think it's a good idea for me to come inside tonight.”

”But I want you to,” she heard herself whine.

He reached forward and stroked her face. ”Like I said, I think we should take some time. I don't want to screw this up.”

Meredith opened her mouth to argue, but he pressed a finger to her upper lip.

”I'm kissing you good night now, Miss Moore.”

”He's the one. I'm sure of it,” Meredith said into the phone.

”Well, that didn't take you very long.”

Meredith stopped and squinted at the ground. ”Look, I just found a penny. Hang on a sec.” She located a tissue in her bag, wiped off the moldy copper and slipped it into the pocket of her hoodie.

”Well, that confirms it,” Mish was saying when Meredith pressed the phone back to her ear.

”Don't laugh in the face of fate.” Meredith stepped out onto a zebra crossing, causing six cars to slam to a halt. She was on her way to the tube, which would take her to work.

”What's your call time?” Mish asked, yawning.

”Revoltingly soon. You?”

”Not till later. Her Highness has the morning off.”

”So you're coming with me to this opening tonight, right? It's in the East End, not far from your place.” Mish was staying with friends across town in Hoxton.

”Of course. But what happened last night? You still haven't told me.”

Meredith smiled to herself and did an involuntary little skip along the sidewalk. ”We had a really nice picnic, and then he drove me home and that was it.”

”He didn't try to get some?” Mish sounded skeptical.

”No, that's just it. We were making out and then he stopped. He says we need to get to know each other better.”

”Really?”

”Isn't that cute?”

”I guess.” Mish was silent.

”Not all guys are total s.l.u.ts, you know,” Meredith said.