Part 20 (1/2)

'I...er...came to say I'm sorry for sounding a wee bit aff.'

'Oh right,' she said. He seemed a bit taken aback that she didn't seize on the opportunity to say that he'd never sounded anything other than 'aff' and not thought to apologize for it before. There looked to be little fight left in her.

It was over.

'Adam, this isn't working,' she started to say.

Then time stood still. The world stopped revolving for five seconds but it was just enough to allow her to catch her breath and decide how best to capitalize on this gift of a perfect moment. For there across the lane, Matthew Finch was perfectly framed in the window. He was looking at her. And Adam's car. And Adam himself. On her doorstep. Smart in a s.h.i.+rt and tie.

Now or never!

Stevie arranged her tired features into a smile that twisted as s.e.xily as she could at one side, then she reached forward for Adam's tie, reeling him slowly in, and down, and then kissed him gently on the mouth.

Adam didn't resist. There was only one reason she had just done that and it wasn't because apologetic b.u.t.t-ugly Scotsmen turned her on.

'They're watching, aren't they?' he whispered loudly.

'You don't think I'm doing this for fun, do you?' she confirmed through gritted teeth. He pushed her inside the house as if he was eager to get her alone for questionable reasons and they slammed the door together and stood behind it, each of them wiping at their lips with the back of their hands like three year olds that had experienced their first kiss and were thinking, I'm NEVER doing that again.

'Aw this planning and the chance just falls into our laps,' said Adam, fighting back the desire to whoop around the kitchen. For one horrible moment there, he had nearly been in danger of hugging her.

'I know, I know,' said Stevie quietly because her heart was pumping so fast it wasn't letting her breathe properly. Had she had more air in her lungs, she would have danced with him, leapt on him, hugged him, yes him. Then Danny appeared in the doorway with his collar sucked up into his mouth and freeze-framed because there was a giant in the room who looked like a ginger Mr Incredible. Far from being scarred for life at the sight of MacLean, Danny's only comment, after letting the soggy collar drop from his mouth was, 'Hi.'

'Hi there,' said Adam, waving awkwardly.

'Who are you?'

'Oh G.o.d!' began Stevie, but Adam dropped to his haunches.

'I'm Well Life Man,' he said. 'See?' And he showed off the letters on his tie. 'I just dropped by on a mission to ask all people who work at home to come and be fit, but shhhh, you haven't seen me, okay? If anyone asks, I'm Adam MacLean. Like Superman is Clark Kent, understand?'

'Cool!' said Danny, nodding. Yes, he knew exactly what he meant.

Well, he couldn't have picked a better persona than a Superhero to ingratiate himself with my son, Stevie thought. She was observing exploitation at its best. That's what his handle should have been: 'Manipulatorman'.

'Danny, go and watch Dundee and let me and Mr...Well Life talk about...er...having a coffee.'

'Okay,' said Danny, grinning. Wow, a secret Superhero in the kitchen. Cool! 'You're not going yet are you?'

'No, I'll say goodbye before I go,' said Adam, waving again and raising his best 'shus.h.i.+ng' finger. Then, when Danny had gone, he crossed the window to steal a quick look across at Matthew's house.

'He's still there,' he said, smiling over at Stevie, as if he was saying something suggestive instead. 'Quick, come here.'

She came there as requested, but she didn't expect him to enclose her in a great big embrace and tip her back Hollywood snog-style.

'Right, you can get off me now,' said Stevie eventually.

'Bit longer, we're still being looked at.'

'Both of them?'

'Can't tell. I'll pretend to kiss you. Put your hands in my hair.'

He brought his cheek close to hers, she started stroking his hair. They would have looked magnificent in profile, very Gone with the Wind.

'Right, he's moved away,' said Adam, letting her drop ungraciously to the floor.

'Ow!'

'Oops, sorry.' He extended a hand and helped her up.

'There obviously isn't a word for chivalry in Gaelic then.'

'Look, lady...' He nipped off what he was going to say because he didn't want to add any more grief to her day. She had probably had enough of a bad one and he hadn't helped.

He had been at work checking on the CCTV camera when the little boy had been sick, then recognized the woman rus.h.i.+ng towards himthe one with the ex-candy-floss hair. He had moved the camera around, aware that he was looking for her. Sure enough, there she was, sitting alone, out of the way. He focused in on her face, saw how unhappy she looked. Some d.i.c.khead was throwing balloons at her, insensitive to her annoyance, actually relis.h.i.+ng in it. Adam got on with some work, then switched on again soon afterwards to find the d.i.c.khead was still annoying her. Then he had checked again later and saw her walk out of the function room. He watched the man dump his beer and follow her out and then, obviously in a professional vein, Adam had felt obliged to find out what was going on in person.

When he found her cornered in the corridor, she looked so utterly defeated and helpless, and something flagged up in his subconscious that today was the wedding day that never was. He didn't know why he had been so hard on her outside the loo, when it quite obviously wasn't her fault. He had wanted to stride in and rescue her from that slimy little man, but something had twisted inside him and he had ended up accusing her of causing it all. He hadn't liked seeing her so vulnerable and it confused him. Her pale little face had haunted him all afternoon and he knew he wouldn't have slept, had he not driven over to see if she was okay. It was the right thing to do after he had behaved so rudely.

'Is Well Life Man staying for tea?' said Danny, appearing round-eyed with fascination in the doorway again.

The two grown-ups looked at each other. Stevie's thoughts had never been so perfectly at war. On the 'No' side was: 1) this was Adam MacLean 2) she didn't want Danny getting confused 3) she didn't want Danny getting eaten But on the 'Yes' side was: 1) Adam needed to be there at least another hour for maximum effect 2) the damage had been donehe and Danny had met 3) Danny appeared to remain psychologically intact 4) she was doing all this for Danny as much as for herself The argument was clearly won.

'We're going to have fish and chips!' said Danny.

'Ooh, one of my three hundred favourites!' said Adam, rubbing his hands together.

It looked as if he was staying then.

'Cool,' said Danny, stroking Adam's tie as if it was as precious as a national treasure. 'I love Superheroes, you know.'

'Is that what you're going tae be then, when you grow up? A Superhero?'

'No,' said Danny, as if that was the most stupid question in the world. 'I already am a superhero. I'm going to be a window cleaner.'

'Oh I see.' Adam suppressed a grin. 'So, have you got a name, fellow Superhero?'

'I'm Dannyman.'

'Glad to meet you, Dannyman,' said Adam, holding out his hand. Danny's little mitt was swallowed up in it.