Page 59 of Counting Down To You

“All good,” I say with a smile. “But I better get out.” I inspect my wrinkled fingers. “I’m turning into a prune.”

Lucie stands at the same time I do, both of us reaching for our towels as the cold air hits us. We run-shuffle on our flip-flops back to the warmth of the main spa—the one bad thing about hot-tubbing in the cold.

“I’m going for one more sauna I think,” Lucie says.

“You go ahead,” I say. “I think I may be sauna’d out.” But it is very cool, to be able to use the spa whenever we like. It makes me a bit sad that I won’t be around for much longer to enjoy it. Just as I feel a little sad that after a couple of weeks I won’t have Lucie to chat to every day. I’ll be back in London, tiptoeing around my own flat, going back to the same office, trying to convince myself that I’ll magically start to enjoy my job again. There will be no more skiing, no more spas, no more Lucie. No more Leo.

Stop being morose, Ali, I tell myself.

“We still going for a drink later?” I ask Lucie.

“You bet. I can tell you all about Gabriel.”

I grin. “I genuinely can’t wait.”

Lucie heads left, toward the steam room and sauna, while I walk round the indoor pool toward the changing rooms, past the big windows, which I stop to look out of. You only realize how high up you are here when you look down—and the hotel is positioned with what has got to be one of the best views in the town. I imagine it must look beautiful in spring too—rolling hills and lush green forests, with little houses dotted on the way down. I breathe in the spa’s blend of essential oils—lavender and eucalyptus and something citrus—and let the soothing music wash over me. Then I tilt my head and squint out at the view, trying to see it differently.

“What are you doing?”

I spin round to see Leo there, wearing his gym clothes again, those muscled arms right there in front of me. I flush, becoming immediately aware that I’m only wearing a towel.

He seems to realize that at the exact same time. His gaze drops to my bare legs, then rakes up the length of me in a way that feels like a physical touch. I have the urge both to back away, and to step closer to him. I settle for crossing my arms tightly over my chest, holding the towel in place.

When Leo’s gaze meets mine, he blinks, like he’s forgotten what he was doing. I’ve forgotten too. What did he just ask me? “I, ah…” His eyes are very focused on mine now. Almost too focused. “I’m trying to see the world from a different perspective,” I blurt out.

His eyebrows rise. “Are you now? By tilting your head?”

I wrinkle my nose. “Yes.”

There’s a brief hesitation before he asks, “One of your challenges?”

I blow out a breath, feel my chest move as I do. His gaze flickers, ever so briefly, below my face. “Yeah.”

He nods, rubbing one of his biceps with his other hand. “Another tough one.”

“Yeah. I’m working on it.” I should ask him about breaking up. There’s no one else around, and we’re nearing the end of our two-week agreement. I tell myself it’s just because I don’t know when Lucie might come back out of the sauna that I don’t. I should also move. Why are neither of us moving? We’re just standing here, staring at each other.

I take a deliberate step to the side, toward the pool. Only he moves that way at the same time. I stumble and he reaches out, grabbing my shoulders before I can fall into the pool. A current of electricity leaps from his skin to mine. Tiny pulses of it travel down my arms, from the place where he’s holding me steady.

“You okay?” he asks. His voice feels far, far too close. He’s too close.

I nod. Still he doesn’t move. “I, er, better…” I gesture vaguely in the direction of the changing room.

“Right.” He nods too. Then, like he’s only just realized he’s still holding on to me, he abruptly lets go of my arms. I see the way his fingers flex as he drops his hands to his sides. “Right,” he says again. He rubs a hand over the back of his neck. He’s doing it again, focusing hard on my face. Like, maybe, he’s worried where he might look if he doesn’t. “I’ll, er, see you later?” he asks.

I can’t help the smile pulling at my lips. “Sure. See you later, Leo.”

—

I meet Lucie out the front of the hotel in the late afternoon, the sun still making a valiant effort to stave off darkness. “So I know we said we had plans,” Lucie says, hands shoved deep into her coat pockets, her near-black hair looking freshly blow-dried around her shoulders.

I frown. “You’re bailing?”

“I’m bailing,” Lucie confirms. “But only because your boyfriend asked me to.” With that, she gestures toward the road—to the car parked there. The window winds down and I see Ed waving at me.

“That’s not my boyfriend,” I say drily.

“Well observed. I’m to put you in the car. He’ll take it from there, apparently.”