‘No.’
‘But you won,’ Matteo said. ‘And you have every day since that bastard did what he did, and do you know what? You deserve to celebrate.’
‘I do.’
‘So, go and congratulate Pedro. Tell him it’s covered tonight, whatever he wants.’
‘Er, I don’t know if you know what you’re agreeing to.’
‘You’re talking to me.’ Matteo smiled. ‘I know what a wild night is. Seriously, with the bet I put on I’m even more loaded than usual. I’ll get Kedah to go along with them. He runs wild but he’s a good sort. He’ll keep an eye.’
Matteo didn’t, Abby thought, look at her like she had two heads; he just chatted away as if she hadn’t just told him her darkest shame. ‘You’re sure?’ she checked.
‘Of course,’ Matteo said. ‘Kedah will cover it and then I’ll see him right.’
He went to the vending machine again and bought a cola for himself and another water for her, and then Abby did what she properly wanted to do but hadn’t had a chance to until now!
‘Pedro!’ She went over and gave him a hug.
‘How good was that?’ Pedro grinned. ‘Hunter’s spewing.’
‘I know that he is. You were amazing, Pedro. I couldn’t believe it when you took him. I still don’t know how you did that.’
‘I’ll tell you in detail over dinner tonight,’ Pedro said.
‘Actually, I can’t make dinner. I’m going to go out and chat up our sponsor,’ Abby said. She saw a little flare of relief in her crew that she wasn’t coming out with him, though they did their best to hide it.
‘Oh, come on, Abby,’ Pedro insisted but she shook her head.
Yes, they all got on, but it was a very male world and she saw the tiny smiles as they realised that they wouldn’t have to behave as they always did around her.
And that thought brought a lump to her throat.
But these were nice tears that she was holding back.
They all did behave around her; she already knew that but she fully realised it then.
Abby’s team really were amazing.
‘Go and have the best night,’ Abby told them. ‘It’s all covered, whatever you want. Kedah will pick up the tab and Matteo will cover it.’
Pedro frowned. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes! Now go and have a brilliant night!’ Abby said. ‘God knows you deserve it but,’ she warned, ‘remember that we’ve got an official breakfast tomorrow.’
‘Tell Matteo,’ Pedro said, ‘that I’ll take him out in the car next time.’
‘I shall.’ She gave Pedro another hug and then she turned and went back to Matteo.
‘Okay, where are we off to?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know.’
‘I do.’ Matteo had just decided. ‘First, though, we’ll swing by my hotel and I’ll get changed.’
‘I need to get changed too.’
He looked down at her oily bottle-green overalls. ‘Absolutely, you do!’
* * *
‘Buy a dress here...’ Matteo suggested as they pulled up at his hotel. ‘There are plenty of boutiques for you to choose from.’
‘No, I bought a dress ages ago and I promised that if we ever got on the podium...’ Abby shook her head. ‘I just never expected it to be tonight.’
She simply couldn’t believe it.
Podium would have been brilliant—it would have shown that they were serious contenders—but to have come first was beyond her wildest dreams!
For others it was a nightmare—the bookies were panicking, the other teams were regrouping. Tonight, only the Boucher team was floating on cloud nine.
As they got out of his car Matteo was about to ask if she wanted to come up and have a drink while he changed but then he decided against it. Now her comment that first day, about their meeting being held in the restaurant rather than his hotel room, made sense.
God, he could kick himself now for the other night but instead he saw her to a seat and gave her a smile.
‘I shan’t be long.’
Abby sat in the lovely foyer as he went and changed and as she did she saw that she had about fifty missed calls, some from her father, and loads of texts offering congratulations. Where had they all been prior to this victory? Abby thought.
She turned her phone off and then she looked up as a man who had been there for her came out of the elevator. He was wearing black pants and a white shirt and dark tie but he was carrying the jacket to his suit, and he’d shaved.
For her.
And she remembered their kiss and her response and there were just too many feelings for Abby to explore right now, and so she chose to just do her best to enjoy the night.
Matteo had ditched his car and they were driven to her hotel and, instead of sitting in the car while she changed, he came into the foyer.
‘My turn to wait,’ he said.
Matteo sat down as she headed off to the elevators but he watched as Abby was called back by the concierge and signed for something and then, a few minutes later, she was handed a parcel and took the elevator up.
Abby stepped into her room.
She was dizzy both from elation at winning and her revelations about Hunter but it was the kiss that had taken place between her and Matteo that had her slightly breathless with recall.
Being kissed by Matteo had been amazing, showing her a side to herself she hadn’t known existed.
Did it even matter, now that she’d told him the truth? That there had been no one before or after Hunter.
She thought about what he said, how Hunter didn’t count, and she liked that. Even if it made her a twenty-seven-year-old virgin.
She took the dress out of her wardrobe and, given today’s events, decided that the dress was too much.
Much too much.
It was seductive, provocative and sexy and it was everything Abby had hoped that she might one day be able to be.
Not yet though.
She was scared of her own sexuality, scared that if she dressed up tonight, then somehow Matteo might think she was leading
