A Funny Thing About Love by Rebecca Farnworth Read Free Book Online

butterflies started flapping again. Despite this, she checked her watch,desperately trying to play it cool. ‘It’s not your birthday any more.’
    â€˜You’re so picky, Miller, but you’re not going to get away with it. I demand my birthday kiss.’ And before she could stop him he had steered her into the doorway of Ryman’s, which wasn’t the most romantic location ever, unless you had a fetish for office stationery, but it didn’t matter, as there in the soft blue glow of the lights he took her in his arms and kissed her. And it was a very good kiss. A firm, sexy kiss that demanded the same response back. A kiss that almost made Carmen forget all the horrible things about the day – and oh, how she wanted to. But the chamber had been opened, some of the bad stuff had leaked out and she couldn’t ignore it.
    â€˜That was a good kiss,’ Will murmured. ‘D’you know where I want to go now?’
    Carmen shook her head and stepped out of his arms.
    â€˜So you think that was a bad kiss!’ Will exclaimed.
    â€˜It was a good kiss, but here’s where it ends tonight.’ And in a very rare moment of serendipity, because usually it took her ages to get a cab, Carmen saw a black cab hurtling down Great Portland Street with its light on and she successfully hailed it. Retreat was essential now.

3
    Mamma Mia clearly didn’t need much sleep, as she was at her place by the till at quarter past nine when Carmen walked into Rico’s the following morning. At least she wasn’t hungover, but her head was all over the place as she struggled to process the events of last night, specifically
that kiss
. That kiss that burned into her consciousness; it had been so beguiling, so enticing. So, so sweet. That kiss threatened to be her undoing.
    â€˜
Ciao
, Carmen,’ Mamma Mia greeted her, then made a big deal of looking around. It didn’t take rocket science to work out the meaning of the look.
    â€˜Will’s not with me, Carla,’ Carmen replied. Ignoring the curiosity on Mamma Mia’s face, she turned to Rico and placed her usual order. She was just about to leave the café when Mamma Mia appeared beside her – for someone so large she could certainly move quickly and stealthily when she wanted.
    â€˜Carmen, you must realise that Will is in love with you,’ she declared theatrically. ‘I know it as clearly as if he had told me. I feel it here,’ at this she planted her plump hand over her heart. Perhaps Mamma Mia was still drunk from all the Strega she’d consumed the night before.
    Carmen tried not to show how surprised she was. ‘We’ve just got a flirtation going on, an office romance.’
    Mamma Mia shook her head emphatically. ‘You feel it too, I know you do. You felt it when you kissed him last night, under the blue lights.’
    OMG, Mamma Mia really was psychic! Carmen looked at her in awe but Rico piped up from behind the counter, ‘She saw you on the CCTV monitors last night. We’ve got them in the office as part of the neighbourhood watch scheme. We can pretty much see the whole of Great Portland Street.’
    Never mind Big Brother watching you, it was Big Mamma!
    Carmen raised an eyebrow, then simply said, ‘
Ciao
,’ and marched purposefully out of the café. She slowed as soon as she was a little way down the street, suddenly feeling incredibly nervous about seeing Will again. The butterflies were up to their old tricks.
    Daisy did an unsubtle double take when she saw Carmen walk into the foyer alone. ‘We did
not
spend the night together, Daisy. Will you please let everyone know?’ Carmen said as she walked past her.
    â€˜As if I ever pass on gossip!’ Daisy said in outrage. Carmen glared at her, but Daisy was now taking a call. ‘Good morning, Fox Nicholson, how can I help you?’ she said in a sing-song, insincere voice (subtext:
Why don’t you