Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell Read Free Book Online

for keeping me company.’
    He smiled. ‘No problem. Where’s your mum this evening?’
    ‘Friends invited her to a party in Tetbury. I told her I’d be over at the pub, otherwise she’d never have agreed to go.’
    ‘Is the smoke bothering you? Shall I close the window now?’
    Hallie shook her head. ‘I love the smell of fireworks. Makes me feel young again.’
    ‘You’re still young,’ said Luke.
    ‘I know. I just act like an old person. Look at us, sat here now like a couple of geriatrics.’ Except she was never going to
be
an actual geriatric, was she? Would never get to have a face mapped with saggy skin, wrinkles and unexpected whiskers. Ha, not that anyone looked forward to
that
.
    ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Luke was watching her again, evidently reading her mind. His voice softening, he said, ‘One day at a time.’
    What would it be like to kiss him? How would his mouth feel against hers? The thought had crossed her mind before, but the longing to discover the answer was growing stronger.
    Not that she would ever find out, of course. This was strictly a fantasy and there was no way in the world she’d ever act upon it. Feeling a bit hot, Hallie reminded herself that Luke was her doctor and, as such, was completely and utterly off-limits . . .
    No, it was never going to happen. Before he’d come to Carranford and joined the practice, she’d been stuck with Jennifer West as her GP, and that was a situation she definitely didn’t want to return to. Besides, her little crush was a secret for another very good reason: basically, she was hardly what you’d call a catch. It wasn’t as if Luke would be even remotely interested in any kind of involvement.
    Let’s face it, when you were a manky-lunged twenty-eight-year-old perilously close to your sell-by date . . . well, you weren’t exactly overwhelmed with lustful attention from the opposite sex.
    ‘What are you thinking?’ said Luke.
    Ha, no chance
.
    ‘Just wondering what I’d look like if I was eighty-three. I really hope I wouldn’t wear wrinkly old tights and ugly slippers.’
    ‘Me too. Especially the tights.’ As he said it, they both heard the sound of rapid clattery footsteps on the pavement outside. The next moment the doorbell rang: DINGDINGDINGDINGDINNGGG . . .
    Hallie pressed the intercom. ‘Hello?’
    ‘Happy new yeeeeear! It’s us! Are you asleep?’
    ‘Well I was, but some idiots just rang the doorbell.’
    ‘Let us in! Let us in!’
    ‘Is this how old people feel when their noisy grandchildren come to visit?’ Luke’s tone was dry as they listened to what sounded like a herd of cows galloping up the stairs.
    ‘It’s worse. Noisy grandchildren haven’t usually downed seven pints of cider and a load of shots.’
    ‘Ta-daaah!’ The door flew open and six of her friends burst into the room. Bea, swaying on her high heels, held her arms out wide. ‘You said you’d come back to the party and you didn’t! So we thought we’d bring the party to you! Happy new yeeeeeaar!’
    When she’d hugged and kissed everyone, Hallie said, ‘There’s wine in the fridge downstairs if you want to go and get it. And more glasses in the cupboard next to the sink.’
    ‘Why’s Luke here? Are you OK?’
    ‘I’m fine. He’s just been keeping me company. We watched the fireworks together.’
    ‘And I’d better be going.’ Luke rose to his feet. ‘I’m still on call. Getting a couple of hours’ sleep might be an idea.’
    ‘Bye. Thanks.’ Hallie gave a little wave while her stomach did a secret backflip. ‘See you again soon.’
    ‘Oh, you opened it!’ Bea had spotted the mini bottle of Moët. ‘And it’s empty – you drank it all!’
    Confused, Hallie said, ‘Was it not meant to be drunk?’
    ‘It was really expensive,’ Bea wailed. ‘You were supposed to save it for a special occasion!’
    ‘Sorry.’ Hallie loved Bea to bits, even if she did sometimes fail to think things through.
Because who knows how