Twenties Girl 68

“Well, so do I,” he says at last.

“Well… good.”

We’re so engrossed in our conversation, we haven’t noticed the gap growing in the queue ahead of us.

“Get on with it!” A guy behind suddenly prods me. “You’re on!”

“Oh!” I wake up. “Quick, we’re on!” I grab Ed’s hand and we run forward toward the big oval pod. It’s inching its way along the platform, and people are stepping on, amid giggles and shrieks. I step on, still hand in hand with Ed, and we beam at each other, all the awkwardness gone.

“OK, Mr. Harrison.” I revert to my tour-operator voice. “Now you’re going to see London.”

It’s brilliant. I mean, it just is brilliant .

We’ve been right up to the top and seen the whole city stretching out below us, like the A-Z map come to life. We’ve peered down at the little people scurrying around like ants, getting into ant cars and ant buses. I’ve knowledgeably pointed out St. Paul’s, and Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben. Now I’ve taken charge of the Historic London guidebook. It doesn’t have a section on the London Eye, but I’m reading out facts from it anyway, which I’m making up.

“The pod is made of transparent titanium melted down from eyeglasses,” I inform Ed. “If plunged underwater, each pod will automatically convert to a fully operational submarine.”

“I would expect no less.” He nods, gazing out of the glass.

“Each pod could survive underwater for thirteen hours…” I trail off. I can tell he isn’t really listening. “Ed?”

He turns around to face me, his back against the glass wall of the pod. Behind him, the panoramic view of London is shifting slowly, infinitesimally upward. While we’ve been up, the sunshine has disappeared, and solid gray clouds are gathering overhead.

“You want to know something, Lara?” He glances around to check no one is listening, but everyone else in the pod has piled to the other side, watching a police boat on the Thames.

“Maybe,” I say warily. “Not if it’s a really important secret and I’m not supposed to give it away.”

Ed’s face flickers with a smile. “You asked me why I agreed to go on that first date with you.”

“Oh. That. Well, it doesn’t matter,” I say hurriedly. “Don’t feel you have to tell me-”

“No. I want to tell you. It was… freaky.” He pauses. “I felt as though something inside my head was telling me to say yes. The more I resisted, the louder it shouted. Does that make any sense?”

“No,” I say hastily. “None. I’ve no idea. Maybe it was… God.”

“Maybe.” He gives a short laugh. “I could be the new Moses.” He hesitates. “Point is, I’ve never felt such a strong impulse, or voice, or whatever it was. Kinda blew me away.” He takes a step forward, his voice lower. “And whatever instinct it was-whatever deep place it came from-it was right. Spending time with you is the best thing I could have done. I feel like I’ve woken up from a dream, or limbo… and I want to thank you.”

“There’s no need!” I say at once. “It was my pleasure. Anytime.”

“I hope so.” His tone is oblique, and I feel a bit flustered under his gaze.

“So… um… you want to hear more from the guidebook?” I riffle through the pages.

“Sure.”

“The pod is… um.” I can’t concentrate on what I’m saying.

My heart has started beating more quickly. Everything seems heightened. I’m aware of every movement I’m making.

“The wheel travels… it goes around…” I’m making no sense. I close the book and meet Ed’s gaze head-on, trying to match his deadpan expression, trying to appear as if nothing’s concerning me at all.

Except quite a lot of things are concerning me. The heat rushing to my face. The hairs prickling at the back of my neck. The way Ed’s eyes are boring into mine, like they want to get straight to the point. They’re giving me twinges.

Truth is, he’s giving me twinges all over the place.

I don’t know how I ever thought he wasn’t good-looking. I think I must have been a bit blind.

“Is something going on?” says Ed softly.

“I… I don’t know.” I can barely speak. “Is something going on?”

He puts a hand up to my chin and cups it for a moment, as though surveying the terrain. Then he leans forward and pulls my face gently up to his with both hands and kisses me. His mouth is warm and sweet and his stubble is grazing my skin but he doesn’t seem to care and… oh God. Yes, please . All my twinges have turned into singing, dancing urges. As he wraps his arms around me and pulls me tighter to him, two thoughts are jostling in my brain.