Take a Chance on Me (27 page)

Back in her hotel room, Sadie's case was open and clothes strewn all over the bed. The run back to the cab in the humid air had made her need yet another shower, and she calmed herself beneath the bracing spray.

Seeing Alexis and Mac in the beach hut had been such a shock. All thoughts of finding Mac and telling him her theory about Bill had gone straight out of her head. Instead, all she kept seeing were flashbacks of Alexis's perfect ample boobs pushing up against Mac's washboard stomach. She felt sick, she felt angry, and she wanted to punch something.

As she stomped through reception, she'd seen Graham and Derek, who were bickering amongst themselves about an email from Alexis. They too had also been booked unceremoniously on the next plane back home. Sadie wasn't sure why, but she soon found out. Before she bid them goodbye, the guys had made the bottom drop even further out of Sadie's world, by announcing to her that according to the email MCA were giving up on the deal, that was it, game over. And they told her Peter Galloway's definitive triumph. Derek and Graham were miffed about the last minute changes, but they already had their next assignment for BJ.

Now back in her room she was resolute. Soon the heli-taxi would whisk Sadie away to the airport for the late night flight, and a day later she'd be home.
What a difference a day makes.

Her mind was racing. Just what was Mac's game? She was sick of it.

Men!

When will you learn, Sadie, me girl? When will you learn?

Give them a wide berth till the girls are grown – that was the plan. Stick to the plan. It's a good one. Then you can't get hurt.
Yes, good plan.

Coming out of the shower, she noticed the light flashing on the phone on her bedside table. Her heart pounded as she pressed the button to listen to the message, then chastised herself for still hoping beyond hope that it would be Mac.

But it was Peter's smarmy voice that began talking.

‘Sadie, they said you're packing but don't leave. Not just yet. I need to see you, but I have some important business to attend to first. It's true, things have changed, but … there's more to tell. Don't leave. I will contact you later.'

What the …?

Would he repeat his offer? Should she complete her alienation from Mac by jumping ship? For the sake of her own fortunes? Or just pack her bags once and for all and go home back to her everyday life once more?

She wished she could ask Mac his advice. But he was the last person she'd be able to talk to right now. Not after what happened on the beach. Maybe Bill could have advised her. In any case, Sadie didn't want to leave without at least saying goodbye. And if he was able to just listen, thank the old man for giving her such an amazing opportunity – even if it hadn't worked out. If she could sneak past the hospital militia to see him.

She sat in her dressing gown, thought it through, then made a few calls.

Peter Galloway was not answering. Sadie chose not to leave a message.

And she tried Simon a dozen times but he must still be in transit.

She was missing her daughters enormously, and her mum, she admitted begrudgingly. Although she'd probably get a right ‘told you so' for going off gallivanting and it not working out. What would she do next? Maybe one more call to Peter, just in case … But she felt the pit of her stomach fall away at the notion of ‘going over to the dark side', along with a huge wave of guilt that she'd been away from home for so long.
What a mess
.

She wasn't really hungry but her tummy seemed to have recovered enough to nibble something, and for the first time this trip she thought
what the hell,
and ordered the most expensive item on the menu to go on Mac's bill.

Serves him right,
she thought.

A knock at the door had Sadie scrambling for her robe, calling as she did so.

‘Just a minute!'

But it wasn't her chateaubriand at the door.

It was Mac.

‘Oh,' she said, the sight of him immediately making tears prickle at the back of her eyes. Suddenly she couldn't breathe. ‘What do you want?' she asked. Her chin was proud, her face strong, but her resolve was weak. If he'd taken her into his arms right then and there, she would have had him back –
back! What are you talking about? You never had him in the first place.

‘I wanted to explain,' he said. ‘I needed … to explain. I owe you an apology.'

‘There's no need. What you and Alexis get up to is totally your affair.'

‘We weren't getting up to anything. She is very persistent, she was trying to kiss me, and my towel slipped.'

‘How very convenient.'

‘Sadie, there's no need to be like this,' Mac said.

‘Oh, but there is. Doesn't this sound familiar, Mac? You didn't believe me about Peter. And this is no different.'

‘Well, it is a bit,' he said.

‘Okay, yes it is. He tried to kiss me in public, fully clothed, and Alexis tried to kiss you in a private beach hut, stark naked!'

‘Sadie, I'm sorry. Okay, it works both ways. Let's … let's forgive each other and at least leave on good terms. I had such high hopes …'

‘Yeh because
what Mac wants, Mac gets
, right?' She turned away from him and began clearing some of the mess into her suitcase.

He just smiled, closed the door, and walked towards the window. Sadie pulled her robe around her more tightly. Suddenly alone in a room with Mac again, with next to nothing on, made her senses heighten.

‘Did you see the sunset?' he asked. Her window looked out over the ocean. ‘It was the most amazing cacophony of crimsons and oranges and deepest yellows.'

The sun had also all but set on one of the most eventful days of Sadie's life. She joined him at the window and sighed.

‘Yes, I saw it.'

‘Amazing, wasn't it?'

Nothing was said for the longest moment, and then Mac broke the silence.

‘Sadie, don't go.'

‘What?'

‘I said I don't think you should go.'

‘Mac, I don't know what to say,' Sadie said, feeling brighter, despite her best intentions to be angry with him. ‘I was—'

‘I failed. With the deal.'

‘I know.'

‘But it's not over yet. Peter is likely to make you an offer – you might not have missed out after all,' Mac went on.

Sadie's shoulders dropped.
So that's what he came to tell her.

‘Peter may be full of shit, but if I know Tremain he'll investigate this need for scientific studies before he agrees to do what Peter wants. Especially if there's money changing hands up-front for bringing
you
on board. And if he knows what's good for him – and I think he will – Tremain will want you as part of the deal.'

Sadie looked at her feet. Mac continued. ‘He's here, in town. Don't you see, that means he's really serious about this? Whatever he is, as a businessman he sees things through. Don't miss out – don't miss out on the offer just because it wasn't with me.'

‘Oh,' she said.

‘It's not your fault everything changed. Your part of the contract could still go ahead. If you want it to. You'll just be in business with Peter Galloway and Tremain, not me.'

‘Oh.'

‘Is that it? Just “oh”?'

‘I thought you were going to say …' her eyes searched his, azure-blue, with dark, dark pupils, and for a moment – a fleeting moment – she got caught up in his gaze. ‘Oh, I don't know what I thought,' she said at last.

He was silent for a moment, and then took her hand. ‘You thought I was going to say “now we're not in business any more, let's have mad passionate sex. Just for one night”? Didn't you?'

‘Mac!'

‘I'm joking! I was … I was trying to make you laugh.'

‘Huh. Some joke.'

They stood for a while longer, with Mac still holding her hand. Sadie's body and mind couldn't get a certain image out of her head – one from a moment that seemed a million miles away, on a yacht somewhere in the Mediterranean. Mac seemed to sense it.

‘I'd better go,' he said at last. ‘I need a drink. Hot chocolate with stroodles … or maybe a Baileys.' He smiled. Sadie flushed at the memories he evoked and spoke quickly to stop him noticing.

‘I'd offer you one but I only have this other bottle of Red Frish – and that doesn't seem like such a good idea considering who created it.'

‘Yes, Simon's filled me in about Peter's little brainchild.'

‘You spoke to Simon?'

‘Yes, I got a phone call the second I left the beach. No signal in the hut. He wasn't impressed at how long I was incommunicado.'

‘It doesn't appear as though much impresses Simon!' Sadie joked.

‘Well, you did,' Mac said. A silent wave of knowing passed between them again. Mac let go of Sadie's hand and picked up the Red Frish.

‘Simon's been busy,' he said. ‘He discovered some interesting information from some of the staff here – people who also do shifts at the water plant. The word is out that Peter's been beavering away late into the night at the plant, working on this little brainchild of his. But Bill never gave it any importance.'

‘Of course, his own little effort at getting one up on his father. It's not as nice. I tried some earlier but didn't finish it. Don't know where he's going with it, but it needs careful testing.'

‘Oh?' asked Mac.

‘Well, from what I can tell, it acts slightly differently from regular Frish if my visit to the bathroom earlier is anything to go by.'

Mac looked surprised.

‘Ooops, sorry. Too much information,' she said.

‘Actually, not enough. Tell me more. That's the other reason I came to see you. To discuss what I saw at Bill's office.'

‘What did you see?' she asked.

‘First tell me about how this water works.'

‘Well, I can't say much more, but I've asked one of the guys in the lab here to liaise directly with my uni friends and compare testing results so I might have more news soon.'

Mac took a little taste of the water in the bottle as Sadie continued. ‘But it's a good job I only drank half a bottle of the stuff with my senna tablet. You know, to help …' Sadie waved her hand around. Mac looked quizzical. ‘You know, like … it's for constipation. Felt like I'd taken two instead of just the one.'

‘Interesting,' said Mac. ‘And slightly disturbing.'

‘Too much with the sharing again?'

‘Little bit,' he said, smiling. ‘And not in the least bit of a turn on.'

Sadie shrugged and smiled. ‘It wasn't supposed to be.'

‘I know,' Mac replied, warmly. ‘And I'm learning it's just the matter-of-fact way your brain works. It's who you are. It's good, who you are, Sadie. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise.'

Sadie's breath caught in her throat and she swallowed hard. ‘Glad my geeky brain came in useful for something,' she said with a half-smile.

‘Sadie,' he said, crossing to her once more and touching her arm, ‘You're not a geek. You're only half a geek.'

She couldn't help but laugh, glad of the tension breaker. ‘What's the other half then?'

‘Mother? Super-hot lover? Successful businesswoman?' he said.

Sadie didn't know where to put her face. She squeezed his hand.

‘Hardly successful businesswoman. Seems I'm not that lucky, after all.'

‘You make your own luck. Remember?'

So the gloves were off. Not only off, but in the process of being sent to long-term storage. Mac was playing nice guy.

‘It's that knowledge of yours, Sadie. That
super-brain.
Time to use it.'

‘I thought I had been. Fat lot of good it's ever done me.'

Mac put his finger under her chin and raised her face towards his. ‘So what if you had to leave the research lab when you had the kids. Some of those ex-colleagues of yours will be green with envy when you get the commission for this. You'll have done it all on your own. You just have to play along a little longer, that's all.'

‘Like a game.'

‘Exactly.'

Another game.
Sadie sighed. ‘Is that what all this is to you? A game?' She turned away slightly.

‘That's not what I meant.'

‘That's exactly how it sounded. And I don't play games, Mac. Not any more.'

Mac took a deep breath. He turned her to face him, and she fought back the tears once again. Feeling his hands on her arms, the heat from his body only inches away, she felt the pangs of longing begin to course through her body.

All that stood between them was a plush robe and a million miles of misunderstanding.

‘Sadie, listen to me.' He looked at her in earnest now. The blue eyes searching her own green ones, sincere, genuine.

Just like he'd stood with Alexis not two hours before.

Sadie felt like she was going to kiss him – or kill him. She just couldn't decide which right now. She cleared her throat. Listen to him? She could at least do that much.

‘Yes?' She tried to make her voice impassive. To make her heart impenetrable.

‘Sadie, you deserve happiness. I thought for a brief moment that it might be through me – through our deal. A deal I wanted, too. But I've realised something – and it's something big for me – that I just want you to be happy. If I'm honest, that's the main reason I was working so hard – being so hands on – to try to make this deal work.'

‘Really?'

‘Really.'

‘So you think I should still go for it?'

‘Yes.'

‘Peter did call. But I wasn't going to do it, Mac. It felt like I was betraying you.'

‘No more than I betrayed you, by putting my principles before my …' Then he stopped.