Free Premier Deception by S J Crabb Page B

” She went inside feeling strangely lost in her
own home.

Chapter 8

    She woke up late the next morning and realised that
Max would be due in fifteen minutes. She hurriedly dressed in some
smart trousers and a loose fitting top and grabbed a jacket. Before
she knew it she heard the car pulling into the drive and her mother
calling her. Damn she thought, she hated rushing and now she would
look a total mess in front of Max. There was no time for breakfast
and she raced for the door. On opening it she saw Max leaning
nonchalantly against the porch looking refreshed, his clothes smart
and freshly laundered and his hair well groomed and smelling of the
delicious aftershave that he always wore. She on the other hand was
aware of what a state she must look. He looked at her with an
amused look on his face as she shouted her goodbyes.
    Before she got half
way down the drive her mother came running out, “ Charlotte you have forgotten your folder. ” She spun around to take it from her. “ Oh and Imogen called last night, you got in so
late I never had a chance to tell you, ” admonished her mother. Charlotte remembered the missed
calls and texts from her friend and groaned, “ what did she want? ” she said
curiously. “ Oh apparently she has been
moved to the local Lido on life guarding duties and in her words
there are lots of hot lifeguards here. ” Charlotte looked surprised and then flushed as she saw
Max ’ s amused expression. Her mother
carried on oblivious. “ Well one of them
found out that you were her friend and wants her to arrange a
double date with you both. She says he is a real hunk - again her
words! and she wondered if you were free tonight? ” Charlotte was mortified; she saw the look on
Max ’ s face had changed from mild
amusement to something else that she couldn ’ t quite fathom. He looked almost annoyed and his eyes had
gone darker as though he was angry. Her mother carried on. “ Well if you want my opinion I would stay well
away. It sounds like this guy is a bit of a stalker type, I mean he
has seen your picture in the paper and wants in on the action. You
have to be careful now that you are a celebrity, you hear it all
the time how fans get out of hand and before long you will be in
court taking out an injunction against him! ”
    Oh no this was too
much Charlotte thought highly embarrassed. Damn Imogen and damn her
mother. She wanted to play it cool with Max and make him see how
sophisticated she was and dazzle him with her wit and charm, and
now he would think of her as some giggling schoolgirl going out on
dates set up by her friend against her mother ’ s wishes. They were both looking intently at her and she
mumbled, “ I haven ’ t got time for this, I will be late. I ’ ll phone her this morning. ” Her
mother shrugged and bent down to pick a weed out of the drive.
Charlotte raced towards the car before she could embarrass her any
more and waited for Max to get them out of there. He was very quiet
on the journey and Charlotte wasn ’ t sure
whether to mention the incident or to just leave it. It seemed a
bit awkward so she pulled out her phone saying, “ Oh I ’ ll just text Imogen and
refuse her kind offer, I don ’ t have time
anyway and the last thing I want is a blind date. ” She laughed hoping to lighten the mood. She
thought that she saw relief on his face but again it was so
fleeting and once again he looked impassively ahead.
    The training ground
was nearer than the stadium so it wasn ’ t
long before they were there. They were early, the team
weren ’ t due until 9am but Charlotte was
to familiarise herself with the facility and staff first before the
team arrived. It was she thought like the workings inside a clock.
The Stadium was the façade, the showpiece but if you opened it up
to see how it worked you would find the training ground facility.
Charlotte was amazed at the work that went on here. Very quickly
the time passed and before she knew it Luke came