Free As Weekends Go (Choc Lit) by Jan Brigden Page B

must have been that Kenny Danny mentioned to us.’
    ‘Are you sure it was him? Only after last night—’
    ‘Of course I’m sure. Who else would be signing autographs?’ Abi grabbed her sarong. ‘Look, if I don’t get my skates on, I’ll be late. I wanted to pre-warn you in case you see them.’
    ‘But how do you know it was definitely Alex Heath and not some other celebrity?’
    ‘Hey, I know my eyesight’s bad,’ said Abi, easing her feet into her beaded flip-flops, ‘but basically, he was tall with blondish, cropped hair and a body you’d run out of saliva drooling over. Seriously good-looking. Both of them were. Chill out, will you?’
    ‘Sorry.’ Rebecca squeezed Abi’s hand. ‘It’s just that according to Leanne everyone’s talking about it.’
    ‘Who’s Leanne when she’s at home?’
    ‘The masseuse. She’ll be doing yours, so she might mention it.’
    ‘Talking of which …’ Abi collected up the rest of her stuff. ‘Try not to fret. We’ll have some lunch when I get back, okay?’ She sprinted off through the archway.
    So much for maintaining the tranquillity …
    Rebecca’s little tête-à-tête with Abi had sparked the interest of two women lying nearby. Super-tanned and blinged up to their eyeballs, they were viewing Rebecca as though she’d inadvertently strayed into the VIP enclosure.
    She undressed to her peach swimsuit, doing her best to ignore their blatant mutterings as she set off across the grass to the pool. Compared to the icy shower she’d taken, the temperature felt like bathwater, the warmth of it reminiscent of the sea in Bali, where she and Greg had honeymooned four years previously.
    He’d love it here …
    She gazed up at The Manor’s ivy-clad walls, trying not to dwell on how she’d had to coax him into booking a holiday this year. Surely once this conference of his was over, he’d show a bit more enthusiasm for it. For anything non-work-related, in fact.
    She suddenly realised that a man crouching poolside in his casuals, waving at her, was Danny the barman.
    ‘Gosh, sorry,’ she said, bobbing her way over to him. ‘I didn’t recognise you without your bow tie. How are you?’
    ‘All the better for seeing you,’ he said, eyes skimming her breasts. ‘I don’t start until two. Thought I’d have a quick session in the gym. How’s the shoulder today?’
    ‘Fine, now I’ve had a massage,’ said Rebecca, rotating it. ‘Well and truly on the mend.’
    ‘Ah, good.’ He cast an eye over her head. ‘Where’s the lovely Abi this morning? Still snoring?’
    ‘Being pummelled as we speak.’
    ‘Oh, it’s pamper day, is it?’
    ‘You bet,’ said Rebecca, squinting up at him. She drew his attention to the pool. ‘Fantastic, isn’t it?’
    ‘Certainly is.’ Danny smiled down at her. ‘Been in the gym yet? Not that you need it or anything.’
    ‘No. Not my thing, really.’
    ‘Too much potential for injuring yourself,’ said Danny, playfully splashing her.
    ‘On that note,’ Rebecca spluttered, ‘I hope you don’t mind me asking you this, but what does Alex Heath’s friend look like? You know … the brash-sounding one you were telling us about yesterday.’
    ‘
Kenny
?’
    ‘Yes, the reason I’m asking,’ said Rebecca, trying to sound plausibly vague, ‘is because Abi said that some guy who was with a man matching Alex’s description winked at her earlier. I wasn’t there, so I thought I’d ask you as you know him.’
    ‘Well, it pains me to say it, but he’s a good-looking bastard. Co-runs a gym, among other things, well, two, one in Leeds, one down south.’ He held up his hand. ‘I’m going off at a tangent here, aren’t I? All in all, he’s got brown hair, wears a diamond stud, and dresses in designer gear. And if Abi says he winked at her, you can be sure it’s Millsy.’
    ‘
Millsy?
’
    ‘Yeah, his surname’s Mills.’
    ‘Oh, I see. How old is he, Danny?’
    ‘A couple of years older than Alex, I think.