And I sit there frozen to the spot, a vision of Machu Picchu burned on my eyes. This could have been my one big chance to do something different, do something worthwhile and I couldn’t do it. I’m too frightened, too unfit, too old to go trekking up mountains. I’ve never done anything like this before. How would I manage? How would I keep up with these energetic young things who’d probably scamper up there like mountain goats? I don’t have that kind of cash kicking around either. How would I raise it? Most damningly, I haven’t got the courage. I’ve never done anything like this before – have never dared – and just the thought of it is making my stomach roil.

So while the others plan their exciting journey, I slink out of the staff room and go back to my desk and wonder why, when I was offered my big chance to change my life – maybe my one big chance – I was too scared to get out of my rut.

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Lauren took off her headset and powered down her screen. The day had been impossibly busy and she’d hardly caught a glimpse of Jude at all. Still, it had given her the chance to catch up with her own work, and what else had she got to rush home for? The rest of the staff had long gone for the night and she was waiting patiently, hoping that he’d come out of his office soon.

She could call Annie, despite the fact they’d already texted each other a dozen times today, but she knew that the minute she got on the phone then Jude would appear and her sister hated it when she cut a call short because her lover had turned up.

Sure enough, minutes later, the door opened. ‘Sorry, sorry,’ Jude said, raking his hands through his hair. ‘Got stuck on the phone.’

It was pushing seven o’clock.

‘Do you want to come back to my place for an hour?’ Lauren said.

Jude pursed his lips. ‘Can’t,’ he said. ‘Not tonight. There’s a thing on at Daisy’s school. Quiz or something. Promised I’d go.’

‘Oh, Jude.’

‘I know, I know,’ he said soothingly. ‘But these are the duties I have. You know that.’

‘I feel as if I’ve hardly seen you in the last week.’

‘So you’d like to see some more of me?’

‘Of course I would.’

He took her hand and pulled her across the office to the boardroom. ‘I can show you plenty more,’ he said seductively.

Once inside, he shut the door behind them and pressed her up against it, covering her throat with hot kisses.

‘Jude . . .’ she began to protest. What she wanted was a drink and a cuddle, to talk about his day, his weekend, not sex.