Putting Alice Back Together by Carol Marinelli Page A

say—I sort of knew he was talking about their sex life. I didn’t understand Celeste. How could she not want him? She had him, why wouldn’t she try to keep him?
    ‘Come on,’ he prompted, ‘let’s go through it again.’
    I messed up—and he told me to do it again, then stood up, and then he put his arms in to show me how my fingers should go… His hand was over mine but not as it had been. I could hear him breathing a bit hard, feel his hands sort of capture mine, placing each finger on the key. Instead of pressing down on the keys, I pushed my fingers up, sort of entwined them with his.
    ‘Play.’ His voice was lower and he moved his hands,and I played, or tried to, because his arms slid away. This time his hands did pause at my breasts, just at the sides, and I was still playing, and they were still there, a pause as still I played on. I felt dizzy. I wanted to stop but it seemed imperative that I keep playing, because if I did stop, maybe so would his hands. They were stroking the sides now, then moving round to my nipples.
    His hands were on my breasts. I looked down and his fingers were opening the buttons of my blouse. I was going to bite him, but I didn’t.
    I breathed in tightly.
    I was somewhere between relief and fear as his fingers slid into my bra, then the fear slid away and my breath blew softly out.
    It felt nice.

Twelve
    ‘I hope I didn’t wake you!’
    I jumped out of my skin when I shuffled into the kitchen at midday and saw Prince Harry filling a kettle, dressed in jeans and T-shirt. He was all sort of untucked and rumpled and I instantly wanted to smooth him and tuck him in.
    Well, not Prince Harry exactly—his hair was a little less red, and his cheeks a little less ruddy—but I do like Harry: for a redhead he’s sexy and he’s fun and he’s naughty… Where was I…? Oh, yes.
    I will give you rapid details so that you will understand what I suddenly found myself dealing with.
    I was expecting, I don’t know, someone with bright orange hair to greet me—instead I found myself gazing upon dead straight hair, a touch redder than strawberry blond, and he had a long fringe that was flopping in his face (given he was already in transit when I wrote my requirements, I think the universe had amended my order as best it could).
    Glasses—but oblong black ones that I have to say looked fantastic.
    A big body—not fat, just sort of big and male, and taking up the kitchen—and he wasn’t white. This is a very important point. I glow in the dark I am so white—that is why I have a fair-skinned spray tan once a week and apply holiday moisturiser for fair skin each night.
    I sent a silent thanks to the universe for the spectacular, rapid delivery of my order. In eBay terms the feedback was five-star, fab, better than expected.
    ‘Coffee?’ he asked, spooning instant into a mug, and when I nodded he went through the sugar and milk ritual. ‘Well, you’re easy,’ he said when I declined them both.
    You have no idea , I almost quipped, but it was there in my head and bizarrely he seemed to hear my thoughts, because he grinned and my stomach folded over on itself. Never, never had a first attraction been more intense and I could tell, I could just taste and breathe and sense, that the feeling was mutual, that it would be absolutely appropriate if he walked over now and kissed my face off.
    Of course he didn’t.
    He sat opposite me at the table, a slow smile on his gorgeous mouth, and stared for a moment and I stared back—it was almost as if we recognised each other.
    Thank you, Yasmin. Thank you thank you thank you thank you…
    ‘Sorry about the glasses. Nic said they’d give you a fright,’ he teased. ‘I’ll put in my contacts soon.’
    Bloody Nicole.
    His flight had been long, he replied on being asked, but he’d liked Singapore Airport.
    We chatted about flying for a while and gave eachother a few horror stories and then I glanced at the clock and got up and pulled some bacon