Straight to You Page 0,24

for much the same reason that I had gone straight into working for the company rather than continuing my education. It had been a move that my parents had not entirely approved of and it was good to have found someone else who agreed with my opinions and who thought along the same lines as I did.

'Do you regret it?' I asked.

Samantha shook her head.

'I'm happy with the way things have turned out,' she said, draining the last drops of wine from the glass which she had emptied in record time. 'And things are getting better every day.'

As she spoke, Sam looked up into my face and I felt my heart melt. I knew then that the girl who sat next to me could really prove to be as special and important as I had dared think she might be at the time of our first meeting. Although I had then dismissed my initial feelings as juvenile and trite, they seemed to have more and more truth and substance with each extra moment that I spent in her company.

When I next looked at my watch, it was almost three o'clock I panicked and at once my mind was filled with thoughts of disaster and catastrophe at the office which I had left under the control of a deputy manager who seemed to be permanently on the point of collapse I knew full well that if anything happened in my absence, the blame would rest squarely at my feet

'I'm sorry, I've got to go,' I said as I stood up to leave. 'I didn't see the time.'

Sam looked at her own watch and seemed as surprised as me to find that we had been talking for almost an hour and a half.

'Do you really have to?' she asked and I nodded sadly.

'I'm afraid so I wish I could stop.'

I tucked my shirt into my trousers and rolled down my sleeves. I moved towards the door of the little room but stopped when I was close to Sam. I turned to look into her face and then, with equal amounts of inevitability and spontaneity, I leant down and kissed her lightly on the lips. She put her arms around me and I held her tightly before we kissed again. Long and passionate, our second kiss seemed to last for a blissful eternity and I found it difficult to tear myself away.

'I wish I could stay here with you,' I whispered into her ear. 'I don't want to let you go.'

'I never want you to let me go,' she said quietly 'Can you come back tonight?'

My heart sank as I remembered that tonight was the night that I had arranged to go across town and visit my parents. I would normally have telephoned them and cancelled using some weak and concocted excuse but today, as my father was ill, I felt duty-bound to go. I silently cursed myself for not having visited last Friday when my business dinner date had been cancelled.

'I can't. I wish I could but my dad's ill and I've promised that I'll go over and see him.' I said. Samantha seemed to understand. 'Can we go out tomorrow?'

It was Sam's turn to bring bad news and she shook her head dejectedly.

'I've got an appointment with my insurers tomorrow night. It's too late to cancel now.'

'The day after then?' I asked, hopefully. Samantha nodded and smiled.

I painfully tore myself away from her. Despite the incredible heat all around and inside the building, my body felt cold where I had just held her and I longed to pull her close to me again. I walked towards the door of the shop, holding her hand tightly. She suddenly stopped walking and I turned back to see what was wrong.

'I haven't signed anything!' she shouted, laughing. 'You've forgotten what you came for!'

'Can you see what you're doing to me?' I asked jokingly as I took the forms and papers from out of my case. Sam signed where I indicated and I threw the documents back into the bag. 'I'm losing all control. You're turning me into a nervous wreck!'

'I'm sorry,' she laughed with mock apology in her voice.

'Don't be,' I whispered 'I'm loving every second of it!'

Before leaving I held her tightly once more and we kissed again in full view of the assembled workmen. We received a sarcastic round of applause from the labourers and I left the shop feeling embarrassed but caring little. I promised that I would call Sam the