Chapter 22
Day one of filming the ‘Skinny Dipping’ commercial was scheduled at the Highbury Aquatic Centre. Sophie’s nerves were threadbare. Communication with Matthew had been scarce since the last time she’d seen him at the pool.
Sophie arrived at the centre at four in the morning. She pushed open the reception doors and Matthew yawned behind the counter.
His face crinkled as he stretched. “Morning,” he smiled, looking devastatingly handsome. He wore a dapper suit with a white shirt rather than his normal pool uniform of white t-shirt and navy shorts.
“Morning,” she responded brightly. “You look corporate.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I was wondering whether I should with all the advertising executives here.”
“You’re the client, you can wear whatever you want,” she replied.
He ran his eyes over her and something lurched inside. “You look quite nice yourself, Miss Smart.” His gaze followed her every movement: the way she put her handbag down and when she bent to adjust the straps on her high-heels. “You’re the first from your team to arrive.”
She couldn’t help but smile back at him. “The others will be here soon.” She looked at the clock behind the counter.
“So how are you doing? With your dad and everything?”
“Fine,” she replied. “He’s been released from hospital.”
“We haven’t had a chance for a real chat with you being so busy with work and everything.” He paused. “I called your office a few times.”
“Oh yeah, sorry, Jessica gave me the messages. I emailed back, I’m sure. Did you have any questions about today?”
“It’s not that. I called you, Sophie.” He frowned and ran his hands through his hair. “Are you going to address the issue or should I?”
Sophie shifted uncomfortably and darted a glance toward the doorway, praying a colleague wouldn’t enter. “There’s no issue, is there?”
“Did I do something wrong, because it’s like you’re avoiding me?” His eyes bore into hers. “Are we okay?”
Her heart thumped in her chest. “Of course we’re okay. We’re just the same.” She shrugged.
“What do you mean by that?” he insisted. “Just the same? I don’t know what that means.”
“We’re both professionals. I work for you and nothing has changed otherwise.”
“Other than you stopping swimming lessons with me but starting them with Eve.”
“You told me to practice on my own,” she replied.
“Okay. I did mention you should practice, but I didn’t mean….” His voice trailed off and he rubbed beneath his chin. “Is the account the problem then?”
“No,” she shook her head.
“The advertising campaign is almost over,” he said. “All that’s left is for your team to shoot and edit the commercial – or at least that’s what Jessica tells me when I try and reach you at the office. The website looks fantastic. The radio ad sounds amazing. You’re doing laps now in the pool. You’re basically done with me.”
“What do you mean? Done with you?” she frowned. “Are you happy or not happy with the work? Is the account a problem with you?”
“No, I mean, yes I’m happy with the work, but you don’t need me anymore. Not really. I just thought it wouldn’t be so complicated – us I mean – if we didn’t have a professional relationship. If we moved away from that. Kept things simple.”
Sophie felt a dart of panic. “What are you saying? You know I’ll lose my job if I lose this account.” It was a fact. They were in a recession.
“I’m really confused.” Colour drained from Matthew’s face. “Are you only worried about losing the account?”
“Well?” she said, with one hand on her hip and thoughts whirling through her mind. “Am I going to lose the account?”
“My God, you’re good.” His voice was like steel. “It’s just like you not being able to swim.”
“What?”
“Another sales trick. That’s what this was all about. Sales.”
“That’s completely not true.”
“Come on Sophie, just admit it. All you wanted was more of my business. All you spoke about was work and the possibility of getting the hotel chain advertising work. Just admit that you were never interested in me. I mean you even got Eve to finish off the swimming lessons. You couldn’t stand to be in the water with me.”
They stared at each other with blazing eyes. “That’s totally unfair,” she gasped. “You’re the one who told me to go it alone, to practice without you.”
“You’re in sales. It’s what you do. I get it. I’m in business too. It was just business.” He folded his arms protectively. “But you should have just said you weren’t interested, especially after Brighton. I might have been out of the game for ages, but don’t treat me as completely stupid. I can’t believe I fell for you and it was all an intensive sales pitch.”
“How dare you. Of course we met through a business arrangement. I work for your company, it makes sense meeting through work,” Sophie whispered hoarsely. Her whole body shook. “But I thought we were friends and I never said I wasn’t interested. I was at the hospital. And now you stand here accusing me of what…doing my job? What are you saying, I’m a fake? Thanks a lot. You always talk about trust. Yet you don’t trust me. Well I fell for that, didn’t I?”
He stared hard and a minute passed as they both glared at each other. “I guess you’d say anything,” he whispered.
Before she could answer, the reception door opened and Desmond walked inside the centre.
Sophie gathered her handbag from the floor. “Desmond let's go and look at the pool before the shoot. We’ve got to finish filming before customers arrive.”