Sweet Summer Nights

'Hey, it's your day off,' he said. 'Would you like to do nothing in the living room? Or in the bedroom? Or would you like to find some music and do nothing right here while I get about doing a little something for supper?'

'Or I could take you somewhere for supper,' Suzanne said. 'You know ... to say thanks.'

'Well, thanks for the thought. But I think it might be more relaxing here. And it won't take me long. Nothing fancy.'

While Suzanne selected some music, Daniel put a thick-bottomed pan of single cream on the hob and waited until it had almost reached the boil. Then he took it off the heat and let it stand for a minute or so before adding pieces of dark chocolate and stirring it until the chocolate was melted and smooth. Next he beat in a couple of dark yellow egg yolks, and added a generous slosh of cognac. Finally, he stirred in a knob of butter, and left the smooth, creamy mixture to cool a little before pouring it into individual serving pots.

'God, that looks good.'

Daniel smiled. 'And I promise it will taste as good as it looks. I take it that you do like chocolate.'

'What girl doesn't?'

Next Daniel quartered a couple of large plum tomatoes lengthways, arranged them on a baking tray, sprinkled them with dried oregano, drizzled them with a little olive oil, and put them into a medium oven. After about 15 minutes, he added a few slices of prosciutto and left the tomatoes to roast for a further ten minutes.

While the tomatoes were roasting, he tossed some finely-chopped garlic, some dried chilli flakes, and a couple of anchovy fillets in some olive oil, and let them cook for two or three minutes before adding about a cup and a half of drained white beans. Another couple of minutes and he added a generous splash of water and allowed the whole mixture to come to the boil.

'You're very handy in the kitchen,' Suzanne said with obvious admiration for his skills.

Daniel smiled. 'I do my best,' he said.

When the mixture had reached the boil, Daniel took it off the heat and, with the back of a fork, mashed it to a coarse puree. 'I hope you like scallops.'

'Love them.'

'Thank heavens for that.'

In a clean pan, Daniel seared ten plump sea scallops until they were just caramelised. And then, taking the pan off the heat, he dressed the scallops with a little more olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

'Just about there,' he said.

He took a large platter from one of the cupboards and began to assemble the dish. First the puree -- which he finished with a little more olive oil and lots of freshly-ground black pepper. Then the roasted tomatoes and prosciutto. Then the scallops. And, finally, a few wild rocket leaves.

'Help yourself,' he said, putting the platter on the table. 'Oh ... and we'll need some wine, won't we.' And he produced a bottle of Pinot Gris.

'Are you sure you're not one of those famous TV chefs?'

Daniel grinned and raised his glass in a toast. 'To days off!'

'I'll drink to that,' Suzanne said. 'I really needed today.'

The scallop dish was just about perfect. The scallops themselves, while lightly caramelised, were still soft and juicy. The oven-roasted tomatoes were sweet with just a hint of pungency. And the bean mixture was both creamy and textured.

'Mmm! This is fabulous,' Suzanne said.

Daniel nodded. 'Not bad, is it -- even if I say so myself.'

As they ate and chatted, Suzanne's cell phone rang. Twice. And Suzanne ignored it. Twice.

'Are you sure you don't want to get that?' Daniel asked.

'If it's important, they'll leave a message,' she said, smiling.

And they did. Or at least they sent a text message.

Suzanne waited until they had finished eating before getting up and checking her phone. Daniel watched as she swiped a few virtual keys, read the message, smiled again, and tapped out a brief reply.

'Just Dougie,' she said. 'Making sure that I'm OK.'

'And are you?'

'Oh, I'm better than OK,' she said. And then, on her way back to her chair, she stopped and gave Daniel a long lingering kiss. 'I hope you don't mind.'

Daniel grinned. 'Not at all. I think it was just a question of which one of us would make the first move, wasn't it?'

Suzanne kissed him again.

After they had finished the chocolate pots (which Suzanne declared to be one of the sexiest puddings she had ever eaten), she said that she thought she would like to take a shower. 'I feel that I'm covered in a layer of salt from our afternoon at the beach.'

Daniel said that while she showered, he would quickly tidy up the kitchen.

Suzanne kissed Daniel lightly on the lips and then headed for the bedroom and began to undress. This time, she didn't close the door.

Five minutes later, standing under the shower, the warm relaxing water cascading onto her shoulders and running down over her naked body, she heard the bathroom door open.

'Room for one more?'

'Oh, I think so,' she said.

Holding her, their now-wet bodies touching, Daniel gently ran the tip of his tongue up the side of her neck, from her shoulder to the lobe of her ear.

'Oh, yes,' Suzanne said softly. 'Oh, god, yes!'

'Just making sure that you are now salt-free,' Daniel explained.

'And your verdict is ...?'

'Well, your neck seems OK,' he said, 'although I may need to just check your breasts. Sneaky stuff that salt air. Some of it might have snuck inside your shirt.'

'In that case, yes, you had better check,' she said.

And he did.

For what seemed like an eternity, they stood together under the warm cascading water, gently kissing and caressing each other's bodies.

'Is it my imagination, or is there something coming between us?' Suzanne asked.

Daniel glanced down at his hardening cock. 'I can only assume that it has something to do with you,' he said. 'This doesn't happen when I shower on my own.'

Suzanne giggled. 'Really? Oh well, it would be a pity to waste it.'

'It would,' Daniel said.

They stepped out of the shower, hastily towelled each other dry, and then Daniel led Suzanne back to the bedroom and over to the bed. He had just pulled back the duvet when, from the kitchen, came the sound of his cell phone. It was difficult to ignore. But, for a moment or two, they both did their best.

'If it's important, they'll leave a message,' Daniel said.

And then, as if on cue, the phone stopped ringing. Daniel smiled. But, almost immediately, it started ringing again. This time, Daniel said that he had better check it.

'OK,' Suzanne said. 'Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.'

Daniel padded through to the kitchen and picked up the ringing phone. 'Hello?' And then: 'Oh, Marc. Umm, no. No, that's OK. I was just taking a shower. I thought I'd get an early night.'

For a while, Daniel listened to the voice at the other end. And then he said: 'No, that's OK, Marc. I'll sort it first thing. If you could just leave me a list, that would be great.'

The telephone conversation had only lasted for about three minutes -- four minutes at the most. But, by the time Daniel had returned to the bedroom, Suzanne was already asleep. He gently covered her naked body with the duvet, grabbed his bathrobe from the hook on the back of the door, and padded back to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.

About three quarters of an hour later, Daniel returned to the bedroom but Suzanne was still fast asleep. In fact she didn't seem to have moved. He briefly considered sliding in beside her. But then he thought: No, she needs the sleep. And he grabbed a spare blanket and headed for another night on the couch.

The next morning, Daniel woke bright and early, went to the kitchen, filled the kettle with water, and put it on the gas to heat. From the kitchen window he could see grey clouds rolling in from the west.

When Suzanne awoke that morning, it took her a moment or two to reconstruct the events of the previous day -- especially the events of the previous evening. She remembered the meal and the shower. How could she not? But after that?

From the other side of the bathroom door she could hear the sound of the shower once more. Or was she imagining it? No. No, it was definitely the sound of the shower. And, while she was trying to recall what had happened after her own shower -- their shower -- the sound suddenly stopped. And few minutes after that, Daniel appeared. Naked. And looking every bit as sexy as she remembered.

'Good sleep?'

Suzanne smiled. 'I assume so. It was another night that I don't really remember.'

'Well, maybe that's a good thing,' he said. 'Some tea?'

'That would be nice. Thank you.'

'Back in a moment.'

While Daniel was off making the tea, Suzanne tried to piece together the events of the previous day. She remembered the secret beach, and falling asleep in the sun. And the little pub in the middle of nowhere. And supper, of course -- the beautiful supper. And then, after supper, their shared shower. She certainly remembered that. But then ... then what had happened?

'There you go,' Daniel said. 'Tea, milk, no sugar.'

And then she remembered something else. 'Your phone rang.'

'It often does,' Daniel said.

'No, I mean last night.'

Daniel grinned. 'It did.'

'And did I go to sleep about then?'

'Well, you were tired,' Daniel said.

Suzanne frowned. 'Oh, god, I'm so sorry. You should have woken me up. I think we were about to ....'

'I considered it,' Daniel said. 'Believe me. But I decided that you needed the sleep.'

Suzanne reached out for his hand, put it to her lips, and lightly kissed his fingers.

'Look, I need to go into work for a couple of hours,' Daniel said. 'I should be back by about ten, ten-thirty. You know where everything is. And I've written my cell phone number on the pad in the kitchen.' And he bent down and kissed her on the lips.

Daniel's 'couple of hours' turned out to be a bit optimistic and it was just on eleven when he finally got back to the flat.

'Sorry about that,' he said. 'A couple of little things cropped up.'

'That's OK,' Suzanne said. And then she added: 'So what is it that you do? I take it from the shorts and T-shirt that you don't work in the local bank.'

'Funnily enough, I used to. At one stage. But only for about six months. We parted company by mutual consent.'

'And in your post-banking life?'

'I sort of play with food,' Daniel mumbled. 'Do a bit of cooking, a bit of consulting, stuff like that.'

Suzanne looked triumphant. 'So you are a famous TV chef!'

Daniel looked slightly uncomfortable. 'Well, I wouldn't say famous. And I haven't done that much TV work. Not really.'

'No wonder you can cook so well. And to think I was going to offer to make you something for lunch.'

Daniel grinned. 'Well, you still can.'

'Yeah, right!' Suzanne laughed. 'I'm not even sure that I want to try boiling an egg with you watching.'

'Pity,' he said. 'I quite like a good boiled egg. So ... what time's your train?

'Not until 3:10. I guess I'll need to get a cab for about 2:30.'

'That's OK, I'll take you to the station,' Daniel said. 'If I drive slowly enough, you might even miss your train -- and then I can have the pleasure of your company for one more night.'

Suzanne smiled. 'Sounds like a good idea to me. Although I'm not sure that Dougie would be quite so enthusiastic.'

Almost as if on cue, Suzanne's phone rang.

'Hello?' she said. 'Oh, Dougie! Just talking about you.' And then, after a moment or two, she said: 'Oh, only good things, Dougie. Only ever good things.'

For 30 seconds or so, Suzanne listened with a slight frown. And then, suddenly, a hint of a smile spread across her face. 'Oh, well, they're the experts,' she said. 'Disappointing, but there's not a lot we can do about it. Weather is weather -- even when it's unseasonable weather.'

She listened for another 30 seconds or so and then said: 'OK, Dougie, in that case I'll meet you in Caister. Day after tomorrow.'

She swiped the End button on her phone and turned to Daniel. Putting on what she hoped was a suitably grave expression, she said: 'Bad news, I'm afraid: tonight's show has also been washed out. Dougie says the venue is ankle-deep in water.'

'So what now?'

'What now? Now I have another day to do whatever I like.'

Daniel grinned. 'Well, you said that you needed a break.'

'I did,' Suzanne said happily.

'So, what would you like to do?'

'Well, we could always pick up where we left off last night. And I promise not to fall asleep this time.'

'And I'll turn my phone off,' Daniel said.

But the ringing that almost drowned out the end of his sentence was not coming from his phone. It was the doorbell.

'Perhaps if we ignore it, they will go away,' he suggested. But whoever was ringing the bell didn't go away. They just kept ringing. Reluctantly, Daniel went to the door.

'Oh, you are home!'

The young woman at the door gave Daniel a hug and kissed him on both cheeks before pushing past him and placing a recycled supermarket bag filled with fresh produce on the table. 'Darling, I've brought you a few tomatoes, and there's a lettuce and a selection of herbs.' And then the young woman suddenly noticed Suzanne. 'Oh, hello,' she said. 'I'm Celia.'

'Suzanne,' Suzanne said cautiously.

Celia smiled and turned to speak to Daniel. But then, suddenly, she turned back to Suzanne. 'Oh, god! You're that Suzanne, aren't you? I was at your concert in the weekend. How about that! It was great. I really liked it. And I really like your new album -- Sweet Summer Nights.'

'Thank you,' Suzanne said.

'I feel I should get you to sign my shirt or something,' Celia said. 'I didn't realise that you and Daniel .... Well, I didn't realise that you knew each other.'

Suzanne smiled.

'But I guess all you celebrity people know each other.'

'Celia grows the best tomatoes in the whole county,' Daniel explained.

'Oh, do you really think so?' she said.

'I do,' Daniel replied. 'Without a doubt.' And then, realising that Celia was not about to leave again anytime soon, he instinctively lined up three cups beside the coffee maker. 'Coffee?' he said.

Celia looked at Suzanne and then back at Daniel. 'Well, as long as I'm not interrupting.' And, before either of them had a chance to say anything, she sat herself down at the kitchen table.

'The thing about tomatoes,' Celia explained to Suzanne, 'is that most of today's varieties are bred for the supermarkets. They might look good -- all even and smooth and unblemished -- but they taste of nothing at all. Mind you, it's the same with most supermarket fruit and vegetables.'

Suzanne nodded politely.

Daniel made three cups of coffee and, for the next 15 minutes or so, they sipped and chatted. Well, Daniel and Suzanne mainly sipped; Celia mainly chatted.

And then, suddenly, Celia looked at the clock on the kitchen wall. 'Gosh! Is that the time? I was going to go to the butchers'. They close at twelve-thirty. I've probably missed them now. What do you think?'

'I think if you hurry ...' Daniel said.

'Yes,' she said. 'Probably. Well, it was nice to meet you, Suzanne. Gosh, it's quite exciting meeting someone famous.' And then, after giving Daniel another hug and a kiss on each cheek, she was gone.

'Celia's certainly one of life's enthusiasts.'

Daniel grinned. 'That's one way of putting it.'

He rinsed the coffee cups and stacked them in the dishwasher. 'Did you have any breakfast?'

'Umm ... no.'

'Then you must be getting a bit hungry. ' 'I guess I am a bit peckish,' Suzanne said, '-- now that you come to mention it.'

Daniel nodded. 'Let's stroll down to The Dirty Donkey.'

Suzanne frowned. 'Dirty Donkey?'

'Also known as The Black Horse. Pub grub -- but pub grub with flair and finesse.'

'OK. But it's my shout.'

Daniel smiled. 'We'll see.'

From the outside, The Black Horse looked like a typical village pub. But, once inside, you suddenly became aware of the spacious, airy conservatory that was attached to the back. When Suzanne and Daniel walked in shortly before 12:45, the place was already busy.

'Gosh, this place is popular,' Suzanne said.

'Tourists,' Daniel said. 'Which is good. They keep the place viable. If Michael had to rely on just the locals, he would have gone out of business long ago.'

'You eating?' The question came from a middle-aged man in a red check waistcoat who was gathering up empty glasses.

'Perhaps a little snack, Michael -- if you can squeeze us in. Oh, and Michael, this is Suzanne. Suzanne, Michael.'

'Nice to meet you,' Michael said. 'Corner table?'

Michael put the empty glasses on the bar and led Suzanne and Daniel to the far end of the conservatory where he removed a RESERVED sign from one of the tables. 'OK?' he said.

'Perfect,' Daniel replied.

Within less than a minute, a waitress arrived, her pen poised above her order pad. 'Hiya, Daniel.'

'Hello, Jilly. Oh ... this is my friend Suzanne.'

'Hello,' Jilly said. And then: 'Oh my god, you're that Suzanne, aren't you! I was at your concert the other night. It was fabulous.'

'I'm pleased you enjoyed it,' Suzanne said.

'And I love your new album -- Sweet Summer Nights. It's fabulous.'

Suzanne smiled.

Jilly fanned herself with her order pad. 'Oh, gosh. I'm all flustered now.'

'But hopefully not too flustered to get us a couple of glasses of Pinot Grigio,' Daniel said.

'Pinot Grigio. Umm ... yes. Right. Pinot Grigio coming up,' Jilly said, nervously straightening her long black apron.

While Jilly went to get the wine, Daniel and Suzanne studied the blackboard menu. 'Ah ha,' Daniel said, 'mackerel's on.'

'Good?'

'Very,' Daniel said. 'Just simple fillets of fresh mackerel, dredged in seasoned flour, pan fried, and served with lemon zest, dill, and Jersey Royals.'

'Hmm, yes, that definitely does sound good. But I'm also tempted by the Devilled Chicken Sandwich.'

'Again, nice and simple. Thin slices of chicken breast, lightly marinated in lemon juice and lots of freshly-ground black pepper, grilled, and then served on lightly toasted Panini with a sauce of mustard, chilli, and thyme. The secret is not to overcook the chicken -- and I think these guys can be trusted to get it right.'

Suzanne smirked as she looked across the table at Daniel. 'You seem to know an awful lot about this menu -- you know, for someone who's just walked in off the street.'

Daniel grinned.

Later, as they strolled home from the pub, it started to rain. At first, it was just a few drops, large drops but few and far apart. But then the heavens opened. And, by the time they had reached the flat, they were both drenched.

'Well, it's been threatening for a couple of days,' Daniel said as he returned, shirtless, from the bathroom, carrying a couple of towels.

'I think I need to get these clothes off,' Suzanne said. 'I can't believe how wet that rain was.' And she pulled her top off over her head and began drying her hair with one of the towels.

'Looks like the rain has soaked right through to your bra,' Daniel said.

Suzanne gently placed a hand on her satin and lace-covered breast. 'And I suppose you think I should take it off.'

'Wouldn't want you catching a cold,' Daniel said. 'Perhaps I could help.'

Suzanne nodded.

'Maybe in the bedroom,' he said. And he steered her gently to the bedroom where he helped out of her remaining clothes, covering her body with little kisses as he went.

As her knickers descended to her ankles, Suzanne reached out and undid Daniel's belt. In no time at all, his shorts were also on the floor. And then Suzanne was kissing Daniel, urgently, passionately. At the same time, Daniel's fingers found the soft, damp valley between her upper thighs.

'Oh, god, yes!' she said.

Gently but firmly, Daniel eased Suzanne back onto the bed, sliding his index finger along her increasingly slippery cleft. And then, spreading her wide, he crouched down beside the bed and began to run his tongue along her pink inner lips.