Chasing the Sun: The laugh-out-loud summer romance you need on your holiday!

His ruddy cheeks broke into a wide grin at the sound of her name. ‘Well, it’s not gone tits up between us yet.’

I laughed. ‘And I’m sure it won’t either. Tell her from me that she makes the best cakes in town; in fact, I’m surprised you’ve not put on ten stone since meeting her.’ I brushed crumbs off my shirt.

It was probably for the best that the snack station hadn’t been implemented when I’d worked in this shop full time. With this much temptation in my way, there’d be nothing left for the customers. I tried not to think about how snug my work clothes had got since Ben and I had moved in together. There was something about the comfort of being in a happy relationship, eating a lot more takeaways, not wanting to leave the warm bed for an early morning run, and sharing a bottle of wine most evenings, that was a hell of a lot of fun but did nothing for your figure. Sexercise only burnt a fraction of the calories I was indulging in.

‘Keep it to yourself, but I’ve started this new fitness regime.’ He leant forward, dropping his voice to a whisper, even though we were the only ones in the shop. ‘She’s had me join a gym.’

‘You? At a gym? I never thought I’d see the day!’

‘Mock all you want, but it’s the only way I don’t balloon. Anyway, that’s not the worst part.’ He lowered his voice even more. ‘She’s got me taking a few evening classes.’

‘Oh yeah? Like what?’

He grimaced, as if locked in a mental disagreement over whether to tell me or not. ‘Dancing.’ He sat back in his chair, waiting for my reaction. I couldn’t help but let a giggle escape at the thought of Conrad pirouetting in a fetching pink tutu; he ignored me and carried on. ‘Well, first it was Zumba, then it was this salsa beat workout, and now it’s sodding ballroom with a twist.’

‘Ballroom with a twist?’ I repeated, quite enjoying the blush rising on his face.

‘Yep. The twist is that you break into this flaming difficult hip-hop routine midway through.’

I couldn’t help but let a snigger escape. ‘Hip-hop? You do hip-hop?’

‘Don’t.’ He placed his reddened cheeks into his large hands. ‘I’ve not told anyone else and I’m making you swear that you won’t either.’

I held up my fingers in a Brownie Guide salute as he continued.

‘You know those YouTube videos of couples, usually a bride and groom on their first dance, who start off all formal and then the music changes halfway through to some irritating dance song, and they perform this well-rehearsed but bloody ridiculous routine?’

I nodded, my cheeks aching from smiling.

‘That’s ballroom with a twist.’

‘Oh, wow. So, you going to show us a move then?’

‘Don’t hold your breath. I only agreed to it to make her happy. The things you do for love.’ He grunted and began shuffling through some brochures on his cluttered desk.

‘Love?’ I raised an eyebrow.

‘Yeah, I love her,’ he mumbled. I had the urge to start clapping but kept my emotions in check. Conrad wasn’t usually this forthcoming with his personal life so I didn’t want to stop his flow. ‘Lord knows why she puts up with me, and trust me there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her happy. But flaming dance classes?’ He shook his head at what he had become. ‘Seriously.’

‘Well, I think it sounds adorable, and don’t be putting yourself down. You’re a catch; she’s lucky to have you in her life too.’

He shrugged and cleared his throat. ‘So, back to you, I still can’t believe you and Ben are finally taking a holiday. He’s promised me that you’ll both turn your work phones off and step away from your emails.’

‘Nice subject change. Don’t expect me to forget that you owe me a dance at the Christmas party,’ I teased and took a slurp of my coffee, double-checking my phone again for when the bank called. ‘I’m not sure how much of a holiday it will be with helping Shelley out, but I am looking forward to ticking Australia off my list and spending time with Ben.’

‘Your first trip down under! Be prepared for the jet lag as it can be a bit of a killer, you know. Why don’t you ask Shelley to delay the trip for a few days so you can adjust?’

I shook my head. ‘No way. I don’t want to do anything to make her already dangerously high anxiety levels rocket even more. I’m sure I’ll be fine.’

‘You’re just going to have to have a coffee drip inserted in your arm and be prepared to ride the jet lag waves more like.’

‘Oh come on, it’s not that bad, is it?’ I’d taken enough long-haul flights by now to realise he was overreacting.

Conrad raised his bushy eyebrows. ‘You’ve never done the London–Australia route before. I know you think you may be superwoman at times, but, trust me, that can really mess your head up.’

I dismissed his scaremongering and flicked my head back to my laptop screen. ‘I’ll be fine, really.’

‘Well, good luck. I just hope I won’t be saying I told you so when you’re feeling like a zombie for your first few days.’

‘I’ll be fine,’ I repeated. ‘Anyway, even if I do, there is no way I’d tell you and give you the satisfaction of saying I told you so!’ I teased, and ducked when he flicked a paper clip at me.

‘We’ll see; also, unless you’ve changed your phone screen to a topless photo of Ben, you need to stop checking that phone of yours.’ He nodded, as I glanced at my mobile phone, again.

‘I know. I’m just … Don’t tell anyone … but I’m just a little nervous. They said they’d be calling us today and, judging by how they spoke yesterday at the pitch, I thought I would have heard first thing.’

‘They’re probably telling everyone else they didn’t make the grade and saving the good news for last.’ He shrugged just as a customer walked in who he then went to help.

Suddenly, my phone chirruped to life, making me jump and Conrad spin his head over to the noise. Oh God, oh God, oh God. Here goes!

‘Georgia Green speaking,’ I said in my most professional phone voice.

‘Georgia, you’re there!’ The harassed-sounding voice of my best friend Marie rushed down the line. ‘I called your London office and Erin said you were in Manchester. I’m not interrupting some super-fancy important meeting or something, am I? Can you talk?’

‘Marie, slow down, is everything okay?’

I could hear banging in the background and some irritatingly high-pitched nursery rhyme, probably coming from the TV.

‘No!’ she said in a gulp of what sounded like tears.

Before I could ask another question, she’d turned her mouth from the phone and began telling off her son, Cole, for not sharing with his sister.

‘Marie?’

‘Oh, Georgia. I am so sorry to have to do this but I need your help.’

‘Sure what’s happened?’ I flicked my eyes off my emails and focused on her breathless, anxious voice, bracing myself for the worst.

‘I really, really don’t want to have to ask you as I know how busy you are. Trust me, I’ve tried every other option but I’m desperate.’ She let out a chirp of a laugh that fell flat. I tried not to take offence.

‘Are you okay? Are the kids okay?’

‘Cole. Give that to your sister!’ she barked distractedly. ‘Yeah, they’re fine. It’s just, I need you to watch them. I’ve got to be at this audition and Mike’s mum was going to have them but she’s not well and then the childminder we sometimes use is booked up and …’

Marie was a part-time actress slash hairdresser, always waiting for the big break that never seemed to come. Before her daughter Lily was born she had been going to quite a few auditions, and had mentioned contacts who were hoping to break her into the big time, but it had all gone very quiet since then.

‘Is that it?’ I let out the breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding and laughed lightly. ‘Of course I can look after them.’

‘Really? Are you sure?’ She sounded surprised, which hurt a little. I hadn’t been that bad in helping her out with her children, had I?