but as I stand up at last, I still feel dazed. I walk along in a slight blur, hardly able to believe
I'm here. I'm alive. I honestly never thought I'd make it back on the ground.
'Emma!' I hear someone calling as I come out of Arrivals, but I don't look up. There are loads
of Emmas in this world.
'Emma! Over here!'
I raise my head in disbelief. Is that
No. It can't be, it can't-
It's Connor.
He looks heart-breakingly handsome. His skin has that Scandinavian tan, and his eyes are
bluer than ever, and he's running towards me. This makes no sense. What's he doing here? As
we reach each other he grabs me and pulls me tight to his chest.
'Thank God,' he says huskily. 'Thank God. Are you OK?'
'Connor, what what are you doing here?'
'I phoned the airline to ask what time you'd be landing, and they told me the plane had hit
terrible turbulence. I just had to come to the airport.' He gazes down at me. 'Emma, I watched
your plane land. They sent an ambulance straight out to it. Then you didn't appear. I thought
' He swallows hard. 'I don't know exactly what I thought.'
'I'm fine. I was just trying to get myself together. Oh God, Connor, it was terrifying.' My
voice is suddenly all shaky, which is ridiculous, because I'm perfectly safe now. 'At one point
I honestly thought I was going to die.'
'When you didn't come through the barrier' Connor breaks off and stares at me silently for
a few seconds. 'I think I realized for the first time quite how deeply I feel about you.'
'Really?' I falter.
My heart's thumping. I think I might fall over at any moment.
'Emma, I think we should'
Get married? My heart jumps in fear. Oh my God. He's going to ask me to marry him, right
here in the airport. What am I going to say? I'm not ready to get married. But if I say no he'll
stalk off in a huff. Shit. OK. What I'll say is, Gosh, Connor, I need a little time to
' move in together,' he finishes.
I am such a deluded moron. Obviously he wasn't going to ask me to marry him.
'What do you think?' he strokes my hair gently.
'Erm' I rub my dry face, playing for time, unable to think straight. Move in with Connor. It
kind of makes sense. Is there a reason why not? I feel all confused. Something's tugging at my
brain; trying to send me a message
And into my head slide some of the things I said on the plane. Something about never having
been properly in love. Something about Connor not really understanding me.
But then that was just drivel, wasn't it? I mean, I thought I was about to die, for God's sake.
I wasn't exactly at my most lucid.
'Connor, what about your big meeting?' I say, suddenly recalling.
'I cancelled it.'
'You cancelled it?' I stare at him. 'For me?'
I feel really wobbly now. My legs are barely holding me up. I don't know if it's the aftermath
of the plane journey or love.
Oh God, just look at him. He's tall and he's handsome, and he cancelled a big meeting, and he
came to rescue me.
It's love. It has to be love.
'I'd love to move in with you, Connor,' I whisper, and to my utter astonishment, burst into
tears.
THREE
I wake up the next morning with sunlight dazzling my eyelids and a delicious smell of coffee
in the air.
'Morning!' comes Connor's voice from far above.
'Morning,' I mumble, without opening my eyes.
'D'you want some coffee?'
'Yes please.'
I turn over and bury my throbbing head in the pillow, trying to sink into sleep again for a
couple of minutes. Which normally I would find very easy. But today, something's niggling at
me. Have I forgotten something?
As I half listen to Connor clattering around in the kitchen, and the tinny background sound of
the telly, my mind gropes blearily around for clues. It's Saturday morning. I'm in Connor's bed.
We went out for supper oh God, that awful plane ride he came to the airport, and he said
We're moving in together!
I sit up, just as Connor comes in with two mugs and a cafetiere. He's dressed in a white waffle
robe and looks completely gorgeous. I feel a prickle of pride, and reach over to give him a
kiss.
'Hi,' he says, laughing. 'Careful.' He hands me my coffee. 'How are you feeling?'
'All right.' I push my hair back off my face. 'A bit groggy.'
'I'm not surprised.' Connor raises his eyebrows. 'Quite a day yesterday.'
'Absolutely.' I nod, and take a sip of coffee. 'So. We're going to live together!'
'If you're still on for it?'
'Of course! Of course I am!' I smile brightly.
And it's true. I am.
I feel as though overnight, I've turned into a grownup. I'm moving in with my boyfriend.
Finally my life is going the way it should!
'I'll have to give Andrew notice' Connor gestures towards the wall, on the other side of
which is his flatmate's room.
'And I'll have to tell Lissy and Jemima.'
'And we'll have to find the right place. And you'll have to promise to keep it tidy.' He gives
me a teasing grin.
'I like that!' I feign outrage. 'You're the one with fifty million CDs.'
'That's different!'
'How is it different, may I ask?' I plant my hand on my hip, like someone in a sitcom, and