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are we going?”
    “Hey, we’re in Leeds, cultural centre of the known universe. Well, Yorkshire anyway. What do you fancy? Opera? Ballet? Theatre? Cinema? Clubbing? Casino? Dancing?”
    “Not clubbing, definitely. And I’ve got too many aches and pains for dancing just now. And anyway I can’t dance.”
    “You’ll learn. But not now. And later if you’re very well-behaved I’ll massage those aches and pains for you if you like… A bit more gentle fucking perhaps?”
    My heart leaps, delighted, relieved. He still wants me. Amazingly, he still wants to make love to me. “I’m not dumped then? You said… I thought you meant…you didn’t want me anymore.”
    “You were never dumped, Eva. Not really. And I want you so much I’ve a few aches and pains of my own. But you did terrify me and we do need to sort out the safe word business. I can’t do with you fainting like a Victorian virgin every time I pick up a cane. My heart won’t stand the strain.”
    “Well I was very nearly a virgin. And I told you, I’m a fast learner. Maybe now you’ll believe me.”
    “True on all counts, Dr Byrne. You are extremely well-qualified. But please allow me to be the authority on gentle fucking and all related matters, at least for the time being. So, where are we going? What do you fancy?”
    “I love the opera. Maybe we could…”
    Even before I finish he has the iPad fired up again, and is tapping the screen briskly.
    “Well, we’ve got Opera North at the Leeds Grand this evening. How does Don Giovanni sound?”
    “ Don Giovanni . Wonderful. But would we be able to get tickets at short notice?”
    “James’ll sort that. We all have our particular skills, Miss Byrne—sorry, Dr Bryne—and that’s his speciality.” Still tapping he comes up with more cultural delights. “And tomorrow we’ve got good old Tennessee Williams at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Would you fancy that?”
    I nod, dazed.
    “Great. Now what about the ballet? Ah yes, Northern Ballet are doing The Nutcracker . But that’s in Bradford. We could catch it on Sunday, though, on our way home to Black Combe. Shall I get James to hunt down the tickets for us before he goes home?”
    “You want to do all those things, go on all those dates… With me? You want to spend the weekend with me?”
    “By the sound of it, it’s gonna take us all weekend, sweetheart, at least, to rake through your legendary car wreck. And we’ll need lots of light relief. And lots of gentle fucking. Yes?”
    I nod, enthusiastic, my face split by a beaming, goofy smile.
    “And some not so gentle fucking once I’ve worked out how to manage your overly masochistic tendencies. So yes, Eva. I want to spend the weekend with you. And then we go back to Black Combe and you take up your previous post as violin tutor. You up for all that?”
    “So I’m not fired. Or dumped?”
    He shakes his head, smiling. “No, not fired, and not dumped. Okay? Will you stay with me for the weekend?”
    “Yes. Yes. Please.”
    Laughing, he hits the intercom. “James, have you a moment? We need you in here…”
     

Chapter Two
     
     
     
    The weekend was wonderful. I have never enjoyed anything as much as I enjoyed Nathan over those two days. Not just the sex, though that was off the scale. Inventive. Frequent. Intense. But also his humour, his kindness, his light teasing as he drew my story out of me. At the same time he was relentless, leaving me no secrets, nowhere to hide. He has an unerring talent for precision-bombing my least defended areas with his insightful, probing questions, and he extracted the details of my emotional car crash, little by little, gently, firmly, fully.
    In deference to my insistent, growling stomach we started at Pizza Express, a few minutes’ walk from Nathan’s office. We left James with a list of our planned itinerary, chasing up tickets, while we headed for food. I was starving. Absolutely ravenous. Nathan watched, amused, as I