Cherry Blossoms by Patricia Keyson Page A

He looked engrossed in the paper he was holding. She gave up. She just couldn’t fathom him. Back to business then. “I just wondered if you had a digital camera I could use. I want to take the photos for the brochure.” She hoped he would suggest going with her. They could turn it into another outing. Just the two of them by the river, but this time she’d make sure he didn’t get wet.
    “ Yes, here.” Oliver hurriedly reached into his desk and passed her the camera before busying himself again.
    “ Right, thanks.” Cherry realised things weren’t back to normal between them and she was puzzled as to who could have been on the line to make him so distracted. She felt let down, but it was a lovely day and she decided to rearrange her timetable and head for the river to take a few pictures in the morning light.
    A s she approached the bank a narrow boat chugged into view. Theirs had been a bit smaller, but very similar with the same traditional stern and a few small round windows. She admired the colourful painted containers on the roof, bursting with flowers and herbs. She’d had a small garden too and Jay had helped her care for the plants. She felt a little lump in her throat and tears forming. She liked their cottage and knew they were very lucky, but the time they’d spent on the boat had seemed somehow magical and special. It had been just her and Jay facing the world. The woman at the helm waved, and after Cherry had acknowledged her, she took a few shots with the boat in the foreground. They were just the type of picture she wanted. Slightly cheered, she made her way back to the hotel, ready to start cleaning the bedrooms.
    As she passed reception she notice d a woman waiting at the desk. Cherry wondered if Oliver knew how much time the receptionist, Emma, was spending in the kitchen with André and how little time actually working.
    “ May I help?” she asked the attractive blonde, hoping she didn’t look too scruffy, but knowing her hair was all over the place. She patted at it frantically.
    “ I’m here to see Mr Fingle,” the woman replied with a gravelly voice. Cherry immediately assumed she must be a friend of Darius, probably an ex-girlfriend giving chase.
    “ I’m sorry, Darius has gone to Spain.”
    “ Not Darius, I’m here to see Olly,” the woman smiled, showing pearly white teeth.
    Cherry asked her to take a seat while she called Oliver on the phone. “There’s someone to see you, but I think you were expecting her,” she muttered, having suddenly realised why Oliver had been so embarrassed about the call he’d been making. Cherry was annoyed when he feigned surprise.
    “ Who is it?” he asked.
    “ Don’t give me all that after giving me a hard time about Alan. Hypocrite!” She slammed the phone down and stamped off up the stairs. That morning she broke a cup in one of the bedrooms and cracked a toilet seat when she slammed it down. And she was very nearly rude to one of the guests who complained about the lack of a towelling dressing gown. Suddenly remembering she was now part of the management team she smiled sweetly, promised to bring one immediately and said she’d inform the owner of the hotel. If she ever spoke to him again, she added to herself. She couldn’t believe Oliver was doing this to her, letting her believe there was a possibility of a relationship with him and then meeting some other woman, right under her nose. But maybe he’d hoped the woman would be more discreet, maybe at least he’d wanted to break things to her gently.
    When she’d finished the cleaning she passed back through reception, but hurried away when she saw Oliver and the woman sitting close together and laughing uproariously. Had she and Oliver ever laughed like that? She had a horrible feeling Oliver was holding the woman’s hand.
    Pat wasn’t about so she wasn’t able to give vent to her feelings. She ate her sandwiches and drank her tea and began to feel less and less angry and more