message. It was another man.
“I saw your card,” he said in a low whisper. “I’d like to get together. I think you’re my kind of girl.” He chuckled as he left his number and I shrieked as I pressed delete. Who on earth was that? I was most definitely not his kind of girl. It must have been a wrong number.
As I rang for a taxi, I heard the beep that meant I had another call, but when I rang off, whoever had phoned had gone without leaving a message. Then my phone rang again – it was an unknown number.
“Is that Harmony?” a man said.
“Speaking,” I answered.
“I’ve got your card here.” He spoke quickly as though he wanted to get off the phone as soon as possible. “I’d like to book an, ahem, appointment.”
I was puzzled. Why had he phoned my mobile? How did he have the number?
“You need to phone the spa,” I said. “Is it acupuncture you’re after?”
I saw my taxi pull up and waved at the driver as I dashed across the pavement and into the blessed warm and dry cab.
“Raeburn Place, please,” I said.
The man on my phone coughed. He sounded embarrassed.
“It’s not acupuncture I’m after.” He dropped his voice. “It’s you. I picked your card up in a bookstore.” I almost heard him make quote marks with his fingers as he said ‘bookstore’ and I grimaced. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?
“Which bookstore?” My voice was like steel.
“Naughtystone’s,” he said. He sounded scared. I was pleased.
“I am not a hooker,” I snapped. My taxi driver snorted from the front seat. “If you ever call this number again, I will report you to the police.” I hung up and my phone rang immediately. I cancelled the call. It rang again. I switched it off.
“You must be good,” the taxi driver said.
I silenced him with a stare as he pulled up outside In Harmony. What the bloody hell was going on? Shoving a £10 note through the window (suddenly that bus fare seemed like a bargain) I ran inside.
Chapter 15
It was like an oasis in the spa. The rain battered the windows, but it was bright and warm inside. I could smell essential oils and hear soft music – no Iron Maiden this time, thank goodness. Behind the reception desk, Xander and Nancy were deep in conversation and they jumped when I approached. Xander pushed something under a pile of papers and looked up at me.
“Hi, Harry!” he sang.
“What?” I snarled. “What’s going on? What’s that?”
“What’s what?” Xander’s sculpted face was a picture of innocence.
A clap of thunder outside made Xander and Nancy look round for a moment, and I seized my chance. Diving over the reception desk – much to the alarm of a client who’d just walked in – I lunged for the papers and pulled out a photo of me. At least, it was my head, Photoshopped – not very well – onto a naked buxom woman’s body. She was in a very unladylike pose.
I’m new in town
, the card read.
Show me around!
Underneath was my name and my mobile number.
“Oh my good god,” I gasped.
“Is that you?” My client was peering over my shoulder.
“Yes,” I said. “No!”
“Have you had your boobs done?” she said. She sounded genuinely interested but it was all too much for me.
“Get out!” I shrieked. “You have to leave!”
Xander sprang into action. He shoved me towards my office and pushed Nancy after me.
“Take her away,” he hissed at Nancy. “Make her coffee.” Then he turned to the client, dazzling her with his smile and loping his arm around her shoulders.
“I am so sorry,” I heard him say as Nancy hustled me down the hall. “Harmony’s had a terrible shock.”
My hands were shaking so much I couldn’t unlock my office door. Nancy took the keys from me and did it instead, looking at me the whole time. I wondered what she was thinking. It was hardly the ideal temp job. A job, by the way, that she’d only got because the person who did it before her was murdered. Mind you, she’d only been meant
“I saw your card,” he said in a low whisper. “I’d like to get together. I think you’re my kind of girl.” He chuckled as he left his number and I shrieked as I pressed delete. Who on earth was that? I was most definitely not his kind of girl. It must have been a wrong number.
As I rang for a taxi, I heard the beep that meant I had another call, but when I rang off, whoever had phoned had gone without leaving a message. Then my phone rang again – it was an unknown number.
“Is that Harmony?” a man said.
“Speaking,” I answered.
“I’ve got your card here.” He spoke quickly as though he wanted to get off the phone as soon as possible. “I’d like to book an, ahem, appointment.”
I was puzzled. Why had he phoned my mobile? How did he have the number?
“You need to phone the spa,” I said. “Is it acupuncture you’re after?”
I saw my taxi pull up and waved at the driver as I dashed across the pavement and into the blessed warm and dry cab.
“Raeburn Place, please,” I said.
The man on my phone coughed. He sounded embarrassed.
“It’s not acupuncture I’m after.” He dropped his voice. “It’s you. I picked your card up in a bookstore.” I almost heard him make quote marks with his fingers as he said ‘bookstore’ and I grimaced. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?
“Which bookstore?” My voice was like steel.
“Naughtystone’s,” he said. He sounded scared. I was pleased.
“I am not a hooker,” I snapped. My taxi driver snorted from the front seat. “If you ever call this number again, I will report you to the police.” I hung up and my phone rang immediately. I cancelled the call. It rang again. I switched it off.
“You must be good,” the taxi driver said.
I silenced him with a stare as he pulled up outside In Harmony. What the bloody hell was going on? Shoving a £10 note through the window (suddenly that bus fare seemed like a bargain) I ran inside.
Chapter 15
It was like an oasis in the spa. The rain battered the windows, but it was bright and warm inside. I could smell essential oils and hear soft music – no Iron Maiden this time, thank goodness. Behind the reception desk, Xander and Nancy were deep in conversation and they jumped when I approached. Xander pushed something under a pile of papers and looked up at me.
“Hi, Harry!” he sang.
“What?” I snarled. “What’s going on? What’s that?”
“What’s what?” Xander’s sculpted face was a picture of innocence.
A clap of thunder outside made Xander and Nancy look round for a moment, and I seized my chance. Diving over the reception desk – much to the alarm of a client who’d just walked in – I lunged for the papers and pulled out a photo of me. At least, it was my head, Photoshopped – not very well – onto a naked buxom woman’s body. She was in a very unladylike pose.
I’m new in town
, the card read.
Show me around!
Underneath was my name and my mobile number.
“Oh my good god,” I gasped.
“Is that you?” My client was peering over my shoulder.
“Yes,” I said. “No!”
“Have you had your boobs done?” she said. She sounded genuinely interested but it was all too much for me.
“Get out!” I shrieked. “You have to leave!”
Xander sprang into action. He shoved me towards my office and pushed Nancy after me.
“Take her away,” he hissed at Nancy. “Make her coffee.” Then he turned to the client, dazzling her with his smile and loping his arm around her shoulders.
“I am so sorry,” I heard him say as Nancy hustled me down the hall. “Harmony’s had a terrible shock.”
My hands were shaking so much I couldn’t unlock my office door. Nancy took the keys from me and did it instead, looking at me the whole time. I wondered what she was thinking. It was hardly the ideal temp job. A job, by the way, that she’d only got because the person who did it before her was murdered. Mind you, she’d only been meant
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