more genuine than hers. ‘Gut instinct. Very useful in my job. Or jobs.’
Now she did feel a bit more relaxed. ‘So, what do you want me to do about the staircase? Do some drawings and show them to you?’
‘That’s the best thing. You don’t want to spend a fortune on having it built and then have to alter it all.’
Anna felt her mood shift slightly. ‘How do you know I haven’t got a fortune?’
‘As I said before, gut instinct.’
Anna smiled, not quite ready to laugh, and got to her feet. ‘I’ll start drawing, then.’
‘Who are you going to get to build it?’
She tried to sidestep the question. ‘I haven’t decided yet.’
‘I could recommend some people who are used to conforming to our requirements, but you’d have to get on to them soon. They’ve got a long waiting list.’
‘I said, I haven’t decided—’
‘Let me give you their name. And do get on to them quickly.’
‘Isn’t it unethical to give out names of joinery firms to people? In your job?’
‘Only if I get a backhander out of it.’
Anna was tempted to smile again so she picked up her tube of drawings, none of which were relevant now, and her bag and got up. ‘Thank you for your help,’ she said formally.
Rob Hunter rose to his feet and came round the desk to open the door for her. Anna wasn’t used to having doors opened for her and this was the second time in less than a week. ‘I’ll be seeing you,’ he said.
‘Not if I see you first,’ muttered Anna, inaudibly, knowing it was a cliché and relieved to have got through a meeting with Rob Hunter without a fight.
* * *
When Anna got home, she called on Chloe before she went into her own house, nominally to collect Caroline, but actually with another motive in mind.
‘Give me coffee and let me look at your staircase!’ She accepted Caroline’s greeting while she said this, and got her to sit down again.
Chloe, who was a very satisfactory friend, put the kettle on. ‘Why do you want to measure my staircase? Do you need them both? Or just the first one?’
Anna sank down into the chair, having removed a universe worth of Superheroes from it first. Caroline wandered over so that Anna could stroke her ears. ‘I’ve got to make my staircase exactly the same as yours,’ Anna announced, sounding exhausted. She looked across to where the stairs were revealed behind the half-open door. The treads resembled slices of pie.
‘Oh my goodness,’ said Chloe, diplomatically.
‘And it’s your friend Rob Hunter that’s making me do it,’ said Anna, remembering to be indignant.
‘What on earth are you talking about? Do you want me to whisk the milk and make a proper cappuccino?’
‘Oh, yes please. And I wouldn’t say no to a chocolate biscuit.’
Chloe got out the tin in which all treats were hidden. ‘So what’s Rob making you do? I thought Friday night went very well, didn’t you? Rob obviously liked you a lot.’
‘I don’t think so. He was quite friendly and chatty but that must have been because he felt guilty. He knew he was about to turn my life upside down.’
‘How do you feel about him?’ Chloe fished.
Anna considered. She had liked him, he did make her laugh and she had thought that maybe they could become friends. But the fact that he was the listed buildings officer made it all seem so complicated.
‘Well?’ Chloe persisted.
‘He’s nice, it’s just …’
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’ One day she might tell Chloe all about Max, but not now. ‘Anyway, it was he who said I’ve got to make my staircase exactly like yours. It does tend to put you off a bloke, that sort of thing.’
‘Oh my God!’
Anna nodded, finding Chloe’s reaction entirely appropriate. She sipped at the chocolate-powdered froth. ‘I’ve got every right to hate him, really. He used one job to further the interests of his other one, which I’m sure is immoral, if not illegal.’
‘But you don’t?’ Chloe, having made sure Anna found the
Now she did feel a bit more relaxed. ‘So, what do you want me to do about the staircase? Do some drawings and show them to you?’
‘That’s the best thing. You don’t want to spend a fortune on having it built and then have to alter it all.’
Anna felt her mood shift slightly. ‘How do you know I haven’t got a fortune?’
‘As I said before, gut instinct.’
Anna smiled, not quite ready to laugh, and got to her feet. ‘I’ll start drawing, then.’
‘Who are you going to get to build it?’
She tried to sidestep the question. ‘I haven’t decided yet.’
‘I could recommend some people who are used to conforming to our requirements, but you’d have to get on to them soon. They’ve got a long waiting list.’
‘I said, I haven’t decided—’
‘Let me give you their name. And do get on to them quickly.’
‘Isn’t it unethical to give out names of joinery firms to people? In your job?’
‘Only if I get a backhander out of it.’
Anna was tempted to smile again so she picked up her tube of drawings, none of which were relevant now, and her bag and got up. ‘Thank you for your help,’ she said formally.
Rob Hunter rose to his feet and came round the desk to open the door for her. Anna wasn’t used to having doors opened for her and this was the second time in less than a week. ‘I’ll be seeing you,’ he said.
‘Not if I see you first,’ muttered Anna, inaudibly, knowing it was a cliché and relieved to have got through a meeting with Rob Hunter without a fight.
* * *
When Anna got home, she called on Chloe before she went into her own house, nominally to collect Caroline, but actually with another motive in mind.
‘Give me coffee and let me look at your staircase!’ She accepted Caroline’s greeting while she said this, and got her to sit down again.
Chloe, who was a very satisfactory friend, put the kettle on. ‘Why do you want to measure my staircase? Do you need them both? Or just the first one?’
Anna sank down into the chair, having removed a universe worth of Superheroes from it first. Caroline wandered over so that Anna could stroke her ears. ‘I’ve got to make my staircase exactly the same as yours,’ Anna announced, sounding exhausted. She looked across to where the stairs were revealed behind the half-open door. The treads resembled slices of pie.
‘Oh my goodness,’ said Chloe, diplomatically.
‘And it’s your friend Rob Hunter that’s making me do it,’ said Anna, remembering to be indignant.
‘What on earth are you talking about? Do you want me to whisk the milk and make a proper cappuccino?’
‘Oh, yes please. And I wouldn’t say no to a chocolate biscuit.’
Chloe got out the tin in which all treats were hidden. ‘So what’s Rob making you do? I thought Friday night went very well, didn’t you? Rob obviously liked you a lot.’
‘I don’t think so. He was quite friendly and chatty but that must have been because he felt guilty. He knew he was about to turn my life upside down.’
‘How do you feel about him?’ Chloe fished.
Anna considered. She had liked him, he did make her laugh and she had thought that maybe they could become friends. But the fact that he was the listed buildings officer made it all seem so complicated.
‘Well?’ Chloe persisted.
‘He’s nice, it’s just …’
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’ One day she might tell Chloe all about Max, but not now. ‘Anyway, it was he who said I’ve got to make my staircase exactly like yours. It does tend to put you off a bloke, that sort of thing.’
‘Oh my God!’
Anna nodded, finding Chloe’s reaction entirely appropriate. She sipped at the chocolate-powdered froth. ‘I’ve got every right to hate him, really. He used one job to further the interests of his other one, which I’m sure is immoral, if not illegal.’
‘But you don’t?’ Chloe, having made sure Anna found the
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