obviously prefers city life in her old age?’
‘Oh, Felicity wouldn’t leave the Big Smoke if you paid her. She’s been in Lime Park longer than I have.’
Over his shoulder, a neighbour I’d met once or twice before – Mel – was trying to catch my eye and I waved hello, a polite note of deterrent in my manner. I had no intention of ending this conversation. ‘I must pop round soon and check we’re not disturbing her too much,’ I said. ‘I would hate to be the one who drove her out.’
‘That’s not a bad idea. Maybe take a cake. She likes lemon drizzle.’
I remembered what he’d said the previous time we met, about keeping her onside. He’d not intended it purely in relation to the building works, I suspected.
‘So,’ he said, finished with Felicity and his attention now firmly on what he saw in front of him.
‘So … ?’ I echoed.
‘Are we going to do this or not?’
I inhaled sharply.
‘And don’t say “Do what?” Because you know exactly what I mean.’
I have to tell you this wasn’t nearly as high risk as it reads on the page, because his body language was so utterly guiltless, his voice dipped slightly but perfectly casual in tone, as if he were proposing a trip to the garden centre. Only his eyes, which no one else could see but me, betrayed the dangerous nature of his intent, daring me, seducing me, and my excitement rose like a sudden spike in blood sugar.
‘Of course I know,’ I replied, the same easy tone, the same unimpeachable body language. And that was the moment that I chose to acknowledge the truth: you could reinvent yourself but you could not reinvent the wheel. Of course I would be sleeping with Rob Whalen. Accepting this, I became very calm. ‘The answer is yes, we are. But there are things that must be understood beforehand.’
‘Sure.’ He dipped a hand in his pocket for his phone. ‘Can I take your number?’
He was still tapping in the digits when Jeremy and Richard appeared behind him, Jeremy beaming with thatslightly idiotic bonhomie men exhibit when they outnumber women.
‘Darling,’ I said, ‘Rob and I were just exchanging numbers. We think it might be useful in case there’s a problem with the works. But I’ve forgotten my phone. Could you take his details instead?’
‘Why don’t I just send you a text so you’ve got mine,’ Rob said helpfully to me.
‘Good idea. I’d prefer it if you addressed all complaints to my wife,’ Jeremy joked. ‘She’s the front of house in this operation.’
‘You have my word,’ Rob said.
He moved away to join a different group and Richard was summoned by Caroline to circulate with drinks, so Jeremy and I held hands at the edge of the terrace, facing the flock.
‘Isn’t this nice of the Sellerses?’ he said. ‘They’ve made such an effort and everyone’s so friendly. A different world from the Wharf, eh?’
‘We’re very lucky to have such sociable new neighbours,’ I agreed.
‘I like your Rob.’
‘
My
Rob? Hardly. But me too. He’s funny, kind of naughty.’ I nuzzled Jeremy’s shoulder a little and he squeezed me closer.
‘He doesn’t normally turn up to these things, Richard says, but look how the women are all over him. He could take his pick.’
‘Maybe he already has?’ I said. ‘Liz, I reckon.
She’s
certainly up for it.’
‘Not with that barnet,’ Jeremy said, making me laugh. ‘Mind you, she’s not the only one who looks like she’s been dragged through a hedge backwards.’
‘I know. Maybe that’s why they’ve all got their wellies on,’ I said.
He snorted and, attracted by the sound, Richard approached with a bottle of bubbly, vapour trailing like breath from a living creature’s throat.
‘Having fun?’ he asked, replenishing our glasses.
‘Oh yes!’ I exclaimed. ‘It’s the most
wonderful
party, Richard. You must let us thank you by taking you and Caroline to lunch at Canvas next weekend.’
As Jeremy and Richard beamed at the suggestion,
‘Oh, Felicity wouldn’t leave the Big Smoke if you paid her. She’s been in Lime Park longer than I have.’
Over his shoulder, a neighbour I’d met once or twice before – Mel – was trying to catch my eye and I waved hello, a polite note of deterrent in my manner. I had no intention of ending this conversation. ‘I must pop round soon and check we’re not disturbing her too much,’ I said. ‘I would hate to be the one who drove her out.’
‘That’s not a bad idea. Maybe take a cake. She likes lemon drizzle.’
I remembered what he’d said the previous time we met, about keeping her onside. He’d not intended it purely in relation to the building works, I suspected.
‘So,’ he said, finished with Felicity and his attention now firmly on what he saw in front of him.
‘So … ?’ I echoed.
‘Are we going to do this or not?’
I inhaled sharply.
‘And don’t say “Do what?” Because you know exactly what I mean.’
I have to tell you this wasn’t nearly as high risk as it reads on the page, because his body language was so utterly guiltless, his voice dipped slightly but perfectly casual in tone, as if he were proposing a trip to the garden centre. Only his eyes, which no one else could see but me, betrayed the dangerous nature of his intent, daring me, seducing me, and my excitement rose like a sudden spike in blood sugar.
‘Of course I know,’ I replied, the same easy tone, the same unimpeachable body language. And that was the moment that I chose to acknowledge the truth: you could reinvent yourself but you could not reinvent the wheel. Of course I would be sleeping with Rob Whalen. Accepting this, I became very calm. ‘The answer is yes, we are. But there are things that must be understood beforehand.’
‘Sure.’ He dipped a hand in his pocket for his phone. ‘Can I take your number?’
He was still tapping in the digits when Jeremy and Richard appeared behind him, Jeremy beaming with thatslightly idiotic bonhomie men exhibit when they outnumber women.
‘Darling,’ I said, ‘Rob and I were just exchanging numbers. We think it might be useful in case there’s a problem with the works. But I’ve forgotten my phone. Could you take his details instead?’
‘Why don’t I just send you a text so you’ve got mine,’ Rob said helpfully to me.
‘Good idea. I’d prefer it if you addressed all complaints to my wife,’ Jeremy joked. ‘She’s the front of house in this operation.’
‘You have my word,’ Rob said.
He moved away to join a different group and Richard was summoned by Caroline to circulate with drinks, so Jeremy and I held hands at the edge of the terrace, facing the flock.
‘Isn’t this nice of the Sellerses?’ he said. ‘They’ve made such an effort and everyone’s so friendly. A different world from the Wharf, eh?’
‘We’re very lucky to have such sociable new neighbours,’ I agreed.
‘I like your Rob.’
‘
My
Rob? Hardly. But me too. He’s funny, kind of naughty.’ I nuzzled Jeremy’s shoulder a little and he squeezed me closer.
‘He doesn’t normally turn up to these things, Richard says, but look how the women are all over him. He could take his pick.’
‘Maybe he already has?’ I said. ‘Liz, I reckon.
She’s
certainly up for it.’
‘Not with that barnet,’ Jeremy said, making me laugh. ‘Mind you, she’s not the only one who looks like she’s been dragged through a hedge backwards.’
‘I know. Maybe that’s why they’ve all got their wellies on,’ I said.
He snorted and, attracted by the sound, Richard approached with a bottle of bubbly, vapour trailing like breath from a living creature’s throat.
‘Having fun?’ he asked, replenishing our glasses.
‘Oh yes!’ I exclaimed. ‘It’s the most
wonderful
party, Richard. You must let us thank you by taking you and Caroline to lunch at Canvas next weekend.’
As Jeremy and Richard beamed at the suggestion,
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