the electricity running between them. ‘Sorry, we'd better go back in or there'll be another search party out looking for you.’
She let her hand drop away as they went back inside. She laughed to herself at the thought of never washing her hand again now that Tex had touched it, a bit like those fans who had been able to touch Elvis!
Jamie, Yvonne and Christine were putting on their coats. Christine looked decidedly unhappy at the sight of Anna and Tex together.
‘Could you take me home please, Tex?’ Christine asked. ‘I’m really not feeling well.’
Tex looked at Anna. ‘Sorry but I am driving. I will have to go.’
‘It's okay.’ Anna ran her hand down the top of Tex's arm and touched him again with her other hand. That was two hands she couldn't wash now. ‘You'd better go.’ As she spoke, Anna caught sight of Zoe. The look of concern on her face alarmed Anna immediately. Almost within a nanosecond Anna felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked round and up, and then gasped.
‘Mark! What are you doing here?’
Chapter Eleven
‘Hello, Anna,’ replied Mark casually. ‘Fancy seeing you here. Hello, Zoe. Lovely to see you.’
‘Likewise,’ said Zoe, who clearly didn’t mean it.
Mark moved to Anna’s side and smiled at everyone. ‘Hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I just popped in for a drink and saw my wife here. What a coincidence.’ He grinned at Anna and, putting a proprietorial arm around her shoulder, pulled her towards him. Anna tried to wriggle away but Mark’s hand was holding her firm.
‘Oh, so you’re Anna’s husband,’ said Christine.
‘Certainly am,’ said Mark with satisfaction, then to Anna, ‘We need to talk.’
‘Here? Now?’ Anna jerked her head away from Mark and glanced at Tex.
Tex watched silently, his face impassive, and although he was neither smiling nor scowling, there was an unmistaken hardened look to his eyes that matched the tension in his voice. ‘Don’t let us interrupt you. We are leaving anyway.’
Anna couldn’t help but feel disappointed at the rather warmer goodbye Tex directed at Zoe than the mere nod of the head proffered at her. She watched as the quartet left, Christine flashing a self-satisfied smile in her direction. Anna found herself looking daggers in response.
‘Hope it wasn’t anything I said,’ grinned Mark, with what Anna could only describe as temerity.
‘What’s with introducing yourself as my husband?’ Irritated didn’t even come close to how she felt towards Mark.
Mark finally released his hold, looking all innocent. ‘What’s wrong with that? I am your husband, after all.’
‘You know perfectly well what’s wrong with that. Anyway, what’s so important that it can’t wait until I get home or tomorrow? I am actually having a night out with Zoe.’
‘It looked more than a night out with Zoe. Who’s that bloke you came back in with?’
‘Just my client.’
‘Just your client, eh?’
‘Yes.’
‘If you say so.’
‘I do.’
‘Not the same client that gave you a lift home the other day by any chance?’
‘Piss off, Mark,’ she snapped.
Mark held her gaze for a moment before turning to Zoe. ‘You couldn’t give us a minute, could you?’
Zoe looked questioningly at Anna, who rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll just be at the bar then.’ Zoe picked up her bag and edged past her brother-in-law.
‘Well?’ said Anna, impatiently turning on Mark.
‘Let’s sit down.’ He gestured towards the seats. ‘That’s better. Look, I was just out for a drink. I forgot you said you’d be here, but when I saw you with
your client
, I was, well, hurt.’
‘Hurt?’
‘Yeah, like shocked. Jealous, I suppose.’
‘Jealous?’
‘Blimey, Anna, it’s like having a conversation with an echo.’ Mark let out a sigh. ‘You know how I feel about you, I told you the other night. You said you were going to think about things. Since then you’ve avoided me like a dose of the clap.’
‘Mark, this
She let her hand drop away as they went back inside. She laughed to herself at the thought of never washing her hand again now that Tex had touched it, a bit like those fans who had been able to touch Elvis!
Jamie, Yvonne and Christine were putting on their coats. Christine looked decidedly unhappy at the sight of Anna and Tex together.
‘Could you take me home please, Tex?’ Christine asked. ‘I’m really not feeling well.’
Tex looked at Anna. ‘Sorry but I am driving. I will have to go.’
‘It's okay.’ Anna ran her hand down the top of Tex's arm and touched him again with her other hand. That was two hands she couldn't wash now. ‘You'd better go.’ As she spoke, Anna caught sight of Zoe. The look of concern on her face alarmed Anna immediately. Almost within a nanosecond Anna felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked round and up, and then gasped.
‘Mark! What are you doing here?’
Chapter Eleven
‘Hello, Anna,’ replied Mark casually. ‘Fancy seeing you here. Hello, Zoe. Lovely to see you.’
‘Likewise,’ said Zoe, who clearly didn’t mean it.
Mark moved to Anna’s side and smiled at everyone. ‘Hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I just popped in for a drink and saw my wife here. What a coincidence.’ He grinned at Anna and, putting a proprietorial arm around her shoulder, pulled her towards him. Anna tried to wriggle away but Mark’s hand was holding her firm.
‘Oh, so you’re Anna’s husband,’ said Christine.
‘Certainly am,’ said Mark with satisfaction, then to Anna, ‘We need to talk.’
‘Here? Now?’ Anna jerked her head away from Mark and glanced at Tex.
Tex watched silently, his face impassive, and although he was neither smiling nor scowling, there was an unmistaken hardened look to his eyes that matched the tension in his voice. ‘Don’t let us interrupt you. We are leaving anyway.’
Anna couldn’t help but feel disappointed at the rather warmer goodbye Tex directed at Zoe than the mere nod of the head proffered at her. She watched as the quartet left, Christine flashing a self-satisfied smile in her direction. Anna found herself looking daggers in response.
‘Hope it wasn’t anything I said,’ grinned Mark, with what Anna could only describe as temerity.
‘What’s with introducing yourself as my husband?’ Irritated didn’t even come close to how she felt towards Mark.
Mark finally released his hold, looking all innocent. ‘What’s wrong with that? I am your husband, after all.’
‘You know perfectly well what’s wrong with that. Anyway, what’s so important that it can’t wait until I get home or tomorrow? I am actually having a night out with Zoe.’
‘It looked more than a night out with Zoe. Who’s that bloke you came back in with?’
‘Just my client.’
‘Just your client, eh?’
‘Yes.’
‘If you say so.’
‘I do.’
‘Not the same client that gave you a lift home the other day by any chance?’
‘Piss off, Mark,’ she snapped.
Mark held her gaze for a moment before turning to Zoe. ‘You couldn’t give us a minute, could you?’
Zoe looked questioningly at Anna, who rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll just be at the bar then.’ Zoe picked up her bag and edged past her brother-in-law.
‘Well?’ said Anna, impatiently turning on Mark.
‘Let’s sit down.’ He gestured towards the seats. ‘That’s better. Look, I was just out for a drink. I forgot you said you’d be here, but when I saw you with
your client
, I was, well, hurt.’
‘Hurt?’
‘Yeah, like shocked. Jealous, I suppose.’
‘Jealous?’
‘Blimey, Anna, it’s like having a conversation with an echo.’ Mark let out a sigh. ‘You know how I feel about you, I told you the other night. You said you were going to think about things. Since then you’ve avoided me like a dose of the clap.’
‘Mark, this
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