Five
I wanted to spend as much time with my best friend as I could, but I also wanted some time on my own to think. Besides, I couldn’t monopolise her time. She had a life to live in Fairlight Bay, a boyfriend, and a business.
I offered to help her with the online orders, for the one she ran with her mum and Chris. I’d done so before so that was easy. And fun.
It also meant I got to see Sam’s house, because Lucy ran the online site from there.
It didn’t look as small in real life as it had in the photos I’d seen, but it definitely wasn’t large. Although the sitting room was spacious, and the sofa bed was exceedingly comfy to sit on, and no doubt, to sleep on.
I wondered what the house had looked like before Lucy had moved in. I could see little touches of her here and there. Like the pots of fresh herbs on the window sill in the surprisingly modern and well thought out kitchen. I was astonished when she told me that the herbs were there before she lived there.
‘We’re so alike, it’s crazy,’ she said. ‘The first time I saw this place I thought that I’d walked into my own kitchen in Kingston upon Thames. And we both owned a lot of the same things. We even had the same bedding. Although Sam’s was in dark blue and mine was in purple. Before I moved in, we made a list of things we would have two of, and we were amazed at how many there were. We kept the items that it was sensible to have a spare one of, and gave the others to the charity shops in town.’
‘As I said. You were made for one another.’
Even so, I was surprised by how perfect they were for each other.
Was there someone out there somewhere that had the exact same stuff as me?
And if so, was there even the slightest, teensiest chance, that he might live in Fairlight Bay?
Nah. That was too much to ask. Even the Universe, as magnificent as it was, couldn’t pull that one off.
Could it?
‘I’ve got a meeting with some builders later, and Sam,’ Lucy said. ‘At Fairlight Brides. It’s about the work I want to have done. I did try to change it when you told me you were coming, but one of the guys is going away for two weeks and he couldn’t make any other day. You’re welcome to join us.’
That might be fun. Well, maybe not fun, exactly, but it would be interesting. But I felt that this was something Lucy and Sam should deal with together and not have to think about me.
‘I think I’ve done enough damage there today,’ I joked. ‘You’ll need new French Doors. I can tell you that much. But seriously. As fun as that sounds, I think I’ll give it a pass if you don’t mind. I’d like to take a wander around town and browse in the shops. And, maybe, pop into Fairlight Bakes café and introduce myself to Adele. You did say that she said we could nip in for a coffee and cake if we wanted, didn’t you? I know she said that she’d catch up with me later if we didn’t, but I do like cake, as you know. And it’s nice to have an excuse.’
‘Since when did you need an excuse?’ Lucy sniggered. ‘I don’t mind at all. Although you didn’t do any damage today. You saved us from dying a horrible death from fox poo odour. Why don’t we meet up later, for a drink? The three of us. Or, maybe, four? I could ask Sam to ask Elliot to join us.’
‘That sounds good to me.’
‘And you’ll come out to dinner with us this evening. No. Don’t argue. Sam has already booked us a table at our favourite Indian restaurant. It’s also on the promenade. Just a few metres along from the sailing club. Hey! Why don’t we go there for a drink? They serve the most incredible cocktails. And guests can be signed in by members. The view is to die for from that balcony.’
‘Well, I think that’s the rest of my day planned. Tell me, what will I be doing tomorrow?’
She pulled a face. ‘Sorry. I suppose I should’ve asked. But you should’ve told me sooner that you were coming, and then I wouldn’t have been so excited. No wait. That didn’t sound right.’
‘I know what you meant. Don’t worry.’
‘We can change things if you like?’
That was a question and I answered, ‘No. I was being facetious. You know me, Lucy. It sounds perfect. And, to be honest, I’m happy to spend as much time with you as I can. And with Sam. And if Elliot plays his cards right, who knows.’ I winked at her.
‘Oh Erin. That would be fantastic. His house is just up the road so we would almost be neighbours if you moved in with him. And our kids could play together in the little park opposite.’
‘Whoa! Hold those horses, woman! I think I need to meet this guy before we start decorating the nursery. I’m going before you set the date for our wedding. See you later. Oh. What time and where do you want me to meet you this evening?’
‘Seven? At the sailing club. Sam and I will get there early so we can see you the minute you turn up. And you’ll be late anyway, so that’ll be seven-fifteen.’
Like the grown up twenty-eight-year-old, detective inspector, that I am, I stuck out my tongue. Then I kissed her on the cheek before she opened the front door, and we waved to one another as I walked down the road and back into town.
Lucy had given me directions to Fairlight Bakes but I would’ve spotted the navy and white frontage from a mile away, and the hanging sign of a baker and some bread, sort of gave the game away that this was a bakery as well as a café.
The cakes and breads and biscuits in the window made my mouth water, even though it hadn’t been that long since I’d had lunch. But I hadn’t had a dessert so I deserved a little treat. Deciding which of the scrumptious looking cakes to have was going to be a difficult choice though.
I was so intent on staring in at them as I sauntered towards the door that I didn’t see the man on his way out until I had walked right into him.
‘Arghh.’
He’d let out a little yelp. That coffee he was holding – and now wearing – must’ve been hot.
‘Oh no,’ I said reaching out my hands as if I thought I might be able to catch some of it. But his once-pristine white T-shirt had done that for me. The dark brown stain was spreading across his chest as I stared at it. I couldn’t help but notice, it was a rather broad chest. ‘I’m so sorry. Did I do that?’
‘No!’ he said, his deep voice laced with sarcasm. And a little hint of something else, but I wasn’t sure what. ‘I believe it was the Invisible Man.’
I glanced up into a pair of startlingly deep brown eyes, framed by lashes many women might kill for. Tiny creases formed on his bronzed skin at the corners of his eyes but then they disappeared as his eyes grew wider. I had been about to give him a piece of my mind. It wasn’t as if I’d bumped into him on purpose. But now I couldn’t think of a thing to say as we stared at one another.
‘It was probably my fault,’ he eventually said, his deep voice sounding deeper and more throaty than before.
‘No, no. I’m sure it was mine. I was so busy looking at the … the…’
‘Cakes?’ he finished for me.
‘Erm. Yes. The cakes. I wasn’t paying attention and I didn’t … see you there. Until now.’
For some absurd reason, I reached out and ran my fingers over the stain and down his chest and I might have been mistaken but I was sure he sucked in a breath.
‘Did that hurt?’
‘What? That? Oh. This you mean?’ He tugged at his T-shirt with his free hand and the material slowly peeled away from his body, as if it was reluctant to leave his skin. Which oddly enough sent a little tingly wave across my own chest. ‘Erm. A little.’ He gave a valiant smile. I bet it had hurt a lot. ‘I can hardly feel it now.’
‘I’ll pay to have your T-shirt cleaned.’
‘No need. It’ll come out in the wash.’
‘Coffee stains are tough to remove.’
‘It was tea.’
‘Tea? That’s just as bad. Although neither is as hard to get out as blood.’
‘Blood? Do you have experience in this field then? Should I consider myself lucky?’
‘What? Oh no. Erm. I do deal with stains in my job.’
‘You’re a cleaner?’
‘Not exactly.’
I didn’t like to tell strangers I was a police officer, especially not a detective. I don’t know why but it always made people behave differently once they knew what I did for a living. And most men made stupid jokes about handcuffs and bed posts.
Although bed posts and handcuffs were painting a little picture in my own mind right now.
I must stop thinking about sex!
‘I’m an electrician,’ he said.
I wasn’t entirely surprised. He’d lit a spark in me, that was for sure.
‘Excuse me,’ a voice said from somewhere behind him. His tall, broad frame hid her from view.
‘Sorry.’ I meant to step back but instead I stepped forward. Right onto his bare toe. The man was wearing flip flops. ‘Oh God. I’m so, so sorry!’ I jumped back, as did he, and his handsome face sort of crumpled for a second.
The woman tutted and glowered at us both in turn as she walked out of the café via the gap we had made.
‘It’s fine.’ I could see his smile was forced. Even so, it was a lovely smile. The sort that makes you smile back. He met my eyes and the smile grew wider. ‘Luckily for me, I have another foot. Or would you like to step on that one too, just to round off the day?’
I laughed, although somewhat nervously. ‘Let me buy you another coffee. I mean tea. Let me buy you a tea. Please.’
‘There’s really no need.’
‘There is. I … I owe you that much. And maybe a cake? Or a pack of painkillers?’
His laugh made me sigh ever so slightly but I don’t think he heard me. It reminded me of Midwinter Brook this morning. And of those swans, necking. I wouldn’t mind necking with this guy.
‘Thanks. Maybe another time? I … I’m late for an appointment so unfortunately I must run.’
‘Can you run? Are you sure you can even walk?’
‘I can limp,’ he joked, doing so to prove he could. ‘I’m fine. You’re as light as a feather.’
‘Marry me!’ I blurted out. ‘Erm. That was a joke. No one has ever compared me to a feather before.’
‘An angel? With that beautiful hair and those eyes, I bet you get that a lot.’
‘Yeah. Frequently. Oh. But it sounded so much better coming from you.’
He held my look for a second and his eyes felt like lasers boring into my thoughts. I could hear a horn honking from somewhere up the road, and also, from inside the café, a female voice calling out my name.
‘Erin?’ A woman in her forties was waving at me from behind the counter, and now she was coming towards me. ‘Is that you?’
The handsome stranger seemed to tense, although I might’ve imagined that. He shot a quick look over his shoulder, and then he gave a little shrug and an odd sort of smile.
‘See you later … Erin,’ he said, and then he was gone.
I saw him leap into the passenger seat of a van that had pulled up outside but it sped off so fast I didn’t get a chance to see the signage on the side. Or even get a good look at the number plate, which could’ve been run through the ANPR system.
Not that any police officer should, or would, use the system for their personal benefit, of course.