Chapter Four
‘Still here, are you?’ Finlay raised an eyebrow at Genevieve. He’d half hoped she’d have got bored with waiting and decided to walk home.
But hang on… What was she holding? Was that his ring? What a damn cheek.
‘Um, yeah…’
‘And give me that, please.’ He marched across the room and held out his hand like he was about to confiscate something from a pupil in class. She flipped the box shut and handed it to him with one of her coolly indifferent expressions.
‘Pardon me,’ she said. ‘I was just being nosey. That’s a really beautiful ring.’
He raised an eyebrow. Why so polite? She was normally so snooty. ‘Yeah. I think so.’ He put it in his pocket and didn’t elaborate. She didn’t need to know its full history, and he wasn’t about to tell her because she’d be straight back reporting to Elise. He never wanted Elise to find out the lengths he’d gone to before realising what an idiot he was. ‘Now listen, the viewers will be here any minute. You need to…’ He squinted down at her. ‘Well, you can’t just sit there. I want the flat to look as appealing as possible.’
‘Oh charming.’ She got to her feet. ‘I’ll go outside then if I’m spoiling the appeal.’
‘That is not what I meant.’ He held up his hands. ‘I meant if you’re here and they see you, they’ll wonder who you are and what you’re doing here. I want to give them a good impression, so just… I don’t know… Look like you’re my friend or something and that you think the flat is great.’ In other words don’t sit and scowl at me or make snappy retorts.
‘How about I go into the kitchen and bake some bread? Or I could whip up a cake and serve it with a smile.’ She pulled a perfectly angelic one, like she did on those films she made. Both Hayley and Elise had made him watch them at some point.
‘No need for sarcasm,’ he said.
‘Too low for you? Your wit is of a much higher degree, is it?’
The buzzer rang before he could reply. With little hope she’d do anything other than pout or make snarky comments, he abandoned her to open the door.
‘Hi,’ he said, welcoming the couple into the hall.
‘Hi.’ They both replied at the same time and glanced around, starry-eyed. The man grinned at him and Finlay returned it but was surprised how hard his jaw was working to get it to show on his face. Seven years ago, he’d been that guy. He’d had a girlfriend and they’d looked at this flat together, holding hands and smiling. How excited about the future they’d been. But that had all changed now.
‘So, we have the main hall here. The doors off lead to a bedroom and a cupboard on this side. Another bedroom and the main bathroom on this side.’ He pointed with his hands like a flight attendant. ‘And directly ahead, we have the living area. Oh, and the master bedroom on this side has an en-suite shower room.’
‘Great,’ the woman said. ‘Maybe if we start with the living area.’
‘Go on through.’ He let them go ahead, crossing his fingers behind his back and putting up a silent plea. Please let Genevieve be out of the way or at least looking happy. She had such a constantly serene and unflappable expression it was impossible to know what she was thinking or what mood she was in. It made her perfect on screen but hard work in the flesh.
As the couple crossed the threshold of the living area, Genevieve spoke. ‘Hi. Pleased to meet you. Such a gorgeous day for a viewing. The river looks so lovely from the balcony, don’t you think?’
‘Oh, wow, yes, what a great view,’ the woman said.
‘I don’t think there’s a flat anywhere in the town with a better view,’ Genevieve went on. ‘And with the windows all down this wall, it really brings the outside in.’
‘Yes,’ the man agreed.
Finlay frowned and strolled into the room after them. They made their way around the island cum table that split the kitchen area from the living room, eyes roaming all over it. Genevieve stepped forward like she was going to follow them, but Finlay gently took her arm and prevented her from moving past him.
‘What are you doing?’ she muttered, looking like she’d been grabbed by a mad axeman. God knew why she always looked at him like he might murder her.
‘Same question right back at you,’ he said through his teeth. ‘Are you an estate agent or something?’
‘No. But you told me to—’
‘Does the flat have gas or oil heating?’ the woman asked, looking over. Finlay still had his hand on Genevieve’s arm. The viewers probably thought they were a couple. He internally rolled his eyes. Well, at least they didn’t know him. The last thing he needed circulating was a rumour that he’d not only split with Elise but he’d already taken up with one of her friends just a few weeks later.
‘It’s oil.’
‘Is that cost effective?’
How could he tell them it wasn’t really, not with constantly fluctuating prices?
‘If you’re considering a more cost-effective and sustainable option, you could explore renewable sources,’ Genevieve said. ‘They can easily outstrip oil in a place like this.’
Both viewers turned their attention to her, and Finlay frowned.
‘This area is perfect for green energy. Solar panels and heat pumps are really popular around here,’ she continued.
‘But do they really save money in the long run?’ the man asked.
‘Yes, they do. The initial installation cost might be an issue, but you can often get government grants. After that, you’ll find they have lower running costs.’
Finlay’s mouth opened like a goldfish. She seemed to know what she was talking about, or was this some learned-by-heart patter she spouted to her social media followers? Some of her films were hilarious, though they weren’t meant to be. They reminded him of the games she and Hayley used to play as kids, where they’d make believe they were TV presenters. Now she’d taken that game to a whole new level and actually filmed herself cooking, cleaning, trying out beauty products and who knew what else. It all seemed totally frivolous to him. The kind of thing half his pupils wished they could do. Was it even a real job? He wasn’t sure how it made money.
‘If you go online and look up Harrington Energy Solutions,’ she said, ‘that’s my dad’s company. You’ll get loads of information there.’
‘Thanks. I’ll save that info on my phone.’
The couple went back to looking around.
‘Quite the boffin, aren’t you?’ Finlay murmured.
‘When it comes to green energy, yes. My dad would kill me otherwise.’
The couple wandered into the dining area and smiled at Finlay and Genevieve. He suddenly remembered he was still holding her arm. It kind of felt necessary in case she decided to bound after them with another sales pitch. She beamed at them, then placed her hand over the top of his. Patting it and holding her fixed smile in place, she waited until they’d gone out the French doors before saying, ‘You can let go of me now, unless your legs are about to give way.’
‘Why would they?’ He released her.
‘Because you’re so awed by me, of course. It’s making you weak at the knees.’ She batted her eyelashes and a smile he’d rarely seen on her before sneaked onto her face.
‘Right.’ He stepped away from her. ‘Not just an estate agent wannabe and a green energy guru but an irresistible temptress too. I better watch myself or I’ll be in trouble.’
‘Who’s being sarcastic now?’ She folded her arms and eyed him over. Her lips quirked further and he had an odd sensation, kind of like something in that little movement said she didn’t mind what she saw one single bit. Maybe he should be flattered but hell no!
No way was he falling into that trap again. Never would he ever so much as look sideways at one of his sister’s friends again. No. No. No. It was because of another woman just like her he was leaving his job, his home, his family and the country.