Chapter 3
B ounding through the pub door, Erin put a hand up to acknowledge us and made her way over.
‘Apologies for the tardiness, ladies. There are some big changes taking place at the office and I ended up staying later than planned.’ She took off her coat and hung it on the back of her chair.
‘Still, I’m here now.’ She sat down and picked up her drink. ‘Cheers, everyone.’
Thinking Erin could teach my boyfriend a thing or two, I scoffed. ‘I wish Gideon understood the concept of better late than never.’
Joyce sighed. ‘I wish Richard was still doing overtime.’
With her glass already at her lips, Erin lowered it again. ‘I can see tonight’s going to be fun.’
‘Don’t mind me.’ Joyce downed the last of her wine. ‘My problems are nothing a divorce lawyer can’t sort.’
Erin laughed. ‘And you wonder why I choose to stay single.’
‘In my case, I may as well be on my own. Gideon’s not exactly attentive these days.’
‘If you’re both trying to make me jealous,’ Joyce said. ‘It’s working.’
Erin shook her head. ‘You know what Richard needs?’ She took off her cardigan and pushed up her shirt sleeves.
‘A job,’ Joyce replied.
‘A sense of responsibility. Get him doing something around the house. A bit of DIY, garden landscaping, anything that gets his brain working and his hands moving. That’s what I plan to do when I retire.’
I nearly choked on my drink. ‘Like that’s ever gonna happen.’ In the six months I’d known Erin, if there was one thing I’d learned, it was that she lived to work, not worked to live. ‘They’ll have to drag you out of that office kicking and screaming.’
Erin looked at me direct. ‘Which is what’s going to happen if Callum has his way.
That weasel’s made it clear to anyone who’ll listen he thinks I’m losing my edge.
’ Reminiscent of a James Bond baddie, she narrowed her eyes and formed a steeple with her hands.
‘But don’t worry I’m one step ahead.’ Erin picked up her drink again.
‘At the moment, I’m more worried about Mum.
Did I tell you her new neighbours have moved in? ’
‘No.’ Always one for a bit of gossip, Joyce perked up.
‘I don’t know much about them yet, but from what Mum says, they’re a father and son duo.’
‘No mother on the scene.’ Joyce leaned forward. ‘Interesting.’
‘Why would that worry you?’ I asked.
‘I suppose I don’t want them taking advantage. The son is especially getting pally, and you know what Mum’s like, Joyce.’
Joyce nodded. ‘Oh, I do.’
‘She’ll help anyone.’
‘Oh, she would,’ Joyce said.
‘Not that there’s anything wrong with that,’ Erin said. ‘But she’s getting on a bit now and as much as I hate to say it, she’s not the woman she once was.’ She took a deep breath and exhaled. ‘As for you, Hattie…’
Erin had never been one to properly share and I wasn’t surprised at her sudden change of conversation.
‘Your issue is nothing some beautiful lingerie and come-to-bed eyes won’t solve.’
Having never understood the concept of bedroom dress-up, I squirmed at the thought.
‘Unless he’s getting it from somewhere else?’ Erin pondered. ‘Because, trust me, if he is, there isn’t a pair of knickers on the planet that would sort that mess out.’
Again, I nearly choked on my wine. ‘Believe me, Gideon is not that kind of man.’ I pictured him in one of the many V-neck sweaters he owned, absorbed in the latest version of some accountancy manual that rested on his crossed-legged knee.
‘You do know a good day out for him is a trip to an abacus museum. No way would he have an affair.’
Erin smiled. ‘In that case, you’ve nothing to worry about and I’ve got the perfect plan.’
‘Plan?’ I didn’t like the sound of that.
‘I might not be in a relationship, Hattie, but that doesn’t make me a numpty when it comes to men. I do have some experience. Believe me, Gideon will forget all about work. He’ll only have time for you once I’m done.’
‘I wish Richard would have an affair,’ Joyce said. ‘Not that it’s ever going to happen. How can it? Glued to me almost twenty-four seven, he’ll never get the opportunity.’
‘Speaking of romance…’ Erin nodded to the bar. ‘Who’s the new guy?’
As if in an episode of The Golden Girls meets Sex in The City, we all stared at the man, letting out a collective dreamy sigh.
‘His name’s Alex,’ Joyce replied. ‘Apparently, the brewery has had a restructure and Danny’s been moved on. They’ve got big ideas for this place, and insist Alex is the man for job. They want to attract a more modern clientele. There’s talk of a big refurbishment in the new year.’
‘I’m not sure the locals will approve,’ I said.
‘From where I’m sitting, things look better already,’ Erin said.
‘He was poached from some fancy cocktail bar,’ Joyce continued. ‘A French sounding place.’
My eyes lit up. ‘Le Bonsoir, I’m betting.
Gideon took me once. The mixologists there are brilliant, and their creations divine.
’ I giggled. ‘Not to mention potent.’ I recalled how Gideon had had to pour me into a taxi to get us back to mine and then slide me out once we landed.
Guiding me through the shop, he got fed up with trying to coax a wittering and giggling me upstairs.
In the end he simply threw me over his shoulder and carried me in a fireman’s lift.
‘Their raspberry martini cocktail is to die for.’ As I drank a sip of wine, my smiled faded.
Less appealing were Gideon’s complaints after pulling a muscle in his back.
‘We should go one evening,’ Erin said. ‘Make a proper night of it.’
‘I must warn you it’s pricey. Hence, our one and only visit. Gideon never suggested it again.’
‘Maybe Alex could get us a discount? You know, organise mate’s rates,’ Joyce said. ‘According to him, he worked there for years.’
‘Must have been his night off when I went,’ I said. Not that I recalled much about that evening anyway.
‘What is he doing?’ Erin asked. ‘He hasn’t put that pencil down since I got here.’
‘Sketching. He’s a budding artist,’ Joyce replied. ‘He showed me a couple of his drawings and I have to say, he’s pretty good.’
I couldn’t believe all the information she’d gleaned. Joyce and I both lived in the same town, knew the same people and frequented the same places, but while I might have a broad understanding of other’s lives, she seemed to hold dossiers on everyone’s past, present and hopes for their future.
‘His family live further up north.’ Joyce nudged my arm and dipped her chin. ‘Near Gideon’s hometown, in fact.’
‘And you know all this how?’
‘How do you think?’ She looked at me like I was stupid. ‘I asked him.’
As if sensing he was being talked about, Alex looked up from his drawing. He smiled, causing the three of us to swoon.
‘He’s staying here in the pub for now, but after Christmas he’s hoping he can find a new place to live,’ Joyce said.
‘I can’t imagine that’ll be easy,’ Erin said, putting her real estate head on. ‘Not around here. Rentals hardly ever become available and when they do, they’re snapped up in hours.’
Joyce’s gaze fast went from Alex to me. ‘You have a spare room, Hattie. Perhaps he could rent that?’
‘Excuse me?’ I couldn’t believe she’d suggest such a thing.
‘Well it’s sitting there empty.’
I laughed. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Why not?’
I wanted to say because he was a stranger. I knew nothing about him. But thanks to Joyce’s information dump the latter wasn’t strictly true. ‘Because I like my own space.’
‘But the money he’d pay in rent could offset some of the costs from modernising the shop,’ she said. ‘Surely, it’s worth thinking about?’
I rolled my eyes. ‘You’re beginning to sound like Gideon.’
Erin twirled her hair around her index finger. ‘A bit of extra cash. A nice view at the breakfast table…’ She sighed. ‘I’d call that a win-win.’
‘Then you take him in,’ I said. ‘I have enough problems with one man in my life. Why would I want two ?’