21 #3
“I think most people are. I’ll do my best. Start her off slowly. Once she learns a few basics she’ll get into the swing of it.”
“She must like you if she’s willing to give it a go.” He grinned. “I don’t have the patience to teach anyone. And to be honest I only know the basics myself so I wouldn’t be any good at showing someone else.”
Their conversation was interrupted by Joseph who had just paid his bill and had headed to where Dani and Peter were talking. He’d come in with Jenny again and his newly recruited team.
“Everything was superb as always Peter.” Joseph’s eyes flitted to Dani as he spoke and Peter’s lips twitched at his blatant appraisal of her.
He’d have to get in line, Peter thought to himself.
What with Seni drooling after her and Kuch taking her under his wing, he didn’t even want to think about Jerome.
If the video surveillance over the past two days was anything to go by, Peter was sure their professional relationship had shifted, to what exactly, he wasn’t sure but he was going to need to keep a close eye on them.
“Glad to hear it. How’s the hotel coming along?”
“Slowly,” he cringed, “but we should be on track for our opening on the sixteenth. I was hoping to see Jerome but Gia told me he wasn’t in today.”
“He tries to spend Sunday with his family,” Peter explained.
“Yes, Gia said. Well apart from wanting to catch up, one of the reasons I wanted to see Jerome was to give him his invite to the opening.” Joseph reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a wad of envelopes.
“There’s one for Gia and you Peter” – Joseph leafed through the envelopes, then pulled one out – “and one for you too, Dani.” Joseph turned to Dani and held out the envelope.
Dani’s eyes widened in shock.
“Oh. Er, thank you very much.” She flushed slightly as she took the envelope and saw the wry smile Peter gave her.
“It’s on a Monday so you won’t be working,” Joseph added. He turned to Peter, “I hope you can all make it.”
“Thank you. Of course.” Peter took the envelopes and placed them on the bar.
“I also wanted to ask Jerome about hiring here.”
“La Casa?” Peter asked, clearly puzzled.
“Yes. I was hoping to host my parents Ruby wedding anniversary at the Lodge, that’s the hotel, but we just won’t be ready in time.”
“When were you thinking?” Peter opened up the reservations book.
“Boxing day.”
“Oh, I see. Well we only open for lunch on Boxing day.”
“It’ll be around fifty people. I was hoping to do it early, say six thirty in the evening.”
Peter tapped his pen against his lips as he thought.
“You should use the private room upstairs. It’ll be cosier than down here.
We’ve some function menus you can look at, but basically we can do whatever you like.
” Peter swivelled round to look at the restaurant.
There were a few tables almost finishing and around six new tables in for late lunches. Peter looked up at Dani.
“Can you manage while I show Joseph the room?”
“No problem Chef.”
JEROME STARTED TO PREPARE dinner for Liz and himself while Kara and Alessandro finished up theirs.
Determined to carry on the rest of the day together, Jerome suggested for Liz to complete her scheduled work out while he fed and bathed the children so that they could enjoy dinner together before he would need to head off to Sky.
They’d spent the whole day just doing the mundane simple things.
Eating together, helping the children with their homework, then they’d retrieved the Christmas tree from the loft.
Jerome had taken the children to buy some new Christmas tree lights from a local DIY shop, leaving Liz to put up the tree ready for them to decorate it.
It almost felt normal again. Except they were still tip toeing around each other, being overly polite and keeping an obvious distance between themselves.
Liz had been in good spirits and patient with the children, which granted had been unusual of late. She seemed happy to stay home, when before she’d find any excuse to leave the house, probably to ring or see Jonathan. But today she’d stayed home. All in all it had been a peculiar kind of day.
Jerome stopped chopping the salad he was preparing and looked at Liz’s phone.
She’d never left it behind before, she’d always taken it with her.
He looked over at his children who were engrossed in a conversation about a TV program they’d been watching, then he picked up Liz’s phone.
He hesitated for a moment before sliding the screen to open it up.
He tapped onto the registered calls option noting that she hadn’t made or received any phone calls today at all.
He scrolled to the day before. There were only calls to Nina, from himself and a friend of hers.
Jerome sighed heavily, then checked her messages, again nothing unusual.
Maybe she really was making an effort, thought Jerome.
He knew it was only a couple of days since the investigator had started and it was too early to be absolutely sure, but nevertheless it did look as though Liz had stuck to her word.
Jerome put the phone back down and resumed his chopping, still unable to shake off the continuous doubt that had settled deep into his gut.
“So can you tell me more about these possible jobs Graham’s put you forward for?
Or are you still worried about jinxing them?
” Jerome teased. They were sitting at right angles at the kitchen table.
Liz had showered after her work out and was dressed in a thin silky light blue robe that accentuated her cool blue eyes.
“I’ve the dates for the holiday brochure shoot. It’s for four days. I leave on the fourteenth.”
“Oh, so soon?”
Liz nodded as she chewed slowly on her poached salmon, then swallowed. “Is that alright? I mean, will you manage without me?” she shuffled slightly in her chair causing her robe to loosen.
Jerome’s brow furrowed, slightly thrown off guard by her concern and the fact he could clearly see the curve of her breasts.
“Um, yes. I’m sure Nina and I can.” He focused on his plate for a moment, looking down at the rather bland meal he’d prepared.
He fleetingly thought that there was no way poached salmon and salad would satisfy him until the early hours of the morning but he was trying to be supportive to Liz.
At least it was a cooked meal of sorts. She’d been living off salad, that disgusting wheat grass drink and protein shakes.
Her only indulgence was the odd glass of white wine.
“It’s a good contract Jerome, thanks for being so supportive.” She rested her delicate hand on his forearm and he flinched slightly at the contact. His eyes darted up to her, worried that she may have taken offense to his reaction but she smiled softly at him.
“Well, I just want to see you happy, Liz.”
Her smile widened a little, then she removed her hand and reached over to her glass of wine, taking a sip.
“So any more jobs? What’s happening with the fashion show?”
Liz licked her lips free of the wine and shifted around so she was almost facing him.
“It’s still scheduled for January but they seem to be having problems with the venue.
Graham’s keeping me in the loop. I’ll be having fittings after Christmas.
” Jerome nodded, looked down at her plate and frowned.
She’s hardly touched the food. “But the good news is that there’s a contract for a protein shake company.
” Jerome’s attention was diverted to her face.
“Oh? A protein shake?”
“Yes, it’s a three year contract promoting a new company that specialises in protein shakes, bars, you know that kind of thing. And they want a face to launch it.” Jerome watched her face light up at the prospect.
“Wow. That sounds like quite a job.”
“I know. It’s not a field I’ve thought of before but Graham suggested it. It’s going to be promoted worldwide alongside a fitness DVD. The products are supposed to be excellent, even Holland and Barrett are going to stock them and possibly other large health store chains and chemists.”
Jerome put down his fork and grinned at her obvious enthusiasm. “That’s incredible Liz, really.”
“I know I’m pretty excited about it. I’m having my first meeting with them just before I go to Spain.
Apparently they’re very particular. They want to make sure that whoever is involved with the product is fit, healthy and glamorous.
Its promotional campaign is similar to an exclusive alcoholic drink, rather than the usual beefcake-muscle-man way this kind of product usually gets promoted. It’s slick and edgy.”
“Well they couldn’t have picked anyone better, then.
” Jerome reached over and squeezed her hand slightly, then released it.
Liz instantly shifted her chair closer, which loosened the robe even more, revealing more of her breasts.
She crossed her long toned legs so that the robe fell away from them.
Jerome’s eyes raked over her appreciatively, realising she was naked under the robe.
Liz continued, seemingly oblivious but Jerome knew her better. She was trying to seduce him and her ambivalence to his reaction was deliberate.
Liz flicked the hair that had fallen over her shoulders back with her hand, then picked up her fork and speared some salmon.
“The best thing is the money,” she continued, waving the fork in the air. “Graham’s hoping the contract will be five figures with an option to renegotiate after each year.”