Tangled Emotions

‘Yes,’ she agreed glumly. ‘And from the mood Adam was in tonight I don’t think a fond reconciliation is on the cards. No matter. I can handle him.’

‘If you say so. Nevertheless, I’ll follow you home and see you safely inside your house,’ said Joe, with the kind of casual Alpha-male assurance Fen normally objected to. But he came to your rescue again tonight, she reminded herself. Be nice.

Joe walked with her to her car, and waited until she drove off before following her to narrow, treeless Farthing Street, where it was rare to find all the streetlights functioning at the same time. True to form, the one outside her house was still out of action. Fen parked on the square of concrete in front of her house, and waited for Joe to follow her round to the back.

‘It’s hellish dark out here,’ he said, as she opened the door. ‘Turn all your lights on. Better still, I’ll do it.’

‘Joe,’ she said tartly. ‘I’m perfectly capable of turning them on myself.’

He backed away, hands held up in mock surrender. ‘Of course you are. Goodnight, then, Fenella. I’ll ring you on Sunday morning.’

‘Thanks again for playing along with me tonight.’

‘No thanks necessary—I enjoyed it enormously.’

For a moment Fen felt sure he would kiss her, and felt a pang of regret when Joe merely smiled and told her to lock the door behind him.

Fen had been taken on originally for part-time work at the Mitre, but due to staff holidays she’d worked both shifts each day for the past week, with just a short break in the late afternoon. And, though Saturday was always busy, this one was made doubly exhausting by the day-long worry over whether Adam would turn up at some point, hellbent on confrontation.

‘Just thank your lucky stars the Mitre isn’t residential,’ said Jilly, as they tidied up after the lunchtime wave was over. ‘A friend of mine works at the Chesterton, and takes a turn at serving breakfast as well.’

‘Poor soul! Do one’s feet ever get used to it?’ groaned Fen.

‘Mine haven’t. Incidentally, have you heard?’ added Jilly, chuckling. ‘Diane rang the boss today to say she’ll be just fine for her Tuesday gig—surprise, surprise.’

Fen blew out her cheeks in relief. ‘Thank heavens for that! I’d planned to collapse with some mysterious complaint if Tim asked me to fill in again.’

Towards the end of a hectic evening Fen began to relax. Adam was not going to barge in and make a scene after all. Instead, just as her feet were telling her it would be really nice to go home, she saw Joe come up to the bar.

She smiled warmly. ‘Hi. You’re obviously getting a taste for our beer.’

‘Or something,’ he said, returning the smile. ‘Single Scotch and a lot of soda, please.’

Fen provided him with his drink, rang up his money on the register, handed him the change, then moved on to the next customer. It was half an hour before she had any opportunity to speak to Joe. ‘Same again?’ she asked.

‘Better make it a straight soda.’

By this time the bar had quietened down enough for him to ask if she’d had any problems during the day.

‘Nothing other than my aching feet.’

‘No visitations from angry cousins, then. What time do you get off?’

‘In half an hour or so. But don’t worry. I won’t need a bodyguard tonight.’

He leaned closer to look her in the eye. ‘Does that mean you don’t want me to follow you home?’

She shrugged, determined not to look too eager. ‘You can if you like.’

‘Don’t overwhelm me with enthusiasm,’ he said dryly. ‘I’ll wait in the corner over there, nursing my drink.’

It seemed a long half-hour. Fen had begun to consider herself reasonably proficient after two weeks in the job. But with a steady dark gaze trained on her at intervals from the far corner of the bar she was all fingers and thumbs as she poured drinks and took money—something noted with huge glee by Jilly, but with less by Tim Mathias when he made his rounds.

‘Any problems, Fen? That’s the guy who was staring at you when you were singing.’

Her eyebrows rose. ‘Really? I thought you meant Adam.’

‘No. Adam saw you when he came in to book a meal for next week—’

‘Which night is he coming?’ she said quickly.

‘Tuesday.’

‘In that case can I switch shifts?’

‘After you helped me out over Diane I can hardly refuse, can I? Time you went home now,’ Tim added. ‘You too, Jilly.’

In the staffroom Jilly eyed Fen speculatively. ‘The bloke who was watching you out there—is he taking you home?’

‘Sort of. I drive and he follows behind to make sure I’m safe, that’s all. He’s the one who came to my rescue the other night when I was mugged.’

‘Is he, now? He can rescue me any time he likes,’ said Jilly enviously, and sighed. ‘Heigh-ho. Time I was off home to the arms of my beloved. If he’s still awake by this time.’ She paused. ‘Look, kid, is this chap on the level? What does he do for a living? Something exciting?’

‘He sells insurance,’ said Fen, chuckling at Jilly’s disappointment.

The sight of Joe Tregenna leaning against her car was so welcome Fen realised she would miss him on the nights when he wasn’t waiting for her. Which was idiotic. She didn’t need a bodyguard. She wasn’t the nervous kind. Just the same, she liked having Joe around. Liked it a lot.

‘I’ve been thinking,’ he said, as she joined him.

‘About what, in particular?’

‘Tomorrow.’

‘And?’

‘If we make an early enough start, how about making for a beach somewhere?’

‘We’re a fair distance from any beach.’

‘Not the way I drive.’

Fen laughed. ‘I don’t like the sound of that.’

‘I’m careful. You’ll be perfectly safe. A couple of hours and we could be stretched out in the sun.’

‘In that case, you’re on!’

‘If it rains we’ll think of something else,’ Joe said, taking her agreement for granted.