Page 8 of Match Point in Crumbleton
‘Ahhhh,’ she sighed, sinking down into the cushions. That was seriously comfortable! Either that or she was just so knackered that even a stone wall would feel like luxury.
Cath had just shifted the china chicken over a bit so that she could pop her bag down next to her when she spotted a tall figure wearing overalls and a hard hat loping towards her up the hill.
Huh! He’d sounded a lot older on the phone.
Cath raised a hand to push her hair away from her face, suddenly wishing that she’d taken the time to put on some mascara before leaving the flat. Scooting forwards, she hauled herself back out of the depths of the sofa to greet him.
CHAPTER 4
ANDY
Andy watched with some amusement as the slender figure that was being eaten by the old sofa in front of the museum struggled to break free. The poor woman wasn’t having much luck. The piece of furniture seemed intent on keeping hold of its prey, and she was getting more flustered by the second.
‘Hey!’ he said, coming to a halt a few feet away from her, just as she managed to regain her feet.
‘Hi,’ she said, flipping long strands of hair back out of her face as she pinned him with a smile.
Wow.
Okay, so it was safe to say that Andy hadn’t been expecting to have the air knocked out of him by a beautiful stranger before he’d had his morning iced fruit slice!
Andy glanced away quickly as she did her best to yank her cardigan into place and hoik her slim jeans back up where they belonged.
‘So… erm… have you tried wiggling it?’ he said.
‘I beg your pardon?’ said the woman.
‘The key!’ gasped Andy. ‘I meant the key!’
‘Oh, erm… right, of course,’ she said. ‘No, I didn’t. But seriously, it’s not going to make any difference. It’s really stuck… it won’t turn at all and… well, I’m not even sure if this is the right key and—’
‘It’s the right key,’ said Andy gently, cutting across her flustered explanations. ‘Give it a go.’
He wasn’t sure why she’d just turned such a sweet shade of pink. After all, he was the one busy making a total prat out of himself. The woman shot an indecipherable look at him and he watched as she turned away and slotted the key into the lock.
‘Like this?’ she said, giving it an exaggerated wiggle. ‘Oh!’
Sure enough, the key turned on the first try, and the heavy old door swung open without a sound. Mainly because he’d oiled it the last time he’d taken a bunch of stuff inside.
‘It’s just old,’ said Andy. ‘It can get a bit grumpy sometimes.’
‘I know the feeling,’ muttered the woman, looking even more pink as she turned to face him again. ‘I’m so sorry to drag you up here on a fool’s errand!’
‘It’s fine,’ Andy shrugged. ‘I mean, it would have been annoying in about an hour when the fruit slices are ready. I’d hate to be dragged away from the important part of the morning. Oh – I’m Andy by the way.’
‘Cath,’ said the woman. ‘And… fruit slices?’
‘My sister’s a genius,’ said Andy seriously. ‘You need to try them. They’ll change your life. I know I’m biased because it’s Heather… but I swear they’re the best thing I’ve ever tasted.’
‘I’ll have to pop down to the bakery later then,’ said Cath.
‘Before they’re all gone,’ said Andy seriously.
‘Well… I think I’d better deal with things here first,’ sighed Cath. ‘What on earth is all this stuff anyway?’ she added, pointing at the boxes and the settee.
‘Historical artefacts,’ said Andy with a shrug. ‘The museum’s full of things like this.’
‘It is?’ said Cath, looking horrified.
