Libby blinked. Somehow a lame medical joke from an actual real doctor (rhabdomyolysis is when you strain your muscles so much that they breakdown and leech protein into the blood stream, which can clog up the kidneys) made him seem even older, even more out of her league than before. She bit her lip.
‘Libby … I – ’
‘Yes,’ she blurted out. Fuck it; she was tired of playing it safe. Tired of controlling every aspect of her life so that it didn’t fall apart. She was going to do something forherfor once. Take a break from begging, borrowing and stealing for an evening.
He smiled over the top of his dog and then turned to stagger away. ‘Seven okay?’ he shouted over his shoulder, his voice breaking slightly with effort as he started down the stairs.
‘Okay,’ she whispered, unable to make her voice any stronger as she heard the bang of the downstairs fire door behind him.
When she turned the lock and leaned back against the door she looked down at her feet and smiled. A minute later she jumped away from the thin wood, clutching her chest in shock at the banging which had vibrated her body. She spun around and wrenched it open to be confronted by Jamie’s unhappy face.
‘You didn’t check to see who it was,’ he said accusingly, and she rolled her eyes.
‘I knew it was you. You only left a second ago.’
He ignored her and pulled her door open wide, giving it a visual once-over. ‘You don’thavea peephole,’ he announced something she already knew. ‘And you don’t have a keychain.’
‘Well, I don’t really need a – ’
‘Please don’t finish that sentence,’ Jamie cut her off, his eyebrows now lowered in a frown. ‘This block of flats must be the least secure in London. The downstairs door isn’t locked and there’s no intercom; any old bastard could wander up to your flat, knock on your door, and then, when you open it, without checking the goddamn peephole, he could shove you inside: game over.’
Libby narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. She’d been looking after herself for a long time now, and she had never taken kindly to be told what to do.
‘I don’t think this is really any of your – ’
‘Look, I’m sorry baby, but if you say one more time that you aren’t any of my business my head will explode.’ Libby started in surprise at the endearment, but he wasn’t nearly finished. ‘It wound me up before, but now, after … well … your sofa …’ He trailed off and his ears went bright red before he cleared his throat to finish. ‘Well, now it is nothing short of infuriating.’
Libby felt her cheeks heat. ‘Jamie, listen – ’
‘Right, so forget seven tomorrow night,’ he told her, and she blinked, disappointment flooding through her with surprising intensity. ‘I’ll be here atfive; I’m going to put on a key chain and install a peephole.’
Her mouth dropped open. ‘You can’t do that. I’d have to check with the landlord and – ’
‘I’llbe talking to your landlord,’ Jamie said, his voice low with anger, and Libby instantly decided to keep Mr Tully’s contact details to herself. Before she could say anything Jamie leaned forward to give her a brief hard kiss on the lips, and turned to leave. She considered shouting out after him but thought better of it when she saw Mrs Stricklen’s door crack open; not that Mrs Stricklen would have minded a shouting match in the corridor – it would probably make her day – but Libby had no intention of giving her any more fodder to bring up at the next residents’ meeting. No, she would set him straight tomorrow. She closed the door and wandered back into the kitchen to put the kettle on. A few moments later she jumped about a mile in the air when there was another burst of knocking.
‘What?’ she shouted.
‘At least,’ Jamie said through the door with what sounded like a great deal of patience, ‘please, at least lock the locks youdohave.’ Libby blew out a breath and stormed over to turn the lock.
‘Happy now?’ she asked.
‘No, but I will be.’
Chapter 17
Thundercats are cool
‘Ah, it’s Big Syringe, Little Syringe and his sidekick Dick Doc,’ Kira said as she strolled past the two men working on Libby’s door, carrying a strangely large bag for just one night’s babysitting. ‘How’s it going, boys? Looks like you two are regularDIY SOSheroes.’
‘I can still go back and mark that report down you know,’ muttered Pav as he continued to screw in the last of the screws to the key chain. Jamie had arrived at Libby’s at four, having ransacked Homebase for what he hoped were the appropriate tools. When confronted with the door, however, he realised that he had no earthly idea how to install either a key chain or a peephole, and that perhaps simply relying on his masculine instincts was not the most stellar plan. So he interrupted Pav’s Sunday, as he knew the lazy bastard would have nothing better to do, making him bring over his drill and hopefully a bit of expertise. The drill was luckily working; the expertise … sadly lacking. But after a painful couple of hours the finish line was at last in sight, with male pride thankfully salvaged.
‘Auntie Ki Ki!’ Rosie shouted, dropping the screwdriver she had been holding on Jamie’s bare foot.
‘Sh – ’ he started, but managed to hold the rest in by biting his lip.
‘He’s always on about ships, Auntie Ki Ki,’ Rosie told her, and Kira barked out a laugh.
‘I bet he is, babygirl.’ She bent down to pick Rosie up and gave her a squeeze. ‘So you’re helping out Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumber here are you?’
