Nick groaned and got up. Emma declined another drink. She was already feeling light-headed, having not eaten since lunchtime. She had a long day ahead of her tomorrow and she didn’t want to wake up with a hangover.
Jen patted her hand. ‘Don’t look so worried. Nick was right — she’d had it coming for a long time. It’s about time she got her comeuppance.’
‘All the same, I can’t help feeling sorry for her.’
Jen snorted. ‘Really? Why? I thought you’d be glad to be rid of her.’
‘Oh, I am. Life is so much better at work now that Faye is my line manager. But I can’t get my head around why Heather behaved like that and I do feel a bit sorry for her.’
‘It’s admirable that you feel any sympathy for her, but I wouldn’t waste your emotions. Anyway, while Nick’s at the bar, I just wanted to say something, between you and me.’
‘Sounds ominous.’
‘No, not really. It’s just that I’ve seen the way he looks at you and I know you’re already in a relationship.’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘It’s just that he can be a little, um... how can I put it? Intense at times. Just be on your guard if you’re not interested in him.’
Emma nodded. Jen had only summed up what she’d already thought. ‘Thanks for the warning, and just for the record, no, I’m not interested.’
‘What are you two looking so serious about?’ Nick asked as he brought the drinks back to the table. ‘It’s Friday night, the start of the weekend.’
‘It may be the start of the weekend for you,’ Emma replied, trying to deflect him. ‘But I’ve got a full shift tomorrow and then in the evening I’m serving at a function for my friend Liz.’
‘All work and no play,’ Nick said.
‘Are you saying I’m dull?’ Emma asked in mock horror.
‘No, of course not!’
‘Well, I hope you’ve got Sunday off,’ Jen said.
‘I have.’
‘Then you’ll have to make sure you do something nice and relaxing, or you’ll suffer from complete burnout.’
‘Yes, I will,’ Emma said.
But Sunday all depended on what Jay was doing. Taking a final sip of her drink, Emma made a decision. If Jay wanted to spend time with her then that would be great, but, if not, she wasn’t going to sit around the flat moping on her day off. She’d take herself into town and treat herself to something nice in the shops or go to the cinema. Life was too short to be at the beck and call of Jay Williams, and whether or not he had time for her.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jay was having a wonderful night. The alcohol, adrenaline and joy of having made it to the banquet was a heady mixture. He did feel a twinge of guilt about Emma — she’d been so supportive of him throughout the competition — but this was the last time he would see the other competitors until the day of the actual banquet. He pushed his guilt aside. He was keen to not let it ruin his evening.
‘I’m starving,’ Chloe said. ‘Anyone fancy going for a meal?’
‘Not me,’ Rav said. ‘I need to get home. My wife will have dinner waiting for me and if I hurry I’ll be able to read my girls a bedtime story.’
‘Oh, that’s lovely. How old are they?’ Chloe asked.
‘Seven and five,’ Rav replied. The grin on his face made it obvious that he adored them.
‘And is your wife as good a cook as you?’ Chloe continued.
He smiled again. ‘She is, yes, even though she doesn’t believe it. If I know her she will have been cooking all day, because she knows that I won’t have eaten.’
Jay felt another pang of guilt. Emma had offered to cook for him too, but he had turned her down.
