‘The aftermath of the competition?’
‘Yes, you could say that.’ He sighed and decided to ask Liz. She would know what to do. ‘Do you know what’s wrong with Emma?’
‘Emma?’
‘Yes. Ever since the banquet she’s been very distant with me.’
‘Um . . .’
‘So you do know.’
‘Yes, Jay. I’m afraid I do. It’s Chloe.’
‘Chloe?’ Jay looked puzzled.
‘Yes. It was obvious at the banquet that you’re very close.’
‘There’s nothing between us.’ He was quick to defend himself, while at the same time realising how stupid he’d been. Yes, he’d seen the way that Chloe sometimes looked at him, and how often she put her hand on his arm, but he’d deluded himself into thinking it was the impact of the competition. But what ifthere were feelings there? From Chloe’s side anyway. And what if the way he had behaved had led her to think there could be something between them? Liz was staring at him silently, waiting for an explanation. ‘I admit, we did bond during the competition and I do admire her. We get on really well, and she’s an amazing chef, but it’s all perfectly innocent.’
‘Maybe it is at the moment. But I saw the way you were with each other and Emma saw it too. It wouldn’t take much for things to change.’
‘Well, that’s not going to happen.’
‘It might if you’re working together. You said you wanted her to provide cover during my maternity leave.’
‘I know. And she seemed really keen, but...’ He paused.
‘I’m still happy to meet her if you think she’s the right person for the job, but you need to think very seriously about the implications of that. If you have feelings for Chloe, then you’ll need to come clean to Emma. There’s no way your relationship with her can survive if you’re working with Chloe under those circumstances. And if Chloe has feelings for you and they are not reciprocated, you need to set your boundaries.’
‘Yes, I can see what you mean.’
‘Like I said, I’m happy to interview her, based solely on her skills. The rest you will need to deal with. But please remember that Emma is my friend too, and I don’t want her to be hurt any more than she has to be.’
Jay concentrated on chopping onions. He couldn’t look Liz in the eye. What a mess he had got himself into. He’d have to speak to Chloe and take it from there.
‘Oh, Liz, I’ve been such a fool. I never meant to hurt Emma, it’s her I want to be with, not Chloe. I’m just going to have to convince her of that, but I can’t imagine that’s going to be easy.’
‘No, Jay, I can’t imagine it will.’
Chapter Thirty-One
‘So what do you think, then?’ Jenny asked as Emma looked around the staff accommodation later that week.
Since the banquet, she’d tried to keep things light between her and Jay. She hadn’t wanted to put a dampener on his success, but she knew she couldn’t let it carry on much longer. Being around him when she knew he had feelings for someone else was just too painful. She had to move out soon for the sake of her own sanity. All she could think of when she saw Jay was Chloe, and so she’d asked Jen to show her the staff accommodation.
The room itself was small with a bed, en-suite bathroom and an easy chair, with a shared kitchen and lounge outside. It was very much like the student accommodation she’d lived in before she’d moved in with Jay. But she was qualified now and in a management job she loved. Living here would seem like a step backwards.
‘I know it’s a bit basic, but most of the staff don’t spend a lot of time here. They get most of their food in the hotel and they do socialise a lot together.’
‘Well, it’s clean and tidy, and it will save me time and money on the commute. It’s certainly got that going for it.’And it’s fine, she thought. Even if it wasn’t ideal, it was okay as a stop-gap. And at least it would be cheap, so she could save up for something better. It wouldn’t be for ever.
‘I think it could work, I’m just...’ She trailed off. She needed some time on her own, away from Jay. This would be fine. ‘I’ll take it. When can I move in?’
‘Well, it’s empty now, so whenever you want.’
‘Great. I’ll sort something out in the next few days.’
* * *
