Nick broke the silence after a while. ‘How’s the food?’
‘It’s delicious,’ she said. ‘You were right. You do cook a mean risotto.’
He grinned at her. ‘I love cooking. I should have been a chef rather than a bar manager. Though, maybe I wouldn’t love it as much if I did it for a living. But there’s plenty more I can cook for you.’
‘So tell me, who else lives here?’ She changed the subject to avoid making any kind of commitment.
‘There are ten of us in total.’ He listed off the names of the other occupants and what departments they worked for.
‘You’ve met Mike the chef when we’ve been out for a drink, and there’s Holly who works in the restaurant, I don’t know if you’ve met her, but she can be fun. The rest pretty much keep themselves to themselves.’
Emma nodded, deciding she would get to know Mike and Holly better. Maybe she could socialise with them as a group rather than just with Nick.
‘We’ll all have to go out one night then, so I can get to know everyone else.’
‘Sure, although they tend to work late shifts a lot, so they’re not around that much.’
Emma nodded, wondering how she was going to avoid Nick. She didn’t want him arranging any more intimate meals for two.
When they’d finished eating, Emma insisted on washing up, and as soon as it was done she escaped to her room.
‘Sure I can’t offer you another drink?’ Nick said.
‘No, thanks, I need to get on.’
‘Coffee, then? I can make it and bring it to your room?’
‘No, I’m good, thanks. Better just crack on and then I can get myself organised.’
As Emma shut her bedroom door behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief. From now on, she’d make sure her door was locked at all times.
* * *
‘Are you okay, Jay? You seem a bit distracted,’ Liz said. They were sitting in her living room to talk about her upcoming maternity leave.
Jay shook his head to chase away his thoughts. He kept remembering how Nick had walked out of the hotel and possessively put his arm around Emma last night.
‘Sorry, I promise I’ll concentrate. I want to crack on with getting everything arranged.’
‘Perhaps it would help if you talked about whatever is bothering you first. Get it off your chest and then you might be able to concentrate a bit better.’
Jay sighed. ‘Maybe you’re right. Emma’s left me.’ He paused. ‘She’s moved into staff accommodation at the hotel.’
‘Oh, right.’
Jay looked up suddenly. ‘You don’t seem that surprised. Did you know?’
Liz shook her head. ‘Not as such, no.’
‘But you knew something?’
‘She mentioned it as a possibility, but I didn’t know it had come to anything.’
‘Right.’
‘Jay, it’s difficult. I’m friends with both of you. She told me in confidence, and, to be honest, I was hoping it would all blow over once the competition was over.’
‘I see.’
