She knew he had a point, but to be fair to herself, it wasn’t his earning potential she’d been interested in. ‘And what a fruitless exercise that turned out to be,’shesaid.
‘Let’s just say I’m still thinking about it,’ hereplied.
Great, more teasing, just what Annabeldidn’tneed.
Annabel decided that she’d wasted enough time on this man already. ‘Consider your decision made,’ she said. ‘Now if you’ll excuse me, I havetogo.’
She stuck her nose in the air and bustled off down the street. Without bothering to look back, she knew that he was staringafterher.
‘Make the most of it while you can, Danny boy,’ she said, insisting that if he really was going to murder her he’d have done it by now. ‘Because this is the last you’ll be seeingofme.’
* * *
By the timeshe got to the coffee shop, Annabel was practically out of breath. Understandably so, she realised, checking her watch. In speed walking terms, she had just beaten her personal best. Upon entering, she spotted Katy at their usual table, and relieved to find she hadn’t missed her, waved to catch her attention before racing over. ‘Sorry I’m late,’ she said, almost panting as she tookaseat.
Her friend indicated to the latte on the table. ‘It should still be warm. I guessed you’d be running behind, so it’s not long beenordered.’
Grateful for the gesture, Annabel duly picked up the glass and took a sip. ‘I had this arrangement to sort out,’ she said. ‘Some bloke wanting something special for his wife. They’ve just had a baby, the lucky so and soes. Anyway, I got waylaid deciding which flowers to include.’ She took another drink of her coffee. At last able to relax, it was just what she needed. ‘So,’ she said, ready to give her friend her undivided attention. ‘What’snew?’
Katy didn’t answer, but as far as Annabel was concerned she didn’t have to. Her face said it all. She wore one of those expressions that didn’t just say I thought you’d never ask, it said I have some really exciting news, but for some reason, I’m choosing to pretend it isn’t. Annabel had seen that look on her friend’s face enough times to know what it meant. ‘Go on then,’ she asked. ‘Whoishe?’
Katy grinned. ‘Just some hunk of a man I met at the gym,’ she coollyexplained.
Annabel knew her friend’s calm and collected exterior wouldn’t last; that within seconds she’d be morphing into a rambling, excitable schoolgirl in front of her very eyes. She silently began counting down.Three,Two,One.
‘His name’s Oliver, but I call him sex on legs. Honestly, he’s gorgeous. I can’t wait for you to meet him. Well maybe not just yet, it’s probably a bit early. Especially when it’s nothing serious. You know me, I don’t doserious.’
Annabel had never heard a truer statement. The men in her friend’s life never lasted more than a few weeks. She was one of those women who liked variety. At least that’s what she claimed. Annabel suspected it had more to do with issues around commitment, a suggestion that had always been met withdenial.
‘Anyway, enough about that,’ said Katy. ‘Just thinking about the man makes me come over all fuzzy. Tell me about your love life. How are things progressing with what’s his name? Dan,isn’tit?’
Annabel almost choked. ‘You’ve changed your tune,’shesaid.
After spending weeks of showing nothing but concern over her plans, she found it amusing her friend now wanted a blow-by-blow account of what she’d been up to recently. In a way, she thought it was a shame that there was nothingtotell.
‘Yes, well, if you’re not going to take to my advice on the subject, I may as well keep up withevents.’
Annabel shook her head. Katy always did like a goodgossip.
‘Has he calledatall?’
‘Firstly,’ said Annabel. ‘You know full well I don’t have, and nor do I want, a love life. And secondly, no hehasn’t.’
Her friend gave a look that fell somewhere between pity and ‘I told you so’, an expression Annabel couldn’t quite bring herself toappreciate.
‘If you ask me,’ said Katy. ‘The man’s a player anyway. Out and about town with one woman and then a few months later it’s some other poor girl. He’s clearly a commitment-phobe.’
Annabel couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘Sounds like someone else I know,’ she said, wondering ifcommitment-phobewas evenaword.
‘But that’s my point,’ she carried on. ‘That’s why he would’ve been so perfect. The second I fell pregnant, I’d be more than happy for him to go on his merry way, never to be seen again.’ She picked up the menu and began scanning its contents. ‘Besides, it’s not his degree of loyalty that’sworryingme.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Katy. ‘I thought you just said he hasn’t been intouch?’
Annabel wondered if she’d said too much already. She didn’t want to cause any unnecessary concern and for all she knew Dan could have been telling the truth when he’d said he was working nearby. Still, seeing him on her doorstep like that had freaked her out a bit, however, plausible his words might seem. ‘I’ve just bumped into him,’ she said. ‘Literally, outsidetheshop.’
Katy straightened herself up. ‘Again, what are you talking about?’ sheasked.
‘Well I was just locking up to come here and there he was. To be honest, when I realised it was him I didn’t know what to think. I mean he wouldn’t be the first madman to get the wrong idea, would he? To take advantage of a woman’s plight. You read about these cases all the time in thepapers.’
