“But I have to think about the other party involved.”
“Other party?”
Wondering where Fin was taking their conversation, my interest was piqued as much as Roberta’s. And just as Roberta hoped he was about to disclose some top-secret work project, I realised I did too. Whatever it was Fin was about to say, I willed him to spit it out.
“I’m talking about Holly.”
“Holly?”
Me?I jerked my head in his general direction.What did I have to do with anything?
“You know how private she is,” Fin continued. “So, if word was to get out that we’re… you know?”
That we’re… you know, what?Suddenly horrified, it dawned on me what Fin was implying.Please don’t do this…
“You’re not suggesting…? You mean you and Holly are…?
“Yes,” Fin said, loud and clear. “We most definitely are.”
I put a hand over my mouth to stop myself from shrieking. While Fin hadn’t said anything explicit, he’d said enough to set the local tongues wagging. Sat cooped up in that cupboard, I was powerless to deny it. I had to wonder if the man had gone mad.
“I see,” Roberta said. “Well I wasn’t expecting that.”
Neither was I.
I narrowed my eyes to the sound of her stilettos suddenly on the move again.
“You’re leaving?” Fin asked. “So soon?” The man was evidently smirking. “But what about your tea?”
“Keep it,” Roberta replied.
Again, I put a hand over my mouth. This time to stop myself from laughing. While it served the woman right, I didn’t think I’d ever heard Roberta so displeased.
“I prefer coffee anyway,” she said.
I sat silent, waiting until I heard the front door open and slam shut, before breaking out of my hiding place. Landing on my knees, I struggled to get up. “You do know what you’ve just done, don’t you?” I asked, at the same time grabbing at the kitchen worktop to haul myself onto my feet. “She’ll make one of us pay for this.”
He laughed. “Pay for what?”
“The fact that you turned down her advances.”
“Please tell me you didn’t expect anything different?”
I shifted on my feet. “Of course not.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m just worried that…” It wasn’t me I was concerned about. Being a nobody, I didn’t have any reputation to lose. At least not of the positive kind if Roberta had anything to do with things. However, when it came to Fin and his reputation, one that he had to have worked hard for, it was a different story altogether. “I’m thinking of you,” I said.
Fin’s expression softened. “Does it matter if people think we’re in a relationship?”
“But we’re not.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
While Fin stood there, one eyebrow raised, waiting for a response, I looked around for a diversion. “We don’t have time to mess about with the hypothetical, Fin,” I said, indicating the table. “We still have paper chains to make.”
20
