be three stone heavier by the time we go home.’
‘You and me both,’ said Rebecca, taking a sip of her wine.’ She did a quick Alex Heath check, as she’d been doing periodically throughout dinner. Last orders were at ten and it was nearly that now.
‘Looking for someone?’ asked Abi.
‘No, no. Just people watching.’
‘As in famous footballers, you mean?’ Abi waggled her eyebrows.
‘All right smartypants.’ Rebecca laughed. ‘It’s just that I’d die if he walked in. One or two people in here saw what happened today.’
‘So what? Let them stare. Anyway, at least you managed to stay upright. Imagine if you’d rolled past him on the stairs, legs akimbo.’ Rebecca started laughing again. ‘Be thankful you were wearing your combats. If it had happened tonight you’d have turned as pink as your sundress.’
‘Oh, believe me, I did that anyway.’ Still grinning, Rebecca opened her handbag and took out her phone. She was surprised it still worked after its somersaulting extravaganza.
Still no word from Greg as yet, she noted.
Jack Byrnes waddled over. ‘Evening, ladies. How was your meal? Or more importantly,’ he said, bending forward, eyes on Rebecca, ‘your poorly shoulder?’
‘Fine, thanks,’ Rebecca fibbed, anxious not to dwell on it. ‘The food was outstanding.’
‘Marvellous!’
‘Yes. Compliments to the chef,’ said Abi. ‘Actually, Jack, I’m glad we’ve seen you tonight. I was talking to Danny in the bar earlier about a new nightclub near York. Images, I think he said it was called. Do you know it at all?’
Jack’s eyes narrowed to slits. ‘Yes, it’s all the rage, so I’ve heard. One of our ex-employees is the head doorman there. Jermaine Bascombe. Nice chap. Built like a cargo ship.’
That’s rich, thought Rebecca, staring at Jack’s treble chin.
‘Why do you ask?’
‘Thought we might give it a go tomorrow night,’ said Abi. ‘Danny said there’s a restaurant there. Not that it’ll be a patch on this one, of course.’
Jack’s jowls wobbled with pride. ‘Well, I could ask the concierge to try and reserve you a table if you like. What time were you thinking of going?’
‘’Bout 8.30ish. That’ll give us time to eat before we hit the dance floor. I do appreciate they might be fully booked though. We have sprung it on you a bit.’ Abi fluttered her eyelashes at him.
‘Hit the dance floor, eh.’ To their horror, Jack did a little shimmy. ‘No problem, Miss Huxley. Leave it with me,’ he said, lumbering off.
‘Right, young lady,’ said Abi, seemingly immune to Rebecca’s
when exactly did I agree to this
? expression. ‘Let’s go sample Danny’s cocktails.’ She whipped out her lip gloss, slathering on at least three layers.
Rebecca resisted the urge to speak out. Maybe Abi had a point. Would it really hurt her to dodge her comfort zone for one night?
Oh, lordy.
Clubbing
it was then …
She followed Abi across the restaurant, hanging back as they approached the bar, giving it the once-over before they entered, figuring that if by chance Alex Heath did happen to be in there, the soft peach lighting would mask her shame.
Phew!
All clear.
Danny’s face brightened when he saw them. ‘Evening, ladies.’ He gestured at two empty stools at the bar. ‘Two Sweet Rebeccas, is it?’
As Rebecca sat down she recognised the man sitting alongside her as being one of those who’d sneered at her from the bar doorway after her staircase incident. She thought he had a dead squirrel on his head at first, but when he swung round and the light caught it, she remembered his awful comb-over.
‘Oh, look!’ he hollered, elbowing his gormless-looking mate. ‘It’s Calamity Jane’s twin!’
Before Rebecca could react, Danny placed two crimson concoctions on the bar.
Abi whacked straight into hers, giving him the nod of approval.
‘Matches your face,’ said comb-over guy as Rebecca tasted hers.
‘Bet it was hot out there on that golf
‘You and me both,’ said Rebecca, taking a sip of her wine.’ She did a quick Alex Heath check, as she’d been doing periodically throughout dinner. Last orders were at ten and it was nearly that now.
‘Looking for someone?’ asked Abi.
‘No, no. Just people watching.’
‘As in famous footballers, you mean?’ Abi waggled her eyebrows.
‘All right smartypants.’ Rebecca laughed. ‘It’s just that I’d die if he walked in. One or two people in here saw what happened today.’
‘So what? Let them stare. Anyway, at least you managed to stay upright. Imagine if you’d rolled past him on the stairs, legs akimbo.’ Rebecca started laughing again. ‘Be thankful you were wearing your combats. If it had happened tonight you’d have turned as pink as your sundress.’
‘Oh, believe me, I did that anyway.’ Still grinning, Rebecca opened her handbag and took out her phone. She was surprised it still worked after its somersaulting extravaganza.
Still no word from Greg as yet, she noted.
Jack Byrnes waddled over. ‘Evening, ladies. How was your meal? Or more importantly,’ he said, bending forward, eyes on Rebecca, ‘your poorly shoulder?’
‘Fine, thanks,’ Rebecca fibbed, anxious not to dwell on it. ‘The food was outstanding.’
‘Marvellous!’
‘Yes. Compliments to the chef,’ said Abi. ‘Actually, Jack, I’m glad we’ve seen you tonight. I was talking to Danny in the bar earlier about a new nightclub near York. Images, I think he said it was called. Do you know it at all?’
Jack’s eyes narrowed to slits. ‘Yes, it’s all the rage, so I’ve heard. One of our ex-employees is the head doorman there. Jermaine Bascombe. Nice chap. Built like a cargo ship.’
That’s rich, thought Rebecca, staring at Jack’s treble chin.
‘Why do you ask?’
‘Thought we might give it a go tomorrow night,’ said Abi. ‘Danny said there’s a restaurant there. Not that it’ll be a patch on this one, of course.’
Jack’s jowls wobbled with pride. ‘Well, I could ask the concierge to try and reserve you a table if you like. What time were you thinking of going?’
‘’Bout 8.30ish. That’ll give us time to eat before we hit the dance floor. I do appreciate they might be fully booked though. We have sprung it on you a bit.’ Abi fluttered her eyelashes at him.
‘Hit the dance floor, eh.’ To their horror, Jack did a little shimmy. ‘No problem, Miss Huxley. Leave it with me,’ he said, lumbering off.
‘Right, young lady,’ said Abi, seemingly immune to Rebecca’s
when exactly did I agree to this
? expression. ‘Let’s go sample Danny’s cocktails.’ She whipped out her lip gloss, slathering on at least three layers.
Rebecca resisted the urge to speak out. Maybe Abi had a point. Would it really hurt her to dodge her comfort zone for one night?
Oh, lordy.
Clubbing
it was then …
She followed Abi across the restaurant, hanging back as they approached the bar, giving it the once-over before they entered, figuring that if by chance Alex Heath did happen to be in there, the soft peach lighting would mask her shame.
Phew!
All clear.
Danny’s face brightened when he saw them. ‘Evening, ladies.’ He gestured at two empty stools at the bar. ‘Two Sweet Rebeccas, is it?’
As Rebecca sat down she recognised the man sitting alongside her as being one of those who’d sneered at her from the bar doorway after her staircase incident. She thought he had a dead squirrel on his head at first, but when he swung round and the light caught it, she remembered his awful comb-over.
‘Oh, look!’ he hollered, elbowing his gormless-looking mate. ‘It’s Calamity Jane’s twin!’
Before Rebecca could react, Danny placed two crimson concoctions on the bar.
Abi whacked straight into hers, giving him the nod of approval.
‘Matches your face,’ said comb-over guy as Rebecca tasted hers.
‘Bet it was hot out there on that golf
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