over and hung around the flat asking questions about her “date,” as she insisted on calling Josh. On the other hand, when Elizabeth had invited her to stay and meet him, Joanne had grabbed her coat and fled, intoning, “No, no, my dear. Far be it from me to stand in the way of love’s young dream. I’m off.” She turned and winked. “Just get his photograph for me. The more intimate the better.”
Elizabeth shooed her out the door, laughing, and went for her long-delayed shower. At least she was dressed in decent jeans and a newish green shirt by the time Josh arrived. And although her hair was still damp, it was combed and loose about her shoulders.
He smiled when she opened the door, and strolled in. Dressed casually in designer jeans and a loose sweater, expensive sunglasses dangling from one manicured hand, he looked remarkably glamorous for her humble abode. Elizabeth wished Joanne had stayed to appreciate him.
Vaguely, she knew she should be more fazed by Josh Alexander’s walking into her home. But she had switched into what she thought of as “hunter” mode. This weekend was not about socializing and certainly not about dating, whatever Joanne chose to imagine. It was about hunter business and making Josh understand he was in danger before it was too late.
“Cup of coffee while I sling some things in a bag?” she offered, ushering him into her living room.
Josh glanced around him. Although her modest flat could hardly have been what he was used to, he took the trouble to look appreciative, even murmuring, “Nice place,” before politely refusing the coffee.
“Sit down,” Elizabeth invited. “I’ll just be a couple of minutes.”
Bolting through to the bedroom, she jumped up to grab her old traveling bag from the top of the wardrobe. She wrenched open the zipper and tossed it on the bed before throwing in the toiletries she’d already collected from the bathroom, and her only decent pair of dress shoes.
Opening all the dressing-table drawers at once seemed the quickest way to grab what she needed in the way of underwear, night things, tops, and jeans, although even so, she rummaged so much for her favorite sweater that the clothes began to spill out of the bottom drawer and it wouldn’t close. She ignored it and spun around to the wardrobe, examining her poor collection of dresses and skirts. Most of them came from charity shops, or were at least five years old.
The only decent clothes she possessed were the outfit she’d bought from Jenners last year and the emerald green evening gown acquired in the spring sales for the graduation ball. She’d refused to buy it at first, insisting to her encouraging colleagues that it was bad luck to make the assumption that she’d get her PhD this summer. Richard had ended the argument by inviting her to go as his partner. Much to Joanne’s barely concealed amusement.
Josh’s voice from across the hall dragged her out of the memory.
“Sorry?” she called back, grabbing the evening gown off the hanger and tossing it on top of everything else into the bag. With a slightly irritated sigh, because she didn’t know or care much about clothes, she turned back to the wardrobe and took the other outfit too.
Josh’s mild voice came from the doorway. “I said, do you need any help?”
Elizabeth glanced up to see him scanning her bedroom with appreciation. Annoyance prickled her skin. Although she was happy to invite friends into her home, she didn’t feel comfortable with strangers in her bedroom.
“It looks just like you,” he observed. “Pretty and untidy.”
“Well, thanks for the pretty,” she muttered, folding the dress so that it wouldn’t get too crushed and closing the zipper. “I’m ready.”
But Josh’s roving eye had landed on her bottom drawer and all the clothes spilling out. “Hey, that’s gorgeous,” he said, crouching down without embarrassment for a better look.
Irritated further, she followed his attention and felt
Elizabeth shooed her out the door, laughing, and went for her long-delayed shower. At least she was dressed in decent jeans and a newish green shirt by the time Josh arrived. And although her hair was still damp, it was combed and loose about her shoulders.
He smiled when she opened the door, and strolled in. Dressed casually in designer jeans and a loose sweater, expensive sunglasses dangling from one manicured hand, he looked remarkably glamorous for her humble abode. Elizabeth wished Joanne had stayed to appreciate him.
Vaguely, she knew she should be more fazed by Josh Alexander’s walking into her home. But she had switched into what she thought of as “hunter” mode. This weekend was not about socializing and certainly not about dating, whatever Joanne chose to imagine. It was about hunter business and making Josh understand he was in danger before it was too late.
“Cup of coffee while I sling some things in a bag?” she offered, ushering him into her living room.
Josh glanced around him. Although her modest flat could hardly have been what he was used to, he took the trouble to look appreciative, even murmuring, “Nice place,” before politely refusing the coffee.
“Sit down,” Elizabeth invited. “I’ll just be a couple of minutes.”
Bolting through to the bedroom, she jumped up to grab her old traveling bag from the top of the wardrobe. She wrenched open the zipper and tossed it on the bed before throwing in the toiletries she’d already collected from the bathroom, and her only decent pair of dress shoes.
Opening all the dressing-table drawers at once seemed the quickest way to grab what she needed in the way of underwear, night things, tops, and jeans, although even so, she rummaged so much for her favorite sweater that the clothes began to spill out of the bottom drawer and it wouldn’t close. She ignored it and spun around to the wardrobe, examining her poor collection of dresses and skirts. Most of them came from charity shops, or were at least five years old.
The only decent clothes she possessed were the outfit she’d bought from Jenners last year and the emerald green evening gown acquired in the spring sales for the graduation ball. She’d refused to buy it at first, insisting to her encouraging colleagues that it was bad luck to make the assumption that she’d get her PhD this summer. Richard had ended the argument by inviting her to go as his partner. Much to Joanne’s barely concealed amusement.
Josh’s voice from across the hall dragged her out of the memory.
“Sorry?” she called back, grabbing the evening gown off the hanger and tossing it on top of everything else into the bag. With a slightly irritated sigh, because she didn’t know or care much about clothes, she turned back to the wardrobe and took the other outfit too.
Josh’s mild voice came from the doorway. “I said, do you need any help?”
Elizabeth glanced up to see him scanning her bedroom with appreciation. Annoyance prickled her skin. Although she was happy to invite friends into her home, she didn’t feel comfortable with strangers in her bedroom.
“It looks just like you,” he observed. “Pretty and untidy.”
“Well, thanks for the pretty,” she muttered, folding the dress so that it wouldn’t get too crushed and closing the zipper. “I’m ready.”
But Josh’s roving eye had landed on her bottom drawer and all the clothes spilling out. “Hey, that’s gorgeous,” he said, crouching down without embarrassment for a better look.
Irritated further, she followed his attention and felt
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