time off vanish like smoke. He might as well have
been working.
'Don't worry,' said Jill gamely. 'To be honest, I could do
with spending the afternoon asleep, anyway.' She kissed
him, but although she tried not to show her disappointment,
she knew it would be ages before they got more time
off together.
'Thank God you are such a nice person,' said Jake, and
rushed off.
Jill mooched round the restaurant kitchen in an aimless
way. She was tired, but the sun was shining and she wasn't
rostered for an afternoon off for at least another ten days.
It was all a real bummer.
Harry was apparently absorbed in sharpening his knives
but his hearing was acute when it was something that could
be turned to his advantage.
'I've been stood up as well. My girlfriend is off sick with a
migraine,' he lied. He didn't have a girlfriend at the moment,
but he wanted to appear casual and unthreatening. 'It's such
a nice day, isn't it? There's supposed to be a good jazz band
on in Hyde Park later this afternoon. Hey, do you fancy
going? I'll buy you one those mocha coffee caramel things
you're always going on about. They sound really revolting,
but if you like them . . .' He grinned at her disarmingly.
Jill thought about this. She knew Jake didn't like Harry
but she didn't really understand why. He seemed perfectly
nice to her so she couldn't see any harm in his suggestion.
He just wanted some company for the afternoon, in a
brotherly sort of way. She wouldn't even have to tell Jake.
Chapter Six
The following week it was Friday the thirteenth. But Jake
wasn't superstitious so he strolled into work whistling
cheerfully. It was payday and he planned to cook Jill a
fabulous meal that night. He had already been out and
bought a bunch of roses on tick from the flower shop on the
corner, and a bottle of Mr Patel's best wine, which wasn't
actually that good but none of the other off-licences
operated a buy now, pay later scheme. Jill had seemed a bit
down recently, which wasn't like her at all, but when he
asked her what the matter was she had just shrugged and
said she must be coming down with a cold or something.
Jake wasn't surprised. His room was distinctly damp as well
as chilly, but tonight it was full of Mr Patel's entire stock of
candles. It would be so warm they might have to eat supper
in the nude, which could be fun.
She was already at work when he arrived, polishing wine
glasses. He crept up behind her and kissed the back of her
neck.
'Hello, beautiful.'
Jill jumped about two feet in the air and dropped a wine
glass.
'Oh, shit.'
'Hey, don't worry – it was my fault anyway. You're a bit
jumpy this morning.' He tried to kiss her again but she
moved her head so that his lips landed on her chin and he
sensed it wasn't a good moment to try again.
'Are you all right?'
'Of course,' she snapped, and then gave him a weak
smile.
'Sorry, Jake. I've just got such a bad headache.'
'Oh, poor you. Try and survive till tonight and then I will
cosset you and comfort you. Leave the glass – I'll clear it up.'
He went out and so didn't see the look on her face, which
was of intense guilt, mixed with irritation.
Why was he always so bloody nice, she thought, conveniently
forgetting that this was why she had fallen in love
with him in the first place.
Later that evening Jake looked round his room with
satisfaction. OK, most of the candles were the sort you
would only use in a power cut and the ones that were
scented were giving off a slightly curried fragrance, but the
flickering lights hid the damp patch in the corner rather
well.
Jill gave a rather wan smile when she saw the roses,
before sitting down at the table and putting her face in her
hands.
'Jake, we need to talk.'
He went very still. It was not going to be good news. This
loaded little phrase never meant anything of the sort. In his
experience, 'we need to talk' never involved anything
remotely resembling a two-way conversation. No, what it
meant was 'I have an overpowering need to
been working.
'Don't worry,' said Jill gamely. 'To be honest, I could do
with spending the afternoon asleep, anyway.' She kissed
him, but although she tried not to show her disappointment,
she knew it would be ages before they got more time
off together.
'Thank God you are such a nice person,' said Jake, and
rushed off.
Jill mooched round the restaurant kitchen in an aimless
way. She was tired, but the sun was shining and she wasn't
rostered for an afternoon off for at least another ten days.
It was all a real bummer.
Harry was apparently absorbed in sharpening his knives
but his hearing was acute when it was something that could
be turned to his advantage.
'I've been stood up as well. My girlfriend is off sick with a
migraine,' he lied. He didn't have a girlfriend at the moment,
but he wanted to appear casual and unthreatening. 'It's such
a nice day, isn't it? There's supposed to be a good jazz band
on in Hyde Park later this afternoon. Hey, do you fancy
going? I'll buy you one those mocha coffee caramel things
you're always going on about. They sound really revolting,
but if you like them . . .' He grinned at her disarmingly.
Jill thought about this. She knew Jake didn't like Harry
but she didn't really understand why. He seemed perfectly
nice to her so she couldn't see any harm in his suggestion.
He just wanted some company for the afternoon, in a
brotherly sort of way. She wouldn't even have to tell Jake.
Chapter Six
The following week it was Friday the thirteenth. But Jake
wasn't superstitious so he strolled into work whistling
cheerfully. It was payday and he planned to cook Jill a
fabulous meal that night. He had already been out and
bought a bunch of roses on tick from the flower shop on the
corner, and a bottle of Mr Patel's best wine, which wasn't
actually that good but none of the other off-licences
operated a buy now, pay later scheme. Jill had seemed a bit
down recently, which wasn't like her at all, but when he
asked her what the matter was she had just shrugged and
said she must be coming down with a cold or something.
Jake wasn't surprised. His room was distinctly damp as well
as chilly, but tonight it was full of Mr Patel's entire stock of
candles. It would be so warm they might have to eat supper
in the nude, which could be fun.
She was already at work when he arrived, polishing wine
glasses. He crept up behind her and kissed the back of her
neck.
'Hello, beautiful.'
Jill jumped about two feet in the air and dropped a wine
glass.
'Oh, shit.'
'Hey, don't worry – it was my fault anyway. You're a bit
jumpy this morning.' He tried to kiss her again but she
moved her head so that his lips landed on her chin and he
sensed it wasn't a good moment to try again.
'Are you all right?'
'Of course,' she snapped, and then gave him a weak
smile.
'Sorry, Jake. I've just got such a bad headache.'
'Oh, poor you. Try and survive till tonight and then I will
cosset you and comfort you. Leave the glass – I'll clear it up.'
He went out and so didn't see the look on her face, which
was of intense guilt, mixed with irritation.
Why was he always so bloody nice, she thought, conveniently
forgetting that this was why she had fallen in love
with him in the first place.
Later that evening Jake looked round his room with
satisfaction. OK, most of the candles were the sort you
would only use in a power cut and the ones that were
scented were giving off a slightly curried fragrance, but the
flickering lights hid the damp patch in the corner rather
well.
Jill gave a rather wan smile when she saw the roses,
before sitting down at the table and putting her face in her
hands.
'Jake, we need to talk.'
He went very still. It was not going to be good news. This
loaded little phrase never meant anything of the sort. In his
experience, 'we need to talk' never involved anything
remotely resembling a two-way conversation. No, what it
meant was 'I have an overpowering need to
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