looking out onto the back yard. From a glimpse of easels, paints, a large table and a computer on a corner desk he guessed it was a combined studio-study. It appeared ultra-organised but also, like the rest of the house, cheerful. Looking as out of place as the television was a baseball bat propped in a corner.
Back in the living room he found that another young woman with sharp but friendly features and bright orange spiky hair had replaced Leigh on the lounge.
“I’m Sandra,” she told him.
“Nice to meet you.” Josh shook hands before lowering himself into an armchair.
“Dim won’t be a minute. She’s drying herself off.” Sandra eyed him with lively curiosity. “I was going to bring her home until I remembered I had a late appointment. Then the girl rang and cancelled but I thought Dim would be on the bus by then.”
“I saw her waiting. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
“Absolutely.” Sandra seemed inordinately pleased about it.
“You have a salon?” Josh asked politely. “That must keep you busy.”
Sandra nodded as Dimity returned and perched on the arm of the lounge. She had changed into a pair of black trousers and dark green shirt. Her feet were cosy in grey, hand-knitted socks.
“But I still find time to double as Dim’s stylist,” Sandra added with a wicked grin, nodding at her friend’s feet.
Dimity rolled her eyes.
“Don’t remind him. He saw the results of your work.”
Josh chuckled.
“I’ve seen worse.”
His eyes, still smiling, caught Dimity’s. She bit her lower lip as if to try to stop smiling back but it curved in response anyway, sending something like a high voltage shock jolting through him. For an instant, as the green eyes widened and deepened, he thought the same current must have zapped her but then she glanced away, running a hand through her freshly towelled hair.
“Dinner shouldn’t be long,” she said.
“Don’t rush it on my account. You’re incredibly well organised to have done as much as you have.”
Sandra laughed.
“What Dim achieves on the home front, she makes up for in the workplace. Employers beware!”
“I’m sure that’s an exaggeration,” Josh protested mildly, noticing Dimity had flushed scarlet.
“She’s the first to admit office work isn’t her strong suit.” Sandra chuckled again. “That’s why she’s temping. As she says, by the time all those corporate types wake up to the fact that she’s a natural for the Miss Incompetence of the Year award, she’s moved on to the next job.”
Dimity jumped up.
“I’d offer you a glass of wine if you weren’t driving, but how about coffee?” she said to Josh.
“Thanks. Black, no sugar.”
“Sandy, can you help me?”
Sandra looked surprised, but the snap in Dimity’s voice left no room for argument.
“Won’t be a minute,” Dimity said over her shoulder to Josh.
“No rush,” he assured her again.
As he watched them leave the room it crossed his mind, not for the first time in the past couple of days, that this was something different.
Women he dated had always expected him to be the one to wine and dine them, not the other way around.
This wasn’t a date, of course, he reminded himself hastily.
But being nurtured by someone outside his family was a new experience for him.
He stretched his long legs out to the fire, enjoying the warmth.
****
“What’s the hurry?” Bewildered, Sandra followed Dimity down the hallway.
“Shush!” Dimity pulled her into the laundry room next to the kitchen. “Listen!” She almost hissed the word. “Cut out the Miss Incompetence stuff! I didn’t have time to tell you. He’s the Global Homes Marketing Director for the whole southern hemisphere. That makes him my boss. Big time!”
“No!” Sandra snorted with mirth.
“Not funny.” Dimity threw her a malevolent look. “How much more can you make me suffer? First the skirt, now this.”
Sandra was still guffawing.
“I’m sorry,
Back in the living room he found that another young woman with sharp but friendly features and bright orange spiky hair had replaced Leigh on the lounge.
“I’m Sandra,” she told him.
“Nice to meet you.” Josh shook hands before lowering himself into an armchair.
“Dim won’t be a minute. She’s drying herself off.” Sandra eyed him with lively curiosity. “I was going to bring her home until I remembered I had a late appointment. Then the girl rang and cancelled but I thought Dim would be on the bus by then.”
“I saw her waiting. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
“Absolutely.” Sandra seemed inordinately pleased about it.
“You have a salon?” Josh asked politely. “That must keep you busy.”
Sandra nodded as Dimity returned and perched on the arm of the lounge. She had changed into a pair of black trousers and dark green shirt. Her feet were cosy in grey, hand-knitted socks.
“But I still find time to double as Dim’s stylist,” Sandra added with a wicked grin, nodding at her friend’s feet.
Dimity rolled her eyes.
“Don’t remind him. He saw the results of your work.”
Josh chuckled.
“I’ve seen worse.”
His eyes, still smiling, caught Dimity’s. She bit her lower lip as if to try to stop smiling back but it curved in response anyway, sending something like a high voltage shock jolting through him. For an instant, as the green eyes widened and deepened, he thought the same current must have zapped her but then she glanced away, running a hand through her freshly towelled hair.
“Dinner shouldn’t be long,” she said.
“Don’t rush it on my account. You’re incredibly well organised to have done as much as you have.”
Sandra laughed.
“What Dim achieves on the home front, she makes up for in the workplace. Employers beware!”
“I’m sure that’s an exaggeration,” Josh protested mildly, noticing Dimity had flushed scarlet.
“She’s the first to admit office work isn’t her strong suit.” Sandra chuckled again. “That’s why she’s temping. As she says, by the time all those corporate types wake up to the fact that she’s a natural for the Miss Incompetence of the Year award, she’s moved on to the next job.”
Dimity jumped up.
“I’d offer you a glass of wine if you weren’t driving, but how about coffee?” she said to Josh.
“Thanks. Black, no sugar.”
“Sandy, can you help me?”
Sandra looked surprised, but the snap in Dimity’s voice left no room for argument.
“Won’t be a minute,” Dimity said over her shoulder to Josh.
“No rush,” he assured her again.
As he watched them leave the room it crossed his mind, not for the first time in the past couple of days, that this was something different.
Women he dated had always expected him to be the one to wine and dine them, not the other way around.
This wasn’t a date, of course, he reminded himself hastily.
But being nurtured by someone outside his family was a new experience for him.
He stretched his long legs out to the fire, enjoying the warmth.
****
“What’s the hurry?” Bewildered, Sandra followed Dimity down the hallway.
“Shush!” Dimity pulled her into the laundry room next to the kitchen. “Listen!” She almost hissed the word. “Cut out the Miss Incompetence stuff! I didn’t have time to tell you. He’s the Global Homes Marketing Director for the whole southern hemisphere. That makes him my boss. Big time!”
“No!” Sandra snorted with mirth.
“Not funny.” Dimity threw her a malevolent look. “How much more can you make me suffer? First the skirt, now this.”
Sandra was still guffawing.
“I’m sorry,
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