United States of Love. Sue Fortin

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       Chapter Eight

      ‘Tex. It's about my daughter's wedding. Would you give her some advice on the menu?’

      Tex looked from Graeme to the door and back again. Much as he wanted to tell Graeme that his daughter's wedding menu was the last thing on his mind at that moment, and that it was something he really should be asking the caterers, he couldn't be rude.

      Making polite but short work of discussing the best dishes for large parties, Tex managed to usher Graeme out of the building in ten minutes with the promise of putting some ideas down on an email for him. As soon as the door closed behind the architect, Tex took out his cell phone and called Anna's.

      She wasn’t answering it. Perhaps it was in her handbag and she hadn't been able to get to it in time. Listening to the ringing tone and willing her to answer, Tex wandered over to the trestle table where Graeme had left a revised set of drawings taped to the table. It was then that he heard a vibrating sound coming from the direction of the window. He looked over and saw a phone jiggling away on the windowsill. Anna’s.

      Tex checked his watch. She could only have just made it to the station by now. If he was quick he could be there in five minutes, hopefully before her train arrived. He patted his back pocket. Yes, his keys were there. Without looking for his jacket, Tex dashed out to his car.

      It was still raining as he drove out of Tarrant Street and over the bridge towards the train station. Within a few minutes, he pulled up outside the ticket office, and abandoning his car, sprinted through the unmanned office and out on to the platform. Tex scanned the deserted platform up and down; there was no sign of Anna there or in the waiting room. He looked over at platform two on the other side of the tracks. That appeared empty too.

      Then he saw her, stepping out from the plastic waiting shelter there, looking at him. Intrigued? Curious? He wasn't sure. They walked towards each other on opposite platforms.

      ‘Can we start again?’ Tex called across the tracks. Anna said nothing as she stood there studying him, as if wrestling with herself as to what she should say or do. ‘You can't leave yet anyway. I have your phone. You left it on the window ledge.’ Ah, now that got her attention.

      Looking concerned, Anna stuffed her hands in her coat pockets and then rummaged through her bag, obviously up until that point not realising she didn't have her phone with her. Tex waved the Nokia in the air.

      ‘So it would seem,’ she said finally. ‘I suppose you want me to come and get it?’ Tex grinned as Anna made her way over the bridge and walked up to where he was standing. ‘I forgot I'd left that. Thank you.’ She reached out to take the phone.

      Tex popped the phone behind his back. ‘There's one condition.’

      ‘Which is?’

      ‘Have lunch with me.’

      She sighed and her shoulders drooped. ‘I don't think it's a good idea. Under any other circumstances I would love to, but not when you're my client. It's a bad idea. Really bad.’

      ‘Would it be bad if it was a business lunch?’

      She appeared to be contemplating what he had said. ‘Just business you say?’

      ‘Just business,’ repeated Tex. Personal business, he added to himself.

      ‘Okay, I accept.’ She smiled a shy smile up at him.

      ‘Thank you. I am now a very happy man.’ Tex fought the urge to kiss her there and then. He was going to have to work his charm to win her over. Still, he liked a challenge. Then her brow furrowed and she had a confused look on her face.

      ‘I thought I heard you say to Graeme that you had a lunch appointment.’

      ‘I was hoping that would be you,’ said Tex, a sheepish grin crossing his face.

      ‘That was rather presumptuous of you,’ said Anna, folding her arms and raising her eyebrows playfully.

      ‘Not presumptuous. More like hopeful.’

      ‘That will do,’ Anna smiled. ‘So can I have my phone back now?’ Tex nodded. ‘Well, that's the only reason I'm agreeing. That, and it being a business lunch. You do understand don't you?’

      ‘Yes, Ma’am.’ He gave a quick salute. ‘I understand completely.’ He wasn't entirely sure he did, but she had agreed to lunch, which is what he had wanted. He didn't usually have to work quite so hard. Normally it was much easier and much more straightforward – a bit of flirting, a little bit of fun, nothing serious, no obligation. He liked it that way.

      He drove her back to the hall in silence, cranking up the car's heated seats to help dry Anna's coat which was soaked from her walk down to the station. Having just spent five minutes standing on the platform with no jacket and the rain blowing under the canopy, Tex wasn't faring much better himself.

      ‘Not very nice weather for public transport. Do you always travel on the train?’ he asked, as they pulled up outside the hall.

      ‘No. I have the car but I let Mark, my sort of ex, borrow it. He was supposed to come back at the weekend but didn't.’

      Tex ushered Anna through the internal doors into the main hall and then guided her to the room on the left at the back of the hall. There was a small square table in the middle of the room with a simple white linen tablecloth on it, at its centre, a vibrant red gerbera in a tall drinking glass. The table was set for two people.

      ‘Presumptuous,’ said Anna as she took in the scene.

      ‘Hopeful,’ corrected Tex. He walked up behind her and gently rested his hands on her shoulders. ‘May I take your coat?’ He took a deep breath as he momentarily flirted with the idea of kissing the back of her bare neck, before checking himself. Slipping Anna's coat from her shoulders, he hung it on the back of the door before pulling out the chair for her to sit down.

      ‘I'll be back in one minute,’ he said and disappeared into the adjoining room to warm up the soup he had prepared that morning. Whilst that was heating, СКАЧАТЬ