Anybody But Him (4 page)

In the pub car park later that night, Nicola tried unsuccessfully to start her sister's car.

‘Gary promised me it was fixed.' She turned the key in the ignition one more time, with the same lack of result, and sighed. ‘I'll try to get him on the phone.'

‘I'll just rest my eyes while you do that.'

Nicola looked across as Lainey closed her eyes and relaxed back into the seat. She probably hadn't slept all week. She certainly looked as though she hadn't been sleeping, or eating. In fact, she was looking quite haggard – not that Nicola would tell her that – and now that she was finally ready to get some rest she was stuck here in a broken-down car. Nicola took the phone from her bag and got out, because she was about to shout at Gary. Well, she would if she could get hold of him.

She shivered, and pulled her jacket around her as she closed the door and leaned against it. She dialled the mechanic's number, then let out an exasperated sigh when the call went to his voicemail again. Now what was she going to do? She left a terse message and rang off.

‘Having car trouble?'

She swung around.

Blair Morrissey looked amused. As if there was anything funny at all about this
situation.

‘Nothing that need concern you,' she snapped, then turned away, staring at her phone as if she could will Gary to ring her back.

‘If you're trying to get hold of Gary, he won't call you back.'

‘How do you know?'

‘Because I know Gary. At this time on a Friday night he'll be on his tenth beer. Trust me, he won't be coming out to help you.'

‘Fabulous.' She clenched her jaw.

‘What is it, a flat battery?'

‘I have no idea.'

‘I've got some jump leads in my car. Pop the bonnet and I'll bring my car over here.'

Much as she'd have liked to tell him not to bother, she knew it was an offer she couldn't refuse.

Fifteen minutes later, leaning over the engine, Blair shook his head. ‘Sorry, it's not going to start. The problem must be more serious than a flat battery.'

Nicola tutted and said grudgingly, ‘Thanks for trying. I'll phone for a taxi, I suppose, and leave the car here till Gary recovers from his drunken stupor and comes out to fix it.'

He shook his head. ‘I don't like your chances of getting a taxi. Not for ages. Anyway, there's no need, I can drive you home. We're going the same way.'

‘You and I might be, but Lainey lives on Casuarina Crescent, which is in the opposite direction.'

‘No problem. It's a slight detour, that's all. Come on, I can't leave two beautiful young ladies to fend for themselves, can I? Anything might happen.'

Nicola grimaced. ‘Aren't you with someone?' She glanced over his shoulder at the door of the pub. ‘Is she waiting inside?'

‘You mean Paulette? She's gone. She left an hour ago.'

‘Gone where?'

‘I didn't ask her, but she's staying at The Caledonian, so I assume that's where. Does it matter?'

‘Not to me.'

‘Then why ask? You're curious about her, aren't you? You're wondering if she's my girlfriend.'

At the sight of his smirk, she made a scoffing noise. ‘Me? Why should I care? It's none of my business.'

‘She's quite good-looking, isn't she?'

Quite good-looking? That was like saying that Ian Thorpe was quite a good swimmer. Or Pavarotti was quite a good opera singer.

She realised she was pulling a face when he said, ‘Okay, maybe she isn't in your league, but she's not bad.'

What? Was he making fun of her? Of course he was. That was all he ever did– where she was concerned, anyway. ‘I told you, I don't care.'

‘She's a client.'

Oh.

After the silence had stretched for a few seconds, he said, ‘So, are you going to wake Lainey and lock up the car?'

She nodded. She would have preferred it to be anybody but him coming to her rescue, but the pub had emptied quickly, and she didn't see anyone else hovering, waiting to offer her a lift.

‘Right. I'll nip back into the pub and let Bob know that you're leaving Una's car here so he doesn't report it as dumped and have it towed away.'

After grunting in acknowledgement, she opened the car door and ducked inside to shake Lainey's shoulder.

‘Come on, we're getting a lift home.'

A groggy Lainey climbed out of the car. ‘Who with?'

Nicola pressed her lips together before saying, ‘Blair Morrissey.'

Lainey blinked. ‘Gosh. Really?'

‘We don't have a choice, believe me.'

‘Oh, I do. You just told me what you think of him.' Lainey shivered. ‘So, where is he?'

‘I'm right here,' Blair said from behind them. ‘Let's get you into the car, Lainey. It's cold tonight.'

When Lainey was settled in the front passenger seat he closed the door and turned to Nicola with a raised eyebrow. ‘You've been talking about me?'

‘Not really. You're right, it's freezing.' Nicola reached past him for the door handle and climbed into the back seat of his late model Holden. She shouldn't feel so bad that he'd heard Lainey's words. He'd made her feel bad often enough in the past, and she doubted that he cared what she thought of him anyway.

They drove the first part of the journey in silence; poor Lainey couldn't keep her eyes open, and Nicola had to help her out of the car. After supporting her into the house and satisfying herself that she was safely on her way to bed, Nicola returned to the car and got into the front passenger seat. It would have looked very odd if she hadn't – as if he was her chauffeur or something.

Which made her wonder what sort of service he provided for the woman in the pub. Paulette, he'd called her. And now that she'd started wondering, she had to ask.

‘What do you do for Paulette?'

He shot her a glance, then chuckled. ‘I knew you were curious.'

‘I'm not. It was simply something to talk about since we have nothing in common. Forget I spoke.' She stared out of the passenger-side window. Not that she could see much in the dark.

‘I'm painting her.'

‘Painting her what?'

‘Painting
her
. Her portrait.'

She gave up on the non-existent view and turned to face him. ‘Don't tell me you're an artist?'

‘Okay, I won't.'

‘Are
you?'

‘Yes.'

‘That's unbelievable. You're the most unartistic person I've ever known.'

‘What does that even mean?'

‘You never did anything arty when we were at school.'

‘Maybe not in public but, Nicki, you definitely don't know what I got up to in private.'

‘I don't want to.'

‘No.' He shook his head. ‘I wouldn't want you to know either. But that was back then, and anyway, I wouldn't describe myself as artistic because it's not as if I have a vivid imagination; I just have a talent for painting portraits. And I enjoy it.'

‘Are you saying that you actually make a living from it?'

‘I'm comfortably off. Is that good enough, or do you want to see a profit and loss statement?'

She ignored his question. ‘It's just so hard to imagine.'

‘I, on the other hand, have no difficulty believing that you're an accountant.'

‘Why? Because I don't have enough charisma to be an undertaker?'

He laughed. ‘Hey, you said that, not me.'

‘Just getting in first.' He didn't deny it, though, she noticed. Well, fine. She didn't care what he thought. When he stopped the car outside Una's house, she opened the door immediately and stepped out.

‘Wait.' He pulled a scrap of paper from one pocket, a pen from another, and scribbled something. ‘Here.'

She took the paper from him and saw a telephone number. ‘What's this?'

‘My mobile. If Gary gives you any trouble tomorrow, call me.'

‘What sort of trouble?'

‘He doesn't normally work on a Saturday. I could probably talk him into it, if necessary. Either that, or I could beat him up for you.'

She rolled her eyes. As if she would call him of all people. She crumpled the paper in her hand, but held onto it. ‘Thanks for the lift tonight.'

‘You're welcome.' He lifted an eyebrow. ‘Would you like to go to The Pelican with me for a drink one night?'

Oh, right, as if she'd fall for that. He was only suggesting it so he could mock her gullibility when she agreed. He'd done something similar at school.

‘Um … how can I put this?
Not a rat's chance
.'

He reared back, looking surprised, but he rallied and said, ‘Okay, no problem. Have a good weekend.'

There, she was right. He wasn't disappointed in the slightest, which proved he was only asking her as a joke, waiting for her to say ‘Yes', so that he could laugh and say, ‘Gotcha!'

And he hadn't shown any recognition of her words. No sign of remembering that he'd used those very words himself, and that she'd been on the receiving end of them.

She watched him drive away, then turned into the house. Remembering the scrunched-
up paper in her hand, she flattened it out, then entered the number into her phone, because she wanted Gary to fix the car before Monday and if the only way she could get him to cooperate was to set Blair Morrissey onto him, she would.

‘How are you going with those journals?' Nicola asked Travis through the open interconnecting door on Wednesday. She was halfway through her second week and feeling more comfortable.

‘Nearly done. Should be finished in about half an hour.'

‘Okay. I'll start on the cash flow forecast. I'll need to concentrate for a while.'

‘Sure. I'm going to make myself a coffee when I finish. Shall I get you one as well, boss?'

She smiled. ‘That'd be great.'

She put her head down and focused. Around thirty minutes later she heard Travis leave his office, but she still had a lot to do, so when her own office door opened, she wasn't thrilled about the interruption. But when she looked up and saw Hayden in the doorway, her stomach did an odd little flip. He reminded her of Jude Law, and that was no bad thing. Something about the chin and the jaw, and the way he smiled.

She smiled as well.

‘Sorry to bother you. You look busy.'

‘It's not a problem. Come in.' She pushed her chair back from the computer keyboard
to show that he had her full attention.

He held up a sheet of paper. ‘I need your signature so that I can take this requisition to Kate to have a cheque prepared.'

She held out a hand for the form. When he passed it to her, she picked up her pen before scanning its contents.

‘Who are these people?' She pointed at the payee box on the form.

‘Suppliers. This is the sole supplier, actually, of some equipment we need urgently on the Chester project. The goods are in stock, but we don't have an account with the company, so I'll run the cheque over there and collect them.'

‘You have to do this yourself?'

He looked surprised by the question.

‘I'm only wondering. Being new here, I don't know how these things work, but I would have expected you to send a labourer rather than going yourself.'

‘Ah, I see.'

He smiled again, and she forgot her question. That was some weapon he had there.

‘Being the project manager, it's my responsibility, and I like to make sure that nothing goes amiss. Junior employees have been known to drop boxes and so on. We can't afford to fall behind on the construction schedule because of silly mistakes like that.'

‘No, I suppose not.'

When she glanced down at the form again, he said, ‘Can I ask you something?'

She looked up. ‘Yes, of course.'

‘Is it true that you're single? That's the rumour going around, but I just can't believe it.'

Not averse to a little flirting, she grinned. ‘Believe it.'

‘No. Someone as beautiful as you? In that case, can I chance my luck and ask you out?'

She opened her mouth to reply, but he held up a hand. ‘Don't say no. I'll take back the
question for today, but I'll ask it again soon, and maybe you'll feel differently by then.'

‘I was going to say—'

‘Humour me, please. Don't answer yet.'

She hadn't intended to refuse him, but she shrugged. ‘Okay.'

‘I'd better hurry.' He glanced at his watch, then at the form on her desk. ‘I don't want to hold up the men on site.'

‘No, of course you don't.' She dashed off her signature and handed back the form.

‘Thank you,' he said as he took it from her. ‘I'll look forward to seeing you again very soon.'

She nodded, smiling. ‘See you.'

Hayden left, and she was still smiling at the door he'd gone through when Travis carried her coffee through from his office.

He gave her a curious look. ‘What are you so happy about? I never knew the cash flow forecast to have that effect on Harry. Quite the opposite, in fact.'

She laughed and reached for her mug. ‘Definitely not that.'

‘What then?'

‘Nothing. I was just having a chat with Hayden.'

‘Oh, him.'

‘Oh, him,' she said, mimicking his tone. ‘Why do you say it with that tone?'

Sighing, he said, ‘All right, maybe I did have a tone. It's just that all the women find him irresistible, and I can't understand what they see in him.'

‘You're not supposed to. You're a man.'

‘Thanks for confirming that. What did he want?'

‘A cheque.'

‘Is that all?'

‘Well …' She took a sip of coffee. ‘Hey, this is good. You can make me a cup of coffee any time you want.'

‘The high point of my career. It's all downhill from now on.'

‘Off you go, then.' She waved a hand at him. ‘I need to make progress with this forecast or I won't get it to Corinne before the end of the day.'

‘And you want to avoid telling me that Hayden has sucked you in too.' Travis sighed. ‘Can I ask you a question before I leave?'

Nicola tilted her head and gave him a distracted, ‘Hmm?'

‘Is Lainey okay?'

She turned her head sharply, giving him her full attention. ‘Why do you ask?'

‘She's usually cheerful, but lately she just looks … sad.'

After studying him for a moment she said, ‘Her stupid husband has left her.'

‘The prick.' He made a visible effort to straighten his face. ‘Sorry.'

‘No need to apologise, he's that and more. There's another woman involved.'

‘Lainey's far too good for him.'

‘I agree. Listen, she's not spreading the news around, so keep it to yourself, okay?'

Travis nodded and turned to leave.

Nicola watched him go, glad that someone besides herself thought Lainey could do much better.