The Little Shop of Afternoon Delights

by Sarah Lefebve

  He smiled and looked as if he were about to answer, when his attention was caught by the sound of one of the doors at the back of the hall opening and closing.

  ‘Good morning.’ The rich accented voice sounded out, flirting with Anna’s eardrums.

  Still leaning over the table, arms outstretched while Graeme seemed to take an age finding the end of the tape, Anna looked back over her shoulder and smiled at Tex. ‘Hi!’

  With more than a hint of amusement on his lips, Tex raised his eyebrows slightly. ‘Nice view.’ Then he seamlessly moved on to greet Graeme.

  Anna felt her face burn hot with embarrassment and stood up abruptly, letting go of the drawing, which pinged back into a roll and fell to the floor. By now, Tex was by her side and stooped to pick up the drawing, placing it back on the table.

  Anna was grateful for the few seconds to compose herself before Tex turned to her.

  ‘You okay?’ He cupped her upper arms with his hands and kissed her on the cheek.

  ‘Yes. Yes, I'm fine. Thank you.’ Right, she must remain professional and concentrate on the job in hand and stop acting like a lovestruck teenager. Briskly, she turned back to the table and resumed holding the large sheet of paper in place, this time by taking one edge in turn, while Graeme taped it down as he fell into discussion with Tex. Rod sauntered back across to join them. Meeting commenced, thought Anna. Good.

  Initially, she made notes on her pad in case anything needed to be clarified afterwards. All the while she tried not to let her gaze linger on Tex for too long. It was hard though. She liked the way his hair casually fell forwards, not long enough to fall in his eyes, but enough to touch the top of his dark eyebrows. He had remarkably long, thick eyelashes for a man too, framing those deep brown eyes of his.

  Anna wasn’t entirely sure what Tex was expecting her to do, so she continued taking notes as the three men discussed technical issues, such as beam splicing and loading, engineers’ reports and calculations.

  ‘I would like the staircase to start at this side and curve round to the first floor,’ explained Tex, walking over to the right-hand side of the hall. He made a sweeping motion with his arm to emphasise his point.

  Anna couldn't help admiring him as he stood there explaining and gesturing. Dark trousers, expensive-looking, black shiny leather shoes, pale blue shirt open at the collar, his sleeves rolled up. That fresh showery, citrus smell of his aftershave tantalising her senses.

  ‘You would lose quite a bit of floor space downstairs if you want a curving staircase,’ said Rod, ‘and then you have to take into consideration the rise of each step and how far it carries. It will take a fair bit of working out.’

  Rod went on to explain how each tread and riser was calculated and how much something like that would cost. He rambled about kites and winders, newels, spindles and strings. Graeme was furiously pecking at his calculator as Rod reeled off numbers and measurements.

  Anna had no idea what they were talking about. She looked over at Tex and had to stifle a giggle as he gave an exaggerated, confused look, unnoticed by the others. Rod carried on, more or less discussing it with himself, correcting and contradicting himself along the way, and Graeme continued to tap at the calculator like some sort of demented woodpecker.

  She stole another glance at Tex who, catching her eye, mimed a yawn, tapping his mouth with his hand, which just made Anna want to giggle again. When he silently acted out a noose round his neck and then made out to shoot himself in the temple with his fingers, Anna couldn’t hold the burst of laughter in. Rod and Graeme stopped and stared at her. She quickly fashioned the laugh into a small series of coughs.

  ‘Sorry, tickly throat,’ she said apologetically, not daring to look at Tex.

  ‘Hey, come out back and I’ll get you a glass of water,’ Tex piped up, and before she could protest, he was gently leading her away by the arm. Once inside the kitchen he closed the door and they both laughed quietly.

  ‘Jeez,’ groaned Tex. ‘Death by numbers.’ He took a step closer. ‘Now, where did we leave off the other night?’

  Anna took a step back. Oh, this was hard. ‘I think it’s best to leave it there,’ she said.

  He was standing in front of her. ‘Huh?’

  ‘I’m sorry, Tex, but I think it’s best if we just keep things professional now that I’m working for Jamie which, by default, now means you. It’s a rule of mine never to mix business with pleasure.’

  ‘You serious? Damn it, you are!’ Tex cursed. This wasn’t going to plan. ‘What about if I fire you then? Tell Jamie I’ve changed my mind.’ He saw the alarm on her face. ‘I was only joking. I wouldn’t really.’

  ‘Good, because I could do with this job,’ replied Anna.

  ‘What about if you give me a chance to change your mind?’ He fixed her with his killer smile, the one that he usually got his way with. She was shaking her head. She wasn’t buying it.

  Before he could plan his next move, there was a knock at the door and a female voice calling his name. It was Christine.

  The door opened and in she wiggled, smiling widely at him. Then she clocked Anna, and instantly Christine’s smile disappeared. ‘Oh, hello.’

  ‘Anna, this is Christine,’ said Tex. ‘She works in the art gallery across the way. Christine, this is Anna, she’s my PA.’ He watched Christine’s hostile eyes look Anna up and down. Anna would have to be downright stupid to miss that, he thought.

  ‘Hmm, I see,’ responded Christine.

  Tex had been so busy checking Anna’s reaction to this unfavourable greeting that he was totally caught out when Christine draped herself over his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. Without barely moving her mouth away from him, she said, ‘I just came over to see if you were free for lunch, but I don’t want to interrupt anything.’

  ‘You weren’t,’ said Anna tersely. ‘I’d better get back to Graeme and Rod. Don’t want to miss anything.’

  Tex cursed to himself yet again as Anna left the room.

  ‘Sorry, did I upset someone?’ cooed Christine.

  ‘Hmmm,’ grunted Tex, then gathering himself, ‘I’m sorry, but I’ll take a rain check on lunch. I’ve already got a meeting.’

  ‘Oh, come over later then. I’ve got some pictures that I thought would look good in the restaurant.’ She smiled sweetly and wiggled her way back out.

  The rest of the meeting ran smoothly without any problems, although Tex noted that Anna didn’t look at him once this time. She definitely had a businesslike air about her. Professional, almost to the point of being curt. She really did mean it when she said she wasn’t mixing business with pleasure.

  ‘Okay, that's me done,’ said Rod as the meeting drew to a close. ‘I'll need a couple of days to price this, so I will get back to you by the end of the week.’

  As Rod left, Graeme looked expectantly at Anna. When it appeared she wasn't taking the hint, he said to Tex, ‘Have you got a minute? I wondered if I could have a quick word.’

  ‘Sure, but I do have another appointment at midday,’ replied Tex, glancing at his watch.

  ‘I'll leave you to it,’ said Anna, still avoiding eye contact with him. ‘If there's anything you need to clarify, you can get hold of me through Jamie.’

  ‘Anna…’ began Tex.

  ‘I've got to go, my train will be here soon. Nice to have met you, Graeme.’ Anna walked towards the door.

  ‘Anna! One moment please,’ called Tex.

  ‘Sorry, got to go,’ she called back, as Graeme anxiously tried to retain Tex’s attention.

  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, he cut some French stick then took the bread together with a bottle of Perrier water back into Anna.

  ‘It's nearly ready. Just some humble soup. I only have two gas rings at the moment,’ he said as he put the bread down and poured a glass of water for each of them.

  ‘I'm sure it will be lovely.’

  Tex switched the radio on. Hopefully, a bit of background music would help her relax.

  ‘This isn't looking very businesslike,’ commented Anna.

  ‘Let's talk business if it makes you feel happier.’ Hmm, this was going to be harder than he thought.

  ‘Have you always been a chef?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes. I never wanted to be anything else.’

  ‘Where did you train?’

  ‘France, of course. That is where the best chefs in the world are and I was fortunate enough to have some very good teachers. I worked for some of the great chefs in France.’

  ‘Any I would know?’

  ‘Edward Le Manquais. You have heard of him no doubt?’

  ‘Of course. He's a bit more than just a chef now, he's something of a celebrity in his own right,’ said Anna. ‘Didn't he do a reality restaurant show on TV recently?’

  ‘Ahh yes, the celebrity chef. I am afraid that is not for me.’

  ‘By choice?’

  ‘By choice,’ Tex affirmed. ‘Does that make any difference to you?’

  Anna looked surprised by the question. ‘To me? No. No, it doesn't make any difference. That doesn't worry me the way you think.’

  ‘What way do I think?’ probed Tex. He waited patiently whilst she took a sip of water. He wasn’t letting her off the hook that easy. Experience told him if he said nothing for long enough, the other person would carry on speaking.

  ‘Okay, here goes,’ she said. ‘You probably think I would be impressed and pleased that I had landed a famous client. That I would be imagining fancy parties, champagne, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous, but the truth is, I couldn't be less interested in that.’

  ‘Go on, I'm still listening,’ coaxed Tex.

  ‘Don't say you didn't ask,’ said Anna with wry smile. ‘Mark was a professional footballer. We married when we were very young; I was pregnant. Mark had a lot of temptation in the female stakes. He hasn’t got much willpower. Part of it was because he was a bit famous, and as a footballer there were plenty of offers from a slew of female fans. So my experience of being with someone well known isn't a particularly good one.’

  ‘You said the other night that you were separated but not divorced.’

  ‘That’s right. He went off to America and we have just never got round to it. Part of me doesn't want to bec
ome a statistic, but to all intents and purposes we might as well be divorced.’

  Tex smiled reassuringly at her. There was obviously a lot more to it but now wasn't the time. He'd established that Mark wasn't a threat.

  ‘How did we get onto the subject of my personal life?’ asked Anna. She leant back in her chair. Tex couldn't help noticing the button of her blouse had come undone, revealing a glimpse of white flesh encased in black lace. He forced himself to look at her face, keeping his eyes level with hers to answer her question.

  ‘It's important if we are going to work together that we know each other properly. It's not a regular sort of office job, there may be times when you have to accompany me on social events. It’s real important that we know each other well so we’re comfortable together.’

  Anna didn't look convinced, but didn't challenge him either.

  ‘When do I get to find out about you?’ she asked.

  ‘I will get the soup and then you can ask me anything you like.’

  Tex returned to the makeshift kitchen. Leaning against the work surface he took a deep breath as he recalled her open blouse. Reappearing a few minutes later with two bowls of soup, he placed one in front of Anna. Her blouse now done up, he ignored the self-conscious look on her face.

  ‘This looks nice,’ she said, picking up her spoon and dipping it into the thick, orange liquid. ‘Tastes good too. Let me guess. Carrot and … mmm … not sure. There's definitely another flavour but I'm not sure what it is.’

  ‘Coriander.’

  ‘Ah yes, I recognise it now. It's lovely.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  They ate together in silence for several minutes. A comfortable silence, with just the radio to fill the space between them.

  ‘So, in the interest of fairness and Anglo-American relations, I think I'll take you up on your offer,’ said Anna. Tex looked blankly at her. ‘Exchange of information. Background information. It's your turn,’ she smiled.