Page 37 of A Wish For Jo
'What the heck?' Jo gasped as something wet tickled her ankles. For a ridiculous moment, she imagined Harvey on all fours, giving her legs an enthusiastic lick. The thought wasn't unpleasant, but extremely unlikely.
'Oh God, I'm so sorry! Hector, leave Jo alone.' Alison dashed to Jo's rescue, dumping an armful of tops on the counter. 'He shouldn't really be in here, but my dog sitter let me down again.'
Jo hunkered down, giving the pooch an affectionate ruffle around the ears. He responded with another slobbery lick, his tongue making contact with her ear. Again, Harvey sprang to mind.
'Here it is in blue. Darker than I thought, but it would look great with jeans.'
Jo slipped the top over her head. Sadly, it looked better draped over Alison's arm than on her. 'I think I'll try these on, but I'll need to use the changing room.'
Clutching the blouse and the clingy bodysuit, Jo slipped behind the curtain and tugged it into place. She removed her long-sleeved T-shirt and frowned at today's bra. Originally white, too many turns in the wash had given it the hue of well-trodden snow. Still, if she went with the charcoal bodysuit…
To her delight, it fitted perfectly. The elastic sucked her in at the middle, and the neckline plunged just enough to tease a hint of cleavage. The white blouse, in contrast, screamed frump.
Jo got dressed and returned to the counter, where Alison was feeding doggy treats to an ecstatic Hector. 'I'll take this one, please.’
'A good choice.' Alison smiled and Hector gave a half woof/half whimper suggesting that he approved too. Or that he just wanted another handful of dog biscuits.
'He's a sweetheart.' Jo handed over her credit card and stroked Hector's silky ears. 'Is Janette still helping out with him?'
Alison finished wrapping Jo's purchase in tissue paper and swiped the card. 'When she can. I've signed up for puppy training classes. So far, Hector's chewed his way through my slippers, peed in virtually every corner of the house, and left a trail of poop outside my bedroom.'
Jo accepted the pretty floral bag proffered by Alison. 'But he'll settle down eventually, and he must be good company?'
'Hmm, I guess so.' Alison smiled as another customer entered the shop. 'He likes cuddles, but I doubt we'll ever snuggle up together getting the wrong answers onPointless, or bicker over who empties the dishwasher.'
'It must be difficult without your husband. I've never been married or had a dog, but I still miss my parents, even though they died a long time ago.'
Alison nodded as the new customer left without a backward glance. 'Grief doesn't have an expiry date, in my experience. Some days I can barely prise myself out of bed, and others I remind myself how lucky I am to have a comfortable life and sons who don't see me as an interfering old bat.'
Jo wandered home, her feelings a mixture of melancholy and butterflies about seeing Harvey later. A drink might help, though she rarely imbibed during the day. Still, a small glass of wine wouldn't hurt, and she could avoid Aaliyah's incessant gibbering.
Entering The Jekyll and Hyde, Jo spotted Ken deep in conversation with his son, Ed. Judging by Ken's pained expression and Ed's gesticulating, the topic wasn't a cheery one. 'Hi, Jo,’ said Ken. ‘Sorry, just sorting something out. Jamie'll be over in a minute to take your order.'
Ken gave Jo a watery smile, and her heart squeezed at the memory of what might have been when they'd teetered on the brink of turning their friendship into something more. For the umpteenth time, Jo thanked the gods of common sense for raising the drawbridge before she and Ken had taken that fateful step.
'Hi, Jamie.' Jo greeted the young barman, whose dalliance with Aaliyah still caused her concern.
'What can I get you?' he replied, his manner gruff as always. What Aaliyah saw in him was anyone's guess, although single and passably attractive young men were scarce in Cranley. Single men — full stop — were a rarity.
'A small glass of Pinot Grigio, please.' Jo handed over a fiver and waited as Jamie counted out the change. 'How are things going?' She didn’t dare to ask him directly about Aaliyah, but making polite chitchat seemed harmless.
To her surprise, Jamie leant across the bar, gesturing for Jo to move closer. 'Not good. Mags had an episode this morning and it's taken Ken hours to calm her down. He had to get the doctor out to give her something.'
‘Oh, that's awful. Poor Mags, and poor Ken. I hope she feels better soon.'
Jo took her drink over to a corner table. The chances of Mags getting better were non-existent, as Alzheimer's tightened its grasp. The last time she'd seen Mags, a large food stain had marred her top and her once-immaculate hair was tangled and unwashed. She'd asked Jo the same question several times, and talked about Ed as if he were a teenager approaching exam time.
'Mind if I join you?'
Jo looked up in surprise at the familiar voice: Harvey, a twinkle in his eye as he clocked her untouched glass of wine. 'Don't tell me you needed some Dutch courage before seeing me again.’
Heat rose to Jo's cheeks, a combination of the effect Harvey had on her and being busted boozing in the afternoon. 'No, this is just a wee treat after a successful shopping mission.' She pointed at the bag next to her, and Harvey made to grab it. 'Paws off! A woman is entitled to her secrets, particularly when they pertain to clothing. If you play your cards right, all will be revealed later.'
'Jo, I only came in for a cheeky half pint. Now I might have to spend the rest of the day taking cold showers and picturing nuns in habits.'
'And how do you know this isn't a raunchy nun's outfit, hmm? How come you're here, anyway? You said you'd be working on your screenplay.’
Harvey hung his head in mock shame. 'I wrote a thousand words, deleted half, and felt the walls of Brae Cottage shrinking around me. I came here to escape. Finding you here beats a beer any day for raising a man's spirits.'
