Page 143 of For Love or Money
‘Oh, I suppose you’re here looking for love, are you?’
‘As a matter of fact, I am.’
Lesley turned to him. ‘Well, you’re not going about it the right way. You didn’t make any effort with those women. And now you’re pestering me when I’ve told you I’m not interested. Anyway, I don’t know why you’re here bothering me at all when you’ve got a perfectly good girlfriend at home.’
‘I don’t. Look, Cassie’s just—’
‘I don’t want to hear it.’ She picked up her spoon and gently tapped the side of her glass, not loud enough for anyone to pay particular attention. It was just a warning shot. ‘I’m going to make an announcement if you don’t shut up. I’ll tell everyone why you’re really here.’
‘Okay, okay.’ He reached out and stilled her hand. ‘Maybe I am here under false pretences. But it’s not what you think.’
She turned and raised her eyebrows at him.
‘I’m notfiller. But you’re right, I’m not looking for love. I’ve already met the woman I want.’
‘Tell me something I don’t already know.’
‘Helen actually had a full quota of men for tonight. I had to nobble one of her guests, in fact, so I could get an invitation.’
‘What? You’re ...evil!’ Lesley spluttered. ‘What if he’d been my soulmate?’
‘He wasn’t. I’m your soulmate.’
‘What about Cassie?’
‘What about her? We’re not back together, if that’s what you think.’
‘You lied to me about your kitchen being a mess.’
‘You broke into my house under false pretences.’
‘I didn’t break in! She let me in. Your precious girlfriend.’
‘She’snotmy girlfriend.’
‘That’s not what it looked like to me.’
‘What, when you were spying on me behind my back?’
‘Well, I could hardly spy on you in front of your face, could I? That’s not how you do spying.’
‘Did you put me under surveillance? Were you watching my house?’
‘What if I was?’
‘Right, you two!’ Helen roared, giving the table an almighty whack that made them both jump and startled everyone into silence. ‘If you can’t behave yourselves, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.’
Lesley blushed to the roots of her hair as she realised all eyes were on her and Al. ‘Sorry,’ she said to Helen.
‘Sorry,’ Al murmured.
There was a brief pause, then the hum of conversation started up again.
‘I’m not back together with Cassie,’ Al said to her in a low voice. ‘She’s moved back to Dublin and she’s just staying at my house for a couple of weeks while her apartment’s being renovated.’
‘Huh! Like your kitchen was being renovated?’
‘I’m sorry I lied about it. But I was afraid you’d get the wrong end of the stick if you knew she was living there. It was only for a couple of weeks, so there didn’t seem to be any reason for you to find out. I wasn’t counting on you staking me out.’
