Page 3 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
He glances at it and frowns, taking the call. ‘Joanna?’ Heshrugs apologetically at me. ‘What’s wrong?’ He listens, nodding. ‘Okay. I’llbe there in ten.’
‘Alarm again?’
He nods. ‘Sorry, babe. I’ve got to go.’
‘Can’t Joanna deal with it? Surely it must be another falsealarm.’
‘But it might be a real emergency this time.’ He shrugs.‘I’d never forgive myself if I asked her to deal with it and something happenedto her.’
I nod resignedly. ‘Of course. Go on, then. I’ll be here waitingfor you when you get back.’
‘You’d better be,’ he says, grinning as he tucks in hisshirt and heads for the door.
‘And get that bloody alarm fixed!’ I shout, as I fall backonto the sofa with a smile.
Upstairs, I cleanse and moisturise, clean my teeth and getinto bed, determined to stay awake. But after a long and hectic day at thebakery, I’m finding it hard – especially once I’m all warm and cosy and tuckedup in bed.
With a jaw-cracking yawn and one last smile at thestrawberry netting farce on Mr Nolan’s doorstep, I feel myself sinking furtherinto the pillows and sliding over the edge into sleep...
CHAPTERTWO
‘So how did the sexy scavenger hunt go?’ asks Anitawith a smile, heading for the oven with two trays of Chelsea buns.
‘Total disaster.’ I grin ruefully. ‘I ended up locked out ofthe house in my undies, feeling colder than a polar bear’s bum.’
‘No, really?’ She laughs. ‘I feel terrible for suggesting itnow. So where was Hudson in all this?’
‘In the car on the way to work. Don’t ask.’
‘Oh, dear, sorry. I suppose the moral of the story is: Don’ttrust magazines when they give you ideas for spicing up your love life.’
I grin. ‘Actually, it was fun. Well, the making up cluespart was fun.’
‘But on the whole it failed to deliver the desired result,’adds Anita, whisking through to reception to pin up a poster advertising the latestbread-making classes. ‘I think you have a visitor,’ she says on her return.
I look at her quizzically.
‘Hudson just drew up in the car park.’
‘Oh. I wonder why he’s here?’ Hearing the main door open andfootsteps entering, I flick at my hair, straighten my top and call cheekily,‘If you’ve come for another clue, I’m afraid I’m all out.’
Expecting Hudson, the smile freezes on my face when in walksJoanna, his assistant.
‘Oh, sorry, I thought it was Hudson,’ I mumble, brushingflour off my cheek (which probably wasn’t even there) and feeling the way Ialways do when the immaculately turned-out Joanna is in the same room as me. Likea frumpy scarecrow.
Joanna smiles, her cheeks dimpling cutely. ‘That’s my fault,Ruby. I borrowed his car. The Jag’s getting its MOT today.’
‘Oh, right. Does heknowyou’ve...’I tail off, feeling somewhat bemused. Hudson doesn’t even much likemedriving his pride and joy Alfa Romeo, never mind an employee he hired only amonth ago.
Her eyes widen in astonishment. ‘But of course he knows.’She gives a little peel of laughter. ‘Oh, Ruby, I wouldn’t just take the carwithout hispermission.’
‘No. No, of course you wouldn’t. I didn’t mean...no... I mean, it’s absolutely fine.’ I plaster on a smile,having managed to confuse even myself. ‘So, what can I do for you, Joanna?’
‘I was looking for the man himself, actually. Is he here?’She glances around the room as if she half-expects Hudson to appear suddenly,unfurling himself from one of the cupboards.
‘Er, no. Isn’t he at the office?’
‘He was, but then he disappeared on some mysterious errand.And I was going to treat him to lunch today. There’s something I need to talkover with him.’
