We’d reached my gate now. Stood facing each other in the moonlight. ‘Goodnight, Poppy.’ He reached out and tucked a strand of hair back behind my ear, before lightly kissing my cheek.
Why should that small gesture disarm me?
I turned to open my gate, simultaneously swinging my bag over my shoulder, but it was a clumsy manoeuvre and the strap caught on the picket fence. As I unravelled myself I turned quickly to see if he’d noticed, and just caught his eye. By the time I’d smiled nonchalantly he was well on his way.
I walked up my path thoughtfully. Well, I was out of practice. Flirting. But I’d have to do better than that. One man leaves a message on my answering machine and I’m twirling round the kitchen, another touches my hair and I’m fighting my own garden fence? I shook my head. Any woman’s magazine worth its salt would point out that, recently widowed and bereft in so many other ways for years, I was vulnerable. And susceptible to any man’s attention. Any man, I thought soberly, being a great deal better than Phil.
I could barely get the tenner into Frankie’s hand before she’d sidled past me with the briefest of muffled thanks, and out into the night. I turned and watched her go. Towards the pub across the road. Into the pub? No. Surely not. It was full of locals; she’d never get served. She hurried past the saloon-bar door and went round to the yard where the barrels were stored. A car seemed to be waiting, engine running. She slid quickly into the passenger seat. I watched as it sped off. Oh well, it was still early, I reasoned uneasily as I went inside. And she was sixteen now. Hardly a child. I didn’t want to make things hard for Frankie, and as Jennie kept reminding me whenever I raised it, she really wasn’t my problem.
I found myself dressing rather carefully for my meeting with my lawyer. I gave my hair two washes, wishing it was thicker but pleased it was still satisfyingly blonde from the recent highlights, and blew it dry with a round brush instead of just giving it a hasty blast of hot air. It hung in a fair sheet around my shoulders. Spun gold, Mum used to say when I was little. Then she’d brush it for me, my head in her lap. My face was a bit pale, but a spot of blusher and lipstick and a bright pink scarf improved it, although I did remove the silky skirt and replace it with a navy one. And my new boots, not bare legs. Years ago I’d still have been head to toe in black, I reminded myself, and this was a meeting, not a date. Nevertheless my heart quickened as I tripped lightly downstairs, one hand brushing the rail. I hesitated at the bottom. Ran back upstairs for some scent.
The heavy oak front door onto the high street had been varnished, I noticed, and there was a new sign on it: Sam’s name in gold letters picked out just below that of the senior partner. The stairs, as I climbed the two flights, had been carpeted in something cream and expensive, with gilt stair rods. Very Harley Street, or whatever the legal equivalent was. Wigmore? No, that was teeth. Very private practice, anyway. Maybe we could share a joke about that? Except we’d already done one about makeovers. Anyway, something quick and witty would come to mind, I decided, as I bounded up with a new authority and sailed into Janice’s waiting room. I was feeling decidedly sparky today.
Janice’s room was more than just tidy, it was freshly painted, with flowers on the desk. After she’d greeted me with a beaming smile I admired the decor and the flora, and then we indulged in a spot of girly chat about how we both loved lilies. She ushered me on through, assuring me Sam was waiting for me, and I noticed the new carpet continued seamlessly into his room, which was also immaculate. Although the half-empty packet of Orios on the desk, I decided with a small smile as I turned to shut the door, was a nice familiar touch. I wondered what pretext he’d manufactured for this meeting?
‘Poppy. Thanks for coming in again.’ He stood up with a smile.
‘My pleasure.’ I gave a dazzling smile back, taking the seat he indicated. I noticed the shirt was pink today