same. Tess was stood in the lounge, staring at the floor. She looked up when he came in.
‘What’s it worth then?’ she asked as he took his shots, the last one being of the view from the balcony.
‘About 10% less than it was last summer,’ he said.
Then on a whim, and trying not to be obvious, he pressed the shutter of the camera again, knowing that Tess would be in shot. He wondered whether she would notice.
But after he'd done it he thought of what had happened with with Hannah this morning. What was happening to him? First making smutty comments and now sneaking photos of girls. What would it be next? Peeking through curtains? Sneaking around with his telephoto lens looking for courting couples seeking the dangerous solitude of the lovers lane? Or seeking out women with plunging necklines?
‘I won’t really be able to give any figures until I look at all the evidence though of course.’
That's it, he told himself, cover your guilt, make it look normal.
‘Of course,’ she said. She was now looking quite glum. ‘So I guess you are going now? I guess I have to go?' she said.
‘Yes, I’m afraid so, I have to lock up,’ said Dan. He found himself not wanting to go though, wanting to prolong the moment. ‘Did you have good times here?’ he added.
Tess seemed to think this over carefully.
‘Yes. Well, so, so, maybe. Some good memories, some bad, you know.’
Dan watched as she walked over to the centre of the lounge again. She seemed fascinated by one particular point on the carpet.
She’s touched, thought Dan. There’s something not right about her. Perhaps she’d had a breakdown, cracked under the stress of trying to hack it in the legal world. It wasn't unusual, well in London at least. But there was something about her, something different, a stillness. He found it quite fascinating but also there was something he found the in situation that was somewhat funny.
Touched. A nutcase. Just what he needed. They’d make a great couple. His ideal girl.
Once he got this thought in his head the urge to laugh was overwhelming. Suddenly it was so hilariously, unbearably funny that, as much as he tried to stop himself, he couldn’t help but let it out.
Tess looked at him, puzzled but, Dan noticed to his relief, not apparently scared. That in itself was amazing; if he had been in her shoes, alone in a room with someone who had just started laughing for no reason, he would have made his excuses and left.
‘What’s so funny?’ she said.
Dan tried to pull himself together. ‘Nothing, I’m sorry, it was nothing. I was laughing at me…honestly you don’t want to know.’ He looked at his watch, ‘We really should go now,’ he said.
‘Yes,’ she said, but showed no sign of heading to the door.
Definitely crazy, he thought.
Perfect.
‘Would you like to come for a drink?’ he suddenly found himself blurting out. The idea and the words had come almost at the same time, they came out as involuntarily as a sneeze. He couldn’t quite believe he had said it. He wasn’t surprised that she looked so startled.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said quickly, ‘It was a silly idea, I don’t usually…I…’
‘I’d love to,’ she said very quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
‘You would? I mean…great! You really want to?’
‘I’d love to,’ she said again, more firmly this time.
‘Really?’
‘Yes!’ Tess was smiling now too.
‘Great, well, shall we go then?’
Still in a slight daze he led the way to the front door, opened it and waited for Tess to go through.
‘No, you first,’ she said, the uncertainty in her voice back.
‘Oh. OK.’ Dan stepped through and waited. For a moment he thought she wasn’t going to come but then she took a deep breath and stepped straight out.
‘There,’ she said, ‘That was easy.’ She let out the breath she was holding in a relieved sigh. Dan’s unease obviously showed in his face because she added quickly, ‘Joke. Now where are we going?’
Hell, he hadn't thought that far, where could they go? This wasn't a place he knew that well.
‘Er…The Green Bar at the Lowry? It’s a bit of a walk but I can’t really think of anywhere else.’
‘The Green Bar’s fine. Lead on.’
In the lift neither said a word, standing quietly and, to Dan, a little awkwardly and not too close to each other. When the doors opened on the ground floor, Dan waited for Tess to get out first but once again she hesitated. For