for mislaid objects, especially as the new arrival had once again paused on her doorstep and was now waiting for Jade to pass through her own garden gate. Avoidance wasn’t an option. Bugger.
Slowly, Jade moved forward, still apparently preoccupied with her bag.
‘Hi,’ said the woman, as Jade walked towards her own front door. ‘I saw you arrive and wondered if you might be my neighbour.’
‘Oh, hello,’ said Jade. She looked up, affecting a surprised expression. ‘I didn’t see you standing there.’
Both women knew this wasn’t true.
‘I’ve just moved in,’ said the woman.
‘Yes, I gathered. I saw you waving to the van driver,’ said Jade.
She instantly flushed, realising she’d dropped herself in it for pretending not to see the woman until now.
‘Dee Parker,’ said the woman.
She extended one hand over the low wall that divided the frontage between the two properties. Reluctantly, Jade shook it.
‘Jade Ferguson.’
Jade noted the woman’s perfectly manicured fingernails coated with a clear varnish. Unlike Greg’s nails, Dee’s were spotlessly clean. Her left hand was lightly resting against a jean-clad thigh. No rings. Not married then.
Jade’s eyes flicked back to Dee Parker’s face. Her make-up was immaculate, and the generous slick of Marilyn-Monroe-red lipstick added glamour. She wondered if Brad would think Dee attractive. Probably. Most men thought cougar types like this one were gorgeous.
Once upon a time Jade had taken trouble with her appearance. She’d always sported glossy locks and scarlet lips. Tom had loved it. But in the last few months, she’d stopped caring. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d visited the hairdresser for highlights, and the only thing on her lips these days was balm to stop them from chapping. Jade realised Dee was talking and dragged her thoughts back to the present.
‘Have you lived here long?’ Dee was saying.
‘No.’
There was a pause as Dee waited for Jade to elaborate. When nothing else was forthcoming, Dee filled the gap that could have become awkward.
‘Are the other neighbours nice?’
Jade considered for a moment.
‘I only know two of them, and when I say know I mean that in the loosest sense.’
‘Ah,’ said Dee. ‘I guess you’re a busy working girl, eh? No time to make friends.’
She smiled encouragingly, evidently hoping Jade would engage.
‘Yes,’ was all Jade said.
‘So… who are the two neighbours you do know?’
‘Brad Grimshaw lives next door to you’ – Jade nodded her head at Number 5 – ‘and Greg Good is at Number 2.’
‘Single?’ asked Dee, giving a cheeky grin.
Jade instantly felt annoyed. She didn’t like anyone knowing too much about her.
‘Yes,’ said Jade reluctantly. ‘I’m single.’
‘I meant the men,’ said Dee, laughing. ‘Are Brad and Greg fit?’
Jade didn’t laugh back. She wasn’t up for girly chats at the best of times, and certainly not with a woman she’d known for less than five minutes. Jade hoped Dee Parker wasn’t going to be the type who wanted to share a bottle of wine on Friday nights to celebrate the end of the working week. She didn’t need a gal pal suggesting girls’ nights in or – even worse – girls’ nights out. She realised Dee was waiting for a reply.
‘Brad’s nice enough,’ she said carefully. ‘If you like that sort of thing.’
‘And Greg?’
Jade gave an involuntary grimace.
‘He’s, er–’
‘A bit of a minger, eh?’ Dee roared. ‘Say no more.’
‘I’m sure you’ll meet him soon enough. He makes a point of getting to know everyone in Gresham Terrace. He likes to’ – she posted quotation marks in the air – ‘“look after” us all.’
‘Does he now!’ said Dee, her tone full of innuendo. ‘Well if he’s six feet tall and looks like Poldark, I’m more than happy for him to look after me.’
Jade didn’t banter back. She wasn’t going to be drawn into discussing Greg Good’s rodent-like teeth that possibly hadn’t seen a dentist in years, or his personality which was wetter than pond weed. It would have been the perfect moment to steer the conversation into camaraderie and new friendship, but Jade was already mentally distancing herself from Dee Parker. And then a thought occurred to her.
‘Do you work?’ Jade blurted.
‘Yes,’ said Dee, puzzled at the abrupt topic change. ‘I might look a bit past it, but I still have some way to go before retirement.’
Jade didn’t think Dee looked remotely “past it”.
‘What time do you get home?’ asked Jade, attempting a casual tone… as if this was a perfectly normal question to ask a stranger.
‘It depends what’s in my diary,’ said Dee cautiously. ‘My hours are… flexible.’
‘Ah.’
‘Why?’
Jade decided to copy Greg.
‘I was, er,