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‘Send my love to Woody,’ sang Jess, and Nikki wasn’t sure if she detected a note of sarcasm in her voice. Thank goodness she was heading to work and wouldn’t be swinging by the harbour. The last thing she wanted was her sister getting in on the act.
To Nikki’s relief, the new arrival was still sitting on the bench when she got back. She had never felt this kind of urgency before. She wasn’t given to chasing men. Not that she was chasing him, exactly, but she was beguiled. She slowed to a walk as she approached, catching her breath, wishing she’d had time to shower and change. He was leaning with his arms stretched along the back of the bench, his blond hair touching the neck of his sweatshirt, one long brown leg crossed over the over.
‘One bacon sandwich with brown sauce.’ She leaned over the back of the bench and waved it under his nose.
‘You angel!’ He smiled up at her. ‘You’ve got no idea how much I’ve been craving this.’
She sat next to him on the bench as he began to eat. He couldn’t get it in fast enough.
‘I should have made you two.’
‘No, this is perfect. Want a bite?’ He proffered the uneaten half.
‘I’m fine,’ she said, even though the prospect of sharing his sandwich was quite appealing.
‘You’re a pro. This is just the right amount of crispy, just the right amount of sauce.’
She laughed. ‘I’m highly trained.’
In two minutes, it was all gone. Nikki panicked that would be it, that he would thank her and slip out of reach.
‘So what are you doing here? In sunny Speedwell?’
‘I was told the most beautiful girl in the world lived here.’
He was looking at her, his eyes teasing. There was a smear of brown sauce on his top lip. She longed to reach out and wipe it off.
‘Ha ha,’ she replied. ‘But beauty isn’t everything, you know.’
‘No,’ he said. ‘The ability to make a decent bacon sarnie is far more important.’
She paused, then pointed at his face.
‘You’ve got a blob of brown sauce, just there.’
He tapped his face till she nodded, then wiped it off.
‘Better?’
‘Yep.’
There was silence for a moment. Nikki scrabbled for what to say next. Her conversation so far hadn’t been scintillating, and he wasn’t very forthcoming.
‘Do you need somebody to show you around?’ she managed finally.
‘I usually prefer to explore by myself.’
‘Fair enough.’
‘Usually,’ he said, standing up. ‘But I get the feeling you might be a fun tour guide.’
‘Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen.’
‘That’s quite a promise.’ His eyes glinted. There seemed to be sparks of copper amidst the blue.
Nikki laughed. ‘Within reason. This is a quiet seaside town. Basically, if you want chips, or a tattoo, you’re sorted.’
‘Right now, all I really want is a decent cup of coffee.’
