‘Deb already gave me a quick check-over?’
I did my best to keep my tone casual. ‘Deb?’
He nodded. His eyes ever so slightly averted from mine. ‘She’s one of the other coppers. Done all the first-aid courses.’
‘That’s handy, then.’
‘Yeah. I… I didn’t want to tell you about the trouble earlier because I thought you might worry and I was still hoping to make it. But then this happened and I was a bit stunned. Deb didn’t think I should drive until I was sure I was OK.’
‘Did you drive here?’ My brain was processing Alex’s words and the awkwardness of his actions, trying to put everything together.
‘No… I got a lift.’
‘Do you need one back home?’ I already knew the answer. For some masochistic reason I wanted to hear him say it.
‘Umm… no. Thanks. I’m OK.’
I raised an eyebrow, attempting innocent enquiry. The fact that my fists were balled, nails digging into my palms, probably put a dent in the act.
Alex straightened. ‘What do you want me to tell you, Libby?’
‘I’m just asking how you’re getting home.’ I forced my hands to open and did a palms-up gesture.
‘By the look on your face, I’m pretty sure you know the answer to that.’
‘Sounds like Debs is a great friend. That’s good.’
‘You can hardly judge me,’ he replied.
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘You just told me Charlie brought you home in his bloody Aston!’
‘That’s completely different!’
‘Is it?’
‘Of course it is!’ I yelled back. ‘You weren’t left sitting in a romantic restaurant for two and a half hours, subjected to pitying looks and whispered comments! If you didn’t want any of this to happen, if you wanted to see someone else instead, you should have just told me, Alex! Not left me to feel humiliated at a romantic table for two!’
Alex dropped his gaze. ‘It’s not that I prefer her to you…’
‘Please don’t.’ I held up my hand. ‘Let’s just leave it alone. OK?’ My hand pressed to my temple in an effort to quell the pounding.
‘Are you OK?’
‘I’m tired. That’s all.’
‘I should go.’
‘Yes. You probably should. You’ve already kept one woman waiting tonight. I’d hate for you to do it to another.’
He met my eyes. ‘I didn’t exactly plan things to go this way.’
‘And yet they did. Goodnight, Alex.’
He held my gaze for a couple of beats then turned back to the door. He pulled it closed behind him and I stood there in the silence. A distant roll of thunder signalled that the storm was beginning to move off. I pulled the voile back from the balcony door and watched as lightning danced on the horizon. Letting the fabric drop back into place, I switched off the light, padded into the bathroom and cleaned my teeth. Stripping off the clothes that I’d so carefully chosen with Amy earlier this evening, I uncharacteristically left them in a pile on the bedroom floor to deal with tomorrow and crawled into bed.
29
