‘Oh, very smooth.’
He grinned. ‘Actually, that came out way more cheesy than it was meant to.’
‘At least it’s reassuring to know that you didn’t intend to be that cheesy. Although, frankly, it was still a total cheese fest.’
‘I can’t argue with that. As much as I’d really, really like to.’ He leant on the fence. ‘It is a great view, though.’
The sun was dipping below the horizon now and twinkling white fairy lights were swathed around every available tree and surface in the garden, lending it a magical air. I turned back to admire it in the gathering twilight.
‘So, the Richmonds do this every year?’
Alex turned too and leant against the three-bar fence that separated the end of the garden from the fields, and the view beyond. ‘They do. For as long as I can remember, which, bearing in mind I’ve known Charlie since primary school, is a pretty long time. Luckily for his mum, we take less supervision now.’
‘That’s debatable.’
He laughed, before taking a sip from his beer bottle.
‘It’s lovely that you’ve stayed friends for so long. It’s easy to lose touch with people, especially when you go in different directions.’
‘You’re referring to that fact I don’t earn shedloads in the City.’
I turned quickly. ‘No! Honestly, I just meant that life easily gets in the way. And with Charlie’s travelling and you – I assume – doing shifts, it’s just really nice that you’ve managed to stay such good friends.’
‘I know you didn’t mean it like that.’ Alex touched my arm in reassurance. ‘I’m just teasing you. And yeah, I’m really pleased we have too. Charlie’s a great bloke. One of those people who you know would do anything for you.’
‘The kind of friend who’d help you move a body!’ I laughed, then stopped abruptly. ‘Oh, God. That was just a figure of speech, you know that, right?’ Alex took a swig from his bottle of beer and raised an eyebrow at me in a ‘maybe yes maybe no’ kind of way. ‘Argh! Do you always have this effect on people?’
‘No. Not generally.’
‘Great, it’s just me, then.’ I’d had a couple more glasses of punch and was beginning to think I shouldn’t have. Even watered down it was having an effect on me. ‘Maybe I should just stop talking to you.’
‘I’d rather you didn’t,’ he said.
I gave a hesitant look up through my lashes, pretty sure that he was teasing again. But his eyes this time were more serious. ‘I’d actually really like to talk to you a lot more.’
‘Oh!’ I replied, eloquently and full of wit.
‘Is that a good “oh” or a bad “oh”?’ Alex asked, smiling. ‘It’s a little hard to tell.’
‘I think it’s more of a surprised “oh”, to tell you the truth.’
‘OK, then. Well, so long as it’s not a bad “oh”, we can work with it.’
I giggled. Too much punch. Definitely.
‘Sorry. I’m rubbish at drinking.’
‘It’s fine. You’re not drunk.’ He bent and looked into my eyes. ‘You’re not drunk, are you?’ His voice suddenly a little more serious.
‘No, I’m not!’ I said, and gave him a playful push in the chest. My hand hit solid muscle and tingled with the heat from his body. I shoved my hand behind my back. ‘Bloomin’ cheek.’
‘I just wanted to check. I mean, you don’t look drunk. Believe me. Some of the sights we see on patrol in the city, especially Friday and Saturday nights. Honestly, you look like a nun compared to them.’
‘Wow. Comparisons to a nun. Just what every girl dreams of.’
Alex laughed and caught the hand I had now returned to resting on the top rail of the fence.
‘I apologise. You are most certainly not like a nun. Not at all.’
