He wanted to stay? He’d cleared his conscience; why wasn’t he off on his merry way?
I narrowed my eyes. ‘You want to buy me a drink?’
He held his hands up. ‘You’re acting like I’m the first man to offer you a drink. Hell, I doubt I’m the first man tonight.’ He cast a glance at my outfit. ‘Yellow suits you.’
Was the fucker flirting with me or taking the piss?
He smiled. ‘You might not like me, but I’m hoping to change your mind. Alcohol helps my case.’
‘I’ll only be impressed if my senses are blunted by booze?’
‘No, the alcohol’s for me. I don’t usually drink much, but I needed a whisky before I could come over.’
‘A music publicist who doesn’t drink? Careful, or they’ll lock you in a lab and study you.’
‘Well then, you’ll have to keep it quiet.’
Was he flirting again, or was I imagining it?
The beer was rank; a fresh drink would help while away the time it took Simon to return. But just as I was about to say yes, the man himself appeared, looking slightly out of breath.
‘Oh, Frixie, thank God. I thought you’d left without me.’ He was grinning, but when he noticed Nick his smile faded. ‘Am I interrupting?’
‘No, of course not,’ I said.
Nick stood. ‘Let’s get that drink another time.’
He sloped off, and I was left feeling distinctly puzzled.He wanted to talk about work, right?
Simon collapsed into the chair that Nick had just vacated. ‘Sorry I kept you waiting. I haven’t spoken to Jess for years and was hoping to have a catch-up. But she’s not on best form tonight. Between you and me, she was kind of a wreck. Her stage fright was so bad, she had to cut her set short.’
‘She’s played Wembley and she worries about playing a dive like this?’
‘She was just telling me how much her confidence has been knocked since she did that reality show. The press is merciless about her musical ambitions. I really feel for her, you know.’ He smiled shyly. ‘MaybeRe:Soundcould do something to rebalance that?’
I felt for Jess myself. It was hard to be taken seriously as a female musician if you were even remotely attractive, dared to wear a swimming costume on holiday or dated anyone famous.
However, I wasn’t sure I could just stick her in the magazine as a favour to Simon. I couldn’t say that outright though so searched for something suitably non-committal to say. ‘I hope she’s okay.’
Simon nodded. ‘Shall we finish our drinks and then go?’
He’d also ordered the Mongolian beer, but had evidently enjoyed it more than I had – only a couple of inches were left.
‘I might leave mine,’ I said.
He tipped back his head, drained his bottle then smacked it onto the table. It wobbled a couple of times, before righting itself.
‘Was that guy hitting on you?’
‘What?’
‘You were sitting together for ages. I saw you from downstairs. Who was he?’
Was that a smidgeon of jealousy?
‘It was no one,’ I said, smiling broadly. ‘Just someone from work.’
