Today, however, we were safe. There was no sign of Dougal, and Mrs Hughes’ comically small Smart car wasn’t in her drive.
Phil wasn’t taking any chances.
He hustled me up to the front door and crammed himself onto the doorstep, tucking his tail. I ruffled the windblown orange fluff on top of his big head soothingly, and knocked on the door.
“Coming!” Ray yelled from inside the house.
Phil huffed happily at the sound of his voice, and barged in as soon as Ray opened the door.
“Hi!” Ray said. “Hello, Phil. What a lovely surprise.”
Phil groaned in agreement and sat on Ray’s feet, blocking the entrance.
“Hi, Charlie,” Ray said. “Come on in.”
Unlikesomepeople, I waited for an invitation.
I bent down and scooted Phil off Ray’s feet and to the side. “I didn’t see you at the coffee shop yesterday.”
“No, I had to go over to Milton Keynes for a meeting with Paulina.”
Paulina was Ray’s client and friend. Their meetings usually involved long meals and craft beer at gastropubs, which Paulina would then review on her personal blog. Whenever they met here, they ate the main course at The Lion, but Ray usually brought her to The Chipped Cup for coffee and a piece of cake. “How’s she doing these days?”
“She’s doing great. I’ll tell her you asked after her.” He tipped his head towards the kitchen. “Care to lower your standards and join me for a cup of Nespresso’s finest?” He ducked down, caught Phil’s jowls and lifted his face. Phil did his very best to meet Ray’s eyes. He almost managed. “Phil? Want some water?”
Phil swiped out his tongue. He got Ray square on the lips.
Ray choked and straightened quickly, tugging the sleeve of his jumper over his hand and scrubbing at his mouth.
“When will you learn?” I said.
“You’d think I’d know better by now,” Ray said, and rushed for the kitchen.
I heard water running as Phil and I followed him down the hall, and then Adam saying, “We do have glasses, you know.”
Ray gargled something in reply.
Adam glanced up from where he sat at the kitchen table with his laptop as Phil and I walked in. He looked from Phil to me and then back to Ray. “Which one of them snogged you?”
“Phil. I wouldn’t mind if it was Charlie.”
Adam slid me a look. He was amused, but there was an edge of something very much not amused in his hazel eyes.
“In that case, next time I visit, you’d better pucker up for a proper hello,” I said to Ray.
“Why wait?” Ray faked a big step over towards me, and laughed when Adam slung an arm around his waist and hauled him down onto his lap.
“Adam, let him go,” I said. “I was promised a cup of something adjacent to coffee. And here, Ray.” I held out the small paper bag I’d brought with me from home. “You missed your Friday brownie.”
Ray squirmed free and took the bag. “Thank you!”
“Your customer service is top-notch,” Adam said, and got his hand smacked when he reached out in an attempt to twitch the bag from Ray’s eager grasp. “Bringing it to the door now?”
I shrugged. “They’re yesterday’s. I can’t sell them.”
“Really? You can’t tell,” Ray said through a mouthful. He moaned. “They’re so moist.”
I shrugged again, and avoided Adam’s knowing look.
