Page 73 of Be More Octopus

'I'm not sure what you mean.' Em had a very good idea of what Lucy meant, but she wasn't sure that Jack would appreciate it now she was back in the friend zone.

'Try the peck on the cheek again. That would've worked last time if you hadn't been interrupted. And if he doesn't respond, you know where you stand.'

Em had already decided she wouldn't be the first to make a move this time. If Jack wanted her, he could say so. She heard a door slam in the distance on Lucy's end of the conversation.

'Got to go,' Lucy said. 'Lars has arrived. I'll email you the Clara dossier. It's entirely up to you whether you read it. Good luck with the party. I hope you get lots of interest.' Lucy winked at Em as she ended the call.

'That went well.' Jack walked into the kitchen at Dashford Grange and put down a tray of leftover party food on the island.

Em looked up from loading the dishwasher and beamed at him. 'Yes, I've had two enquiries, and they both seem very keen.'

She was thrilled. Deep down, she'd thought getting one person interested in having their portrait painted would be a resounding success. To get two was amazing. Plus, everyone who had said they were coming to the party had turned up, there had been no poisonous fumes to worry about, and no one had felt the urge to destroy the painting. She smiled to herself.

'What's amusing you?' Jack asked.

'I was just thinking about all the stupid things I came up with that could have gone wrong tonight.'

'Nothing went wrong, did it? Your talk went really well, and everyone was raving about how good Nancy's portrait was.'

'No, it was all perfect.' Em said.

And the best part of the evening was that she and Jack seemed to be back to being best buddies. He'd been attentive and supportive. No awkwardness and no more digs about Karl. He'd said he'd wanted to forget about the last week, and he'd stuck to that. And she'd managed to do that too until now.

She thought about last Friday night and Karl. This evening's party had been a much more genteel affair than last week's - no chance of any hot sex tonight.

'Em?' Jack's voice brought her back to now.

'Sorry, I was miles away.' Thinking about whether you're as good between the sheets as Karl, but she decided not to mention that.

'Do you want another drink?' Jack was waving a half-full bottle of Pinot Grigio at her.

'No, no more thanks.' Or I might rip your clothes off.

Nancy's friend, Daphne, walked in.

'Don't mind me. I just want some water to take up to bed.' Daphne got a glass from the cupboard and walked over to the fridge.

'I must say that was an excellent party. Well done, Em.'

'It was all Nancy's doing, really.'

'I'm sure you contributed too. And well done to you, Jack. The way you extracted poor Em from Mrs Forrester's clutches was a masterclass in diplomacy.' Jack had spotted Em trapped in a corner by a local councillor who was giving her chapter and verse about a painter who used to live in Dashford in the 1950s. 'She has a heart of gold, but she never knows when to shut up. I, on the other hand, do know when my presence is no longer wanted.' Daphne grinned at them as she left the kitchen. 'You two make a lovely couple.'

Em noticed Jack smiling to himself. 'By the way,' he said, 'I haven't heard anything from Isabella.'

Interesting that Daphne's comment had made him think about the Isabella situation.

He put the wine in the fridge. 'Now we're friends again.' Em noticed that he'd emphasised ‘friends’. 'Would you like me to cook you dinner tomorrow night? I thought you might be exhausted after the party and sorting out this week's holiday changeovers?'

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Em was exhausted after the stressful week. She was glad to be standing in Jack's kitchen while he prepared their evening meal.

'Lucy's coming to stay next weekend,' she said as she sipped a glass of wine while Jack chopped mushrooms.

'Just Lucy? No Lars? I thought they were inseparable?'

'They are. But he's going on a stag weekend. I think this visit is as much about taking her mind off that as it is about seeing me. '