Page 136 of Serenity Falls

‘Great!’ I smile in what hopefully looks like a pleasant and non-stalkerish way.

The door opens. ‘Hey!’

Lori is dressed down in gym shorts and a faded pink Levis T-shirt. Her hair is damp and pulled back in a low ponytail. Her feet are bare.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t call first,’ I stutter. ‘But I was in town and, well, I wanted to say thanks for last night and sorry if I was a little off at the end.’

‘Honestly, there’s nothing to apologize for. I had a nice time.’

‘Well, I brought this.’ I hold out the bottle of wine (should have bought a bottle bag, I think). ‘After all, you bought the wine last night.’

‘Thank you.’ She accepts the wine. ‘Probably a little early to open it, but I have coffee?’

She stands back, opening the door wider. I hesitate. It’s just a coffee, but stepping over the threshold feels like something more.

I smile. ‘Thanks.’

Inside, it’s stylish and smart without feeling cold or uninviting. The living area features an L-shaped beige sofa, leather armchair and a coffee table. The kitchen is grey and white. A small pair of glass doors leads out to a manicured yard filled with brightly coloured, exotic flowers and a narrow resistance pool at one end.

Lori gestures to the sofa. ‘Take a seat. How d’you like your coffee?’

‘Erm, just black, please.’

‘Coming right up.’

She grabs two cups and switches on a sleek-looking coffee machine. Then she turns back to me.

‘How’s your head?’

‘Okay.’ Which isn’t entirely true. The painkillers I bought on the way here have subdued the headache from earlier, but I can still feel it bubbling away underneath. ‘It’s weird. I never used to get headaches like this.’

She brings two cups of coffee over and places them on the small table. ‘Well, you’ve made a big life change and you had a big shock. That’s all stressful.’

I reach for the coffee. ‘Yeah, and that’s not even the half of it.’

‘Really? Tell me more.’ She sits and curls her feet up underneath her.

I hesitate. ‘I didn’t come here to offload on you.’

‘I’m a good listener.’

I smile. ‘Are you going to bill me?’

‘I’ll always accept wine as payment.’

‘Okay, then—’

The front doorbell rings, cutting me off.

Lori reaches for her phone and frowns. ‘Damn.’

‘Problem?’

She shakes her head. ‘No. Just a client turning up unexpectedly.’ She stands. ‘I’d better go and deal with them. Sorry.’

‘No, it’s fine.’

She walks out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her. I sit for a moment, listening. I can make out voices. Lori’s and another female’s. The other female sounds angry, Lori soothing. I can’t really tell what they’re saying.