Page 89 of My Kind of Happy

Chapter Twenty-six

The moment lengthened between us; my heart thumping so loudly, I could hear it in my ears.

‘Where’s that beer?’ shouted Archie suddenly.

‘And my pen?’ Mikey added.

A look of disappointment flashed across Sam’s face. ‘We’d better … um.’

‘Yes, definitely.’ I jolted myself back into action and laughed awkwardly.

Before either of us moved, someone banged on the glass of the shop window, making us both jump.

‘Hold on!’ I called, pressing up against Sam’s chest as I squeezed by. ‘I should have put a notice saying private party on the door.’

‘I CAN SEE YOU IN THERE!’ a woman’s voice shouted through the glass. There was a blur of movement as whoever it was moved from the window to the shop door.

‘Oh rats,’ Sam muttered. ‘Now I’m in trouble.’

‘Why? What’s the matter?’

‘My wife has turned up,’ he said with a sigh. ‘That’s what. I recognise her dulcet tones.’

I stared at the figure through the glass as I crossed the shop floor. Her hands were shielding her eyes so she could see in. A tight black outfit, blonde hair wound into a bun with sunglasses perched into it. I groaned inwardly and slowed my pace.

It was the woman who’d reversed into the motorbike last week. The one I’d yelled at like a banshee. Sam’s wife.

In my head I’d built a picture of a demanding, spoiled princess who twisted her long-suffering husband around her little finger. Now I could add selfish, unapologetic and unobservant to the list.

‘Are you going to open this door?’ Pandora yelled. ‘Or do I have to smash the glass with my shoe.’

‘I’m coming!’ I raced to the door to unlock it before she started to batter at it with her footwear.

Sam quickly dumped the beers and pens on the work table for his friends, whose heads had all swivelled in our direction.

‘Busted, mate,’ said someone with a chuckle.

‘Yeah,’ I heard him mutter, as he made his way back towards me. ‘Party could be over for me.’

In my haste, my fingers fumbled but finally I got the door open.

Her dark eyes narrowed. ‘You again. Well, well, well.’

‘Come in,’ I said, trying to keep my voice neutral. I stepped back to let her past.

Pandora stalked in, her jaw set like granite. Her perfume was so strong that it completely overpowered an entire shopful of flowers.

‘I was going to introduce you,’ said Sam lightly. ‘But of course, you two ladies will have met when Fearne delivered your flowers.’

He approached his wife and attempted to kiss her. She side-stepped him, leaning back as if trying to dodge a wasp.

‘Er, no, actually.’ Pandora wet her lips.

I raised an eyebrow, sending her a silent message: and which bouquet is he referring to?

‘I think it was your son who answered the door when I delivered the flowers,’ I told Sam, turning away from Pandora, who’d gone a little pale. ‘He was very polite.’

‘That sounds like Will.’ Sam smiled proudly.