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‘Hmm. Blue curaçao, obviously.’ She took another sip. ‘I’m not sure what else, th
ough...’ If there was another spirit, it had to be colourless. ‘You haven’t laced this with vodka, have you?’
He arched one eyebrow. ‘No. I’m going for taste, not trying to get you drunk.’
‘That’s good to hear.’ Alex took another sip, just to show him that she could handle it. ‘So what are you here for, Leo?’
‘Would you believe Sunday afternoon cocktails?’
‘No. You said it yourself, Leo. There’s no such thing as just drinks. What are you here for?’
‘To apologise for rushing off like that yesterday.’
‘You don’t have to apologise. I know you had to go. I’m just happy that Arielle’s all right.’
‘Yeah. I guess it was my loss. There’s something else.’ He reached into his back pocket and brought out a folded envelope. ‘I was talking to Alice yesterday.’
‘Yes?’
‘She says that running blades aren’t automatically supplied on the NHS, and that her family can’t afford to pay for one. You’ve been helping her to put applications in for funding, but she’s not been successful yet so she’s got herself a job.’
Alex quirked her mouth downwards. ‘Yes, that’s right. She stacks shelves in the supermarket a couple of evenings a week but that’s not going to cover it. I’m going to have to think of something...’
Leo leaned forward, handing her the envelope. Alex opened it and drew out a folded sheet of notepaper. When she opened it a cheque fell out.
She read the letter carefully. Leo’s donation to the charity was to be anonymous, and it was to be used to buy Alice’s running blade. Alex caught her breath, blinking back the tears.
‘Is that enough?’
‘It’s more than enough. This would pay for her blade and the upkeep for a couple of years.’ It was what Alex had been praying for. Her fingers shook as she put the cheque down on the desk.
‘This is...’ She thought carefully about what she wanted to say. ‘This is a wonderful act of generosity, Leo. Thank you.’
‘It’s my pleasure.’
‘And you’ve tied my hands. I have to accept it.’
A flicker of doubt showed in his face. ‘I sense a but coming.’
Alex took a deep breath. She owed it to Alice to accept the cheque, but she owed something to Leo too. ‘But I want you to think about why you’re doing this, Leo.’
‘Why would I have to do that? You said yesterday that Alice has a lot of potential, and she’s never going to be able to fulfil that without help.’ His lip curled in disbelief. ‘What more do you want?’
‘We have a lot of people who support us, and we ask a lot of them. I have a duty of care to them as well as our clients.’
‘You think I can’t afford this?’
‘I know you can from a financial point of view. My worry is that...that it’s not going to buy you...’ The word stuck in her throat.
‘Buy me what?’
‘Forgiveness.’
The shock in his eyes was palpable. For a moment Alex thought he was going to snatch the cheque up from her desk and walk out. What had she done?
Then he leaned back in his seat, rubbing his face with his hands. ‘Why do you have to make everything so damn difficult, Alex?’
‘Because...’ Because she cared about Leo. If this money was all it took to allow him to forgive himself, it would be a bargain. But it wasn’t, and he’d just keep on giving until he was too worn out to give any more.
