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He looked so very sure of himself that my heart began to pound. Why would he possibly want to see me when he was so angry with me the last time we saw each other?
“Well,” Stacey said, “I need to take a shower, so I’ll leave you guys to talk.”
Radleigh openly leered at her. “Need me to scrub your back?”
Stacey wasn’t sure whether to smile or not, but one look at the incredulity on my face gave her all the answer she needed, and she headed for the bathroom.
Radleigh leaned back, tucking his hands behind his head as if he were a regular visitor. “Stacey's real nice. She made me a coffee.”
“Well, I’m
not nice. You have thirty seconds to tell me why you're here.”
He let out a deep sigh. “I need you to help me.”
“Oh, don't even start,” I told him, shaking my head. “Any chance you ever had of me helping you was blown right out of the window when you put Miguel in hospital.”
And the chances were slim before.
Radleigh’s next retort was lost as there was a knock at the door. It was just after four-thirty, and I was pretty sure Stacey wasn’t expecting anyone. I turned my back on McCoy to answer it, and was immediately bundled into a hug by Billy, Stacey's boyfriend. I loved Billy. He had all the looks of a rugged bad boy but really, he was nothing but a big softy.
“Leah!” he said. “It’s been too long! How are you?”
“I'm fine,” I answered, returning his hug. “How are you? And why are you here already? You're not supposed to be picking us up until later.”
“Yeah I know,” he said, glancing briefly at my shopping bags which were still all over the floor. “But I realised on my way home that the shirt I want to wear tonight is here.”
“Help yourself,” I told him. “You know where it is better than I do.”
“Thanks Leah,” he said, opening the door to Stacey's room. “Where is Stace anyway?”
“She's in the shower,” I replied. “You know what girls are like, it takes us forever to tart ourselves up.”
“You're not wrong,” Billy laughed, his voice muffled as he rummaged around in the wardrobe. “Though it's always worth the effort!”
I chuckled. “You're still a charmer, aren't you?”
“That I am,” Billy answered, finally reappearing from Stacey's room, green shirt in his hands. “Thanks for that, Leah.”
“No problem.”
Billy’s gaze shifted so he was looking over my shoulder, open-mouthed. I tried hard not to let out a groan.
“Aren't you going to introduce me?” McCoy said as I turned to look at him.
I wouldn’t have to if you’d kept out of the way.
“Radleigh,” I said, as politely as I could manage. “This is Stacey's boyfriend, Billy. Billy, Radleigh McCoy.”
McCoy held out his hand and Billy shook it in complete awe.
“Wow, Leah. You didn't tell me you were bringing Radleigh McCoy to the party.”
“Oh, I'm not. He’s just passing through, he’ll be gone before the party starts.”
“Actually, I'm staying in a hotel for the night,” Radleigh interrupted and I fixed him with a death stare. “I only just got here.”
“If you hadn't turned up unannounced, I could have saved you the price of a plane fare.”
