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“Oh, oh, oh. Goodness.” Rowena was pushing threads of wiry hair off her face. “This is all sonew.”
Alice quirked a smile. “Funny that. It’s all new for me, too.” She got up to search for her laptop. If she waited a second more her resolve might slip. “Can you bring me Henry’s letter as soon as you unpack?” As she walked away, she heard Rowena calling out in a perplexed tone, “Darling, what’s all this glass doing on the floor?”
Alice’s smile spread, bunching her cheeks. “I really have no idea.”
Later, she’d tell Rowena the truth. And she wouldn’t wait twenty-six years to do so.
* * *
“Have you noticed the really tense vibe here the last couple of days?” Hamish said as he got into the elevator next to Aaron.
Aaron eyed his reflection in the strip of mirrored glass next to the elevator control panel. Features drawn and tired. He scraped a hand through his hair but it refused to fall in its usual languid fashion over his forehead.
Crap. He didn’t want to meet Alice looking less than his best.
He shrugged. “Too busy to notice, frankly.” He hoped he sounded casual and disinterested enough to put Hamish off the scent.
Clearly he hadn’t, because Hamish said next, “Heard any more on Lauren’s disappearance?”
“Nope.”
“The word is family stuff. Maybe she’s got boyfriend issues. Must be bad to keep her away from work, though.”
Aaron pulled at his cufflinks, the Batman ones Alice had bought him for his birthday. He hoped she’d be impressed he was wearing them. “Could be a sick parent.”
“Maybe.” Hamish’s pleasant face broke into a smile. “Anyway, how’s Alice?”
Aaron felt a daft smile hijacking his features. “She’s good. Catching up with her now, actually.”
She’d sent a curt “ok” to his text about grabbing a bite to eat tonight, with no acknowledgment to his “Miss you” comment of yesterday, then proceeded to floor him by suggesting the food markets on Nevis Street. The markets, with their plethora of stalls and cramped together tables, tended to be a place Alice avoided. Not the best arena to talk, either, but for once he wasn’t going to argue the toss. He just needed to see her.
The lift pinged at the ground floor.
Hamish flicked up the collar of his jacket. “Say hi from me. We’ll catch up soon, eh?”
“Sure.” Aaron resisted the urge to cross his fingers for luck. Next he’d be trying to locate a black cat and bribing it to run across his path. Oliver hadn’t mentioned the strange personality changes that overtook you when you found yourself in this L-word situation.
Saying his farewells to Hamish, he resisted the urge to bound down the road, tempered his pace to a brisk walk and headed for the markets.
Alice was waiting outside the entrance, neatly buttoned into her coat. Glasses on. Hair tied back, her mouth as buttoned up as her coat.
His heart sank.
Where was he supposed to start? Especially when it appeared he’d had a charm bypass in the last few days; all his usual lines had completely dried up on him.
“Hi, sorry I’m late.”
“You’re not. I was early.” She stared at his left ear.
Awkward. Now what? He ducked his head and gave her a peck on the cheek. Alice retracted her head and he drew back, frowning. Small talk was probably the safest bet to start off with.
“What do you fancy, Indian, Chinese, Thai?”
They deliberated for what seemed an agonisingly long time, but finally he chose Vietnamese and Alice decided on The Raw Rage. Maybe the title was fitting for how she felt about him at present.
Seated at a small table away from the other few Tuesday-night diners, he asked, “So what’s the big thing you wouldn’t tell me about yesterday?”
She stared down at her plateful of green leaves with the odd piece of capsicum and sunflower seeds thrown in. “I’ve found my dad.”
