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The impersonal little text she’d received last night from Jake had hardly been reassuring.
Hope you enjoyed last night’s gig and got back to the guesthouse OK. I’ll catch up with you in the morning.
He hadn’t even included an ‘x’ to denote a kiss.
But then she knew she had played her part when she’d stupidly accepted a lift from Kenny Swan without even telling him. She’d done it because Jake had been busy talking to the rest of the band and she had felt inexplicably jealous. Ignored. She knew it was ridiculous, because he was the group’s manager, but right then she hadn’t wanted to share him with anyone. Even Lia’s reassuring presence hadn’t consoled her.
The news about the recording contract was wonderful, but her pleasure was sadly tainted by the hurtful realisation that the man she loved didn’t love her back.
‘Cheer up, love, it may never happen.’ The handsome young assistant who had taken her order returned with her coffee and cake.
‘What did you say?’ She glanced up at him, not comprehending.
‘You looked sad…I was just trying to cheer you up. Anyway, enjoy your coffee.’ With a cheeky wink and a tuneless whistle, he returned behind the counter.
Discovering that she’d suddenly lost all desire for cake, and after taking just a few sips of her coffee, Caitlin scraped back her chair, left the money for her bill on the table and hurriedly left. How could she possibly eat when all she could think about was Jake?
* * *
‘Where have you been?’
He was waiting outside the guesthouse when she returned and the expression on his face was as implacable as ever. Steeling herself against the blast of icy wind that suddenly hit her, Caitlin shoved her long hair out of her eyes and stared.
‘It’s nice to see you, too,’ she murmured..
‘I was worried about you. I even got your landlady to check your room—which was no easy feat, I can tell you. She told me that your bed was made but she couldn’t tell whether you’d slept in it or not.’ Stepping towards her, he frowned. ‘What’s going on, Caitlin?’
‘Nothing… I just went for a cup of coffee, that’s all.’
‘So you did sleep in your bed last night?’
‘Of course I did.’
‘Why didn’t you reply to my message asking if you were Okay?’
‘It was two o’clock in the morning when you sent it—that’s why. I was tired and I fell back to sleep. Wait a minute…where did you think I’d slept if it wasn’t in my bed at the guesthouse?’
‘You were eager enough to go off with Kenny.’
‘The man offered us a lift, and because you seemed busy talking to Rick and the others I accepted. I was tired, Jake. I’m still a novice at this game and I expend a lot of energy trying to get it right.’
‘You’re doing just fine, Caitlin. In fact you never cease to amaze me with how dedicated you are in giving a great performance. Last night you were flawless. You knocked it out of the park!’
‘Thanks.’
Her smile was guarded and a flash of pain squeezed at Jake’s heart. Had he pushed her too hard? He’d hate to think she wasn’t deriving any pleasure from singing with the band any more.
Making a concerned examination of her features, he noticed for the first time that she was unusually pale, and beneath her lovely green eyes he could see bruising shadows.
‘We should talk,’ he said quietly.
‘Not right now. I need to go inside and pack and say goodbye to my friend. She’ll be wondering where I am. I didn’t wake her to let her know I was going out.’
She moved towards the steps that led up to the house’s front door. Jake stared in disbelief. Then he came to his senses and caught hold of her arm.
‘Are you trying to hide something from me, Caitlin?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Tell me the truth. Did you stay at Kenny’s place last night?’ He was unable to hold back his fury at the thought.
Her green eyes flashed.
‘I already told you that I didn’t. The man is a snake. I know he wants to sign us, but if the agreement means he has some unspoken right to make suggestive remarks to me whenever he gets the chance then you can find another singer—and I don’t say that lightly. I love this band, and I want it to do well. But I’ve played the part of sacrificial lamb before, and I’m damn sure I’m not going to play it again. Not for anybody!’
