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“True,” Jack agreed. “Because it turned out Max is a terrible teacher and I have no natural abilities for hitting a tiny ball with a metal stick.” He grinned at Max. “How embarrassing would it have been if we’d been out on the course where people could see me?”
“I’d say it would have taken us quite a while to get round,” Max replied.
“I’d still be there.” Jack’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
Allie had more questions, but was aware of Hugh’s eyes on her.
“Shall we find a table?” he asked.
She smiled as she nodded. Really, she’d like to chat to the locals and continue finding out what they thought of the golf club. That would be rude, though. She’d agreed to a drink with Hugh, so she really should sit down and have a drink with him.
“Do you ever play golf?” she asked him as they sat at a small table close to the fireplace.
“I’ve never swung a golf club in my life. I’m sure it’d be embarrassing if I tried.”
“That’s a shame.”
He shrugged. “I take it you’re a fan?”
“Yeah.” She bit back a grin. “You could say that. My dad was into golf, so I grew up around it.”
“Is that how you ended up working at Thurley Beach?”
“Kind of …”
“What were you doing back in Surrey?”
She took a sip of her drink to give her time to decide how to reply. “Also working at a golf club,” she said, deciding that sticking as close to the truth as possible would be a good move.
“Waitressing?” Hugh asked.
“I did a bit of everything.” She paused. “I had more responsibility.”
“So what made you decide to leave?”
“Just fancied a change,” she said, eyeing her drink as though it had all the answers. “My dad has contacts at a lot of golf clubs. I thought a stint by the sea might be a pleasant change.”
Hugh nodded, apparently accepting her reasons without question. But then he had no reason to be suspicious. Which meant there was no need for her to feel so nervous.
“What about you?” she asked, angling for a change of subject. “Have you always worked in architecture?”
“Yes. I was working for a small firm straight after uni. I set up on my own when Emmy was little to give me more flexibility.”
“So you’re self-employed?”
He nodded. “I specialise in loft conversions. It’s not exactly glamorous, but there’s quite a demand for it so I’m never short of work.”
“That’s good,” she murmured, losing interest in the conversation as the sound of laughter drifted from the bar. Something was clearly entertaining Jack and Max, and she had the urge to talk with them again. She had the impression that Max was a golfer, and it sounded as though he played up at Thurley.
She tuned back into the conversation in front of her. “How long does it take to train to be an architect?” she asked, not in any way curious but keen to keep the conversation away from herself.
“I got a degree in four years,” he told her. “But that’s only really the basics. There’s constantly more to learn, so I’ve done various extra courses alongside working.”
Allie managed a polite smile. “How did you decide to become an architect in the first place?”
Allie tried hard to focus as Hugh rambled away about his childhood obsession with building sites and his brief idea of going into construction. It was difficult to feign interest, so she ended up drinking her gin too fast. It didn’t make the conversation any more interesting, but when Hugh ran out of steam, she had an excuse to go back to the bar.
“Do you want another?” she asked, standing with her empty glass in hand.
