think of a single one. The break-up with Liam seemed to have obliterated every happy memory she’d ever had.
‘So tell me about yourself,’ he asked. ‘Are you from round here?’
Anna had been dreading this from the moment she’d agreed to go out with him for a drink. She hated being cross-examined about her personal life at the best of times, and she hated it even more now—at the worst of times.
‘Oh, you don’t want to hear about me,’ she said, giving him a smile that she hoped came across as genuine. ‘Tell me more about yourself. I’m sure that’s much more interesting. Tell me about those happy memories.’
He didn’t answer immediately, fixing her with one of his penetrating looks. Then, slowly, he smiled, his face lighting up as his eyes seemed to caress her face, her hair, her shoulders.
‘You really are so like her,’ he murmured almost in a whisper. Then he shook his head as if to bring himself back to the present moment.
‘I was a medical student here, as I’ve already told you. And even though it was extremely hard work and long hours, I still look back on those times as the happiest in my life. Mostly, I suppose, because that’s when I met Anneka. She was working as an au pair to a local family.’
‘How did you meet her?’ Anna asked gently, aware of the shaft of pain that had crossed his face.
‘She used to go out on her evenings off with two other Danish au pairs. They used to join in with the groups of students that congregated around the pubs and bars. I fell for her the moment I first saw her. I offered to buy her a drink and was stunned when all three of them said, ‘‘Yes, please,’’ and proceeded to order the most expensive cocktails from the flashy barman. I couldn’t afford to eat for the rest of that week! When I’d saved up a bit of cash I plucked up the courage to ask her out, making sure the other two were well out of earshot.’
‘Did you sometimes bring her here?’ asked Anna wondering if he’d deliberately chosen this particular pub to try and re-create his time with Anneka.
‘No,’ he replied. ‘She used to like the loud disco music and noisy student atmosphere of the other pubs…the ones I avoided tonight.’
‘She was a bit of a raver, was she?’ Anna asked, beginning to draw a picture in her mind of a woman with her own blonde-haired looks but with a totally different personality.
‘Weren’t we all?’ Jack laughed, casting his mind back to his mad student days. ‘She liked partying into the night—and almost got fired from her job because of it!’
‘Oh, dear,’ said Anna, deciding that she and his late wife would have had very little in common apart from the blonde hair.
Jack was still in the happy world of the past as he recalled the angry scene on the doorstep between Anneka and her employer when he’d taken her home in the early hours of the morning after a particularly riotous all-night party.
Anna and Jack had been in the pub less than an hour. Anna finished her wine and glanced at her watch.
‘I ought to be getting home soon,’ she said, hoping that he wouldn’t cross-examine her on why she needed to be leaving so soon. She hadn’t worked out a convincing answer and was relieved when he too said it was time he was on his way. It wasn’t that she found his company boring, far from it. There was something magnetic about him and, if she hadn’t been so traumatised by her recent break-up, she might have found herself falling for him.
They walked into the pub car park, saying very little, preoccupied with their own thoughts. When they were in the car he put the key in the ignition and started the engine. Then he switched it off. He turned towards her and put his arm round the back of her seat.
Oh, God, she thought, he’s going to kiss me.
Before she could make up her mind about how she was going to handle the situation, it turned out he wasn’t intent on kissing her at all—he was only trying to get at his mobile phone.
‘Would you mind if I made a quick phone call?’ he asked.
‘No, please do,’ she said, relief flooding over her. He was a gorgeous, handsome man, with a sexy voice, and no doubt most other women would have been delighted for him to kiss them, but not Anna. She was completely immune to his obvious charms…indeed, she was completely immune to any man’s charms. She must have a heart in there somewhere, but she felt as if it was made of stone.
Jack retrieved his mobile from a bag he’d placed behind her seat. He dialled a number which was answered almost immediately.
‘Hi, it’s me,’ he said. ‘I’m on my way home. Is there anything you need me to pick up from the shops on the way back?’
He paused while the person at the other end replied.
‘OK,’ he said, ‘just some yoghurts. Is strawberry still her favourite?’
Another pause.
‘Fine. See you in a few minutes.’ He ended the call and replaced the mobile in his bag.
Anna didn’t show any curiosity about the phone call. Her mind was elsewhere, conjuring up images of Liam, wondering what he was doing right now.
Jack started the car again. ‘I was just phoning my housekeeper,’ he explained. ‘Damn, I meant to ask her if Saskia was still awake. I like to see her before she goes to bed but it’s not always possible with my irregular hours of work.’
‘Saskia?’ Anna asked.
‘My daughter.’ Jack gave her a quick glance. ‘Didn’t I mention her? I suppose I was too busy boring you with stories of my misspent youth.’
Anna felt stung. ‘You didn’t bore me!’ Was her disinterest so obvious to him? And now, just as he was about to take her home, he mentioned that he had a child! She would have found that a much more interesting topic of conversation than hearing all about Anneka-the-party-girl.
‘Tell me about Saskia,’ coaxed Anna. ‘How old is she?’
‘Three. She had her birthday last week…we had a little tea-party for her.’
‘We?’ All of a sudden she was finding the conversation intriguing.
‘There was Christine, my housekeeper-cum-nanny, Saskia’s three little chums from nursery school and my parents, who came up from Cornwall. And I managed to make it through the whole party without getting called in to the hospital.’
‘Sounds fun, the party,’ said Anna. ‘I’ve got three nephews and two nieces and I adored helping out at their birthday parties when they were small… Oh, you turn left here and my road is immediately on the right,’ she instructed. ‘I live in the block of flats near the postbox.’
Jack followed her directions and pulled to a stop outside her flat. He ran his eyes over her but this time they had a softer look, not the unsettling scrutiny that he’d been giving her ever since they’d met.
‘Do you like children?’ he asked.
‘Very much,’ she replied, reaching for the doorhandle. ‘Anyway, Jack, thanks for the drink.’
