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‘Yeah. Mum’s not very happy with the men that have been in her life, and I think she feels like Emily should have made better choices. Not to repeat her own mistakes really. Our mum was on her own with us. And I promised I’d help. Usually, it’s not a problem, and my mum will help out with childcare a lot, it’s just she’s more likely to if I ask than if my sister asks. If my sister asks she’s going to get a lecture about wise choices. What about you? Any nieces or nephews?’
‘No, it’s just me and Connie. And the girls.’
Melanie couldn’t decipher Paige’s tone. ‘Louisa will be at Lulu from four, so if you don’t mind us staying here for another hour or so, we’d really appreciate it. But I don’t want to impose if you have other things you need to be doing? I can wake Alfie up.’ Melanie moved as if to wake him and Paige stopped her.
‘Melanie, it’s fine. I just need to run downstairs and check everything is sorted down there. Then we can start work on the art project if you like?’
‘Erm, yeah that would be a really good use of my time actually.’
Yeah, she knew how she sounded.
Chapter Ten
Paige
‘So, if you need me, call, OK?’ Paige was moving away from the bar already itching to get back upstairs.
‘Yeah, I’ll call if we need you — but we can handle it, as you well know. So just go have some fun, yeah?’ India said with a wink.
Paige dead-eyed her in response before turning around and heading back up the stairs to her apartment, not missing the laughter from her staff behind her; she’d fire the lot of them if they carried on like this. But still she was delighted to see their newest recruit joining in too. The soft music from Star Wars was playing, and Paige immediately remembered her sleeping guest and as quietly as she could, closed and locked the apartment door behind her.
Before she could move any further forward, her eyes were stuck on the image she faced. It was hard to describe but for a second Paige felt like she’d been thrown into some weird alternative reality. One in which she had a partner of her own. One that was quite happy working from the big kitchen table. One that apparently preferred to work without shoes on, as they had been haphazardly kicked off. One that was so concentrated with their phone that they hadn’t even realised their partner had come home. In this weird alternative reality Paige was struggling not to wrap her arms around Melanie’s middle and kiss the back of her neck.
Paige continued to watch Melanie, as she placed her phone on the table and leant over to get something from her bag. Her shirt moulded to her curves as she moved, that hair of hers still tied up and Paige reasoned that it perhaps wasn’t Melanie specifically, but instead just a general sense of loneliness. Maybe it was time for Paige to consider dating. She’d put it off for a while, knowing she had other areas of her life that needed focus, mainly her friends, Connie and the bar. She’d also ‘known’ in the way she used to ‘know’ things that the timing wasn’t right. But now, Paige couldn’t rule the idea out altogether, but it did remind her that she wasn’t firing on all cylinders, and that was enough to unstick her feet from the floor and move towards Melanie.
She detoured via the couch first to make sure her little guest was comfy. He seemed fine enough, even if he was drooling on the cushions. Then she went back to the kitchen and made another brew for them both, until finally she’d put it off long enough. She went to the table and sat on the bench opposite Melanie. Their knees touching briefly as Paige sat down.
‘Thank you,’ Melanie said as she took the tea with a smile, and there it was again that weird feeling.
‘Right, so what do we know so far?’ Paige asked.
‘Well, oh hang on.’ Melanie picked up her phone again and began scrolling one-handed as the other went up to her head, and for a second Paige was gripped as it looked like she might just take out her bobble and grips and she’d finally find out how long and what colour Melanie’s hair was. But no, she ran her hand over her head and back down to the phone.
She must be brunette, it was dark, but were those strands of red she could make out? Maybe the ends were a different colour again? Maybe it wasn’t too long and just grazed her shoulders, maybe it fell down near her bum?
‘Councillor Houghton has sent over some time-line proposals and apparently Paulo from the tattoo shop has already had some interest; he knew of a few people and got word out locally. But I was thinking we could also approach the local colleges and see if they’ve anyone on an art program or something?’
‘Yeah, that’s a really good idea. I have someone in mind too.’
Paige watched as Melanie nodded once. ‘We also need to set up a judging panel. It’s going to need to be as transparent as possible. If we’re doing this, then we need to do it right. I’m not putting my integrity on the line especially as the new girl on the block.’ Melanie was frowning at her phone.
‘Which also means finding out how much the materials are going to cost, how long it will take and how much we can afford to pay,’ Paige said watching as Melanie swapped the phone for her iPad and opened up more apps, before tapping away again.
‘We’re probably going to need to get press releases and interest and all that as well if we’re going to maximise on things,’ Melanie said thoughtfully as she once again went to run her hand through the hair that she couldn’t get at. Paige wondered if the reason it was tied up was because she would always be running her hands through it if it wasn’t? Then Paige wondered if she was being weirdly obsessed about it and went back to the task in hand.
Melanie continued, ‘Right, what we need to do is break it down into chunks. All the tasks we need to do now, all the tasks for when we have our artist, and the tasks we need to do for when it’s finished.’
There was something in Melanie’s tone that Paige couldn’t quite place.
‘It’s going to need several lists. I might even go old school and use a notebook, no, well yes maybe just for notes.’ Melanie carried on and Paige realised she was talking faster than normal, and her voice was just a little bit higher.
‘You like this stuff, don’t you?’ Paige blurted out.
Melanie shrugged, but Paige could make out the pink on her cheeks and couldn’t hold back her chuckle.
‘It’s no wonder you get on so well with Sophie.’
‘I wouldn’t say we get on well, well I’m not trying to say I don’t like her, I do a lot, it’s just that she’s a . . . erm . . .’
