Page 82 of Be More Octopus

'And why would that worry Jack? I do have a vacancy for a boyfriend, which Jack doesn't seem keen to fill.'

'Don't believe everything he says. Shall I tell him you're interviewing?'

'You could ask him to submit his CV.'

'Morning!' Nancy walked into the kitchen before Mark could reply. 'And how are you both on this beautiful morning?'

'Good god, Mother, do you have to be so impossibly bright and breezy?'

'I see Em's sorted you out,' she said, spotting the paracetamol. 'Still not a morning person then, darling?' She gave him a rough hug.

Mark groaned and held his head. 'I should report you for child cruelty. I'm going back to bed.'

'I don't think Social Services care when you're 36.' She shouted after him.

Nancy started making a pot of tea.'You got back late.'

'Sorry, did we wake you?'

'No, I wasn't asleep. I heard your car pull up while I was reading in bed.'

'We were out dancing.'

'And so you should be on a Friday night at your age. Is Jack a good dancer?'

'I don't know. I wasn't dancing with him.'

'Oh,' Nancy seemed surprised. 'I just assumed you two were out with the boys.'

'No, we went out separately.'

She wasn't sure if Nancy disapproved or not.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

It was nearly 1 pm, but Jack's curtains were still shut. And he hadn't answered the text Em had sent him to check he was ok.

'Stop worrying about him. If he was on the whisky last night, it's not surprising he slept in.' Lucy was in a better mood this morning, having had a conciliatory text from Lars. She was currently letting him stew.

'Mark got up.'

'And went back to bed. If you're that concerned, why don't you go over to his cottage?'

'Good idea.” Em was concerned about Jack, but she was also regretting the CV comment she'd made to Mark. She wanted to catch Jack before Mark did. Em headed out of her front door towards Jack's.

She knocked on his door several times. No answer.

She shouted through the letterbox. 'Jack! Jaaaaaack!' There was a sound of something falling over inside.

'Hang on. Hang on. I'm coming.' It sounded like she'd woken him up. Thank God he was alive. Don't be such a drama queen.

The door opened to reveal a bleary-eyed Jack wearing the same shirt and trousers that she'd seen him wearing last night, but looking a lot more crumpled, with the shirt half hanging out of his chinos. Bed hair and stubble set off the look perfectly. Bizarrely, he still looked appealing. How desperate are you?

'I was worried about you,’ Em said.

'Thanks.' Jack indicated for her to come in.

There were not one but two empty bottles of whisky on the coffee table.