‘I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t know what else to do.’
Evie listened as the click of a door opened and shut, and muffled voices wafted through the phone.
‘I’ve got to go. Speak soon.’ And that was it. Conversation over.
‘Evie?’
Looking up, Evie watched as Jack ran across the road and pushed her phone into her pocket. ‘Hi.’
‘Hey.’ Jack leaned across and kissed her before standing back and looking her in the eye. ‘Is everything all right? Has something happened?’
‘That was Melissa on the phone.’
‘Your boss, Melissa?’
‘That’s the one. She’s just told me that she promoted Steven over me because he’s bought the firm out.’
‘Oh wow. And you didn’t realise it was for sale?’
‘I didn’t realise Melissa was having money problems full stop.’ Evie sighed.
‘I guess in that case, at least the firm’s not going bust. You still have a job. That’s a good thing, right?’ He grinned.
‘I suppose. It means working under him, though. He’s only been there a year, and he’s already built a reputation for himself as being awkward.’
‘Ah.’ Frowning, Jack ran his fingers through his hair.
‘Anyway, I’m supposed to be in there, helping Elsie order her flowers.’ She pointed at the florists behind her. ‘I’m not going to let Melissa or Steven, or any of it, for that matter, spoil it.’
‘That’s it. What will be, will be and by the sounds of it, you worrying about it and letting it ruin your day isn’t going to help matters, anyway.’
‘Exactly.’ She took a deep breath in and rolled her shoulders back. He was right. She could think what she wanted, say what she wanted, but it wasn’t going to change the reality of what had happened. ‘What are you here for?’
‘I’ve come to show Savanah the photos from the other night.’ He pulled a memory stick from his pocket and held it up.
‘Oh yuck, I hope you’ve deleted the ones of me in that hideous dress, or at least applied as many filters over the top of them as you can.’ She shuddered at the memory.
‘You looked pretty stunning.’ He smiled and traced his index finger down her cheek and beneath her chin. ‘Besides, it was that hideous dress that you were wearing when we had our first kiss.’
‘So, it was.’ She laughed. ‘Oh, look, and I still have the boyfriend and the bruised hips to remind me.’
Chuckling, he shook his head. ‘So, I’m your boyfriend now then?’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t really like the term boyfriend. It reminds me of snatched snogs on the playground as a teenager.’
‘Yes, it does rather, doesn’t it?’ He frowned. ‘Partner?’
Grinning, she nodded. ‘Partner sounds good. When we’re bored, we can pretend to be the other type of partners and travel the area solving crimes.’ Stepping forward, she circled her arms around his neck and pulled her towards him. As soon as her lips touched his and he enveloped in his hug, the conversation with Melissa felt as though it had happened years ago.