‘He was a jerk.’
‘He was.’
‘I mean, how can anyone be “too capable”?’ grumbled Gemma, voicing a grievance that was familiar to both of them.’
‘And what am I supposed to do about it anyway?’ said Abby. ‘Dumb down? Pretend I can’t put up a shelf or change a tyre or something and feign ignorance when someone mentions quantitative easing, just in case I hurt some poor man’s feelings?’
Gemma shuddered. ‘I wouldn’t.’
‘Neither would I.’
‘I bet you wouldn’t have to with Leo.’ Gemma sighed and fanned her face. ‘I’m deadly envious, you know. I mean, he’s successful, rich and hot.’ She stopped, considered, then added, ‘Although not as hot as Jake, clearly, but still.’
Abby stared at her friend. ‘Jake? Seriously?’
‘Yes, seriously. Leo might have the whole brooding, enigmatic thing going on, but give me that melt-your-knickers charm any day. He’s delicious.’
‘Leo’s not just brooding and enigmatic. He’s imaginative, too,’ Abby couldn’t help saying as the finer details of some of what they’d got up to flashed into her head.
‘And now I’m even more envious.’
Abby grinned and put down her tea cup. ‘Sorry.’
‘You know, now I think about it,’ Gemma mused, ‘I wondered if there was something going on between you two.’
‘What on earth do you mean? We didn’t speak. We didn’t meet. We didn’t even look at each other.’
‘Exactly,’ said Gemma with a triumphant grin. ‘You spoke to Jake plenty, yet you studiously avoided Leo. And you know, I happened to see you on the dance floor on my way back from taking a whole load of plates to the van. Did you notice the way he was looking at you when you were dancing?’
‘Not really,’ she said, choosing to gloss over the charged moment their gazes had clashed. ‘How was he looking at me?’
‘I have no idea. His face was totally blank, yet he couldn’t take his eyes off you. Who knows
what was going through his head? I had no clue and I consider myself something of an expert when it comes to men. It was weird.’
‘Talking of which, have you heard from—?’ Abby broke off and racked her brains for the name of the man who was the flavour of the week but drew a blank.
‘Bob?’
‘Bob.’
Gemma sighed and shook her head. ‘Nope. So there’s a surprise.’
‘I’m sorry.’
She shrugged. ‘That’s how it goes, right?’
‘It doesn’t have to.’
‘So you keep saying, but one of these days I’ll meet someone who’ll actually call after we’ve done the deed. I know I will.’
Abby, who was familiar with the pattern of old and had had to pick up the pieces more times than she could remember, doubted it but she bit her lip because this wasn’t either the time or place to try and persuade her friend to perhaps re-evaluate some of her lifestyle choices.
‘Maybe whoever comes along next will be the one,’ she said, hoping against hope that he would be but knowing it was unlikely.
‘Maybe he will. But, anyway, enough about my rubbish track record. You and Leo Cartwright are far more interesting.’
‘Are we?’