Sins

He moved closer to the display and before she could stop him he grabbed the card.

‘“Hi, groovy chick–you were the best ever.” A client, you say?’

Thoroughly flustered, Rose retorted, ‘You shouldn’t read other people’s personal mail.’

‘You aren’t other people, you’re my best mate,’ Josh told her. ‘So come on, give. Who is he?’

Later Rose was forced to admit to herself that she had behaved very childishly indeed. Just because Josh had hurt her feelings by referring to her as a mate, that was no excuse for her practically boasting about having gone to bed with someone.

‘He is a client,’ she insisted, ‘or at least that’s how we first met. His name’s Pete Sargent, and—’

She wasn’t allowed to get any further.

‘Peter Sargent? The Pete Sargent? The lead singer in Feelgood?’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

She shouldn’t have said anything, and she didn’t know why she had. Yes, you do, she corrected herself. You did it because you’re jealous that Josh has fallen in love with someone else, so you wanted him to know you’d been to bed with Pete. That just shows how silly you are because why should Josh even care?

At this revelation Josh was prowling round her office, frowning.

‘Look, Rose, I don’t want to interfere—’

‘Good.’

‘But it’s a bit like you are my kid sister, and no guy wants to see his kid sister getting herself involved with someone like Pete Sargent.’

‘Why not?’ What was she doing? She knew perfectly well why not. Pete was dangerous, bad news, and he had brought something out in her that had shocked and terrified her until she had managed to convince herself that it had been a one-off, something that could not and would not ever happen again.

‘Because I don’t want you to get hurt, that’s why not. The guy’s a rock singer; he’s got to have girls crawling all over him, he’s—’

Was that envy she could hear in Josh’s voice?

‘Sexy?’ she asked him briskly.

Josh was looking at her as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

‘Yes, and, you know…’

‘I know what? That I can’t have a sexy boyfriend, is that it?’

‘Rose, what’s got into you? Don’t be silly. That isn’t at all what I meant and you know it. I’m concerned about you, that’s all.’

She almost relented and told him there was nothing for him to worry about, but then she remembered that he was not concerned enough about her to stop his girlfriend from breaking up their partnership.

‘Will Patsy approve of that? You being concerned about me. After all, she doesn’t approve of our partnership, does she?’ she heard herself asking him with unexpected enjoyment. What on earth had got into her? She had never imagined herself ever behaving like this, never mind enjoying it.

Josh was looking bewildered. Guilt overtook her earlier enjoyment.

‘Look, it’s nothing for you to worry about,’ she tried to reassure him.

But he misunderstood her and retorted, ‘You mean it’s none of my business any more, is that it?’

She wanted so badly to reassure him, to hug him and hold him tight, but of course she couldn’t.

‘I’ve got to start learning to stand on my own two feet sometime, haven’t I?’ she told him, trying to ease the emotional tension. ‘After all, you’re going to America…’

‘Yeah. You’re right, I am. It’s just…well, I guess I’ve been looking out for you for so long that it’s become a habit. One I obviously need to break,’ he said simply, closing the door behind him as he left.