Beneath This Man (This Man 2)

A starter of scallops is served, and I’m momentarily distracted from my speculating by the divine dish. The Manor really does do food very well.

‘So, Ava, I’m told you carried out the works at Lusso.’ Niles says across the table. ‘Quite a feat.’ He smiles, raising his glass to me.

‘It didn’t hurt the portfolio.’ I reply casually.

‘You’re modest.’ He laughs.

‘She’s good,’ Kate pipes up. ‘She’s working on the extension upstairs.’ Kate points her fork towards the ceiling of the summer room in the most unladylike manner.

‘I see. Is that how you met Jesse?’ Niles asks, a little surprised.

‘It is.’ I confirm politely but elaborate no further. I’m not comfortable talking about me and Jesse, especially with a stone faced Sarah within touching distance. Niles has also just reminded me that he is still nowhere to be seen. ‘What do you do?’ I ask to steer the conversation away from Jesse and my curious mind.

He puts his fork down and wipes his mouth with his napkin. ‘I supply Jesse’s stock.’ he says on a small smile.

I just about manage to stop myself from asking the most stupid question I ever would. He doesn’t supply food or drink to The Manor. No, Niles supplies other essentials – essentials for the top floors of The Manor. I nod my acknowledgment, not wanting to push that line of chat any further.

Sarah jumps into the gap of conversation, asking Niles how his recent trip to Amsterdam went. I’m thankful, even though I quickly turn my attention away from where that discussion is heading too.

I look over at Kate, who tosses me a filthy look and then nods towards Sarah while cupping her br**sts on a grin. I try not to smile, but I can’t help the corners of my mouth tweaking at her brashness. She is so unaffected by everything. I love her.

I finish my Most Marvelous and accept the glass of white that the waiter offers, taking an immediate sip and laughing when Drew stabs at his last scallop with his fork and it flies into the middle of the table. He gets rather mad with the slippery culprit as he tries to retrieve it, grumbling sulkily as he stabs at it, eventually giving up and grabbing it with his hand. He throws it on his plate in a mood, then glances up at the rest of the table who, with the exception of Sarah, are all delighting in his little performance. He relents and stands to bow, restoring his refined character. His fun, lighthearted performance is a mile away from the stand-offish Drew I know.

Starters are swiftly removed from the table and replaced with salmon and an array of colourful vegetables. I’m thankful dinner is relatively light. I couldn’t stomach much more and with Sarah sat next to me, my appetite is not improving. She hasn’t said one word to me during dinner and has not enquired as to Jesse’s whereabouts, so I assume that she knows. She advises the waiter to remove Jesse’s untouched starter and hold off on his main for the meantime. If Kate wasn’t here, I would be getting really cranky now.

‘You didn’t bring Victoria?’ Kate tosses the question at Drew and he catches it without an ounce of shock or surprise.

‘No, she’s sweet but hard work.’ He takes a swig of wine and sits back in his chair. ‘I’m happy exactly where I am at the moment.’ He raises his glass and everyone joins him, including me, even though I’m not particularly happy about where I am at the moment. Drew continues, ‘Anyway, she wouldn’t let me lay a hand on her without the lights off.’

I nearly spit my wine all over the table, then proceed to laugh – really hard.

‘I told you!’ Kate screeches, throwing a napkin over the table at me.

I grab it and start mopping up the wine dripping down my chin, still laughing.

Drew looks at me and Kate in turn, a smirk breaking the corners of his serious face. ‘You kind of need to see what you’re doing for what I had in mind.’

‘Stop!’ I howl, trying desperately to rein in my chuckles. I glance across at Sarah, and I’m met with a filthy glare. I ignore her and resist the killing temptation to smash her face into her salmon.

I sit bolt upright – as does Sarah – when I spot Jesse and the mystery woman emerging from the corridor that leads down to his office. John must catch our sharp reaction because he jumps up from the table and makes his way over. They have an exchange of quiet words before John takes over responsibility of the woman and leads her out of the summer room.

Jesse looks across the room until he finds my eyes, and then starts making his way over. He’s stopped a dozen times by various men and women as he passes tables, but he doesn’t hang about for conversation. He just shakes hands with the men and leans down to kiss the women, smiling politely before searching me out again. Why can’t he shake the women’s hands as well? He eventually makes it to me and sits himself down, grabbing my knee under the table. Sam cheers his arrival and pours some water into Jesse’s wine glass, Kate frowns at me and Sarah drops all conversation with Niles in favour of Jesse.

He turns into me and gives me very sorry eyes. ‘Forgive me?’

‘Who was that?’ I ask quietly.

‘No one for you to be concerned about,’ He nods at my half empty plate. ‘How is the food?’

No one for me to be concerned about? Well, that just makes me all the more concerned, but is this really the time to be pushing this? ‘It’s good, you should eat.’ I say shortly, looking for a waiter, but I’m a bit slow on the uptake. It seems Sarah has taken care of that already. His salmon lands in front of him and he tucks in, keeping his palm firmly on my knee, chopping and forking with one hand. I’m prepared to leave this for now, this is not the time or the place, but I want to know what that was about.