‘Put it this way, I got lost, was late, the heavens opened and I ended up looking like a drowned rat. And to top it all, Daniel Redfern is the most obnoxious man I’ve ever met. The whole afternoon felt like one of those dreams where you’re trying to get somewhere but obstacles keep getting in your way, and then when you look down you realise you’re wearing your pyjamas in public, or worse you’re wearing nothing at all.’
‘Ow.’ Daisy pulled a face. ‘So you didn’t hit it off, then?’
Anna laughed at the thought of getting on well with Daniel Redfern. ‘Just because he’s successful and semi-famous, doesn’t give him the right to be so rude.’ She took a slurp of her wine. ‘When I told him about my interest in photography, he asked me if I’d done some media course at college and thought I knew everything. He hadn’t even bothered to read my CV!’
‘That’s a shame,’ Daisy said soothingly. ‘On paper it sounded like the perfect job for you and, goodness knows, you need to get away from the one you’re in. How you can bear to work with toxic Mark and his up-herself new girlfriend I really don’t know.’
Anna sighed. ‘It is becoming unbearable, but I can’t leave until I’ve found something else. And I’m not going to jump intosome crappy job to get away from them. I’ve worked hard in that gallery and I deserve a decent job, not to be pushed away because Mark can’t keep it in his pants.’
‘Too right.’ Daisy nodded in agreement. ‘But unfortunately the kind of job you’re looking for doesn’t come along very often. That’s why this one looked so perfect.’
‘I know.’ Anna sighed again.
‘What would you do if he offered it to you anyway?’
Anna laughed. ‘Believe me, that’s not likely to happen. The interview was a complete car crash.’
‘But if he did? Maybe his bark’s worse than his bite. Or maybe you could win him round. You’d probably learn a lot more about photography from a man like him than you could from any course.’
‘I know. And that’s the pity of it.’ Anna had another sip of wine. ‘But, no, I really don’t think I could work with him. At least at the gallery they more or less leave me to get on with it.’
‘Okay, fair enough.’ Daisy paused. ‘So apart from his obnoxious character, what was he like in the flesh? Was he as good-looking as he is in his pics?’
‘No . . . he was much better in the flesh. The photos don’t capture his eyes. They’re so startlingly blue they take your breath away.’
‘Really?’ Daisy asked, a small smile playing on her lips.
‘I’m speaking from an aesthetic point of view,’ Anna replied, despite the fact that she felt herself growing slightly warmer at the memory of him. ‘Nothing more.’
‘Shame.’ Daisy continued smiling.
Anna drained her glass. ‘I’m sorry, hun, but I’m going to have to go. Dinner won’t cook itself.’
‘It would if those lazy boys pulled their fingers out,’ Daisy said. ‘Honestly Anna, you pander to them. They’re old enough and ugly enough to look after themselves, even if it’s onlyoccasionally. It shouldn’t all be down to you just because you’re female.’
‘I know, I know.’ Anna had heard this rant from Daisy before, but it didn’t change the fact that she felt obliged to look after them. ‘When Mum died, it sort of became my role and now it’s very difficult to undo.’
‘You just need to put your foot down. Divide up the chores and get them to do their bit.’
‘Tried that,’ Anna said. ‘All that happens is they do the jobs so badly it ends up taking me twice as long to sort it out after them.’
‘Well, move out, then.’
‘I wish I could afford to, Daise. But even if I could, there’s Harry to consider. He’s revising for his A-levels and I really don’t want to rock the boat for him. I want him to do well so that he can get away to university. It would be nice for at least one of us to achieve that.’
‘That could have been you,’ Daisy said quietly.
‘Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve,’ Anna said. ‘The circumstances were very different and there’s nothing I can do about that. But, in September, when he’s settled, things will change. I promise you.’
‘I really hope so,’ Daisy said. ‘You need to be able to live your own life.’
‘I know. So, are you walking with me?’
Daisy looked at her watch. ‘No, you go on. I said I’d meet Tom and he should be here any minute.’
‘Want me to wait until he gets here?’
Daisy shook her head. ‘No, you get on.’
