‘It’sJessica, actually,’ I said, reddening slightly as both Fabian and Kamran glanced across at me in some surprise. Oh, sod it, I needed to grow a pair; I was going to start as I meant to go on.
‘Jessica, apologies.’ The man offered up a little smile before scrolling down his laptop. ‘Your speciality is desserts, I believe…?’
‘Puddings,’ I said. ‘I’d like them to be calledpuddingson our menus.’
‘I’m with you on that,Jessica.’ Fabian hesitated briefly on my change of handle, and I saw humour in his eyes.
‘I’d like you to sample my puddings,’ I said, standing, while wondering for a split second if that didn’t sound slightly suggestive.
‘Well, I’m not sure we’re actually at that stage, Jess,’ Kamran said, frowning. ‘More, today, for Sally and Richard to be giving us advice over staffing, over equipment, over seating and the promotion you’ll be needing. That sort of thing.’
‘Actually, I’m really hungry.’ Richard grinned, looking at his watch. ‘Anything on offer, as we put forward more ideas, would be gratefully received.’ He glanced at Sally Maynard, whose face portrayed little as to what she might really be thinking. ‘That OK with you, Sally?’
‘As long as we can discuss as we eat – we’ve a lot to get through.’
* * *
‘If the rest of what you’ve on offer is as good as these desserts – puddings,’ Richard Abrahams amended with a glance towards me and then at Kamran, ‘you’re going to be onto a winner.’ He spooned up the last morsel on his plate, which had held a taster portion of each of the five puddings I’d created and been practising for the past week or so. ‘This one is to absolutely die for.’ He scraped at the edge with his spoon, laughing as he licked what remained on it. ‘Where did you learn to cook like this, Jessica? This is utterly sublime.’
‘Well, thank you…’ I managed to get out before being cut off mid-sentence as a mighty crash followed by a shower of glass from the huge picture window behind us stopped me in my tracks.
25
‘Are you OK?’
‘Yep.’
‘Jess, I don’t mean are you OK as inOK to play. I’m talking about what happened this afternoon.’ The minute I pulled up in the sports club car park and exited the car, George was there, at my side, almost as if he’d been waiting for me.
‘Have you been waiting for me?’ I asked, curious.
‘Well, yes.’ George appeared slightly awkward. ‘I needed to know if you were hurt.’
‘Youneeded to know?’ I shot George a look. ‘Whether whoever chucked the brick through The White House window got a bullseye, you mean?’
‘What?’ George stared back at me. ‘No, I needed to know ifyou were OK!’
I lifted the hand holding my hockey stick in his direction, showing several sticking plasters on my fingers. ‘I’m fine. Really. Fabian got the worst of it.’
Fabian’s dark hair had been full of glass, and Kamran and I had had to pick out pieces of it, his face and arms cut. ‘Have you seen him?’ I asked.
‘Who?’
‘Fabian.’
George shook his head. ‘Why would I? I was concerned foryou.’
‘Well, yes, I suppose one doesn’t really expect to be covered in shards of glass as one is showing off one’s puds. It doesn’t happen onMasterChef!’
‘But you’re OK, Jessica?’ George moved nearer, peering at me, taking in every aspect of my face, actually lifting a strand of escaped hair before placing it behind my ear until I stepped back in some embarrassment at his proximity.
‘I’m fine, George, really. I’m here, I’m ready to play. You don’t have to worry…’
George shook his head. ‘Kamran messaged me to tell me what had happened.’
‘Oh? Why?’
‘We’re in business together. He’s my brother.’
