Was that all? Giselle breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I know. Let me lock the door and you can tell me what she’s like.’
It was a bit early to close, because the gift shop and cafe were still open and most of the other studios were too, but she turned the key in the lock and flipped the sign on the door to ‘Closed’, anyway.
‘I was with Rocco when Cal phoned him with the news,’ she said, hoping she wasn’t blushing as much as she feared she might be.
‘She isn’t on her own. She’s brought someone with her.’
From the tone of Avril’s voice and her expression, Giselle had an awful feeling she wasn’t going to like what she was about to hear. ‘Who?’ she asked.
‘Her name’s Claire, and I think she’s going to be staying with Rocco.In his room.’
‘What?’ Giselle slumped against the counter.
Avril hurriedly continued, ‘It might be perfectly innocent because we’re fully booked, apart from one room, and his mother is having that, so Claire suggested she share his.’
‘And heagreed?’
Avril hung her head and nodded. ‘The woman was all over him.’
Claire. It was a name Giselle had heard before. He’d told her she was a colleague. Ha bloody ha!
She gasped, sucker punched, as her chest filled with a pain she’d never experienced before. Hurt and betrayed, she wanted to bawl her eyes out, but another emotion simmered underneath. Jealousy. Make that two emotions, as anger joined in. She went with anger, closely followed by the green-eyed monster, as the better option. She would allow the heartache free rein later, when she was alone.
The bastard!
‘What does she look like?’ she demanded savagely.
Avril’s face was full of sympathy. ‘Don’t do this, Giselle,’ she advised. ‘He’s not worth it.’
‘You may as well tell me. It’s not as though he’ll be able to hide her away in his flaming turret, so I’ll see for myself soon enough. I’m asking so I know to avoid her.’
‘Tall, slim, corporate.’ Avril spat out the last word as though it were an insult. ‘All glossy dark hair and long red talons. She wore a power suit and lots of make-up.’
Giselle seethed. It was preferable to bursting into tears.
Avril continued, ‘He didn’t look happy. He told her off for not telling him she was coming.’
Giselle wasn’t surprised. No man wanted his girlfriend and his bit on the side to meet. No wonder he’d been reluctant to kiss her in the car just now. He’d clearly been worried Claire would see them.
Giselle pressed her lips together to stop her chin wobbling, conscious of Avril’s pity.
When she’d wrested control, she said, ‘Thanks for letting me know.’
‘Will you be all right?’
She most definitely wouldn’t be. ‘Of course I will. It was just a bit of fun, although I would never have had any fun at all if I’d realised he was already taken. I feel sorry for his girlfriend. The poor cow doesn’t know what she’s letting herself in for.’
‘Do you want me to stay with you for a bit? I’ve just clocked off, so…’
Giselle shook her head. ‘I’m fine, honestly. I’ve got lots of work to do.’ That bit was true, as she hated being short of stock to sell in the gift shop, but the ‘I’m fine’ bit was an outright lie.
How could she be fine, when she was in love with a two-timing shit like Rocco?
Chapter 19
The text said:
Wish I could see you later, but Beverly… :(
