‘I said don’t look,’ Bel hissed, mussing up her hair until her entire face was completely covered. ‘He’ll see us!’
‘And you don’t want him to see us?’
‘No!’
‘But you said he’s the love of your life?’
‘Yes!’
‘Well, that’s not confusing at all,’ I said as she slid down in her chair, any part of her not covered by her hair now hidden by the table. ‘How come you don’t want him to see you if he’s the love of your life?’
‘Because he doesn’t even know I exist,’ she said quickly as Ren came ever closer. ‘I see him all the time when I’m at your sister’s house; he lives next door but I’ve never been able to work up the courage to speak to him.’
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. ‘Youdon’t have the courage to speak tohim?’ I echoed. ‘You, stunningly beautiful Bel Johnson, who threatened to mace a stranger then took said stranger out to brunch?’
‘You don’t get it,’ she wailed. ‘I can’t talk to him, I like him so much and, oh jeez, is he coming over here?’
‘Certainly is,’ I replied as she frantically searched for an escape route. But it was too late.
‘Hey! It’s my new neighbour!’
I stood as Ren came over, Bel staring slack-jawed when he picked me up off the ground in a quite honestly over-familiar hug. But then again, it was only fourteen hours since he’d had his head between my legs. In return, I pulled a rubber-faced expression, doing my best to let her know I was as surprised as she was, while also giving him a good sniff. Still so delicious.
‘For someone who arrived yesterday, you did a damn good job of hunting down the best brunch spot in town,’ Ren said as he set me back down on the ground, as wobbly legged as my chair.
‘That’s because my very good friend, Bel, suggested it,’ I replied, smoothing out my shirt and doing my level best not to rub my face into his armpit for one more blast of that woody, leathery, masculine scent. ‘Have you two met?’
‘I don’t think so.’ He shifted his smile to Bel, one hand stuck in the back pocket of his jeans, the other cupped around the back of his neck, the sleeves of his crisp, white T-shirt straining around his biceps. ‘Hey, nice to meet you, I’m Ren.’
I glanced over at my brunch mate only to discover the beautiful, sweet person I’d been talking to moments before had been replaced with a woman-sized badger in people clothes. Her hair hung limp in front of her face, her lips were twisted in a grimace that revealed only her bottom teeth and the glazed look in her eyes screamedWhy yes, I would like to discuss the current market value of my Beanie Baby collection.
‘Snigh!’ She threw one arm into the air, presumably aiming for a wave but ending up fascist salute-adjacent. I winced for her as she lowered it slowly back under the table.
‘Snigh to you too,’ Ren replied. His features softened with the same consideration you might show a small child or a very drunk man who has lost the rest of the stag party.
‘We only met yesterday,’ I added quietly.
‘I’m glad I ran into you,’ Ren said, turning his attentionback to me as Bel’s bottom lip began to quiver. ‘I saw our hawk again this morning. I think she might have a nest in the Bishop’s Pine.’
‘I do hope that’s a kind of tree,’ I said, looking over at Bel to give her an encouraging glance. ‘How cool is that, Bel?’
‘So cool,’ whispered the breathing bundle of hair sitting across from me.
‘Right,’ Ren confirmed, his eyes flicking to her with mild concern. ‘Anyway, I think I could get a better view from your deck. Would it be OK if I come over some time with my binoculars?’
Wow. This was the place where dreams come true. A beautiful man was standing in front of me, asking if he could come to my house to look at my birds. I’d been waiting for this moment all my life. The fact the birds were real and not a weird euphemism was a bit disappointing but beggars could not be choosers.
‘Don’t see why not,’ I replied. ‘If you have the hawk’s consent, you have mine.’
‘How about tomorrow? Around sunset is usually the best time to see them. Say six-ish?’
He looked delighted, I looked delighted, Bel looked like she was about to cry.
‘Perfect, I’ll make dinner,’ I offered. ‘Or to be more accurate, I’ll order a pizza.’
Ren grinned. ‘It’s a date. I gotta go, I’m running late for an appointment, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Nice to meet you, uh, Phoebe’s friend.’
He leaned in for another quick hug before striding off, breaking into a jog the exact same moment as Bel’s forehead hit the table with a resounding thud.
