‘If you have to let someone go, then we can’t...’ She waved her hand between them. ‘There can’t be anything to suggest I’m trying to sway your decision.’
He nodded again, the silence in the room deafening.
‘Not that you would. I mean, if we... umm... had kissed, you wouldn’t have just kept me on because of that.’ She was rambling. She could hear the words coming out of her mouth, but she didn’t have any control over what she was saying. She shifted on her feet. ‘Ha, you might even sack me because of it. If we broke up and things were uncomfortable between us at school, if...’
He continued to keep silent as she continued.
‘If we... if...’ Shut up, Gemma. Shut up. She clasped her hands over her mouth. She needed to get out of here. She was presuming too much. They’d not even kissed, and she was suggesting they start a relationship. Well, suggesting they don’t.She wasn’t even sure. Only a few hours earlier, she’d hated him. Thought he was arrogant, big-headed and that he thought he was better than anyone and everyone else. How quickly things could change when the truth was out. She now saw him for who he was: someone desperately trying to save the jobs of people who had been nothing but strangers to him only a few days ago. He was kind, he was thoughtful, he was... She darted forward and grabbed Alfie’s lead from the coffee table, snatching it to her as though if she spent a second closer to him, the excuses would melt away and she’d melt into his arms. Which she was aware was probably what would happen. What she wanted to happen.
‘Go on, Alfie.’ Inching to the edge of the sofa, Jonathan tapped the threadbare carpet, and Alfie forced himself off the sofa and trotted across to Gemma.
Bending down, Gemma quickly attached Alfie’s lead to his collar. She needed to get out, the atmosphere was stifling, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep herself from marching across the room and falling into his arms if she stayed a moment longer. What was becoming of her? Before today, she had literally hated the man. But things had changed and hate wasn’t the word she’d use to describe the way her stomach was churning and her heart was hammering in her chest. In fact, it felt quite the opposite of hate.
Chapter Fourteen
As soon as the thump from the doorknocker sounded, Alfie jumped from where he’d been sleeping on the sofa and raced to the door, barking, fully alert and ready to defend the two of them.
‘Hold up, Alfie, that’ll be Lucy.’ Closing the lid of her laptop, Gemma followed him and peered through the peephole to double-check it was indeed Lucy, and she wasn’t about to throw the door open and come face-to-face with Jonathan. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since the ‘almost kiss’ last night, and she still couldn’t work out if she was relieved or upset by his absence.
Relieved. She was definitely relieved. Why would she not be? The idea of them getting into a relationship was completely ridiculous. Ludicrous even.
Shaking the thoughts from her head, Gemma grabbed Alfie’s lead from the coat hook and pulled open the front door. ‘Hi, Lucy.’
‘Morning,’ Lucy drew Gemma in for a quick hug before taking the lead and kneeling down to clip it to Alfie’s collar. ‘Are you coming on a lovely walk with us, buddy?’
‘Thanks.’ Shrugging into her coat, Gemma ushered both Lucy and Alfie back outside before locking the door. ‘And thanks foragreeing to come with me. I know you’ve had that Guide thing this morning.’
‘No worries. I’m always happy to get out into the countryside.’ Lucy began to lead them down the garden path. ‘Besides, it was just a quick meeting this morning with the other leaders, so all I’ve done is eat cake and drink...’
‘Quick!’ Hearing the unmistakable quiet click of Jonathan’s front door being unlocked, Gemma grabbed Lucy by the wrist and sank to her knees, pulling Lucy down beside her.
‘What on earth…?’
‘Shhh!’ Gemma placed her index finger to her lips as she held her breath. Please don’t let him notice them. Please. She wasn’t ready to face him again quite yet. Well, not ever, but she knew she would inevitably have to when she went to work tomorrow. But just one day, if she could just have one day, she’d be happy.
Quietly tapping her thigh, Lucy waited until Alfie had trotted back towards her before shortening his lead and silently fussing over him. Once he’d curled up beside her, she glared at Gemma and widened her eyes as she jerked her head towards the hedge.
Gemma shook her head and mouthed, ‘Not now.’
Shrugging, Lucy focused her attention back to the small dog beside her.
How long did it take to walk down the garden path? Being a mere three metres or so, it was hardly palatial, so why hadn’t she heard the click of his gate yet? She scrunched her nose up. Had his gate even been closed? Not everyone kept theirs shut. Not all the time. Hers only was because of looking after Alfie, otherwise, she usually didn’t bother. Yes, it only saved a millisecond or so of her time, so she acknowledged it was pure laziness on her behalf, but… She glanced at Lucy, who stabbed her finger in the direction of next door’s garden.
‘Has he gone yet?’ She hissed.
Shrugging, Gemma slowly got to her feet, careful to keep herself lower than the hedge before quickly peering over the top. They were in the clear! Straightening her back, she rubbed her knees, wiping at the dampness from the grass on the fabric of her jeans. ‘The coast is clear.’
‘Thank goodness! I thought we’d be hunkered down all day.’ Jumping to her feet, Lucy turned to face Gemma and placed her hands on her hips, Alfie’s lead drooping from her wrist. ‘What on earth was that about? You shouldn’t feel you have to go to these lengths just to avoid your neighbour and boss.’
‘No, it’s not that. Something happened.’ Gemma glanced quickly back towards Jonathan’s cottage. The last thing she needed right now was him overhearing her gossiping to her girlfriend.
‘He’s out.’
‘We don’t know he’s out. We heard him walk down his garden path, he could have gone back inside.’ Gemma bit down on her lower lip. What if he had? What if he’d forgotten his phone or something and had gone back inside only to see them emerge from below the hedge through his window? What if he was watching them now, knowing that she was avoiding him? She rubbed at the back of her neck, the flush of warmth cascading across her skin.
‘I heard the click of the gate. He’s definitely gone.’ Lucy brushed her knees, smearing bits of mud into the fabric of her jeans.
Relaxing her shoulders, Gemma looked at Lucy’s stained knees and grimaced. ‘Sorry about that.’
