Seriously? Get a grip!Her self-flagellation must have spilled into sound, disturbing the other woman’s peace as she turned around. For a second, Catherine wanted the greedy ficus to swallow her too, but that feeling evaporated when the woman’s lips lifted into a smile, and she waved.
“Hello, again. Are you following me or something?” Laughter laced her lovely voice.
Catherine shook her head as she walked towards her. “You keep turning up everywhere I am lately.”
“Well, I’ve recently moved here, so…”
“In that case, welcome to Leamington. It’s a beautiful spot.”
“So far, so good.” The woman’s eyes smiled as well as her lips.
Catherine swallowed. “It seems you’ve found all my favourite haunts at least.”
“Do you come here often?” The woman released a short laugh, as if realising how that sounded. “It’s lovely here. I mean, in the Glasshouse.”
Catherine grinned. “No, I don’t usually come in.” She motioned her arm in an arc around them. “But I do spend a lot of time in the park. I live close by, so…”
The moment stretched between them. There was something known within the hazel eyes of that unknown face. Catherine couldn’t shake the feeling they’d met before. She realised she was staring and broke eye contact, which seemed to snap the woman out of her own spell too.
“God, I’m sorry. Would you like to sit down? Here, let me…” She moved her handbag to make space on the bench beside her.
“Oh, are you sure? I’m not disturbing your peace, am I?”
“No, not at all. I just came in out of the cold for a bit. It’s bloody Baltic out there.”
Catherine laughed. “Granted there’s a chill, but it’s hardly Baltic!”
“It is when you’ve moved here from warmer climes.”
“Scotland?” Catherine teased.
The woman shot her a withering look, but her lips battled to pinch back a smile. “Barcelona.”
“Wow! That’s quite the move. I can see why you’re more comfortable in here.” Catherine chuckled. “So, why the big move to the Baltics then?”
She shrugged. “It’s a fresh start, I suppose. A new jobopportunity came up, and a place to live, so it seemed the universe was pulling me back to the UK after all this time.”
Catherine surprised herself by asking another question, reservations overcome by the desire to dive deeper into this stranger whose name she didn’t even know yet. “What do you do?”
“I’m a flight attendant, at least for a few more days, anyway. I’ve got a couple of shifts to cover, but after that I’ll be making the switch to ground staff.”
Catherine pictured her up in the sky, all red curls and lipstick as she swooped down the aisle flashing her bright smile at passengers. “How very glamorous.”
“No, really, it isn’t. The hours are shite, the jet lag is brutal, and don’t get me started on passengers who press the call button for a bag of nuts during takeoff!”
“Right, I hadn’t really considered any of that.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’ve loved it, and it’s taken me places I never thought I’d go. But I’m beyond done with my life being measured in landings and layovers, drifting from one soulless hotel room to the next. I think it’s all caught up with me. I’m not getting any younger.”
“That’s a universal truth.” Catherine puffed her cheeks out before letting loose a laugh. “Good on you for figuring out what you want and going for it. It’s not always easy to see the path ahead, let alone find the courage to follow it.”
“You sound like a therapist.”
Catherine cocked her head.
“Ach, you are!” The woman bit her bottom lip. “I can see why; you’re very easy to talk to when you’re not frowning.”
“Ha! People pay me good money to listen, frown or no frown.”
