“Bye.” We echo, walking out of the door. The university building is quiet this early, no lectures or anything on. I only came in to catch Jess up on last night.
“Come on, then,” she says as we settle into the comfy chairs by the canteen window. “Tell me everything.”
Jess refuses to let me go anywhere on my own after telling her about my dramatic night, so ends up walking across town to the museum with me. As much as I appreciate the company, I’m pretty sure she just wants to catch a glimpse of Tommy, so when we arrive and I manage to leave her at the door, relief floods over me along with the cool air of the basement building.
“Ah, Niamh. How lovely to see you.” Geoffrey’s comforting baritone echoes across the foyer. He’s at the front desk in his normal street clothes – “civvies”, he calls them – and the effect is strangely unsettling. He just doesn’t look like himself without a freshly starched collar and top hat.
“Hey, Geoffrey. You not performing today?”
“Unfortunately not.” He leans back in his chair and narrows his eyes at me. “Is everything OK? You look tired. Not working too hard, I hope.”
“Just burning the candle at both ends,” I fib. I’m glad he doesn’t seem to know what’s going on. At least here I can pretend to be normal.
“You need to look after yourself, young lady. All that gallivanting won’t do you any good.” There is concern in his voice and I feel my cheeks warm. I feel bad for lying to him. “Oh, how could I forget!” He retrieves a thin volume from beneath the desk and slides it over to me. “I had this at home, a bit of theatrical history for your research. I once acted too, you know.”
“You did? Thank you.” I lift the book gently, sensing it’s important to him. “I’ll look after it and bring it back as soon as I’ve finished with it.”
“Of course you will, I don’t doubt that. Anyhow, you best run along. Sue rang in sick so I’m manning the front desk, you’ll need to go and help young Thomas today. I have a feeling it may be a busy shift.”
I nod and push through the turnstile as he presses down the button to let me in. First Will is arrested and then I find out it’s just me and Tommy, again. Is that a good thing? I remember my conversation with Jess but once I think about the feeling of his lips on mine, excitement begins to mingle with the doubt.
Maybe things are starting to look up after all.
Or maybe not.
As my luck has it, I’ve seen Tommy a grand total of three times today, each time no longer than a quick nod and a wave. I wonder whether he’s avoiding me, but I think that’s paranoia; I’ve been run off my feet and he has been too.
Geoffrey was right; it was the busiest shift I’ve ever worked, but for the first time, I forgot about everything outside of these walls. I’d forgotten how much I love the rush of performing for a crowd and it almost felt like I could really be Jane Alsop. Eventually I finish up, curtsey to the final tour group and head to the staff room. As soon as I sit down, I realize my feet are killing me. I ease off my ballet flats, vowing to wear trainers from now on, no matter what it looks like, and start to rub the arch of my foot, letting out a low moan.
“Hey.”
Tommy’s low voice and silhouette fill the staffroom door. He joins me on the wooden bench and I quickly shove my feet back into my flats, hoping they don’t stink.
“Hey, yourself,” I reply. I don’t know what else to say, so we sit in silence, our shoulders millimetres away from each other. I swear there are sparks crackling in the space between us. “Busy shift,” I try.
“Yeah.” He gives me that grin, the one that pushes a dimple into his cheek. “So, this is kind of awkward, yeah?”
I grin back, I can’t help it. “Just a bit.” He nudges me with his electric shoulder and the current zaps around my body, to places that just thinking about make me blush. He holds out his hand, palm up, and beckons to mine with curled fingers. I hold my breath and slide my hand into his, nervous because I know mine is clammy and hot. His fingers are cool and firm in contrast, like stones that have been washed smooth by an endless tide. There’s something soothing about them.
“What are you doing now?” he murmurs. I look up at the clock and see it’s already ten past six. Damn it.
“I’m meeting my friend and her parents for dinner, at eight,” I say, an apologetic note in my voice. “Some Greek place near the Tower of London.”
“Nice.” He looks at me thoughtfully. “I would like to show you something first, though, if you have time?”
“Really?” I look at the clock. “Yeah, I think I do. It’s not that far to Tower Bridge, is it?”
“Not really.” He smiles. “And then I can walk you to meet them.”
“That would be perfect.” I grin back. Will might be in custody, but the thought of walking alone still isn’t the most appealing. Plus, if he walks me to the restaurant, Jess might finally get her glimpse of him. “I’d like that, but only if it’s not out of your way?”
He stops pacing and smiles down at me. “Not at all, I’m staying out that way. Near Potter’s Field.”
He’s still vague about where he lives. I try not to think about what Jess said; that he might have a girlfriend somewhere.
But I can’t think about that right now, not when he’s standing there, looking so, so hot.
“OK then, great!” We grin at each other before I realize we’re still wearing our costumes. I stand up and start to twist the combination into my padlock. “We need to get changed, though. See you upstairs in five?”
