Page 19 of Mirrors of the Past

Chapter Seven

Present

Tegan was horrified. There was no other word for it. Utterly horrified.

‘Ryan and I know one another,’ she said rather stiffly. Coren and Sybill were standing looking at each of them, confusion written all over their faces.

‘May I ask — how?’ asked Sybill carefully.

Ryan pointed to Tegan, then ran his hand through his hair. He shook his head. ‘From Glasgow.’ He glowered at Tegan. ‘We were at the same gallery. She was awful.’

It had been six years ago, Tegan realised — but the memories haunted her to this day.

‘Disagree!’ She could recall it all in vivid Technicolor. ‘Ryan was there on a summer job. And he wasn’t very good at it. He was the single most unhelpful person I’ve ever had the misfortune to work with.’

‘Hey! Just wait a moment! You were the one that made things difficult up there! You never carried anything through that you said you’d do. I just got fed up of starting stuff you kept changing your mind over!’

‘You have to flex when you need it! Change things up, make things better—’

‘Get one thing out of the way before you mix it all up again—’

‘Woah!’ Coren flapped his hands at the pair of them and Tegan clamped her lips together and folded her arms.

Strike Three!seemed to be flashing in neon lights behind Coren’s head. Bloody hell. Would she ever learn to shut up?

Although — hold on. She stood a little straighter. Hadn’t she defended herself from Ryan’s accusations?

Oh, no.

You hollered at him first, a little voice said in her head. At least she hoped it was in her head — the voice was American, and quite loud, and if it wasn’t in her head, she’d swear an invisible American woman was standing right beside her ear telling her she’d been rather stupid.

Just for once, could she be less impulsive? And work on that filter other people claimed to have?

Not a great first impression. Tegan felt herself flush hotly, to the very roots of her hair. Sybill was staring at the pair of them, at her and that dreadful Ryan, and that old adage came back to her: you never get a second chance to give a first impression, or whatever it was.

‘Okay.’ Coren spoke calmly. ‘I guess Glasgow was a long time ago, yes?’

‘Yes,’ Tegan said. ‘Six years ago. But I remember it very well.’

‘Yes. It was a while ago.’ Ryan’s arms were also folded and he was glaring at her. He apparently remembered it well too.

‘Then — do we think we can kind of — move past Glasgow? And work together? Because if not . . .’ Coren shrugged as he let that sentence hang there ominously.

Ryan scowled at Tegan, and Tegan scowled at him. But deep down, she knew this was an amazing opportunity and if she walked out now, she’d not only be letting Merryn down, but she’d be letting Coren down, and letting Sybill down. Letting Pencradoc down. And, most of all, letting herself down.

And also giving him the satisfaction that she’d scuttled away like a coward.

She took a deep breath. ‘Yes. I can move past it,’ she said. ‘It was a long time ago, like you say.’ Part of her wanted to scream, but regardless, I can’t stand this person! Wisely, she clamped her lips shut and said nothing.

‘Ryan?’ Sybill spoke to the Enemy.

‘What? Me? Yes — of course.’

Tegan chanced a glance at him. His mouth was set in the same way hers was and she could tell he was fighting a comment down as well. But he said nothing else.

There was a beat.

‘Good,’ Coren said simply. ‘Okay. Let’s reacquaint ourselves after so long, and see what we can do to move things forwards, yes? Sit down. Please.’ He indicated some chairs around a small circular table and Tegan made sure she sat as far away from Ryan as possible. Which, yes, happened to be dead opposite him.