Page 71 of Love Letters on Hazel Lane

‘Mm, your type,’ said Zoey, nudging Kate again, and Jo felt a stab of irritation that Zoey knew what Kate’s type was. Kate had played her cards close to her chest when it came to her own love life and Jo hadn’t got a clue what kind of man she liked.

‘I’d better go and… er, organise things,’ Jo said.

‘Introduce us to your friend Razz,’ she heard Zoey call after her but she ignored her.

Protective, Jo realised. That was how she’d felt watching Zoey checking out Razz. She didn’t want Razz – lovely, kind Razz – to get hit on by this woman who was only interested in him because of his job.

And, if she was honest with herself, she had felt possessive too. She’d never considered how she’d feel with Razz here in a hall full of single women. Single women all looking for a man. Single women who might spot what she hadn’t seen when she’d first met him: that he mightn’t be conventionally good-looking or a smooth talker, but he was cute, kind and genuine.

She began to walk towards him, hoping to… hoping to what, exactly? Warn him off Zoey with a y? Ask him not to talk to any of the women? Announce that she wanted to be more than friends?

A tall man stopped her, wanting to know where he could put his jacket.

‘On the back of your chair,’ she said.

She escaped and edged closer to Razz, still unsure of what she was going to say, when another man put his hand on her arm, wanting to know if he should have brought his own dictionary.

‘No,’ she said, ‘the Scrabble part is secondary to the evening.’ He looked disappointed.

She had nearly reached Razz when she bumped into Mr Morgan, hopping nervously from foot to foot. Jo couldn’t ignore the head teacher, not when he was hosting their event.

‘All okay so far?’ he said.

‘So far.’

‘There’s rather a long queue for drinks.’ He gestured at the line of people snaking their way to the serving hatch.

‘I’ll go and help out.’ She sighed and headed over to the kitchen.

As she poured drinks, she glanced across the hall. Kate and Zoey were looking around, assessing all the men. Razz was scrutinising the list of daters over Sal’s shoulder. When she’d served this last customer, she would take mojitos over to them, then draw him aside and tell him how she felt about him before she lost her nerve.

But then two women approached the counter and started dithering about what to order. By the time she’d served them, Razz was talking to Zoey with a y and Kate was standing right in front of her.

‘There’s a real buzz about the place, Jo,’ Kate said. ‘Congratulations. You’re a whizz at organising. Could I get three mojitos, please?’

Jo poured the drinks and looked over at Razz and Zoey again. They looked good together too, she thought grudgingly. Zoey was the perfect height for him; Jo felt large and gawky in comparison.

Zoey laughed at something he said and pushed him playfully in the chest. Jo placed Kate’s cocktails on the counter a little too forcefully, sloshing some onto the counter.

‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘Donations in the tin. In aid of the PTA, so please give generously.’

And please stop your glamorous friend from chatting up Razz, she wanted to add, but she didn’t.

Kate shoved a twenty-pound note into the pot and turned away. Jo felt a hand on her arm and heard Sal say, ‘Could I have a word, Jo? I’ve registered everyone, but one man and two women haven’t shown up. My niece is coming over to take one of their places, but you’ll have to take the other one.’

‘Can’t we run it with eleven tables?’

‘We could, but I’ve been telling everyone they’ll have twelve dates. Besides, I’ve already asked Razz to take the missing man’s place and he seemed rather pleased.’

Jo’s heart sank into her trainers.

She’d never considered the possibility that she might take part in the Scrabble speed-dating, and she definitely hadn’t considered that Razz might too, let alone that he’d be pleased to do so. Did this mean he was still actively looking to meet someone? And therefore that he wasn’t interested in her?

28

‘Is that okay, Jo?’ said Sal.

‘Sorry, is what okay?’