Page 35
‘HR will be in touch shortly to arrange another day and time.’
‘Do you have my number?’
‘Of course. I have a very sophisticated filing system. It is scribbled on a piece of paper and stuck to the front of Colin and Helen’s fridge. Goodnight.’
Chuckling happily, Frankie watched Ben go for a moment. She was turning to head toward Rocco’s car when she saw a hooded figure near the bandstand, watching her. There was something so familiar about the pose, it made Frankie do a double take. But then a family walked past, the dad carrying his toddler daughter on his shoulders, which momentarily obscured Frankie’s view. When she got a clear line of sight to the stage again, the figure had gone.
* * *
Rocco dropped Frankie home and she’d just kicked off her shoes in her bedroom when her phone rang.
It was a number she didn’t recognise. ‘Hello!’ she said, ‘You’re very quick to get back to me. Your HR procedure is exemplary!’
There was a beat of silence then, ‘Frankie?’
It was Jay.
Frankie sat on the edge of her bed, feeling her face flush. ‘Hi, sorry, I thought you were someone else.’
‘I wondered if you’re free… for a chat?’
‘Um…’ Frankie glanced at her clock.
As if reading her thoughts, Jay quickly added, ‘Not tonight. I mean tomorrow. Over dinner? I’ve made a reservation at your grandfather’s place.’ There was a long pause. ‘Anyway. I understand if you’re busy or just plain don’t want to. I need to eat, regardless, so I’ll be there… Table’s booked for eight.’
‘I…’
‘Turn up if and when you want. Right. Well, I’ll hopefully see you tomorrow. Or not…’ There was a sigh followed by a long pause, so long, Frankie wondered if they’d lost connection. Then a quietly husky, ‘Hope you had fun at the light switch-on. Goodnight, Frankie, sleep well.’ He hung up.
Frankie flopped back onto her bed, phone clutched to her chest, now certain Jay had been the figure she’d seen by the bandstand.
A moment later, her phone pinged at her. A text.
Goodnight, lovely seeing you earlier. I hope you give serious consideration to the job position.
And a winky face emoji.
She smiled and saved the contact under “Ben”.
Scrolling back to the previous number, she paused with her thumb over “save contact”. She didn’t know what to store Jay as on her phone. To change the sequence of numbers to an identity seemed dangerous, allowing him to grab even more of a foothold back into her life.
She groaned out loud. He was already back. In fact, Jay had never really been away; just resting in her subconscious like a dormant volcano, poised to rumble into life again.
While she still wasn’t ready to give him a label in her phone, Frankie did memorise his number so she wouldn’t be caught on the hop if he rang again.
His voice in her ear, telling her to ‘sleep well’… that same voice used to send little sparks of electricity up her vertebrae when he sang one of his half-finished songs whilst playing his guitar. Frankie doubted sleep would come to her at all at the thought of seeing him tomorrow. Possibly; if she turned up.
She stared at the ceiling, heart fluttering a wild samba beat in her chest.
Who was she trying to fool? Of course she’d be there.
CHAPTER 16
FRANKIE
Frankie stood outside Matteo’s Trattoria. She glanced over at the clock tower and saw it was after half past eight. She hadn’t planned on being late or to keep Jay guessing to see if she’d turn up.
It was because she’d spent so much time agonising over what to wear. She’d laid the entire contents of her non-dog walking wardrobe on her bed earlier. And it wasn’t good.
