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"Thanks."
"It wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
She was silent for a moment as she placed teabags into mugs and added water, letting it brew.
"So, are you fired?" She was pouring milk into the tea so I couldn't see her face, but I could hear the tension in her voice. If we lost my income paying the bills would be impossible. I was lucky the mortgage had already been paid off when my gran was alive.
"Rosie doesn't know about any of it yet. I expect that will come tomorrow when we lose the contract, or her business gets foreclosed on, or the police come to arrest me or whatever else it is that a man that powerful can get done in twenty four hours."
"Jesus, Lo."
Guilt weighed on my chest. I'd screwed up. If she'd been in my place, she would have handled Mr Tell with a calm, steady hand. But not me. I had to have a temper, I had to squeak my stupid chair at him.
"What about his car? What's the damage?" She wore the face of a woman sending a silent prayer up to the skies not to screw her over too badly. Usually, the skies didn't give a damn, but today at least I wouldn't have to crush her.
"The van’s a bit dented but it’s okay. His car was pretty busted but he flatly refused to let me pay for it."
The tension left her shoulders as she brought the mugs over and took a seat in front of me. The slow cooker bubbled gently behind her and Ryan's cries of victory sounded out as he chargedaround the garden, waving a plastic sword in the air. It was oddly comforting to hear him battling the world like that. The fearlessness of eight year olds.
"That was decent of him," she said, sipping her tea. I let out a derisive snort.Decentwas not a word I would ever use to describe Mr Tell. "You don't agree?"
"No, I think he was an arrogant ass-hat. He made fun of your shoes and said they didn't fit me properly."
"They don't." It was a good point, but it was also besides the point.
"Well, he also hit on me at the end of the meeting, and it definitely wasn't subtle." My cheeks flushed at the memory of his thumb drawing over my lips.
‘Do you have any idea what I could do with this smart mouth?’
I shivered and forced the memory away.
"Did he threaten to withdraw the contract if you didn't sleep with him?"
"No, but that's not the point." I huffed, frustrated that I couldn't get my thoughts straight. "He just made me really uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable like Adam?" Her brows creased in concern. I shook my head. No one made me uncomfortable like Adam.
"No, just…" I shrugged, unable to find the right word. I had no idea how to describe how Mr Tell had made me feel. She placed her hand over mine, comforting me.
"Well, it's done now. It sounds like you made it clear you weren't interested, and you probably wounded his pride. I doubt he'll try again." She meant it kindly, but it didn't stop his words ringing in my ear.
‘You’re a rare beast, Lola O’Connell, and I love a challenge.’
I wasn’t so sure I agreed with her that he wouldn’t try to see me again.
“What's Mr Tell’s first name, by the way?"
"Alfie. Alfie Tell." I liked the feel of his name on my tongue. It felt daring somehow, to call the aloof mogul by his first name.
"That's a good name."
I was about to ask her what she meant when Ryan burst through the back door. He was bright green. Literally. Apparently, he'd gotten into the craft corner at school again and had painted himself up like the Hulk.
“Auntie Lo, Mrs Reed said to ask do you have everything ready for the school garden?” Mrs Reed was Ryan’s teacher, it was she who had first asked me to help create a garden for the school where the children could play, grow things and learn about wildlife.
“Yep, it’s all at Rosies, ready to go. I’ll send her an email.”