Page 42 of A Clean Sweep

‘Actually, I was rather hoping to bump into the boss. He’s a friend of my mum’s and I was just passing and thought I’d drop by and say hi. My name’s Tabitha, by the way.’ She extended her hand and Adam shook it warmly. Nice grip, she thought. Very nice hand. Attached to other very nice body parts.

‘I’m not sure if he’s around but … hang on, you’re in luck!

Here’s the man himself.’ Adam disengaged himself from her grasp and gestured towards another man who’d appeared from a backroom area.

Tabitha took in his solid but well-toned build, his cropped but full head of hair laced with strands of silver and a handsome face that spoke of a life well-lived and enjoyed. Thumbs up, Mum , she thought.

‘Hi! Oh, I’m so pleased to meet you! I’m Tabitha.

Emily’s daughter. I know this is really bad of me – my mum will kill me when she finds out – but I was just passing so I thought I’d drop in and say hello.

I hope you don’t mind, I just like keeping an eye on things.

Ridiculous, I know, she’s a grown woman and all that, but you never stop worrying about them.

Mums, that is, just as they never stop worrying about their children!

’ Tabitha ground to a halt, aware that Joe was looking at her with something like bafflement creeping across his craggy features.

‘I’m pleased to meet you too, Tabitha. But I think we’re talking at cross purposes here.

You said your mum’s name is Emily? But I’m afraid I don’t know any Emily.

’ He looked over at Adam, who shrugged, giving Tabitha another smouldering look that half-convinced her they were batting for the same team.

‘But, you’re Joe , aren’t you?’ Tabitha was now beyond confused, as well as hot under the collar as Adam sent her another sizzling stare. Any more of this and she’d be a molten pile of embers they’d have to sweep up and dump in a wheelie bin.

‘No, I’m Steve. I’m Joe’s dad. He’s out back if you’d like to meet him. Or he was. Here he is now. Joe? There’s someone here who’d like to say hello. Tabitha? Meet Joe.’

Tabitha felt like her whole world had tipped on its axis.

The man standing in front of her, looking about as stunned as she felt, was thirty, maybe a year or two more.

She could see his physical likeness to his father – both incredibly attractive men – but she could not begin to make sense of what was in front of her.

Her mother was dating – maybe even sleeping with – a man young enough to be her son.

Unless she’d got it all wrong, misunderstood names, misread information.

That must be it, she’d been more upset about the Tom break-up than she’d realised, had got hold of the completely wrong end of the stick.

‘You’re Joe? The chimney sweep? So, you know my mum?

I’m just a little confused, think I might have got things mixed up.

Always been a bit of a ditz. Once a blonde, always a blonde, eh!

’ Tabitha had swung her head from side to side to demonstrate her blondeness.

Stopped abruptly when Joe had taken her by the arm and steered her towards a corner spot.

Pointing to a seat, he had poured her a cup of water from a dispenser and gestured for her to sit down.

‘Tabitha. I’ve heard a lot about you. Well, not a lot , but your mum adores you.

And I know she’s been worried about telling you about us.

I completely get it but here’s the thing.

I really, really like your mum – Emily – and I think she feels the same way.

It’s early days but … I think we have a future.

And I know there’s an age gap but it honestly doesn’t bother me. Does it bother you?’

Did it? Suddenly Tabitha wasn’t sure. Yes, she’d been stunned when she learned that her mum’s new boyfriend was more her own age than what she’d imagined.

Yes, she was having a hard time coming to terms with this fact.

She’d always hoped that her mum would meet someone else, she’d just never foreseen it would be a toy boy .

Yet, looking at Joe’s earnest, worried face and thinking of her mum’s evident joy and – understandably now, her evasiveness – she wondered if it really mattered.

Did a distance in years mean a distance in connection?

Could two people transcend a couple of decades and come together if it was meant to be?

Or maybe it was simply meaningless sex and they’d wake up, move on and no harm done?

Steve – the dad – was looking uncomfortable, as well he might. Joe was still watching her, trying to gauge her reaction. Adam, meanwhile, was delving into a drawer and produced – with a flourish – his business card.

‘Voila! In the midst of all this soap opera drama I thought you should have this. In case of a burning desire – sorry – to contact me. You have my home number, mobile number and email. I will answer all and sincerely hope to hear from you. Soon.’

She took the card and tucked it into her purse. Joe walked with her to the door, his dad and Adam discreetly sloping off to attend to business elsewhere.

‘Tabitha, I’m sorry if this has all been too much to take on board but, believe me, I’m not messing about.

Emily is special and I would never hurt her.

Hand on my heart.’ He made the gesture and something inside Tabitha pinged painfully.

Tom might not have been The One but she knew that he had never come close to the intensity of feeling that she sensed Joe felt for her mum.

Which made her – what? Sad for herself? Happy for them?

Completely confused? Time to go home, she thought.

‘Bye, Joe. It was good to meet you. Take care.’ She kissed him on the cheek and left, all thoughts of herbs in pots wiped from her mind.