Page 46 of All Mine (The All Mine #1)

Isabella

Isabella knew she was going to the community meeting under false pretences. Yes, of course she wanted to support the fire service safety briefing, but what she wanted more was to set eyes on Etienne. And hands, if at all possible.

The community centre was standing room only when she arrived.

A quick scan had her heart sinking: Etienne wasn’t there.

But she spotted Wren and Rosie and wove her way through the crowd to stand with them, saying hello and waving to a surprising number of people on the way.

Honeybridge was really starting to feel like home.

The fire crew were on a stage decked out with a pumpkin display, Walker standing to one side. As the church bells outside chimed seven, the hall doors were closed and Walker picked up the microphone.

‘Good evening, Honeybridge, and thank you, everyone, for coming to this community meeting.’

The crowd settled. Isabella undid her coat and noticed Etienne slide in through the door and close it quietly behind him again. His hair was windswept and his cheeks flushed from rushing. All in all, very distracting. She shook herself mentally and focused on Walker, who started to speak.

‘Working with neighbouring authorities and the police force, we are investigating a spate of fires locally in both domestic and business premises that we wanted to bring to your attention.’

The word ‘business’ grabbed her attention. Walker had mentioned the house fires the other night, but not said anything about businesses being affected. Her mind flicked to Tutto Mio and she imagined how devastating it would be to lose it. It didn’t bear thinking about.

‘Our investigations have shown the fires have been started deliberately, so we are working to assist the police with anything that might help them to catch the arsonists.’

A murmur rippled through the hall. Rosie threaded her fingers through Wren’s. Isabella looked over at Etienne but he was on his phone.

‘We’d like to ask for your help. Please be on the lookout for any strange or suspicious behaviour and report it immediately. Fire spreads quickly. We can lose a building or business in minutes, so the quicker we get there, the better the chances.’

More anxious whispers and worried looks. Isabella nervously fiddled with a lock of her hair.

‘And finally, if any of you would like to schedule a premises check, we would be happy to come out and advise on your fire prevention and safety. We can recommend alarms, monitors and sprinkler services that could make all the difference. Any questions?’

A few hands shot up. Walker pointed at one. ‘Yes?’

‘Are the cases linked? Or are they random?’

‘I’m afraid we don’t know the answer to that yet. The police are following up.’ He pointed to the next hand. ‘Yes?’

‘How do we get an appointment for you to come and advise?’

‘Speak to one of the crew here.’ Walker indicated the team. ‘They’ll take your details and we’ll be in touch.’

‘Do you have any fire alarms to give away?’

‘We have a moderate fund to help people to buy smoke alarms, if necessary,’ the commander said with a nod. ‘Of course, we need to make sure they go to those people that need it.’

The community nodded as one.

‘Thank you, everyone.’ Replacing the microphone on its stand, Walker and the fire crew started to move down the stairs from the stage.

Wren bit her lip and Rosie pulled her in for a hug.

‘Walker checked our system last week, you know,’ she said.

‘I know. It’s just all the books. The Lit Lounge would go up in seconds.’ Isabella could hear the tension in her voice. Rosie tried a reassuring smile.

‘We’ve got no reason to think we’d be targeted.’

‘But if someone likes making fires and they realise what a quick fire our shop would make. . .’ Wren wrung her hands together. ‘What about the cats?’

‘Try not to worry,’ Rosie said, taking hold of one of those hands she was wringing, and leading her towards the door. ‘We’ve got to try to stay calm.’ The three of them threw a wave towards Walker, who was surrounded by a queue of people, and left the hall.

Old Fred Barrow appeared beside them at the exit, and saluted them with a rolled-up newspaper opened on the racing pages.

‘Were you lucky today, Fred?’ Isabella asked, nodding at his newspaper. He’d circled his hopefuls in red pen. There seemed to be a lot of them. He sucked his false teeth in an expression of disappointment, but then shrugged.

‘But tomorrow is another day,’ he said, tucking the paper back under his arm.

‘I have more maps for you too,’ Isabella called as he turned in the direction of Heart of Honeybridge. ‘My grandmother brought them with her from Italy for you.’

His face lit up. ‘I shall look forward to seeing them, and meeting your grandmother.’

The crowd spilled out into the car park and huddles of people stood chatting, or headed off up the high street. Isabella spotted Etienne ahead, still focused on his phone.

He looked up at that exact moment and she waved, thinking he’d seen her, but he frowned and went back to his screen.

‘Hmm,’ she said to her friends, feeling strangely let down. ‘He can’t have seen me.’ Rosie threw a strange look at Wren. Isabella stopped walking and put her hand on Rosie’s arm. ‘What?’ she asked. Rosie considered for a second.

‘Is everything going okay with your no-sex plan with Etienne?’ Rosie asked.

Isabella grinned. ‘More than okay as a matter of fact,’ she said. ‘I can officially confirm that Etienne Martin is incredible at not having sex.’ She’d expected them to smile or laugh but instead they swapped another worried look.

‘It’s just. . . you know it’s not more than that, don’t you?’ Rosie said nervously.

Isabella flinched as they both stared at her, but tried to laugh it off.

‘Of course I do,’ she said. Of course she did, right?

‘Because Etienne doesn’t do relationships,’ Wren said.

‘We love him and all, but he’s not the boyfriend type,’ Rosie added.

‘In all the time we’ve known him, he’s never committed.’

‘I truly don’t think he has it in him.’

The words were coming thick and fast, tumbling over each other. Isabella held up her hands to stop them speaking, then said, ‘That’s not an issue, because I don’t want him as a boyfriend.’

Her two friends peered into her face, trying to decide if she meant it. ‘I don’t!’ she repeated and laughed. ‘All I want from Etienne Martin are orgasms.’ They continued to scrutinise her, and Isabella hardly dared move.

‘Thank goodness for that,’ Rosie eventually said with an exaggerated sigh.

‘We were starting to get a bit worried for you. We don’t want you to get hurt.’

‘We thought we’d seen some feelings — ’

‘Or a look in your eye — ’

‘That meant you might be falling for him.’

‘Thank God you’re not.’ Wren threw her arm around Isabella’s shoulder, and they carried on walking. ‘I mean, look at him now, on his phone. Probably on Tinder as we speak.’

Isabella linked her arm with Rosie and let them pull her along between them, trying to ignore the fact that her mood had soured.

Later that night, she curled up in the window seat she’d created in the bedroom window of her flat.

Surrounded by cushions, and lit by scented candles, she would sip her chamomile tea in her cosy place and run through her plans and meetings the next day, mentally packing her bag or planning an outfit. It had become her routine. A ritual.

But as she glanced across the square to The Bistro she finally accepted that it was more than that.

It was her last chance of the day to catch sight of Etienne as he closed up.

Some nights, she didn’t see him at all, only Katie or Mile End Mickey as they left.

Other nights, her patience would be rewarded and he might come outside to get some air or look at the stars before heading back inside.

And then she’d head off to bed with her phone and that photograph.

She hated to admit it, but Rosie and Wren were right. It wasn’t only his sexual prowess she liked. It was him. The full Etienne package.

Now, over the square, she saw the lights go out, without a glimpse of the man himself. Tonight was not her lucky night. She sighed at what she knew deep down. She really liked him.

The feelings had crept up on her. He’d made her laugh at karaoke. She’d seen his softer side with the kids. He’d listened when she told him about Daniel. She was impressed by how much he cared for his friends. He seemed like much, much more than just a player. He’d been a surprise.

But it was a silly crush. And it wasn’t going anywhere. She knew that. It wasn’t like it was real feelings or anything, was it?

She got up to put her cup in the sink before turning to the calendar, marking the day off with a red cross through it. Ten days until opening. Ten days until her sex ban was over.

Ten days until potentially the end of her no-sex deal with Etienne. And then what? A one-night stand and it would all be over?

She shook herself. Forcing herself to focus on the positives. Ten days to go to smash her goal, to be single and successful.

Suddenly it didn’t seem to have the same rousing ring to it.