Page 27 of Barging In

What was it with everyone pointing out how beautiful Victoria was?

Like anyone could miss it — except perhaps Drew.

His eyes had barely left her all evening.

Clem could feel them, heavy and constant as she tended bar, and she fought the urge to give him a piece of her mind.

But she wouldn’t. It wasn’t her place. And if he couldn’t see what he was missing in his wife, that was his loss.

“Yes,” she answered softly. “She’s enchanting.”

“The best friend a guy could have. I can’t thank you enough for getting us out of a hole today. I hated leaving her in the lurch.”

“It was nice to be able to help for a change. I gather I’ve become a bit of a nuisance.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” He smirked.

“She might.” Clem nodded, eyebrows raised, in Victoria’s direction. Jasper turned to look again.

His friend fixed the pair of them with a steady stare.

“She was a pleasure to work with,” Clem added.

“That much I do know. I was festering in a broom cupboard in an Oxford college until she knocked on the door one day — full of excitement, questions, and plans.”

“Do you still teach?”

Jasper nodded. “On occasion. I have a few DPhil students.”

“So should I call you ‘Doctor Sinclair’?”

“You could, if you really have to. ”

The smug grin on his face suggested he wasn’t opposed.

“I must say you are brave, living on one of those things.” He gestured out the window to the canal. “Dear Max showed me around his place earlier. There isn’t much room to breathe, is there? I thought I’d pass out.”

“Well, I’m sure Max would have eagerly resuscitated you.”

Jasper gave her a smug smile. “Oh, no doubt.”

“Honestly, some days I don’t think they’re for anyone,” Clem admitted.

“It’s relentless. Filling up water every few days, rubbish piling up in about five minutes, always stressing about power, safety, and gas.

And don’t get me started on running a kitchen in a space the size of a cupboard.

I miss long, hot showers — and not wondering if I’ll blow a fuse every time I turn on the kettle. ”

“Wow, you’re really selling it,” Jasper snarked. “Definitely avoid narrowboat sales as a future career.”

“I’ll bear it in mind,” Clem chuckled.

A looming figure appeared behind Jasper. As if sensing it, he turned his head slightly, then took the glass of champagne Clem handed him.

“It’s been a pleasure, Clem, as always.” Turning, his voice tightened. “Drew.”

“Jasper. Nice to see you.” Drew’s voice was smooth, but his jaw tightened, betraying the truth of his feelings.

“Yes, I expect it is,” Jasper said dryly.

Clem struggled to contain her amusement. So, Jasper wasn’t a fan of Drew either.

She felt a sudden nervousness at meeting Victoria’s husband face to face, but as Jasper walked off and Drew stepped forward, there was no escaping it.

“Two glasses of champagne.”

“Please. ”

Drew frowned. “Sorry?”

“Apology accepted,” Clem said with a flat smile.

“What? Do you know who I am? I paid for all this,” Drew hissed.

“I don’t care who you are or if you paid for it.

I am serving it and therefore I expect a please.

It’s called being polite. I guess you missed that particular lesson in” — she looked him up and down — “business school. Whatever status you have applied to yourself means nothing to me. If a child can manage it, I’m sure you can, too. ”

He shifted, then smirked. “You play hard. I like that.”

Clem rolled her eyes. Typical arsehole response, thinking she was playing hard to get.

“Am I supposed to feel flattered? Whatever cheesy lines you have stored up your overpriced sleeve, I’m not buying it. You’re not even shopping in the right market.”

“Oh, is that right? Maybe you just haven’t met the right man yet.”

Clem planted her hands on her hips and levelled a look at him.

“Seriously? A woman tells you she’s not interested, and your response is to mansplain her sexuality back to her?

” She let out a short laugh. “Trust me, I’ve met plenty of men.

That’s one of the reasons I’m happy to be a lesbian.

” Her gaze swept him up and down again. “It’s preferable to walking clichés like you — all style over substance.

The danger with men like you is no one sees the cracks until they’ve already fallen through them. ”

He seemed more entertained than offended by the idea he could be a threat, which only proved her point. Not wanting to spend another minute with him, she decided to forgo waiting for a please. She filled two glasses with champagne and passed them to him.

“Here. Now, why don’t you run along and pay a compliment to your beautiful — and yet invisible — wife? If you can even remember what she looks like.”

Drew raised an eyebrow at her. Clem raised one back and glared at him.

“Vic!”

“Oh, sorry,” Victoria replied, turning to find Jasper beside her. “I was miles away.”

“So it seems. Here, hold my glass. I’m going to grab some cake. Want any?”

Victoria shook her head, hardly hearing him.

Her attention was on Drew and Clem at the bar.

She had hoped they wouldn’t meet. Part of her feared Clem might say something about the dalliance she’d spotted in their upstairs window, but then she had promised not to say anything to anyone.

Did that include Drew? Her earlier nausea was rising again.

She took a swig from the glass, then another, watching Clem, who had her hands firmly on her hips. Should she go over?

Jasper reappeared beside her and took his glass back. “Did you just drink all that?”

Victoria looked at the empty glass. “Oh, sorry.” She didn’t even remember draining it.

“Never mind. I should keep a clear head for later anyway,” Jasper said, looking over to the bar. “Clem scrubs up well, don’t you think?”

Victoria followed his gaze. “Indeed.”

“I’m not sure which of you has been unable to keep their eyes off Clem more, you or Drew.”

“What?” Victoria snapped, turning to look at Jasper.

Jasper shrugged. “Simply saying what I see.”

What on earth was he insinuating? He had no idea she was attracted to women. Or did he? Maybe, being gay, he picked up on things or noticed body language that she didn’t realise she was exuding. To her, people were all the same.

“Come on, Vic, I’m not blind. You and Drew are hardly Kate and Wills.

Clem’s put a spring in your step that I haven’t seen since you were working on this place.

What did I walk in on earlier in the kitchen?

Your faces were a picture,” Jasper said with a playful smirk.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smiling like that. ”

Victoria shrugged, hoping to steer him off course. “She just agreed to bake for us, that’s all. I like her energy.”

“So do I. And that’s great that she’s going to help us.”

“She was also full of ideas about the wharf,” Victoria relayed with excitement.

“Ideas?”

“Yes. Turns out she’s a marketing guru. She gave me a whole list of things we could try.”

“Is she now?” Jasper mused, rubbing his chin. “Just what we need.”

“She was high up in the fast-food industry, I understand. Or was about to be; then she jacked it all in.”

“For a narrowboat?”

Victoria nodded.

Jasper raised his eyebrow. “Wow. She’s got some guts.”

“Mmm. She might have given me all these ideas, but I have no idea how to implement any of them. So, I was thinking about asking her to work for us. Only part-time, to fit around her business.”

“She’d be fun to have around the place. Might even make you smile a bit more,” he teased.

“Ha!” Victoria said, forcing a grin. “Anyway, what were you and Clem talking about over there?”

“I was thanking her for helping today. She was telling me how much she enjoyed spending time with you. She even called you enchanting.”

A wave of adrenaline rushed through Victoria as she examined him for a hint of teasing, but his gaze had flitted to Max.

He looked back at her with a smile. “So, who knows? You two might be the dream team to bring this place back from the brink.”

“Hmm.” She was about to move the subject away from Clem when she noticed Drew heading their way, carrying two glasses of champagne.

“I might need that refill after all,” Jasper said, looking at his empty glass, then whizzing off so fast he created a breeze.

Drew approached, all smiles while he glanced back at Clem. Of course a man like Drew would notice her. She was exquisite.

“Who’s that?” he asked, his eyes fixed on Clem as he held out a glass to Victoria.

She didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want him to know anything about her. She was... She stopped the thought before she finished it, but the word hers was already resounding in her head. Clem wasn’t hers and never could be.

“Clem,” she answered lightly, taking the glass. “One of the narrowboat traders; she helped me out today with the food. I couldn’t have done it without her since Christine walked out without giving any notice.”

“Well, what do you expect when you hire someone like her?”

“ You suggested she was the most qualified candidate,” Victoria said, trying to keep calm for more reasons than she could count.

“Yes, out of those available. It doesn’t mean you should have stopped looking for the right one. Really, Vic, are you sure you’re cut out for business?” Drew scoffed.

She was becoming increasingly aware that perhaps she wasn’t.

“It’s not all about qualifications,” he chortled. “Sometimes you have to use your instinct. Make sure they have a personality.”

Victoria was about to say that was exactly what she had intended on doing at the time, but Drew continued.

“If you’re going to be stuck working with the underlings, make sure you can stand their company.” He pulled himself up and surveyed the room.

Biting her lips together, she remained silent. She valued all her employees. At least now she knew her instincts weren’t so far off after all when it came to employing people; she just needed to trust them more.