Page 45 of Hit For Six (Balls and Banter #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Monty

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ yelled Monty, eyes bugging out at the stomach-churning sight.

‘H-hang on a minute! How do you know my client?’

Lola stepped back from him, the look on her face suggesting that he had a lot of explaining to do, very fast.

For the moment, both of them remained speechless, suspended in time as they took in the bizarre situation in front of them. Yes, she knew how to wear the garment in question but Monty could never be attracted to Joanna in a life prior to Lola. She totally repulsed him.

‘Now, now, children!’ Joanna laughed and Monty quickly realised that she really was more than slightly unhinged in her pursuit of him; that he needed to protect Lola at all costs, and that he had to get their intruder out of here.

‘Your mother gave me a set of keys so I could help out with the plants. I’m just being neighbourly and making sure you’re fed.

’ She smirked and gave the eggs in the pan a leisurely whisk.

‘I was about to tell you at the party that I’d moved into the same village as your parents, but then you kissed me and it flew right out of my head. ’

‘ I did no such thing! You’re out of your mind. Get some clothes on for fuck’s sake, get out of this kitchen and don’t ever set foot in this house again!’

‘Monty?’ Lola cried, and he could tell from the desperation in her voice that he was in the deepest of pickles.

‘I will explain everything as soon as she is out of here, I swear.’ Monty ran a hand through his hair, more than aware that, to an outsider, this wouldn’t look good, however he relayed the story. ‘She’s a friend of Bea’s with an unhealthy obsession.’

‘She’s been stalking me?’ Lola deduced.

‘Yes, it would appear that she’s been keeping tabs on the pair of us.’

‘You’re a fine one to talk in your underwear.’ Joanna dropped some bread in the toaster, no intention of paying heed to Monty’s instructions. ‘Like I’ve said before when we met up after your training, I’m happy to come to an arrangement. Just until you know which one of us you want.’

Now Joanna hopped on a bar stool, swivelled around and tossed her head back to laugh. Monty had to steady himself against the farthest worktops. Lola remained worrying close to the door.

‘Last warning, Joanna. Go now or I will call the police. And quit stalking Lola and myself. We’re a couple. You need to grow up and get over it.’

‘But I can’t go yet.’ Joanna rubbed her eyes to feign the wiping of tears as the spinning came to a stop.

‘I haven’t told you about the very intriguing time I spent in New York recently on a business trip.

’ She steepled her fingers and leant across the island, her underwear somehow keeping everything in place whilst leaving even less to the imagination.

Monty and Lola crossed their arms over their chests in tandem.

‘We don’t care,’ said Monty.

‘Oh, I think you will. My flight was delayed you see, and I got chatting to a lovely fellow Englishman, as you do. A lovely fellow Englishman who’d just lost his job because of somebody playing the female card in his workplace.

’ She drummed her manicured fingers on the island and Monty knew he could never eat there again.

‘It’s not very pleasant when the shoe is on the other foot, is it Lola?

Julian gave me the lowdown on Harry, how easy he’d be to fool.

I was all too happy to help him out. Two birds, one stone.

Oopsie, you’ll want to start looking for a new job right about now.

Celebrate and Commiserate been greedy and given itself a little bit of a cash flow crisis. ’

Where was a dictaphone when he needed one? This was going to be catastrophic for Lola. Monty could only imagine the size of that order and the way it might bring the company down if Joanna didn’t pay up.

‘He told you to get out,’ Lola replied, scarily level-headed, not even flinching at Joanna’s revelation. ‘And I’m telling you that I know all about your drone that was spying on us last night.’

But Joanna didn’t seem remotely phased.

‘Wasn’t it a juicy piece of evidence I recorded for Mummy and Daddy?

Their golden boy screwing the common slut in the games room.

It reminded me of a game of Cluedo. Except, you won’t be able to pin any of this crime on me because I have now become the key to you keeping your inheritance, Montgomery.

So, here’s the deal: ditch the poor girl and put a ring on my finger… or else.’