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Zara sipped the end of her beer. She’d thought that would be that. But Tess said, ‘Another?’

Zara heard herself reply in the affirmative and more beers came. Something had shifted between them. Zara was relieved. She didn’t need animosity with a client. If they could just see each other as people, maybe this situation didn’t need to be so hard between them.

Zara took a slow sip of her beer, glancing at Tess. ‘So… anyone you’re seeing outside of this mess?’

Tess snorted. ‘You think I came here as a warm-up act?’ Tess hesitated, then let out a sigh. ‘There hasn’t been anyone for a long time.’

‘But there was someone?’ Zara asked, her interest piqued. ‘What happened?’

Tess took a longer drink, steeling herself. ‘She was… I don’t know where to start. Let’s just say she was complicated and leave it at that.’

Zara nodded. ‘Sounds familiar.’

‘Oh?’ Tess asked.

Zara gave a small, humourless chuckle. ‘Sophie was great on paper. Smart and charming, we worked in the same field, loads in common. But whenever things got too close, she’d pull back. Like she had this invisible wall around her. After a while, it felt like I was talking to a stranger.’

‘So you broke it off?’ Tess asked.

Zara shrugged, staring into her drink. ‘I tried. She kept showing up again, promising it would be different. And I kept falling for it.’

Tess studied her for a moment. ‘Think she’ll take another run at you?’

Zara shook her head, a wry smile tugging at her lips. ‘She can try. I blocked her for good measure after last time.’

Tess didn’t say anything else. She just leaned back against the bar, her grip on the glass loosening just a bit. Zara hoped Tess didn’t think she was fishing for sympathy. But she had a feeling that Zara wasn’t judging her right now.

Tess cleared her throat. ‘Sophie sounds stupid.’

Zara blinked, not expecting that. ‘Thanks.’

Tess raised her glass in a half-toast. ‘To better, then?’

Zara hesitated for a moment, then clinked her glass softly against Tess’s. ‘To better.’

Suddenly there was a kerfuffle from down the other side of the bar. Tess and Zara turned to watch a blonde woman yelling. ‘It’s just one picture!’ The woman she was screaming at, a pink-mulleted creature, yelled back. ‘I’m not taking a picture with a Scorpio!’

‘If it’s going to kick off in here, I’m done,’ Tess said.

Zara nodded. ‘Yeah, I should go to the bar next door so I can smash Anderson’s head in with a brick.’

They walked out together.

‘Well, see you at the disaster site,’ Tess said and walked off.

Zara went next door, murder in her heart for Anderson. But for Tess? Something like hope.