Page 64 of The Good Neighbour

“Hello?” came a female voice.

Josh frowned.

“It’s Martha,” Jean-Paul explained.

“And Sidney?”

Jean-Paul straightened up. “I’m not sure he could make it.”

“Come up,” Josh shouted.

A short woman with jet black hair done up in a tight French twist appeared. She was tiny and positively glowed in a vintage bright red skirt suit that fitted perfectly.

Josh bounded over and held his hand out. “Martha. So wonderful to meet you at last.”

With remarkable strength she took his hand and pulled him in for a kiss on the cheek.

“I never let a handsome man get away with just a handshake,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Josh instantly liked her.

“I’m sorry Sidney couldn’t make it,” Josh said.

“Who said I couldn’t.”

Josh looked up. A very tall, muscular man was behind Marsha. Whilst Josh only had eyes for Hugh these days, he was still taken aback by this apparition of masculinity. In his mid-thirties, Sidney was tall and his muscles almost broke free from the confines of the tight white T-shirt. He’d paired it with distressed jeans and a leather biker jacket to give himself more than a passing resemblance to Marlon Brando.

“Oh…well…I must have got mixed up. So wonderful to meet you.”

He shook Sidney’s hand and silently cursed Jean-Paul for not preparing him. In his mind’s eye, he’d pictured a spindly older man in a cardigan.

“Jean-Paul, could you get our guests a drink?”

He turned back to see a grumpy-looking Jean-Paul approaching with two glasses.

“Already on it,” Jean-Paul said. “What do you think I am?”

Josh frowned. A flash of red had crept across Jean-Paul’s neck and if he wasn’t mistaken, perspiration beaded on his forehead.

Martha took her glass with a warm smile. As Jean-Paul handed the other to Sidney, he caught the stem on Sidney’s outstretched hand and managed to spill a large part of the contents of the glass onto Sidney’s T-shirt.

“Merde.”

Sidney leapt back. With a grin, he took the depleted glass from Jean-Paul’s hand.

“Wow. That’s the oldest trick in the book,” Sidney said.

“Meaning?”

“If you want to see what’s under here, you only have to ask.”

Jean-Paul scowled. “I have no desire to discover under your clothing, Sidney. On that you can be quite assured.”

Sidney winked at him. “Sure.”

Martha shook her head and came over to Josh’s side. A cloud of fragrance seemed to orbit her. It was floral with an edge of bergamot. Josh felt this to be perfect.

“They’re like this every time we come here.”