Might as well tell the truth, he probably wasn't going to recommend me for the job now, was he?

*Nown.'

*A number, did you say? Good, that's great. Well, my, er friend owns those Chocolato places.'

A s.h.i.+ver of antic.i.p.ation crept up my spine. Those shops were famous for their tiny chocolate animals. People queued for hours, or so my kids told me. A box of chocolate frogs around thirty dollars though, so naturally, we Teesons weren't frequent visitors.

*And it needs a Christmas makeover a something clever like you did with LollyBliss. Can you manage that?'

*I *dow now.'

*Start now? Gosh, Scarlet, you are amazing. Lolly said you did her window in an afternoon, including sourcing all the materials, but I didn't really believe it.'

*'At's *oo.'

*This job might take a bit longer, of course. There are three stores. Now, how about I give you a float of one thousand dollars for materials, and the balance on completion of the windows?'

He was giving me the job?

Pus.h.i.+ng a sheet with some addresses and names on it over to me, he smiled.

That was it?

I'd got the job?

Maybe Robert felt sorry for me, after witnessing the sorry spectacle of me bas.h.i.+ng my face into the table like a complete loser?

*Those are the managers' names and the locations,' he continued. *Is a week long enough?'

A week?

How was I going to get time off work, to say nothing of dealing with the kids and Cecily 2.

That was, if I still had my job after failing to turn up today.

Dan Phillit was probably making voodoos of me as I sat there a I could feel the twinges in my back.

*I' *igh' *ee' *onger.'

*You don't need that long? I suppose you've got a lot on? Lolly says you're in high demand. Three days, then?'

*Oo, *at's *ot *ossible.'

*Not impossible? Brilliant. I'll call you in a couple of days to make sure it's going okay. And maybe when the windows are done, I can take you out to dinner to celebrate?'

The innuendo was as discreet as Hammertro might try on an aging beauty queen at a bus stop, but I was still flattered.

If Robert found me attractive, there was still hope for me, one way or another.

I nodded instead of replying, in case he mistook what I said for something x-rated, and let him help me up and lead me back to LollyBliss.

Lolly and Lucinda were waiting breathlessly at the shop. As I entered, both of them literally stepped back in unison upon seeing the state of me.

*My G.o.d, did he punch you?' Lolly looked at me, face pinched with concern.

*Are you into that,' Lucinda asked, *because some women are?'

*'Oo! *E *idn't.'

*He hit you?' Lolly translated.

*Hit, punch, not much in it,' Lucinda said.

Making my way through customers and the racks of new stock that were in front of the counter, I took up Lolly's curly tipped pen and wrote on the back of one of her politically correct brown paper carry bags.

I did this to myself. An accident. I feel like a moron.

*You look a bit like one too, with that lip,' Lucinda noted.

*Lucinda. Completely inappropriate' said Lolly tiredly. *Go and put those clothes out before one of the customers has a slip and trip and I get sued.'

*I'm only trying to help,' Lucinda replied sulkily.

Lolly turned back to me. *Let's get out of here, Serendipity? Perfect time of year for one of their frozen salted caramels. And it couldn't hurt that lip.'

*O 'ay,' I said, glancing at my watch. It was still early and the kids had sports after school. If I didn't want to be landed with Cecily 2 a having to discuss the Jerry Springer *stars' who lived in their mobile home park and, obscenely, all the cats her own cat Spor had s.h.a.gged a I needed stay away until I had backup in the form of the kids or Carson.

Lolly sprung for a cab, and hopped out halfway to get be something for my swollen tongue. By the time we reached the iconic ice cream parlor, normal speech had been resumed.

*Thank you. You don't know how idiotic I feel.'

*It's not the end of the world, Scar,' Lolly said, spying a table and barging through inexperienced tourists to bag it.

I pushed through the crowds after her. *You don't know what rubbish that man believes about me, though.'

Lolly went white.

*What? Lolly? Are you okay? Do you feel ill?'

Lolly stared pointedly behind me. I turned to find, for the second time that day, Robert Simpson standing directly behind me.

*Robert. What are you doing here?' Lolly asked brightly, hoping he hadn't heard.

*Business. Around the corner.'

He looked at me. *Having dinner with the husband?'

It sounded like an accusation a but no, why should it be?

The more important question was, why would he think I was meeting Carson?

*If you mean Carson, we're not. Just us,' Lolly said.

Robert frowned. *I just pa.s.sed a man in the street I could have sworn was Scarlet's husband.'

Lolly and I were flabbergasted. *But Robert, how do you know what Carson looks like?' she asked.

There was the slightest reddening of his left cheek. *From the old days, when he and Scarlet began dating. They always sat in the same corner of Grando's, didn't they? In fact, I'd remember him anywhere, with that hair.'

Was it my imagination or was Robert slightly out of order with respect to Carson?

Lolly tried to keep things light. *Gosh, yes, that revolting stained sofa with the round purple patches. Why on earth didn't the authorities make them take it away? Definite health hazard.'

Robert was quick was a reply, *Well, it didn't worry Scarlet and er, Carson.'

His voice was taking on a sing-songy pitch that hurt my ears. It must be a nervous thing.

I wasn't one to comment though, was I? I'd managed to almost bite off my tongue by trying to cover up my nerves.

*Join us?' I asked, eager to sit down a the shoes Lolly had loaned me were gnawing at my ankles.

*Sorry, love to, but I need to fly a business awaits.'

Shooting me one final awkward glance, Robert pulled his collar up against the rain and dashed through the door as a drenched teenage couple entered.

*What's with him?'

*Who knows?'

We might have discussed it further but the iced drinks my friend had ordered moments ago, with the casual flick of a hand, arrived. Lolly was obviously a regular there.

She handed me a spoon. *Enough about men, this is what life should be about.'

And even though the cold ice made my tongue sting, I couldn't disagree.

Eventually, the food was gone and we moved on to coffee.

*What was Carson doing in town?' I wondered aloud.

*It probably wasn't him. No offence, but Carson doesn't look like the man you first met, does it? His hair is totally different, for one thing.'

*True.' Lolly was right. Carson's hair had gone from a mad, curly affair just like mine to a whisper of what it once was a now it was short, fine and delicately arranged for maximum coverage.

*I suppose I don't look the same, either, do I?'

She shrugged. *So what? You've got a life, and you've had two kids.'

Watching Lolly, model-like in her slick Burberry mac, s.h.i.+ny Versace boots, together with that sheet of unbelievable blonde hair, I wondered why she hadn't dated recently.

If she had, she never spoke of it.

I thought back. There'd been a few boyfriends over the years, but no one who'd lasted more than a month or so.

*What about you, Lol? The business is taking off. Isn't it time to make babies?'

Instead of scrunching her face up like she always did at the mention of pregnancy, Lolly's eyes fogged with sadness.

I grabbed her hand. It was freezing, despite the hot coffee she was clutching.

*Lolly, what's up?'

*It's hopeless.'

Now hopeless I knew about, but Lolly didn't display any of the usual characteristics required for hopelessness.

*Why? You're gorgeous. Just take your pick. I can give you Carson's old alumni yearbooks. Literally, take your pick. Most of those nerds don't leave the lab or hospital or wherever they hang out. They're ripe for the picking.'

She sat back and stared at me.

*What?'

*I can't believe you've never noticed.'

Was she accusing me of something? I had a sore mouth; three days to complete a job I couldn't, in all probability, do with any degree of competency; and now my best friend seemed about to dump me.

*Look, Lolly, I know I haven't been there for youa*

*What are you talking about,' she exclaimed. *For once, Scar, this is about me, not you. You see, I am in love.'

Ignoring the dig at my selfish behavior, I clapped my hands together like a toddler. *Brilliant, that's great news! Who is he?'

Misery clouded her gorgeous face again.

*That's the problem. It's not a he, it's a she.

A she?

*A she who is not interested in other shes.'

CHAPTER EIGHT.