Rory's Proposal (23 page)

We stare at the sign in Rory
’s window. I don’t believe it. They’ve got offers on all their meat products and we haven’t even spoken to the local butcher yet. We’re not going to get anywhere like this. He always seems to be one step ahead of us.

‘
I don’t believe this,’ I say voicing my thoughts.

‘
We can’t ask Jeff at the butchers to drop his price lower than these can we?’ says Sandy gloomily.

‘
I don’t understand how he is always one step ahead of us,’ I say.

‘
Because he’s in business, his mind probably works the same as ours at the moment. Or …’

She turns and looks at me, her eyes wide.

‘He’s bugged my phone and my flat and most likely the hairdressers,’ I finish for her. ‘Shit, that means they know about the mouse and will have the police waiting for us.’

‘
Honestly, you’re getting worse than Ryan,’ says Sandy. ‘They’re getting their intel from Twitter. They’ve seen our next move. We need to use Twitter to our advantage and be careful not to give too much away.’

I
’m seriously thinking selling the salon would be so much easier than all this cloak and dagger stuff. I need to watch some crime films to get a few tips. I’ll pop to Terence’s and see what he can recommend. After all I’ve got nothing else to do with my evenings these days. I can’t even play solitaire without thinking of Tom and our card game and that divine kiss. It was so real. I can’t believe it didn’t mean anything. A man can’t kiss like that unless they feel something. Maybe, just maybe …

‘
Ready?’ asks Sandy.

No. I
’ll never be ready. I’m shaking so much you’d think I was going to rob the place.

‘
We’ll hover around the sandwiches. Make it look natural. It is lunchtime after all,’ she says and grabs my arm and the next thing I know I’m standing in Rory’s and shaking so much you’d think I had a grenade rather than a toy mouse in my pocket.

‘
Afternoon ladies,’ booms a voice behind me, making me jump out of my skin. ‘Can I offer you baskets this afternoon?’

I turn to the security man
and attempt to speak but find myself grunting something inaudible. ‘We’re just getting lunch,’ smiles Sandy.

‘
We’ve a special on this week. A free bag of crisps with a sandwich pack,’ he says proudly. Anyone would think he owned Rory’s. Still, I suppose he’s only doing his job. I hope he doesn’t get into trouble for this. What if he gets the sack?

‘
Maybe we should go to …’ I begin but Sandy pulls me towards the sandwich fridge.

‘
We can’t do it here, he may see us,’ she says. ‘We’ll have to buy a sandwich, make it look good …’

‘
But we’re not supposed to buy from …’

‘
But if it’s for the cause,’ she whispers.

I finger the mouse in the pocket of my jacket. If anyone looks suspicious I certainly do, I must look like I
’m about to draw a gun and hold up the checkout girl. I study the sandwiches, choose an egg mayonnaise and take my free bag of crisps.

‘
Best get one for Ryan,’ says Sandy choosing a BLT. ‘Do you want a drink? I’ll get Ryan a Coke. What crisps does he like?’

I sigh. I don
’t believe this. We’re here with intent to ruin Rory’s business and instead we’re giving him some.

‘
I don’t know. I can’t think straight.’

‘
Act natural,’ says Sandy.

She
’s got to be kidding. I’ve got a wind-up mouse in my pocket. How can I act natural?

‘
I’ll pay for these at the self-service till. Give me a minute and then let it go.’

‘
I … I …’ I begin but the words
I can’t
just don’t come out.

I wind the mouse up with my thumb and all I can hear is my heart beating in my chest. I am sure the woman looking at the smoked mackerel next to
me must be able to hear it too. I’m studying the mackerel like some kind of expert. I pick up one after the other and then put them back neatly.

‘
The peppered mackerel is lovely, have you tried that one dear? I had it last night with a bit of mashed potato. Lovely it was, here, take one and try it. You obviously like your mackerel.’

‘
Oh no, thank you but …’

‘
Here, this looks like a nice one.’

She pushes the mackerel at me. I pull out my hand, forgetting the mouse is in it. I drop the mouse in panic and it scoots down the aisle at full speed towards the deli counter.

‘Did you see that?’ shrieks the woman. ‘A mouse, there’s a mouse. It ran right past you.’

A woman with her head in the cod fridge screams blue murder and almost throws herself in with the fishcakes. I glance at Sandy who nods at me.

‘Oh where is it? I hate mice,’ I squeal, trying to act terrified.

‘
A mouse, there’s a mouse in the shop,’ yells Sandy. ‘Over there,’ she points.

‘Oh my God, where?’
shrieks another woman.

Within minutes, Rory
’s is a pandemonium of shrieking women and macho men
attempting to find the rampant mouse. Sandy walks calmly to the exit and I hurriedly follow. I’m out the door when a hand lands heavily on my arm.

‘
Just a minute,’ says a voice.

I freeze. I don’t believe it. Our first prank on Rory’s and
I’m getting apprehended.

‘
It is you. I said to myself that bum looks familiar,’ says Adam grinning from ear to ear as the alarm wails.

‘
What are you doing buying stuff from Rory’s?’ he asks, nodding at the abundance of food in Sandy’s arms. Christ, she could have taken a carrier bag at least.

‘Oh shit,’ mumbles Sandy.

I feel the tension leave my body and give Adam a
smile. I’d never been so happy to see someone in my life, even if it is Adam.

‘
Hello Adam, can’t stop, we’re late back,’ I say.

There is a mass exodus from the store as streams of petrified women and screaming children burst through the exit doors.

‘I got your scarf. I’ll drop it in later shall I?’ says Adam, seemingly oblivious to the chaos around him.

‘
Leaflets,’ says Sandy, sounding like a mad woman.

‘
What?’ I say.

‘
Ask him about the leaflets,’ she mumbles.

‘
What was that darling?’ he asks.

‘
You said you may know someone who could do our leaflets …’

‘
Yeah, of course darling. No probs, and the megaphone, I’ll get you that too. Tell you what I’ll get it today. Give you a knock about nine? You girls get on; don’t let me hold you up.’

‘
But …’ I begin.

He gives a wave and crosses the street.

‘I forgot to pay,’ she says as soon as Adam is out of earshot.

She what?
How could she forget to pay? I stare at the packs of crisps, sandwiches and drinks cradled in her arms.

‘
What do you mean, you didn’t pay?’

‘
I kind of forgot when the mouse thing happened.’

And I thought I would let the side down.

‘We have to go back,’ I groan.

She nods. They say criminals return to the crime scene don
’t they? I wonder if they usually do it as quick as this. This is
ridiculous.

‘
I don’t think they
know it was you,’ she says.

I grab her arm.

‘What do you mean
you don’t think
?’ I ask, trying to remain calm.

‘
Okay, they don’t know it was you,’ she corrects.

‘
You wouldn’t say
that
unless you thought, that they thought, it was me,’ I ramble.

‘
Everything’s cool,’ she says and knocks on the door. I feel myself tremble as the security guard
opens it.

‘
Sorry ladies, we’re closed for a while due to a minor incident. We’ll be opening in a jiffy.’

Is that a funny look he
’s giving me? His hand moves to the radio clipped to his belt. Bollocks.

‘
I can check how long it will be,’ he says.

‘
We’ll come back later,’ I say, turning to walk away.

‘
I didn’t pay,’ says Sandy in a rush.

He looks at the goods in her hands.

‘The mouse thing …’ she mumbles.

He waves a hand dismissively.

‘Oh, there were no mouse, it were just a child’s toy. Dropped it I guess. You come on in. We’re just getting things tidy before reopening.’

This is madness. We
’re the last people that should be in the store, let alone the first ones to come back. An assistant wearing a name badge with
Sally
on it comes to our aid.

‘
Poor you, forget to pay did you,’ she says in cheerful voice. ‘Those alarms scare you half to death don’t they? Let me scan your things. Do you have your loyalty card?’

For some stupid reason I pull the thing out of my purse.

‘
Lovely. So there’s the points for your goods and twenty extra points for your honesty. Not everyone would have come back, there you are …’ she squints at the card, ‘Miss Grayson’.

Oh shit.

‘You’d be shocked at how much went from the fish counter,’ she says quietly.

I think of the little old lady with the mackerel. No, surely not.

It
’s six o’clock and the salon has finally closed. Our feet haven’t touched the ground since getting back this afternoon. I pick up the ringing phone tiredly as Sandy sweeps around my feet.

‘
Flora’s hair salon good evening,’ I say flopping into the chair by the reception desk.

‘
Are you sure this is what you want Flo?’ says a soft familiar voice.

His voice conjures up so many memories and emotions that I find myself spiralling into a trembling mess of mixed feelings. I can picture his bright blue eyes, the way he frowns when he concentrates and the twinkle in his eye when he teases, and the way his lips had felt when they had touched mine. In those few seconds I feel sure I can even smell him and remember the touch of his hand. His warm arms around me when we danced and his urgent body pressing into me when we kissed. Don
’t think about it, don’t think about it. He’s the enemy. He’s the man who wants to take everything from you.

‘
We don’t have to go down this route Flo. We could meet for coffee and …’

I finally find my voice and say quietly,

‘I don’t consort with the enemy.’

Sandy
’s head snaps up and she looks wide-eyed at me.

‘
Thomas Rory,’ I mouth.

She immediately blanches.

‘I’m not your enemy. You realise if you continue like this, things will get messy and you won’t win.’

Why does he always have to sound so bloody reasonable?

‘I’m not in the wrong,’ I say. ‘And I have every intention of winning.’

‘
There are some things I can’t control Flo. If you say anything slanderous about the company on Twitter I won’t be able to stop our solicitors from taking action.’

‘
We are just telling the truth,’ I say, feeling angry that even now he can produce such emotion in me. How can he still affect me in this way?

‘
Please Flo, let’s talk. I’d like to see you. Give me a chance to explain. I don’t want us at loggerheads like this. It’s crazy.’

‘
I’ll never give in to you. Now I have to go I’m afraid. I have clients to see to.’

I slam
down the phone and realise my whole body is trembling.

‘W
hat did he say? Does he know about the mouse?’ asks Sandy anxiously.

I shake my head.

‘He says he can’t stop his solicitors from taking action if we put anything slanderous on the Twitter page.’

Sandy smiles.

‘That’s a good warning. If I didn’t know better I’d say that was his way of advising you. Maybe your mum and Rosalind are right. Perhaps the feeling was mutual.’

I go to answer when she begins to wave madly.

‘There’s Jethro. We’re going over to his mates tonight to work on the web page. Good luck with Adam.’

My mind is reeling so much that I can
’t even think about Adam. Was Tom’s phone call simply to warn me? Does he care about me? No, don’t think about it, don’t think about it but how can I not think about it? I fetch my shawl from the back and turn off the lights, my mind full of Thomas Rory.