Page 7 of Secrets at the Little Music Shop

‘The man in your shop. I presume he must be a lawyer, or legal in some capacity if he’s got something he wants you to sign. Anyway, he’s wearing a suit.’

‘Impeccable logic there. Wearing a suit, must be a lawyer. What do you do for an encore, tell people their birth-sign?’

Harry made a gurgling noise as though someone had pulled his plug out. ‘I suppose he could be a Man-In-Black.’ I looked at the besuited and bespectacled figure. ‘Seen any good UFOs lately?’

‘I don’t want to talk to him.’ Ben said tightly. There were tiny lines of stress round his mouth. ‘I’ve said everything I’m going to.’

‘OK, well, looks like he’s got other ideas. He’s coming over,’ I just had chance to say before Ben Davies leaned in, grabbed me by the shoulders and began kissing me.

I didn’t see it coming and I panicked. His claustrophobic closeness, the touch of his mouth on mine; it called to mind memories I’d thought I’d buried, making them rise like dead things surfacing in a lake. I could taste him, a sweet muskiness against my tongue, smell the scent of coconut from his hair. My breath caught, my stomach leaped and I tried to move away but the pram handle was caught between our bodies. It dug into my middle, causing our joint movements to rock Harry dangerously from side to side so I had to stand still or risk tipping him out. Just as I was about to grab Ben’s ears and lever him away from my face he moved back half a step, looked deep into my eyes and whispered:

‘Has he gone?’

My breathing stammered in my throat. My heart was attempting to hijack my ribcage, driving my lungs into uselessness. ‘Urrgh,’ was all I could manage to say.

Ben half turned away until he could see the man still standing on the steps of the shop. ‘Shit.’ His whisper licked against my skin, raised goosebumps and turned my stomach to water. ‘He’s just standing there, staring. Look I’m really sorry about this, but . . .’ The mouth came down again, but this time it was more gentle and deferential, although his stubble grazed my skin and there was a gap between our bodies that would have given the lie to the situation had anyone come close enough to look.

This time I was stunned enough to stay still. And despite . . . well, despite everything, I felt the tiniest tingle inside.

‘Now?’

I answered like a robot. ‘Yes. He’s gone.’

Ben let me go and stepped away. He blew out a long sigh and combed through his hair with his fingers. ‘He’ll be off to write a report. Great.’ His voice was bitter enough to make his mouth twist. ‘Still, I’ve bought myself some time. Thanks for that, by the way.’

I breathed out, hard, and wiped my hand across my mouth. Forced myself to relax. It was over. ‘Don’t mention it.’

‘Is that all you have to say? “Don’t mention it”?’

‘Well, hold on just a second, I’ll go and look it up in my little book of things to say when some tosser kisses you uninvited, shall I? Oh yes, here we are.’ And I slapped him across the face. Not very hard, I still wanted him to stock my jewellery after all, but hard enough to let him know that I was angry. ‘There. Or would you prefer my original answer?’

Ben stared at me for a second, putting his hand to his slapped cheek as though he couldn’t believe what I’d done. Then, with a kind of snapping shut movement like a swatted insect he folded down to sit on the shop step, where he hunched himself forward over his knees and began to laugh.

I watched for a few seconds. ‘You are weird, you are,’ I said.

‘I’m sorry.’ Ben’s voice was muffled. ‘I’m just . . . things are crazy right now.’

‘You don’t say.’

‘You’re the first girl who’s ever slapped me like that. I’m not used to it.’

‘Well, with you being God’s gift and all, I’m not surprised.’

He looked up into my face and the laughs seemed to die in his throat. ‘You really are upset, aren’t you? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to compromise you or anything.’

‘Compromise me? How? You haven’t got photographers up on the roofs have you? Waiting to sell pictures of some back-street guitar dealer having a furtive snog? I don’t think even Hello are that desperate.’ Yes. We’d put my expression down to my being disturbed at being kissed by a man I hardly knew. That was easiest.

‘Shows what you know.’ Ben stood up again. ‘Anyway, I meant with his father.’ He nodded towards Harry. ‘You can tell your — boyfriend, is it? — that it was only to get rid of Dr Michaels. I was just sick of talking to him today and I needed an excuse to get out of the conversation.’

‘Firstly, I resent the implication that I’d have to go and blab to any significant other that I got conjugated by a freak up an alleyway and secondly, do I really look like someone who gave birth eight weeks ago?’ I indicated myself. Today I was wearing an old pair of black jeans and a little satin and velvet top, which totally failed to disguise my lack of post-natality. ‘Wouldn’t I be all — you know, bouncy and stuff?’

Ben looked from me to Harry, then back again. ‘What do you do then, rent him by the day?’

I gave a deep sigh. ‘Look. I’ve brought my stuff over for you to put on display. If it isn’t too much trouble. That’s all.’

Ben leaned against the shop. The sun shining on his scruffiness didn’t do him any favours, although it did make his hair shine. ‘No, I’m intrigued now. This peculiar, bossy woman comes to my place and appears to be pushing around a stolen baby. You’ve got to admit it catches at the curiosity.’

I opened and closed my mouth a few times.

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