Page 51 of The Romance Library

‘Yes.’ Edwin nodded. ‘We’d like you to do something together. It goes well with the whole community spirit feel. Working together as a unit is always better than flying solo. You know what they say: teamwork makes the dream work!’

More like teamwork makes the nightmares happen.

I was quite happy flying solo.

Not only did Edwin want me to embarrass myself by performing at some silly talent show, he wanted me to do it with Theo. Which meant rehearsals and spending more time together than we already were.

The man was a sadist.

I thought things were hard before, but Edwin had taken things to a whole new level.

Shit.

16

Theo

‘What time does this finish?’ I asked Jessica before downing the rest of my red wine and resting the glass on the sticky mahogany table.

We were in the Seaview Arms pub, where we’d come to get a feel for the event ahead of the performance we’d been roped into doing next week.

Right now Jessica and I were being tortured with a performance of ‘I Will Survive’ by one of the local residents. She might, but I wasn’t sure if I would. It sounded like she was being strangled. I wished I’d brought earplugs.

‘Ten.’ Jessica winced. ‘But I don’t know if I can survive another half an hour of this.’

Luckily we were tucked away in one of the sections towards the back of the pub, so no one should be able to hear us.

The interior was like a traditional British pub with deep burgundy patterned carpet, worn-looking dark wooden tables and chairs with some burgundy leather banquette seating along the back wall.

The bar, which was in the centre, had the same dark polished wood with brass beer taps and a fairly large selection of spirits behind it.

The walls were decorated with old framed photographs of fishermen and other people I assumed were important to the town, sea-related memorabilia and old Sunshine Bay postcards.

Bob and Barbara, the landlord and landlady, were friendly. I imagined they were in their late fifties or early sixties. Both had tanned skin. Barbara had her reddish-brown hair styled into a beehive and Bob had a shaved head.

Although the Seaview Arms wouldn’t be my usual choice for a drinking establishment, it had a certain charm.

‘Oh, thank God,’ Jessica exhaled as the performance ended.

We both clapped politely and I braced myself for the next act. So far the performances had included a ‘comedian’ who was about as funny as a dead fish, a ventriloquist whose lips moved throughout the whole performance, and a juggler who kept dropping all the balls.

‘Another drink?’ I got up from my seat.

‘Please. Same again, but make mine a double.’

‘Double G&T coming up.’

‘Enjoying yourself?’ Cindy, the barmaid, flashed a smile.

‘It’s, er, certainly interesting.’

‘Bloody liar!’ she cackled as she poured gin over the ice in Jessica’s glass. ‘It’s terrible! That’s why we’re all hoping that you and your colleague can bring some of your London flair to the show. Any idea what you’ll do?’

‘No.’ I shook my head.

When Edwin had dropped another one of his annoying bombshells yesterday, my stomach had lurched. The idea of performing in any kind of talent show was horrendous on its own. But when you added the fact that he wanted me and Jessica to do something together, it made it even worse.

I was supposed to be limiting the time I spent with her. Not increasing it.

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