Page 15 of (Not So) Mad About You

“Och, it’s just because it used to be a teacher training college,”Josh said, noticing her look. “The food’s much better now. We’ve got Celine, she’s the housekeeper, dusts the spider webs, that sort of thing. And she keeps up all fed.”

“Us all?” Bea asked as she followed Josh down a long corridor.

“Well, there’s the six clients that we’ve got for this session, you’ll meet those in a few minutes. Then there’s me and you, Luke Bradshaw, he’s the boss. Um, Lex is the main therapist and overseer, then Daria, she does meditation and relaxation. And that’s about it, I suppose.”

“Where is everyone?” Bea asked.

But before Josh could answer, an attractive blonde man popped out of a door to her right. “You!”

Bea stopped in her tracks.

“That’s Bradshaw, the boss,” Josh hissed.

Bea pulled herself up tall. He looked angry, but that was alright. She could stand up for herself. Look at what had just happened. Okay, crashing Benny wasn’t great, but she’d handled the situation and no one had walked all over her.

“You’re the yoga girl?” Bradshaw asked, face red in the cheeks.

As he got closer, Bea could see that he really wasn’t as attractive as she’d thought. He looked out of place in his own face somehow. Yoga girl. She wasn’t sure she appreciated that. “Yoga teacher, yes,” she said calmly. “Beatrice Thomas, pleased to meet you.”

“You should have been here hours ago,” he snapped. “This hardly bodes well, does it?”

“I’m so sorry. Obviously, there’s been a change of plan here and I’ve stepped in at the last minute—”

“I’m not here for excuses. Pull yourself together and get on with the job that you’re being paid to do.” He turned back toward the door he’d come out of.

“But, I—”

The door slammed. Josh pulled a face. “Ignore him. You’ll have to do some paperwork, but you might want to leave that for later. See him when he’s in a better mood. Why’s there been a change of plan then? What happened?”

As he took her up the rickety stairs she told him about Liz and her broken leg.

“Oooh, sounds like the universe answered her questions then,” Josh said.

“That’s what I said. She said that it’s superstitious clap-trap.”

“I say that we need to be careful what we put out into the world, because you never know what it’s going to bring back to you,” said Josh, pointing toward a door. “That’s your place, throw your bag in and we’ll get downstairs. There might be time for a cuppa before you need to meet the clients.”

Bea pushed open the door to see the world’s skinniest bed and something that might be a desk if you were five years old and could fit your legs under it.

“Bathroom’s down the hall,” Josh called from outside. “Can’t miss it. I’d advise getting up early though, else the hot water’ll be gone.”

“Lovely,” said Bea, staring around the tiny space. She wasn’t sure she could fit in the bed and she was hardly large. Still, she supposed she wasn’t going to be hosting guests in it. And a room of her own was debate-ably better than sharing a flat with Robbie and Marilyn.

Wasn’t it?

She thought about her own comfy bed and then remembered that she wouldn’t have been sleeping in it anyway. She’d have been in the spare room with a pillow over her head, trying not to hear the love birds next door.

Yes, this was better than that. Plus, she needed the money. Plus plus, she needed the job that might get her future jobs. So she shouldn’t look gift horses in the mouth.

“It’s lovely,” she said as she went back out to Josh. “Just what the doctor ordered.”

“I’ve seen better looking prison cells,” Josh said. “Literally.”

“Ah, been inside?”

“I have indeed. I try not to keep it from people, I don’t like hiding things. I’m on the right road now, and I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.”

Bea looped her arm through his. “Glad to hear it,” she said. “Now, I think you mentioned a cup of tea? I’m parched.”

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