Page 26 of Love in Tune

‘She’s right, Honeysuckle,’ Tash grinned. ‘All those electrical impulses concentrated on one little spot.’

Nell did the shivery, quivery thing again and glanced at her watch, probably itching to get home to sexed-up Simon.

‘Fine. I’ll buy a vibrator if we can ditch the piano man thing.’ Honey glanced from Nell to Tash, who frowned at each other. ‘Deal?’

Her friends shook their heads.

‘No deal,’ Tash said. ‘This is a job for a man, not a machine.’

‘Are you sure you don’t want to call the banker and check?’ Honey joked half-heartedly, knowing that they weren’t going to let her wriggle off the piano man hook. She was just going to have to hit the ready meal aisle so as not to poison this Robin guy on Friday, and hope like hell that he wasn’t an axe murderer, because it was highly unlikely Hal would bother coming to her aid if she screamed.

Glancing at her watch again, Honey pushed herself off the couch and headed for the counter. It was three minutes after midday, and she needed a glass of wine.

A couple of hours and a couple of glasses later, Honey turned the key and let herself back into the square, cool lobby. What was Nell thinking? She didn’t know this man very well at all, yet she’d invited him into Honey’s home.

‘I need whisky,’ Hal shouted through the door without preamble, more like a testy ninety-year-old than a sexy thirty-something. ‘And cigarettes.’

‘You don’t smoke, rock star,’ she called, debating whether she was glad he was speaking to her again or not, given his tone.

‘I’m going to start,’ he yelled.

Honey flicked her eyes towards the ceiling. ‘No, you’re not.’

‘Did my mother die and leave you in charge? Have you adopted me, Mary Poppins?’

‘You know what, Hal? Piss off. I’ve had a nice morning, I can do without you spoiling it.’

Honey stood still in the silence, waiting on his reply. Had he taken her at her word and pissed off?

‘I take it today’s date was better than the last one then,’ he said, more quietly, more honestly, more Hal.

‘It wasn’t a date,’ she said. ‘I’ve been with Tash and Nell – you know, my friends. I have got another date on Friday, though.’

‘You’re not giving our Deano another chance, are you? Because a man who doesn’t walk you home won’t get any better second time around, you know.’

‘What do you think I am, an idiot? Of course it’s not Deano. It’s someone called Robin, if you must know.’

‘Nobby name.’

Honey laughed under her breath, despite herself. ‘Maybe. He’ll probably still be fabulous though.’

‘Probably? You’ve never met him, have you?’ Hal said. ‘Don’t tell me. He’s another fucking pianist, isn’t he?’

‘He’s another fucking pianist,’ Honey said agreeably, enjoying the fact that she could wind him up. ‘And he’s coming here, so you better not disrupt things by yelling for whisky like someone’s grandad, you hear me?’

‘You’re having some random bloke you don’t know from Adam in your flat? Are you completely stupid?’

‘And I’m cooking for him too,’ Honey said. ‘Dinner.’ Hal’s answering bark of laughter annoyed her to hell. ‘What’s so funny?’

‘Nothing,’ he muttered, making no attempt to hide his clear amusement.

‘I can cook,’ she said, even though it was a blatant lie.

‘No you can’t … But I can,’ he said, and the change in his voice pulled Honey up short. He wasn’t kidding around anymore, that was for sure, although she couldn’t put her finger on where the conversation had turned serious.

‘I might make him spaghetti hoops à la toast,’ she said.

‘You could. Or I could teach you how to make bolognese properly,’ Hal said softly. ‘If you like.’

---