Page 21 of Healing Hearts on Thistledown Lane: Part 2
‘Jamie,’ Maura snapped.
‘It’s okay,’ Fraser said with a bland smile. ‘In fact, it’s not a million miles from the truth. I fell out of love with the job, and it’s not something you can do if your heart’s not in it.’
Maura wasn’t sure Jamie would understand what he meant – he was good at his job but she didn’t think he loved it. For him, work was something he did to enable him to do the things he did love, like play rugby. But she also knew he viewed it as a way of establishing status. To Jamie, acting was a high-status career. Running a walking tour business was not, and the lazy smile he aimed Fraser’s way told Maura that was exactly what he was thinking. ‘Each to their own, I suppose,’ he said, and drained his glass.
Forcing herself to swallow the last bite of scallop, Maura laid her cutlery upon her plate. ‘That was delicious,’ she told Fraser. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’ll have to get yourself to Orkney sometime – taste them fresh from the sea,’ he said. ‘A friend of mine was filming up there a few years ago and he couldn’t get enough of them.’
‘I’ll add it to my list,’ Maura said.
A brief silence fell, during which she saw Jamie watching Fraser through narrowed eyes. ‘How were the leaving drinks?’ she asked, to head off any danger of another insulting insinuation. ‘I’m not sure I know Richard.’
Jamie shrugged. ‘He works in the compliance team. He’s moving to the New York office, lucky sod.’ He brightened as the waiter reappeared with his drink. ‘I’ll say one thing for this place, the service is fast.’
The briefest flicker of a smile crossed the waiter’s face. ‘Thank you, sir.’ He turned to Fraser. ‘Would you like to see the dessert menu?’
‘No, thank you,’ Fraser said, after a quick glance at Maura. ‘Just the bill, when you’re ready.’
Jamie huffed out a breath. ‘Why do I feel like I’ve gate-crashed a private party?’ His voice was too loud and once again, heads turned their way.
‘You were invited,’ Maura said pointedly. ‘You just arrived too late to join in.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘I said I was sorry. I couldn’t get away.’
Maura pressed her lips together, determined not to be drawn.
Fraser cleared his throat. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just be a minute.’ Flashing Maura a sympathetic smile, he edged around the table and was gone.
Jamie leaned back in his chair. ‘I hope you got your money’s worth.’ The words were slurred now, and he’d abandoned any attempt to keep the volume down.
Briefly, she closed her eyes. ‘It was a very nice meal.’
He glanced around. ‘The tour business must be doing all right if he can afford to bring you here. Shame his girlfriend couldn’t make it. Or do you think he wanted you all to himself?’
‘He would hardly have invited you, in that case.’
‘No, I suppose not,’ he rumbled. ‘I’m not sure I trust him, though.’
‘Mmmm,’ Maura said vaguely, wishing the waiter would hurry up with the bill. The sooner it was paid, the sooner she could get Jamie outside – hopefully before they were politely asked to leave. But the bill did not appear and suddenly Fraser was back.
‘I’ve taken the liberty of ordering you a cab,’ he said. ‘I hope you don’t mind.’
Maura stared at him in consternation. ‘But the bill—’
‘All taken care of,’ he said in a low voice. ‘I settled up just now.’
She wanted to hug him. Instead, she offered him a grateful smile. ‘Thank you.’
‘No problem. We can all head out together, and then I’ll jump on the tram back to Leith.’
Jamie looked up from his drink. ‘What’s this? The party’s over already?’
Maura nodded. ‘Time to go home.’
She half-expected him to argue but the sight of Fraser pulling on his jacket seemed to satisfy him that it was indeed time to go. Draining the rest of his drink, he stood up and swayed alarmingly. Maura clutched at his arm to steady him, as the couple at the table next to him leaned back. ‘Let’s go,’ she said firmly.
It was a minor miracle that they reached the street without knocking into any tables or stumbling up the stairs. Out on Castlehill, night had fallen and the air was chilly. Maura wrapped her coat around herself as she peered along the street in search of the cab. Fraser caught the gesture. ‘The maître d’ said it was on its way.’
