Page 6 of Love Is: Two Bodies One Soul

ChapterThree

Four streetsaway from Trafalgar Square, Giovanni’s Italian coffee shop was steamy and warm. Partly because of the coffee machine and cooking behind the counter, but mostly because drenched customers, taking refuge from the torrential rain, were trailing in and steam-drying in the café’s heat.

Kate sat facing the door so she could see Lexie arrive. She was regretting asking to meet. Truth be told, she had regretted calling Lexie the moment her friend had answered. It wasn’t Lexie’s fault her brother was a bastard, not her fault things were going wrong with Xander. There was nothing Lexie could do to help, even if she was Xander’s twin.

‘You going to wait for your friend or order now?’ a harassed server asked rudely.

‘Order now,’ Kate said. ‘Salt beef sandwich and a large black coffee.’ She wasn’t usually so sharp, but with her work and love life crumbling, Kate was in no mood to give positive strokes to a waitress in need of customer service lessons.

The street door opened, and a blast of wet sunshine flew in. A buttercup yellow waterproof showered rain onto the floor. The wearer shook off the pixie hood, allowing a torrent of golden hair to cascade. Heads turned to see Lexie. They always did.

Kate’s spirits lifted. There was something about Lexie that turned the worst wet day into something to smile about.

‘There you are!’ Lexie called, making her way to the table, and pulling off her coat. ‘What a day!’ she puffed and draped the bright waterproof over the back of her chair. ‘Have you ever seen anything like it?’

Kate shook her head.

Lexie sat as the server arrived at the table again, saying with undisputed rudeness, ‘What d’you want?’

Kate noticed how Lexie found time to smile and say thank you to the sullen girl, even though she wasn’t rewarded with any better treatment than she herself had received. But that was Lexie for you, as warm-hearted as her twin brother was cold.

‘Now,’ Lexie said, pulling her chair closer to the table. ‘What’s up?’

‘Who said anything was up?’

‘You did.’

‘I did not.’ Kate frowned. She was sure she hadn’t said a thing. The need to talk to another human when the fossilised Blanchard brothers were tormenting George, while Xander was occupied lavishing attention on the women’s issues writer, might have been her motivation for calling Lexie. Still, she hadn’t let on that anything was wrong.

Lexie chuckled, violet-blue eyes sparkling. ‘Not in so many words. But a random call with a question about Sunday’s lunch and what to get my parents for their wedding anniversary … you’ve got to admit it was a tad out of character for someone who’s normally fully absorbed in work Monday to Friday. And, more significantly, you hardly mentioned my brother.’ Lexie fixed her eyes knowingly on Kate.

‘I did mention Xander.’ Kate squirmed. ‘I distinctly remember saying he told me it was your parent’s thirtieth anniversary.’

‘And that’s another strange thing,’ Lexie said. ‘Xander even remembering it was Mum and Dad’s anniversary, let alone which one it was — very suspect.’

‘You’re right. Romance is not high on your brother’s agenda.’ Kate couldn’t quite keep the bitterness from her voice.

Their food arrived.

Lexie inspected her salad ciabatta to be sure no meat had sneaked in. Kate shifted her sandwich around its plate, not sure why she’d ordered it … she wasn’t hungry. Lexie took a bite out of her ciabatta and munched for a moment. Mouth half-full, she said, ‘So, are you going to tell me what Xander has done?’

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