The Time Rip (11 page)

“So what happened? Are you going out with him?”

Freya flicked another glance at her friend, “I don’t know, Jan, he’s freaking quick. Perceptive doesn’t even come close. I swear he has some kind of mind reading thing going on. No way am I going out with someone I can’t lie to.”

Janet choked back a laugh, “How many lies did he catch you in? You’ve always been shocking. Remember that fete thing you tried to get us out of?”

“Rubbish. I’m a brilliant liar, and that stupid project was doomed from the start. Anyway, the guy is far too arrogant for my taste. Fit but he knows it, and probably expects all the girls to chase after him just because he thinks he’s tall and good-looking.”

“I thought you said he was?”

“Tall and good-looking? Yeah, I’ll give him that. He’s one fine piece of eye candy. Just a shame that he probably knows it only too well.”

“Poor guy, he can’t help how he looks. You really shouldn’t discriminate against him because of it.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

Janet laughed, and as their dinners arrived they both tucked in hungrily, conversation forgotten for the moment as they ate.

“What made you take your accounts to him, I thought you were doing okay on them?” Janet asked.

“I
was
doing okay. I only intended to sound him out a bit, see if he would be any good, but he guessed what I wanted. I mean, I barely said anything about it. We were talking about school days and I was saying how he must have been good at maths, and the next thing I know, he’s going through my figures and making me feel stupid if I say I don’t want his help. I don’t know, Jan, he’s really sharp and I don’t just mean at the maths. I think he’s properly interested in me, too, and I’m not sure what I want to do about it.”

“Don’t you want him to be interested? C’mon Freya, tell me this is not some psycho rubbish left over from your family. He’s good looking, intelligent, and he’s interested in you. What’s wrong with that picture?”

“Easy for you to say, but what if he turns out to be some psychopath? Then you’d be going: I told you not to get involved with that guy.”

“Why would he be a psychopath, honestly I didn’t think your taste in men was that bad?”

Freya rolled her eyes and threw a chip at her friend. Janet laughed and gave up for the moment, concentrating instead on her meal.

After a short space Janet began again, “Speaking of psychos, how’s it going with Martin? Have you heard anymore from him or has he finally taken the hint?”

“Oh, God, don’t. I had a dreadful phone call from him earlier today.”

“I thought you were avoiding his calls.”

“I am. He left a message on the answer-phone. Some rant about us being perfect for each other and, apparently, I’m just being coy and wanting him to chase me, which he assures me he is happy to do.”

“You’re joking!” Janet let out a shocked gasp of laughter, “What are you going to do?”

“I have no idea. I kid you not, it was the most cringe worthy garbage, and then something about me having stood him up for our lunch date.”

“What? What lunch date?”

“Exactly. What lunch date? And how he forgave me because he knows, get this, he knows how shy I am and that only he is capable of drawing out my true feelings.” Freya paused for breath and shook her head slightly in disbelief, “The cheek of it, thinking it’s acceptable to leave that rubbish on my answer-phone.”

“You’re going to have to deal with him.”

“Yeah, I’ll deal with him. I’ll kick his sorry butt from here to kingdom come.”

“Seriously, you need to tell him clearly that you’re not interested and that he needs to stop calling you.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll tell him, all right, I’ll tell him while he’s hanging upside-down from his toes from the roof of my building.”

Janet rolled her eyes at her friend and took another sip of the drink they were sharing, “Maybe you could ask Jeremy to haul him up there for you.” She batted her eyelashes at Freya and crooned, “Jeremy, that nasty Martin is such a pain.”

Freya sputtered out a laugh, “Actually, I’m tempted just for the fun of it. He strikes me as the kind of man who’d rush to the rescue of his fair maiden. It might be a laugh to test out that little theory. Ah, I can see it now, handbags at dawn.”

“You would too. That poor man, don’t you dare do that to him.”

“Well, he offered!” Freya took another sip of their drink.

“He offered? What—when was this?”

“The last time I saw him. I was sounding off a bit about Martin being my stalker and Jeremy offered to deal with him for me.” Catching the look in Janet’s eye she said, “I know, I know. Am I exchanging one stalker for another, or is he a genuinely nice guy offering to help me get an injunction slapped on Martin?”

Janet shook her head. “Where do you find them?”

“Maybe he was just being polite, it’s hard to tell. I can’t read him at all. I just look at him and go phwoar! And then my brain takes a holiday. It doesn’t bode well for me trying to play it cool with him. Anyway, I think he already guessed I fancied him when he went in for that mind-melting kiss.”

“What mind melting kiss? You didn’t tell me you’d got to the kissing stage with him.”

“That was the first time I met him, and if we hadn’t been interrupted on the second time I think he would have done it again. I swear the man has an A-Level in kissing. The rat has obviously had lots of practise. Honestly, Jan, why couldn’t I fall in love with some shy sweet boy? Why did I have to meet him?”

“You know you just said you were in love with him, don’t you.”

Freya laughed again. “Not in love, but definitely in lust.”

A few hours and a shared pint of cider later, Freya and Janet wandered unsteadily through the pub and out onto the street. The temperature had finally dropped and the sky had cleared to a deep black with tiny points of light glittering coldly.

Freya sucked in fresh air after the stuffy heat of the pub, immensely grateful to feel cool for the first time in days. She stumbled a bit as she kicked at a stone; clung to Janet’s arm. “It’s just like me to fall for some arrogant jerk.”

“Thought you liked him? You said you liked him.”

“More than like him. I’m gonna kiss him brainless.” Freya stopped a moment to grin wickedly at Janet.

“Then he’ll be dumb and you won’t like him anymore.”

Both girls snickered at this.

“Martin is a dumb duck,” Freya pronounced seriously.

“You said duck! Hah!” Janet pointed in delight at her friend.

“I did not. I did not say duck.”

“Yes, you did. I’m gonna call Martin an’ tell him you said he’s a dumb duck.”

“You can’t, you haven’t got his number.”

“Oh. Give me his number then.”

“No. I want Jeremy’s number.”

“I reckon he’s got yours!”

More sniggering.

“You staying with me tonight girlfriend?” Janet asked, grabbing at Freya’s arm to keep her balance.

“Dunno. Gotta work tomorrow.”

“Less see if we can get you cab then.”

They wandered on up the road, the silent empty street sobering them. Most people were still in the pub or at home. Both girls stumbled to a halt as they surveyed the empty taxi rank in silence. The wind whipped around metal railings, making a mournful sound. Peeling paintwork and fag ends were scattered around an overflowing bin, and an empty crisp packet skittered along the street.

The dull sodium glow of lampposts seemed only to deepen the shadows and Freya shivered suddenly, not wanting to be alone. She caught Janet’s eye and gripped her friend’s arm tighter. Janet was frowning, looking seriously around her, the effect ruined somewhat by her slight swaying.

By ten-thirty, Jeremy was pacing restlessly through the small rooms of Freya’s flat. Where was she? Why was she not back yet? He remembered that she had slept rough in 1908, having been unable to get home, and wondered if she was having problems with her time device.

If it was faulty she could be in all sorts of trouble and, without knowing its ID number, he could not even ask his brother to track it. He ran a hand through his hair, frustration in every line of him. The thought of her being trapped somewhere did nothing for his peace of mind.

It occurred to him that she could simply be out with another man. He was surprised at the flash of anger the thought incurred, and paused a moment to think through his feelings. In spite of all he had said to Greg, he was interested in Freya.

Her shyness and inexperience had brought out a possessive side of his character that he was distinctly uncomfortable with, but he had never been the kind of man to go against his gut feeling and he fully intended to pursue her if she gave him the opportunity.

He knew she found him attractive. He also knew she was having trouble with another man. Martin. He sighed. Even though he was sure Freya disliked Martin, and he suspected she was not involved with anyone else, there were many obstacles in the way. The most obvious being that he had to remain in 1908 for now.

It was a little different from asking your girlfriend to accept that you lived some distance away. Jeremy’s family lived one hundred years in the future from this time, and his work was the same distance but in the past.

He shook his head at the ludicrous situation he found himself in. He had no right to involve her in his life, but he hoped that she was merely out with a girlfriend somewhere. At any rate, without the ID number of her time device, he could do nothing else but wait for her to return.

He dozed intermittently, waking only when someone walked by on the street above. The next time he woke it was seven in the morning and he’d had enough. He stood up, yawning. Time to make a move.

Janet was out the door early for work, leaving her friend to look after herself. Freya rolled off the couch still dressed in yesterday’s clothes and feeling grotty. She folded her blanket and stumbled to the hall, buttoning her raincoat wrong, too tired to be bothered to sort it out.

She caught the bus to Fore Street and glanced at her watch, six fifty-five. She walked the short distance home.

Once inside her cluttered flat she dropped her bag and unbuttoned her coat, letting it fall to the floor. She stood still and inhaled. There was an elusive scent in the air. Something slightly sweet, or was it spicy? No, it was citrus and fresh; it made her insides tighten. What was it? It was faint enough that after a few moments she could no longer smell it.

She shrugged slightly and went to the bathroom to peel off yesterday’s clothes. She climbed gratefully into the shower, revelling in the hot water, and then chugged down a cup of coffee while flying round her room looking for clean underwear.

She wondered if she had any appointments to dress up for today, and spent some minutes searching for her work diary before she remembered she had left it in Jeremy’s kitchen.

Thinking of the work diary had her stopping for a moment. Jeremy laughing at her across his kitchen table filled her mind. She still could not imagine that he would look in her bag, but he would guess something was not right with the accounts. Her small income would appear as a fortune to someone of his era.

She mused over how she could correct this impression. She was supposed to be going to see him this morning to collect them, and then it struck her that the accounts ledger had the date in it. On every page.