Chapter 13

Stepping inside The Jolly Sailors, Stella pushed her sunglasses up onto her head, the cooler temperature of the pub a welcome relief after the intense heat of the sun. She'd swapped her court suit for a pair of olive-green cigarette trousers and a loose-fitting cotton top. Her hair had been released from its neat French pleat and was left to hang in relaxed glossy waves over her shoulders. Never one to get overexcited for a date – if, indeed, that's what this was – she'd found herself feeling a little fluttery as she was getting ready to meet Alex, and unusually indecisive about what to wear. Should she opt for her new chambray dress with the shoestring straps, or her knee-skimming playsuit? Or would that send out the wrong message? she'd wondered, before giving herself a talking to and telling herself to get a grip. ‘It's just a casual bite to eat with someone you've just met, it's hardly the date of the century! She'd chosen to ignore the excitement that had been fizzing away in her stomach.

Unsurprisingly for a glorious summer's day in the middle of the school holidays, the bar was heaving. Jaunty music Stella recognised as that of one of the local folk bands who played there of a Friday evening was filtering through the speakers, adding to the upbeat, happy vibe. She glanced around the room, spotting Alex at a table by an open window. Seeing her he raised his hand in a wave, his smile sending a pulse of attraction shooting through her. She headed over, her stomach doing its now-familiar somersaults whenever Alex was in close proximity. It really was a novel feeling to her. As soon as she arrived at the table he got to his feet and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, his hand resting on her forearm. Butterflies took off in her stomach adding to the chaos there, and her knees felt in danger of buckling at any minute. He smelt delicious, all soapy-fresh-from-the-shower with a dash of crisp cologne. The brush of his stubble against her skin and the touch of his hand combined to send her hormones into overdrive. Oh my days! What's happening to me? She was reluctant to focus too much on what made her body react in this out of character way when she was around him – other than his obvious good looks – but there was no denying the chemistry that danced between them.

Fred jumped up, wagging his tail, nudging at her leg. She bent to stroke him, momentarily glad of the distraction, allowing her to regroup and rein in her wayward senses. This was intense.

‘Hi,' Alex said, his smile warm and relaxed, his eyes locking onto hers. ‘What can I get you to drink?' He'd changed into a striped linen shirt – a pair of sunglasses peering from the pocket – and navy chino shorts, and was sporting a pair of canvas shoes. He looked impossibly handsome.

‘It's okay, I can get my own, thanks. I just came over to see if I could get one for you.' She glanced at the table to see he had a bottle of beer. Her heart thudding hard beneath her top, she did all she could to appear nonchalant and cool.

‘I'm fine, and I've set up a tab at the bar, so please allow me.'

‘Oh, okay, in that case, I think I'll have a glass of Pinot Grigio, thanks.'

‘Coming up, I'll grab us a couple of menus while I'm at it.'

‘Sounds good.' Smiling, she turned her attention to Fred, hoping her galloping heart would calm itself down. ‘Hi there, Fred, how are you doing?' She ruffled his ears and he pushed his head into her lap as she made herself comfortable in the chair opposite Alex's. She hoped she wasn't going to feel like this all the way through their meal. She was in danger of not being able to concentrate on the conversation.

Moments later, Alex returned. ‘I hope Fred's been behaving himself. He's just over a year old and can get a little overenthusiastic sometimes; thinks everyone's his best buddy.'

‘Ah, he's adorable, and he's been as good as gold, haven't you, lad?' Stella smoothed Fred's head, two amber eyes blinking up at her happily.

‘That's what I like to hear. Anyway, Cheers,' Alex said, raising his bottle.

‘Yeah, cheers to Monday afternoons spent in the Jolly rather than at work.' Smiling, she clinked her glass against his bottle before taking a sip.

‘So, what does work involve for you then? What would you usually be doing right now?' Alex asked as he indicated for Fred to tuck in closer to the table and sit down. The Labrador obeyed instantly.

Stella swallowed her mouthful of wine. ‘I'd be in the Crown Court over at York.'

‘Oh, right. Okay.' His eyebrows shot up. ‘In what capacity, if you don't mind me asking?'

‘I'm a barrister, not a defendant,' she said, laughing as she realised he was mulling over the possibility of her being on the wrong side of the law. ‘And I only take prosecution briefs; I'm not keen on defending.'

‘Ah, so I'm guessing you work for the CPS?'

‘Nope.' She shook her head. ‘I'm at the independent bar; I'm self-employed, but the CPS do employ their own court advocates.'

‘Oh, right, I see.' He sat back as if appraising her. ‘And I can imagine you're absolutely terrifying for anyone in the witness box. I've only known you five minutes and I'm already scared of you.' He grinned, his eyes crinkling appealing at the corners.

‘What? You're scared of me? No way! I'm a pussycat, honest.' She laughed. In truth, it wasn't the first time she'd been told this.

‘Yeah, a pussycat with extremely sharp claws and teeth if you cross her.' Alex laughed too, taking a glug of his beer.

‘Look, before we go any further, I just want to clear something up.'

‘Okay.' He leant forward, resting his arms on the table. ‘Fire away.'

‘I suspect I know the reason you've already formed the opinion that I'm scary, but I have strict rules about who I date, or even flirt with. I won't go near anyone who has a girlfriend or is married, which is why I backed off from you so quickly when I thought your sister was your girlfriend. I – albeit wrongly – assumed you were flirting despite being in a relationship, so my respect for you plummeted. And I'm guessing my frosty reaction is probably why you think I'm fierce, which I know I am, but only when necessary.' She grinned.

‘Good to know, and I hope I'll never put you in a position so you'll find it necessary to be fierce around me.' He grinned back. ‘But that aside, you do have a general air of kick-ass about you. I sensed it the moment I first set eyes on you. I liked it.' His eyes twinkled at her.

‘That so?' A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She liked nothing better than a bit of no-strings flirtation.

‘Mm-hm.' He took another swig of his beer, his expression turning serious. ‘And for the record, I share your values. I steer well clear of anyone who's in a relationship; they're strictly off-limits as far as I'm concerned. And I'd certainly never cheat on a partner. I value honesty and fidelity. In fact, my last relationship ended because my ex cheated on me.' An expression of regret flittered over his face.

‘I'm sorry to hear that,' said Stella, feeling a squeeze of sympathy in her chest.

‘Don't be.' He gave a shrug. ‘But it did reinforce that I'd never want to be responsible for causing that kind of hurt. It was poor Zara who had the unenviable job of telling me.'

Stella winced at that. ‘That can't have been easy, though I do think honesty is the best policy.' Her mind swept back to a time she'd found herself in a similar situation. She'd arrived back at her student house to find one of her housemates in a compromising position on the sofa with the boyfriend of another of her housemates. Lola and Bruno had been more concerned about being found out than how their actions might hurt Tori, which had enraged Stella. She'd demanded that they come clean and tell Tori, warning that if they didn't then she would. They both knew Stella didn't make hollow threats. Much as she'd hated the prospect of the pain it would inflict on Tori, Stella had refused to be a party to any deception. The ensuing atmosphere had been horrendous but Stella hadn't regretted her decision; if she'd been in Tori's position she would have wanted to know, no matter how painful the truth.

‘Anyway, I think that's enough doom and gloom from me.' Alex's wide smile reappeared. ‘How come you're not in court this afternoon.'

‘Ah, well…' Stella gave him a brief rundown of what had happened in the Dixon case, being careful not to mention the threats or the menacing looks she'd been given by Gavin Dixon.

‘I thought that sort of thing was just reserved for gritty television dramas.'

‘Sadly not, though jury nobbling's not that common.' She leant forward, placed her elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand. ‘Anyway, how do you earn your bread and butter?'

‘I'm an architect; I'm self-employed, like you.'

‘A creative,' Stella said, impressed. ‘So would I know any of the buildings you've designed?'

‘Actually, I did the?—'

At that moment, Immy appeared at their table, order book in hand. ‘Just to let you know a table's come free outside if you're interested. I've slapped a reserved sign on it for you. It's the one in the far corner on the right with a sun umbrella.' She smiled between them. ‘While you're making up your mind, how about I take your order?'

‘That was delicious.' Alex set his knife and fork down on his plate and leant back in his seat, patting his stomach. He'd had fresh crab salad with a side of the Jolly's legendary triple-fried chips. ‘It was like a work of art on a plate, it was almost a shame to eat it, but I couldn't resist.' He glanced across at Stella and chuckled.

Stella dabbed her mouth with her napkin. ‘Mmm. I have to say, the scallops were sublime.' She'd opted for a light meal, the heat of the day taking the edge off her usually hearty appetite. It hadn't stopped her from stealing a couple of Alex's salty chips though. Much to her delight she'd found they were perfectly crisp on the outside and as light and fluffy as a cloud on the inside, just the way she liked them.

‘Don't suppose I could tempt you to a pudding?' he asked.

‘Ooph! No thanks, I'm stuffed right now.' She laughed. ‘Might be a different story in half an hour, mind.'

‘Coffee then? Or tea?'

Stella shook her head. ‘No thanks; too warm. And I'm awash with sparkling water.' Stella had only had the one glass of wine, with a view to working later. She was keen to keep her wits sharp.

‘Okay, how about a stroll along the beach? You mentioned earlier that's what you had planned for this afternoon. How d'you feel about a couple of well-behaved companions joining you?' He glanced down at Fred, who was looking up at him adoringly, his tail swishing over the floor. ‘Hmm. Having said that, I'm not so sure I can guarantee this one will be well-behaved. He tends to lose all sense as soon as he gets near the sea.'

‘Funny, he said the self-same thing about you when you were getting the drinks,' she said with a giggle.

They settled the bill with a brief argument over who was paying – Stella reluctantly backed down and let Alex pay.

‘I'll get this one and you can get the next,' he said.

‘Ah, that's confidence for you. You think there's going to be a next time?' She gave an amused grin, her gaze locking on his. Much to her surprise, she found herself secretly thrilled that he was thinking along those lines.

They made their way down to the beach, negotiating the bank of pebbles before heading to the shoreline. Alex had thought it best to keep Fred on lead until they got closer to the sea and the Labrador trotted along, his ears pricked as he watched the seabirds bobbing about on the waves.

‘Did you grow up in Micklewick Bay?' Alex asked, looking around him appreciatively, the background sound of the waves rushing up to them.

‘I did; spent hours down here as a kid.' The gentle breeze lifted Stella's hair and she drew in a fresh lungful of the salty air.

‘I love the sea, always wanted to live beside it, which is why I jumped at the chance when I got it.'

‘Yeah, I can't imagine living anywhere else.' Her hand brushed against his, sending a jolt of electricity through her. Their eyes met and she knew he'd felt it too.

‘So do you have lots of family here? I'm guessing you're about fifth generation, or something like that. Unlike my family, who are scattered all over the place.' He turned to her, smiling.

‘Not at all. My mum moved here when I was a very small baby. We've got no relatives here, it's always been just the two of us.' Rhys's face filled her mind but she pushed it away. Now wasn't the right time to think about her mum's relationship with him.

‘What? No siblings?'

Stella shook her head. ‘Nope. No father, no grandparents. Just my mother and me.'

‘Oh, okay.' A frown flittered across Alex's brow as they paused to let a handful of children race down to the sea, squealing as the chilly water lapped over their skin. ‘I can't imagine not having Zara around, though I suppose that could be a twin thing.'

‘I don't feel deprived, if that's what you're thinking.' Her pride suddenly kicked in. ‘My mother is an amazing woman, she was both mum and dad to me when I was growing up – my father did a runner when she told him she was pregnant and she didn't let that faze her. We didn't need anyone else. She's been a wonderful role model, built her business up from nothing and now it's a huge success with multiple employees. She instilled her work ethic into me, encouraged me to strive to be the best I can be.' Though she meant every word, she hoped she didn't sound like she was ranting or preaching.

Alex paused, as if absorbing her words. ‘She truly sounds like an amazing woman. I'm not surprised you're so proud of her.'

‘I am,' she said, her tone softening.

‘And you've never met your father?' He turned his head to her. ‘Tell me to mind my own business, if you like.'

‘It's okay, and no, I've never met him.' Stella wasn't keen to share that she didn't even know his name. Her mum had always appeared a little shifty whenever Stella brought the subject of her father up, so Stella hadn't pushed it, fearing it could cause a huge argument, the sort from which there'd be no going back. She couldn't do that to her mum, and she didn't want to be responsible for creating a rift between them. Her mum had a determined stubborn streak, and Stella had learnt when to back down. ‘My mum's always been enough, plus, I've had the same tight-knit group of friends since primary school; they're like family.'

‘I take it that's the group you were with on Friday night?'

‘That's them. Maggie's the newest recruit. Florrie met her at university but she slotted in like she's always been there. She lives at Clifftop Cottage on Thorncliffe.' Stella turned to Alex, smiling. She brushed her hair out of her eyes, ‘So, tell me about your family.'

‘Well, you've – albeit briefly – met Zara. We're thirty-four and I'm the oldest by ten minutes. We're very close and have always looked out for one another. She's a research doctor and is based in London. We've got a younger brother called Leo, he's thirty-two and is currently working in IT in Germany; he was always the wild one, always up to mischief when he was younger. Our parents now live in Cumbria and our grandparents live in a village called Skeltwick on the edge of the moors. And we've got aunts and uncles and cousins all over the place; Scotland, Australia, Canada, Cornwall.'

‘Wow! I see what you mean about being spread far and wide.' Stella secretly thought it must have been overwhelming if they'd all ever lived closer together in this country. She would have found it stifling.

Arriving at the pier, Alex stopped, his gaze travelling to the ice-cream shack on the bottom prom where a small queue was snaking its way over the path. ‘Don't suppose I can tempt you to one now?' He nodded towards it, grinning.

Stella didn't need to think twice. ‘Mmm. You certainly could.'

Ten minutes later, ice creams in hand, they walked along, Stella filling Alex in on the history of Micklewick Bay, how Old Micklewick was steeped in stories of smuggling, the most infamous smuggler being Jacob Crayke whose decommissioned pistol hung in a glass display cabinet in the Jolly. He'd been arrested and tried in York, then hanged for his many crimes against the tax man. She went on to tell him of the local gentleman, Benjamin Fitzgilbert, who'd led a double life as a member of the local landed gentry and a prolific smuggler. ‘Rumour has it there's a tunnel that runs from beneath the Jolly right up to what was once his rather fancy home.'

‘Wow! It's fascinating stuff. I'm surprised there's not a little museum about it,' said Alex, fighting a losing battle with his ice cream that was now running down his hand thanks to the heat of the sun.

Laughing, Stella popped the remains of her cone into her mouth and reached into her handbag, pulling out a hand wipe. ‘There you go,' she said, chuckling.

‘Thanks,' he said, taking it gladly.

They walked on, chatting away. ‘Right, this is me,' said Stella, stopping at the foot of a flight of steps that curled their way up to the top prom.

‘It's me too.' Alex smiled at her, beads of sweat on his brow. ‘Do you have far to go after this?'

Stella shook her head. ‘I'm just along at Fitzgilbert's Landing.'

Alex froze, his expression one of utter disbelief.

‘What's the matter?' she asked, concern firing inside her.

‘I live at Fitzgilbert's Landing. I'm the architect who worked on its conversion.' His voice was loaded with surprise.

‘What?' Stella looked at him, his words sinking in. ‘You mean to say we live in the same apartment building?'

‘Seems we do.' He gave an amused laugh.

‘Which floor is your apartment on?' she asked.

‘The second, on the left-hand side. Why, where's yours?'

‘The second, on the right-hand side.'

‘In that case, it looks like we're neighbours.' A smile broke out on his face.

‘It seems we are.' Though Stella fixed a convincing smile to her face, she wasn't one hundred per cent sure she was keen on that idea, for a whole variety of reasons.

‘At least I know where to call if ever I need to borrow a cup of sugar,' he said.

‘Yeah,' she replied, uncertainty filling her chest. Having Alex live so close had the potential for a whole load of awkwardness, especially when their dalliance ended; which it invariably would.

Reaching their floor at Fitzgilbert's Landing, Alex turned to face Stella. ‘Here we are.'

‘Here we are indeed.'

‘Well, good luck with the unpacking, I dare say you're way ahead of me. It's chaos in there.' He pulled a face, jabbing towards his door with his thumb.

‘I'm sure it's not that bad.' She forced a smile, telling herself to just focus on the here and now and not let their close living arrangements spoil their time together. They were both adults, and besides, she was still friends with most of her exes, even worked alongside some of them. Ferdy was a prime example. Just enjoy your time with him.

‘Oh, trust me, it is.'

He leant in and placed a kiss against her cheek, sending her emotions into a frenzy and her doubts scattering. Calm your jets, woman! This was all so very confusing.

‘Thanks for a lovely afternoon, I've really enjoyed myself. Any time you fancy some company on a walk, just holler. Fred and I are happy to oblige, we don't know too many folk around here yet.'

‘Thanks,' she said, still recovering from his kiss, and half-expecting her knees to buckle at any moment. ‘Bye for now.' She gave a small wave, turning to face her door. ‘Actually,' acting on impulse, she turned back, ‘there's a fundraising event on at The Cellar on Wednesday night. I've got a ticket going begging, you're very welcome to join me and the gang, if you like?' A colleague from chambers had asked Stella to get a ticket on her behalf but had discovered she was needed in the Court of Appeal in London that day and doubted very much she'd be able to get across to Micklewick Bay in time. Hence Stella being in possession of a very convenient spare ticket.

Alex's face lit up with a smile. ‘Sounds fun, I'd love to, thanks.'

‘Great!' Stella gave him the time and filled him in on what to expect. ‘Oh, and it's likely to be packed so it might be best if you leave Fred at home.'

‘Fair enough. And I'm happy to walk down with you, if you like? Not pushing, or anything.' He splayed his hands. ‘I'll understand if you'd rather head out on your own.'

‘Not at all, I'd like that.' She returned his smile. ‘See you later.'