Rob's News

By Susan Garod

Bethany Johnson came home to recuperate and prepare for the changes in her life. The last thing she'd expected was for the local newspaper editor to take an instant dislike to her. By the time Rob realised he'd been misinformed, it was too late. Or was it?
A review- "I don't know about other readers but for me it's not just the happy ending. The journey has to be fraught with obstacles and difficulties to make the happy ending worth it. The thing I love best about any of your work is that no matter the obstacle you always find a way for the couple to overcome it and it's not some unrealistic magic fix. Love takes work and you show that. Your characters are also not perfect, they have their strengths and weaknesses clearly on display for readers to really get into the characters heads. At least that's how it is for me." (sweet_candy89, 21/1/2018).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Garod
• Release date: May 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463515358

Susan Garod

reviewsI don't know about other readers but for me it's not just the happy ending. The journey has to be fraught with obstacles and difficulties to make the happy ending worth it. The thing I love best about any of your work is that no matter the obstacle you always find a way for the couple to overcome it and it's not some unrealistic magic fix. Love takes work and you show that. Your characters are also not perfect, they have their strengths and weaknesses clearly on display for readers to really get into the characters heads. At least thats how it is for me. (sweet_candy89, 21/1/2018)If you love reading about strong women and the real men that love them, then Susan Garod never disappoints! The characters are complex with intriguing, interconnected story arcs, which continue in each series with their multiple characters and side stories and makes them such a pleasure to read. Joshua's Grace is the perfect starting point if you haven't read any of Susan's books, and follow the Carvalho sisters into the Moonlight series, Spice Sisters and the Heartbeat series. You See Me elicited the same response as all the preceding books by Susan Garod - I loved it!(Karen, June, 10, 2017)I absolutely LOVE Susan Garod's books, think I have every one of them, so when I seen this was available for my kindle I was ecstatic. Now it is a little different than her other writings, but it is just as good if not better. Laura has found out she has a grandmother, goes to see her but runs into her neighbor who thinks that Laura is there just to get something from the grandmother. There are many trials and tribulations going back and forth between the 2. I really did enjoy this book and if you have read any of Susan's other books you will love this one as well (Lori Costa, July, 28, 2016)

Book preview

Rob’s News

Susan Garod

Published by Susan Garod

Distributed by Smashwords

Copyright 2018 Susan Garod

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 1

I’ve heard a lot about you. The masculine voice, that sent a jolt through her system, came from several feet behind her.

The voice sent a strange feeling of shock through Beth. Not so much shock, more like a bolt from the blue of heart stopping awareness and whimsical expectation. Something akin to anticipation had her dark brown eyes sparkling with happiness and anticipation and her hands going clammy with nerves and anxiety, at one and the same time. This was the voice. She usually heard this voice in her dreams.

Up until a few seconds ago, it had been a voice she’d imagined; the voice she’d conjured up, or so she’d thought. It was the voice she had created when she had spun unrealistic fantasies as part of her adolescent dreams, when she’d reached for imaginary goals and held romantic views of the promise in relationships. She’d known from an early age that she was a hopeless romantic. And though she’d come to believe, as she got older, that romance was for fools, it had not stopped her from believing in the legend of romance. Secretly hoping. Silently wishing. Staunchly believing. Simply waiting. Waiting for something wonderful to happen to her on a personal front. Because deep down, she hoped it would. She believed it would. Eventually. She just had to be patient. Patience was indeed a virtue. For here it was. This was the voice she had used to build her dreams. And it belonged to a real man. She had spun desires and wish lists around this voice, when she had needed help to see beyond the laborious reality of her immediate life. It was the voice that had picked her up when she was exhausted, or questioning the purpose and direction in her life. It was the voice she’d relied on when she was orphaned, it had helped her step through the quagmire of grief. This voice had taken her safely through the marshland that often made her life appear to be a treacle of harsh reality. For years it was the voice that had her believing in goodness and happiness. Believing in Mary Poppins without the saccharine. This voice had made Beth reach for goals and realise them. This voice had cheered her achievements when at times her life had been a very solitary, lonely existence, and the only person from her immediate family who was around to acknowledge her accomplishment, was herself. This voice had kept her emotionally strong and believing wholeheartedly in the potential of miracles. It had been her faceless voice of wonderful hopes and precious dreams.

But she had always thought it was just a voice she had imagined. She’d created it. She’d given it that deep timbre, added that hint of seductiveness and laced it liberally with love and affection. It didn’t exist in real life.

Except this voice did. It really did exist. Beth’s heart literally flew. ‘The voice is real’, kept reverberating through her mind in exciting, heart lifting, and exhilarating abandon. The voice with a rich timbre had that hint of magic, and expectation that beguiled and initiated that slow build of warmth deep down, from the inside out. Beth hadn’t picked up on the love and affection element in the voice, not yet. But she was sure it was there. With happy anticipation, and a touch of nerves, she tried to twist around, wanting to see if the voice matched the face. In her dreams the voice did not have a face, and for the first time in her life, she realized that she hoped that voice had a face to match.

I put most of what I heard down to exaggeration. The words were laced with crisp derision and obvious ridicule. They put a stop to her fanciful musings. The dream disintegrated. She could feel it splinter and as it did, the shards popped the myriad of hopeful, wishful and happy balloons that had flourished, albeit briefly, in anticipation of seeing the voice carrier in real life. Ok, no love and affection. Not even a tiny morsel of warmth. The voice of hope and dreams dashed against the reality of contempt and scorn. Beth felt an immediate surge of sadness that she thought she had left behind a long time ago. So much for gut twisting anticipation. Reality was inadequate. His tone took her back to when her life had been tough, when she was a child living in near poverty. The owner of this dream voice spoke to her as if she belonged in a sewer.

He moved forward, came closer, but with the light behind him, he remained in shadow, so much so that she could not see his features. But despite the set back of his tone, a slither of the romance lived on in her heart and head. Her imagination filled in the gaps. Gorgeous, she decided. The voice simply couldn’t belong to someone drab.

But not friendly. Nowhere near friendly. A pity. The voice that had sustained her for years, appeared to be hostile today. That was the trouble with reality: It just never measured up. His next sentence confirmed her views.

After what I’ve heard, I am inclined to agree with what I was told.

It was interesting, Beth mused silently, how much difference that lack of warmth and affection made to her dream voice. The timbre was still rich, the seductiveness still entrenched, but without the warmth of love and friendliness, the voice became insubstantial, hollow and distinctly harsh. And that change brought with it the demise of long held dreams. Promise evaporated. Callused reality descended.

Do I know you? Beth asked softly and despite her reality check, she couldn’t help the faint remnant whisper of wishful thinking and desperate longing. She knew she did not like what he was saying, but she liked the seductiveness in the voice. Now if she could just imbue some warmth into that voice. A small measure of affection, that’s all that was needed to take it back to the realm of her dreams and desires.

Haven’t had that dubious pleasure. Not a shred of cordiality in that statement. The blatant and unexpected hostility was not lost on Beth and the whispers of desire vanished in that second as he completed his sentence.

He came forward and with the light now falling on his face, Beth could see that he wasn’t smiling. But she could also see that her expectations were well and clearly met. Exceeded even. The glorious voice had a matching face. He had the kind of face that advertised luxury goods; clean-shaven, well-defined cheekbones, sensual lips, darkly lashed dreamy eyes. The Gods had put this man on Earth with heterosexual women in mind. Beth enjoyed looking at him, just looking. He was probably used to women staring at him. With quiet surveillance Beth took further inventory. He wore a flint grey long sleeved t-shirt, with the sleeves pushed up to reveal well-muscled forearms. His black colored chinos didn’t hide the slim hips. Simple clothes on a man who could probably wear baby pink and still ooze masculinity.

I heard Nelson’s own homegrown sporting superstar was back in town. And he didn’t sound terribly pleased or impressed by that situation. Pity, thought Beth and hid her capricious smile as her usual happy disposition surfaced. He came one step nearer. For good.

Despite his derogatory statements, Beth liked what she saw. He was tall, broad shouldered and all male. She took detailed stock of what he was wearing, hoped they would give her some clue as to the man he was. With lust running wild in her bloodstream she banked a smile and took herself to task for being so shallow. But the man was gorgeous. She couldn’t help it that she was a full blooded heterosexual woman whose hormones had gone into overdrive when her eyes had taken inventory of the most gorgeous man in town. Having made a careful study of the man in front of her, her twinkling eyes returned to his. And she wished she hadn’t. He really wasn’t doing much to hide his antagonism. And the unexpected pang that settled somewhere between her breastbone and her gut was something she would think about later. Her reaction to him puzzled her. Yes, he was attractive, but she’d met other attractive men before, and not responded to them in quite the same way. And she was miffed by the fact that he didn’t find her remotely attractive. She might not be drop dead gorgeous but she was definitely better than average, she told herself with a deprecating silent laugh. Beth knew she had conditioned herself to dull her senses to the persistent throbbing in her ankle, but she couldn’t understand why his insulting words hurt more than the ache in her ankle. Not for the first time that evening, Beth wished she had pleaded tiredness and stayed in bed. This man clearly despised her. Even though it was unlikely that he knew her, as she was sure they hadn’t met.

His body language was not encouraging. Beth waited, knowing that he would tell her in his own good time who he was. Someone who thought they knew her, but didn’t like her, that much was obvious. And for some unexplainable reason, that upset her. It shouldn’t. She didn’t know the man. He could have the personality of a warthog for all she knew. But the romantic soul within her refused to die. She just wanted him to like her, even a teeny amount of amiability would do. What was it about her that he didn’t like? Perhaps he was the brother, uncle, father even, of one of her squash competitors.

Are you always such a bitch to someone who tries to offer an olive branch?

Her lips twitched, as Beth gave up tenuously clinging on to the romantic illusion. You call this offering an olive... She petered out and smiled at him automatically despite the fact that he had been less than cordial and despite the fact her dreams were melting away. Her smile made no difference to his expression.

Not me. He grated, annoyed by the fact that her smile had nearly rendered him speechless because it had unexpectedly startled his equilibrium. As a result his words were abrupt and icy as he held onto his hostility and said, I was the idiot who persuaded Angelina to talk to you. Suggested she resolve ancient history. Mend bridges. The words seemed to have so much more power because they were underscored with ice. She told me it would be a waste of time as you were a self-centered, self-obsessed, conceited shrew with delusions of grandeur.

Though his words sliced her heart to ribbons, and trampled her romantic spirit underfoot, Beth firmed up her spine, squared her shoulders and lifted her eyes with a confidence that was little more than on the surface. Oh good. You got the unvarnished truth. Beth mocked with a fake smile. She wondered whether she should do the ice routine. She decided not to bother.

I know enough.

I’m so pleased for you. Beth replied with temerity and a suitable amount of sarcasm. When she saw his eyes spark she swiveled back, not bothering to hide the fact that she was no longer interested in continuing with the conversation.

That didn’t stop him. He simply continued to address her profile. I know for instance that you are Nelson’s very own spoilt, venomous, glory seeking egotist.

Though his words were harsh, they saddened her more than hurt her because she knew she wasn’t what he accused her of being, just as she knew he clearly thought she was. Beth felt a sudden depression, as his words echoed in her mind; in her dreams the voice had desired her, in reality it derided her. As the words reverberated in her subconscious she decided that what upset her was the fact that she associated that voice with her secret hopes and wishes. And instead of hearing it caress, all she could hear in that voice was contempt.

She hadn’t felt lonely in years, but as she sat there and the voice replayed over and over, his words slicing thin and deep, she felt loneliness envelope her. It threatened to suffocate her. It was she realized the loss of the protective mantle that the voice had provided that was allowing in distress, now that the voice had been destroyed. The voice had been her invisible shield for ages, providing a virtual safe haven, acting as a cheerleader and providing solace when life was a struggle. But his offensive words had shattered that voice, taken the mantle, shredded it and then torched it. That allowed the lonesomeness to seep in and settle into every pore as defences were breached.

In frigid tones Beth muttered, Ah, the whole truth. The wall she had built up over the years cloaked her quickly and silently even as the voice of her dreams dissipated like an early morning mist.

He walked round to face her, and the outline she’d converted into reality didn’t do him justice. He was lightly tanned, quietly confident, and very much at ease. She’d never been a coward, reticent may be, but never a coward. So she raised her hostile gaze and met his belligerent look. Eyes engaged. Where hers were studiously unfriendly, his were blatantly acrimonious.

I heard you were injured. He continued in a disparaging voice, one that instantly shored up her shields and yet his voice still managed to pierce her heart. The disdain was obvious as he tacked on, I’d have thought having to rely on others might have imparted some humility.

Wrong again huh? Beth kept her tone neutral, dropped her gaze for a second, stopped herself from more wishful thinking and concentrated on the throb in her ankle that had become as familiar as her heart beat. She wondered whether it would add to the pain if she used her foot to kick him. It was tempting. Very tempting. This man should not be able to hurt her, she didn’t know him, what he thought should be immaterial. But what should be the case and what was the case were two different things.

What makes you think you’re so special? Rob came closer, gave her a belittling once over and his lip curled in distaste. From that caustic look Beth understood that his appearance made more of an impression on her than she had made on him. His words were still cutting and she was still smarting from his earlier onslaught as he continued, A jumped up has been should be more careful about who she insults. He braced both hands on the armrest of her chair and leaned in, close. With the light falling full on his face, she saw that he had lashes she was sure most women would kill for, lips that invited you to imagine what kissing him would be like, and eyes that would caress if they weren’t hell bent on annihilating.

Beth quirked a dark brown eyebrow, if he got any closer she’d be able to count his eyelashes. I’ll bear that in mind if I become a jumped up has been. She kept her eyes studiously blank as she coolly demanded with a significant amount of icy hauteur, Anything else?

You owe Angelina an apology.

He was impressed by her cool composure. But then he knew that it was her trade mark; coolness under fire. Obviously the lady used the same strategies in her life to stay in control.

Why? Beth queried impudently and tapped a finger against her lips, as she feigned contemplation, Did I forget an adjective? she furrowed her brow, pouted and then added with a shake of her head, No, I thought I was fairly comprehensive, she is a ...

Rob was close to shaking the woman. You ever wonder why you are single? But even as he asked the question his eyes were taking stock of her finger tapping against the pout of her lips and her actions caught his interest. There wasn’t anything sexual in her action, and yet it appeared sexy to him. That surprised him. She was annoying him and attracting him at the same time. This woman was dangerous.

Beth feigned contemplation again, chewed her lips as she pretended to consider his question, then shook her head with deliberate emphasis, No. I. Haven’t. Beth stated crisply, each word carefully pronounced, then she added with more than a hint of displeasure, And if you don’t mind, I really don’t like sharing my oxygen with you.

Rob had her hemmed in, but she could leave, just brush past him, instead she was facing him down. He was impressed, and that annoyed him even more. I hadn’t heard you were choosy. He snorted disparagingly, subjecting her to another derogatory once over, Just that most couldn’t be bothered to hang around. Not surprising given your social skills. He offered his most mocking smile.

The rage built, but Beth kept it under control as she replied with cool, almost regal disdain, Perhaps I should have gone to your school. Her eyes ensnared his, as she hit back, Clearly you’re way ahead of me on social intercourse.

His eyes flashed for a brief second as he fought off the urge to either shake her or kiss her. Having seen your photo, I wondered why, at your age, you were still unattached. He tried to keep it discourteous and curt. Now it makes perfect sense. His icy blue eyes were as eloquent as his words.

Oh good. She replied dryly, threw him a vacant smile and said with affected coyness, I was worried you might not think about me at all. She batted her eyelashes at him and was pleased to see his eyes flash again. Good, so she was annoying him that made things even.

Beth? Dave stepped out on to the deck from the other side of the trellis, Do you need.....oh, sorry, didn’t see you there Rob. Dave wasn’t sure whether he was interrupting or not. But he had a rag tag bunch of guys with him, so he didn’t have much of an option. He came round and brought his friends with him. Should have guessed our local rag would track down our resident celebrity. Looking for a scoop? Dave winked teasingly at Beth, trying to make light of what looked like a compromising position. Rob was practically nose to nose with her, Dave wasn’t sure if he’d interrupted foreplay to an amorous embrace or whether he’d caught the tail end of that embrace.

Actually we hadn’t got round to introducing ourselves. Beth said sweetly, keeping her eyes on the man in front of her. And right now she was sure she didn’t want to know his name or who he was.

Rob took a step back, but the heat of his gaze still pinned her.

I can do the honors. Robert McAllister, editor of the Nelson Bay Gazette. Bethany Johnson, squash champion of the world. Dave finished with a flourish, smiling at all and sundry. Ok, so they were obviously about to kiss, without even knowing who they were, interesting, thought Dave as he banked a smile. Rhia would be pleased.

Champion. Rob mulled loudly and glanced across at Dave and the three other men. Then with a skeptical smile he turned to Beth and drawled with contrived ignorance, You ranked number one, the smile broadened, his lips curled, as he feigned consideration to query, about six years ago, wasn’t it? His mouth twisted into a sneer.

Seven. Beth smiled just as broadly, barely hanging onto her composure. It was obvious that he knew that.

For a bemused moment Dave tried to make sense of the change in attitude. Perhaps he’d read the situation wrong. I was just taking the guys to get some more beers from the garage. Dave, slightly drunk, knew there was an undercurrent brewing and sensing the demise of friendliness, he tried to shift the conversation. Thought we’d check on how you were doing out here, see if you needed anything.

No thanks Dave. Her calmness was one of the trademarks of her game. Good to see that it had some uses in her everyday life. Though she spoke to Dave, she kept her eyes on Rob, determined not to let the man think he had got the better of her.

I’m not very good with trivia. Rob continued, ignoring Dave’s attempt to sidetrack him. Rob pretended contemplation, before he posed another mock question, and allowed his eyes to convey blatant animosity, Let’s see, one eye brow quirked upward, you held that ranking for, he paused for effect, then added, a week? He smiled, a predatory smile, that made it perfectly clear, exactly what he thought of her, And you ditched your manager and your boyfriend at that time. His eyes made and held deprecating contact.

Beth didn’t blink. Instead she let her eyes talk. Then after the briefest pause she said in her sweetest voice, You remembered. What a lovely little mind you have. She pinned on another fake smile, keeping her tone as facetious as his, she added with an insulting drawl, How very thoughtful.

Come on guys. Dave ushered his friends along. Yes, he’d definitely misread the situation. These two sounded as if they were about to initiate world war three. And that surprised him. He knew both of them, and based on what he knew, everything suggested they could be friends. But the way they were shrewdly sniping at each other suggested otherwise. Rob, you couldn’t give us a hand could you?

Sure. I’ll be right there. Rob focused on Beth again and in a withering whisper that only she caught, he added with deliberately insulting insolence, Nothing of interest here. He flicked her a dismissive look that contained equal measures of enmity and arrogance, before he calmly turned and walked away from her.

Beth fumed. But she was also shaken by his dispassionate judgment. Arrogant bastard she thought as she reached clumsily for her walking stick. As soon as the men were out of sight, she got unsteadily to her feet. She gave herself a chance to block the pain that speared instantly and then she shuffled slowly toward the French doors. She knew her heart wasn’t beating erratically because of the effort it took to get to her feet, and that annoyed her even more. How could she possibly find him attractive? She simply could not be interested in a guy who seemed to consider her to be lower than pond scum. It was that voice. Her dream voice. She really couldn’t understand why that particular voice had had such an effect on her heart, but she understood perfectly well why his words had such an effect on her mind. It was only nine o’clock, but Beth had had enough. Enough of people trying to cotton wool her, enough of listening to Angelina tell her she didn’t have a hope of resurrecting her old relationship with Cam, and enough of Rob telling her she was a has been.

She knew that. She had had weeks to consider the implications of her injury. After this injury she was unlikely to play at the top, and that realization was never far from her thoughts. It had taken a while to come to terms with, but while still in hospital she had resigned herself to the fact that her career was well and truly over. She was a realist. She didn’t need some two-bit journalist rubbing salt in the still very tender wound, just because she’d told his girlfriend some home truths. Beth struggled on her feet. As she waited for the pain to subside she decided she would simply let Rhia know that she was going home to have an early night and then she would leave the party. She knew that if she stayed she would continue to seethe. A waste of energy. She was not going to waste any more time thinking about that man. Or his insults. She was going home, to run herself a nice bath before going to bed. Hopefully the dream voice would not manifest as a nightmare.

The rooms were heaving with people and her slow, steady, painful progress through the room was shielded by the fact that it was crowded. She stopped numerous times to talk to people for a short time. But she knew that she couldn’t stay on her feet too long. That was why she’d taken a breather, and sat down, outside away from the crowds. She’d stayed on her feet too long when she’d arrived at the party, and her ankle had protested painfully.

Beth spotted Rhia and rather than try to make her way toward her friend, Beth signaled Rhia over. Rhia acknowledged the signal with a nod and began to make her way toward Beth. She was stopped frequently, as other guests spoke to her. But eventually she reached Beth’s side.

What’s up?

I know it’s early. Beth said. Rhia glanced at her watch. Beth used her walking stick to take a bit more of her weight as she confided, I’m going home. Going to bed. Just wanted to let you know.

You ok? Rhia had known Beth since their early school days, and though she couldn’t quite place it, something was off. Beth’s eyes had their shields up. Rhia wondered what had generated the defence mechanism. She could tell, something had happened. But what?

Fine.

Rhia looked into her eyes, and a degree of understanding was there. I don’t think it’s going to be quiet enough to sleep.

Beth shrugged then leaned in and kissed her friend’s cheek. It’s fine.

Well wait a sec, I’ll get Dave to see you home.

Rhia! Beth chuckled and shook her head. I live next door! She snagged her friend’s arm to prevent her from moving. I’m fine. See you sometime tomorrow? Beth waited for Rhia to nod before she smiled and tacked on, Night then. Great party!

Rhia snorted, then with her eyes still conveying concern, added quietly, I’ll walk you to the door.

Rhia? One of her guests tapped her shoulder, Do you have any more ice?

Sure. Rhia nodded absently, her eyes still on Beth, Give me a second. She told her other guest as she tried to gauge whether it was worth asking Beth for her real reason for leaving early.

Rhia, I’m fine. I can see myself out. Beth scolded quietly when she saw that Rhia was dithering about leaving her. She wasn’t ready to talk about her encounter with Rob McAllister. Just at this moment she was still too raw, and she was more than likely to say something that she came to regret later. And if he was at the party, he was obviously a friend, Dave’s friend, no doubt. So mouthing off would not be a good idea. She needed to calm down before she talked to Rhia about the aggravating man. And she needed time to deal with her reaction.

I..

Rhia! Beth warned.

Rhia frowned as she recognized the militant look in Beth’s eyes and then she conceded. Fine. Ok. Well. Night then.

Beth smiled cheekily, And don’t party too hard. She brushed her friend’s cheek with a light kiss and teased, Think of the neighbours!

Put in some earplugs. Rhia advised without any degree of apology.

Beth’s smile broadened, then she turned slowly and made her way toward another set of French doors. Slow and steady. She concentrated on her steps. Making sure she did little to add to the strain. The perspiration on her brow went unnoticed. Those that did notice the sheen, put it down to the heat in the room. Eventually Beth reached the door and slowly with careful considered negotiation stepped down the two steps. It took her ten minutes to make it to the sanctuary of her house. She used to jog it in ten seconds. With that gloomy thought she opened her front door and stepped in to her hallway.

The Gazette was printed thrice weekly, and Beth went in search of the papers she had stacked for the recycling collection. She hadn’t been back long in Nelson, but she had six copies of the paper. Instead of taking that bath she had promised herself, while the party raged next door, she re-read Friday’s paper. Grudgingly she admitted that she liked its style. There were some interesting local stories, a few cutting edge issues and a lot of sport. But it seemed to have a Nelson stamp to it, and that, Beth thought, with a rueful smile was important. It was about local issues, local people and local flavours. So how could a man who judged the town so accurately judge her so inaccurately? And why exactly did it matter to her what he thought about her? So he didn’t like her? So what?

His face swam into focus and with a huff of disgust she ambled toward her kitchen. Why him? She asked herself loudly. And got no reply. She hadn’t quite fathomed out why he had singled her out for that particular brand of treatment, was even more bemused by it when she had read several copies of the paper and realised that it was a balanced paper. But for some reason she did not merit the same treatment. She hadn’t really understood why. Obviously Angelina had fed him a line, but from the papers she read, she arrived at a sense of well-balanced journalism. So based on that, she expected him to check details before simply believing Angelina’s version. But he hadn’t bothered. Instead he’d chosen to believe his girlfriend’s version. That made Beth surprisingly unhappy. Why would his opinion matter? He barely knew her. She didn’t know him. Why did he matter? Why did what he thought matter?

But she couldn’t get his face or his voice out of her thoughts. His words she would have liked to have completely forgotten. But instead they repeated over and over. It was like a stuck record. She just couldn’t find the delete button. Muttering to herself Beth made her way slowly to the bathroom. She turned on the taps, put the plug in and then poured a liberal amount of lavender infused bath salts into the tub. She could hear the party from her bathroom, as that side of her house was closest to Rhia’s. Shuffling slowly she made her way to her bedroom. With her ankle so weak it took her a while to get undressed. She sat on the side of the bed and shucked off her jeans, and wondered what he’d make of the state of her legs. One was nicely toned, the other had no muscle tone. Hardly attractive, she mulled as she made a detailed study of her ankle. It was getting better. But not quickly enough for her! Beth reached for her jeans and put them on the bed. Then, still sitting, she peeled off her t-shirt, undid her bra, and shimmied out of her knickers. As she inched her way toward her dressing gown she passed the wardrobe mirror and caught sight of her naked body. She had lost some tone, not surprising given she had not been working out for months. Her exercise regime had virtually disappeared, but she had been careful not to over eat, so though she had lost some tone, she had not ballooned due to the lack of exercise. She still had a flat stomach, and her arms were toned from having to work crutches. She was slender rather than curvy, but her hips were definitely fuller, she thought critically and then tried to strain to see her butt in the mirror! She nearly fell over, so with a rueful grin she hauled on her dressing gown and returned to the bathroom.

Getting into the bathtub was an orchestrated feat, one that needed her to be careful about the amount of weight she put on her injured ankle. She slid her dressing gown off, and hung it on the peg on the back of the bathroom door, then she shuffled toward the tub and sat on the edge of the bathtub. Slowly and carefully she swung a leg over the side, then moved the other leg. With both feet now in the tub, she grabbed the tub rail, twisted slightly and slowly lowered herself into the foaming bath. The taps were running and she waited until the water reached her breasts before she reached over and turned the taps off.

The music from next door had mellowed. The dance beat replaced with slow, seductive numbers. The slow music suited the lavender vapour perfectly, Beth thought as she tipped her head back and rested it against the tub edge, closing her eyes as the music and water lapped at her senses. But her eyes had barely closed when his image swam before her. Beth groaned and opened her eyes. No, he was not allowed in her dreams, not anymore. But even with her eyes open she could still see him. Could still hear him. Could still see his cornflower blue eyes turn icy with animosity. But one particular dispassionate statement kept replaying in her mind: You ever wonder why you are single?

Until he’d voiced that question, no, she’d not stopped to think about it. Why was she single? The frown that formed on her brow reflected her contemplative stance. What was wrong with her? Why was she single? Did she want to be? Or was he right? Did she have nothing of interest?

Oh come on! Beth commanded herself loudly and with steely determination. But irritation persisted as his question reverberated in her mind. Pull yourself together Beth! She pushed at the foam bubbles as if that action would push him out of her mind and would drive his voice away, He’s with Angelina. She laughed scornfully and blew at some of the nearest bubbles. And that makes him stupid! She chuckled to herself as she blew the foam bubbles off the palm of her hand. And you don’t like stupid men, remember? She slid lower into the scented bubbles. Even if they are good looking! She muttered as she recalled his face, And have dream voices. She tipped her head back, and let her neck lie against the bathtub edge, And if he’s stupid his question was stupid and what he said was stupid. She told herself. Perfectly inane. She mumbled and slid lower into the foam, What does he know? She told the ceiling. I might be perfectly content to be single. I might like my own company. Stupid man! She muttered and drummed her fingers in irritation against the bathtub edge. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Arrogant bastard. She liked being single. She