He ordered a home-made burger with steak-cut chips and salad, grinning his approbation when Katya said she’d have the same. He took a draught of beer from his glass and then all his attention was on her. Katya tried not to think about how his gaze always seemed to resemble an embrace.
‘I’ve brought my CV for you.’ She laid her two-page résumé on the table between them, along with the fat A4 envelope. She’d brought a handkerchief, too. There was one point in this story that always sent tears coursing down her cheeks, however many times she practised it in front of the bathroom mirror.
‘What’s in the envelope?’
‘Just some supporting documents.’ Katya took a sip of water, wondering whether perhaps a little Dutch courage might not have been a good idea. ‘There’s something I’d like to tell you.’
‘No.’ Luke was suddenly still. Only his hand moved, to Bruno’s head, his fingers absently fondling his ears.
‘No?’ This was the one reaction she hadn’t expected from him. Anything else, but not this flat refusal to even listen to her.
‘I don’t want to hear it, Katya. The form that you filled out said that you’re a nurse. That you had a senior position in one of the top London hospitals but you left more than a year ago.’
‘Yes, that’s right.’ There was still a swell of pride. Muted now, and tinged with bitter experience, but it was still there.
‘In my experience, someone with that kind of background, who’s working in a coffee shop, is in need of a new start. Is that right?’ His manner was kind, but he’d sliced right to the bone.
‘Yes. That’s right.’ Katya felt her spine begin to sag, and pulled herself upright, squaring her shoulders.
‘Then let’s make one. Look forward instead of back.’
‘But you need to know …’ Katya knew that she had to put her own feelings aside. Disclosure was one of those things you had to do in this kind of job. ‘I’ll be working with children, with vulnerable adults …’
‘Not yet you won’t. It’ll be another month before the reserve is open to the public and we get the project going to take animals into the hospital. I need to put an advanced CRB check in motion, and I’ll take up the references that you’ve given, but …’
‘The references will be fine. There’ll be nothing on the CRB check either.’
‘So is there any reason why you shouldn’t work with me, setting up procedures and getting things organised?’
‘No.’ Luke would be in charge, and that was her safety net. She could refer any difficult decisions back to him.
‘Then this can wait.’ Luke pushed the envelope back across the table towards her. ‘Until you’re ready.’
He was giving her a chance. Taking her at face value and letting her prove herself. This was not what Katya had expected, but it felt okay. It was a place from which she could move forward.
‘Aren’t you curious?’ She almost wanted him to be.
‘Truthfully?’ He grinned. ‘Yes, of course.’
‘But you’re not going to do anything about it?’
‘No. Bruno and I are unanimous in that.’ The old dog looked up at Luke at the mention of his name and started to lick Katya’s hand. ‘See?’
There was little else to do but give in gracefully. ‘Okay.’ Katya sealed the envelope, pushing it back towards Luke. ‘Keep that for me, will you? We might be having this conversation again.’
He took the envelope without a word and stashed it, along with her résumé, in the leather document wallet that lay on the bench beside him.
‘In the meantime, I’ll be giving this job my best. And Olenka can tell you that I’ve no history of trying to strangle my work colleagues.’
He shrugged. ‘That’s okay.’ The delicious sweep of his gaze, up and down her body, made her shudder. ‘I can take care of myself.’
Luke wasn’t so sure about that. Something about her, maybe her obvious vulnerability, which she seemed determined not to give in to, stirred feelings that he would rather forget. Feelings that he’d had no trouble forgetting until a few weeks ago.
He couldn’t go back on what he’d promised her now, though. It was plain that she needed this job, and someone like Katya, with practical nursing experience and willing to take the paltry amount he could offer to pay her, was a godsend for the project that he was trying so hard to get off the ground. If it took a little bravado to make out that he was indifferent to her charms, then so be it.
They talked all through their meal, until the evening chill drove them inside. Then they talked some more, until the pub landlord called time. By then, her eyes were shining with as much enthusiasm as Luke felt.
‘Do I get the job, then?’ She’d waited until they were strolling across the car park towards her car before she asked.
‘Do you want it?’ Being able to tease her, without worrying that she was going to crumple, was something new, which they’d worked their way round to during the course of the evening, and Luke rather liked it.
‘I asked first.’ She tilted her face up towards him in the darkness. For one sweet moment Luke thought that he might kiss her and the shock of how good that felt bounced him back into reality.
‘You got the job about three hours ago. If you get into that car without accepting it, Bruno might have to beg.’ That’s right. Get Bruno to do the dirty work.
‘I’d hate to see that happen. I accept. Thank you.’
‘You might not be saying that in a week or so’s time. There’s a lot on that list we’ve just made.’
‘We’ll get through it.’ She pressed her lips together in thought, and Luke’s head began to swim again. ‘We talked about getting some shirts with the name of the nature reserve on them.’
‘Yeah. I’ll make some calls …’
‘I can speak to the guy who does the polo shirts for the coffee shop, if you’d like. When Olenka ordered some for me she said he was very reasonable and I can get his catalogue for you to look at.’
Luke grinned. He’d made the right choice. ‘That’s okay, I’m sure you’ll pick something suitable.’ He pulled out his wallet and extracted the last couple of notes from it. ‘Will that cover it?’
‘It’s more than enough. I’ll save the receipts for you.’
Accounting had never seemed so delicious. ‘Right. Thanks. If there’s room in the budget, perhaps you can get a couple for me, too.’
She folded the notes, putting them into her bag. ‘Consider it done. What size …?’ In the darkness, Luke couldn’t see whether she was blushing or not, but from the way she suddenly looked away from him she probably was. Something inside him crowed with triumph at the thought. ‘They only come in small, medium and large, so I’ll get large.’
‘That’ll be fine.’ A thought struck him. ‘Is Olenka ever going to speak to me again?’
She laughed. Luke could almost feel her breath on his cheek. It was time to step back, but somehow he couldn’t. ‘Olenka will be fine. She’ll probably give you free coffee for a week for taking me off her hands.’
‘I doubt it.’ How could she think so little of herself? Luke wondered whether the answer to that was in the manila envelope tucked in his notecase.