Sweetly Isolated (The Swallow Barn Cottage Series, Book 1)

Both and Neither

"One more episode?" he said and stretched his hand to his Mac, over their now empty lunch tray.

"No, I can't," Tina said. "It's almost two."

"It is," he confirmed and gave her a questioning look.

"I need to take a shower," she said pointedly.

Tina picked up her mobile and checked. There were no texts. There were three possibilities here: either Dr. Edwin Montjoy would stand her up without a text; or he'd text her that she was a trollop and he wanted to have nothing to do with her within the next hour and five minutes; or, lastly, he'd show up at three just as agreed and then tell her she was a trollop and he wanted nothing to do with her. There was no way, after all, Mr. Tate hadn't told everyone in the village she'd been copping off with Holyoake on her kitchen counter.

Tina started sliding off the bed.

"Where are you going?" There was sincere confusion on his face.

"I– I'm going for a walk with Edwin at three," she reminded him.

He leaned back against the headboard and crossed his arms on his bare chest.

"You are?" he asked.

Oh, is that how low his voice can go? Wow. His face had that blank expression again, like when she'd said they needed to shag so she could write. Much good it did.

"Yeah, we arranged it last time."

She looked around her bedroom, but there seemed to be no clothes lying around. Most of them must have come off on the stairs. To think of it, she now distinctly remembered being thrown on the bed only in her bra and her socks. Oops. She minced to her wardrobe - the floor was cold - and pulled out a dressing gown. It was all satin and lace, and she never wore it - because who would she wear it for? Not herself, for sure. The thing was endlessly uncomfortable. Her normal fluffy robe was in the bathroom.

"You're going on a date with Dr. Mount of Joy," Holyoake said slowly without intonating the statement in any way. "Now?"

"As opposed to when?" Tina asked distractedly from the door.

She'd opened it and was now fighting the desire to pick up and neatly fold all these tees and jumpers and trousers scattered all the way down the stairs and in the hallway. Ah, right, he started undressing her by the entrance door.

"As opposed to before sleeping with me," he said in the same expressionless tone.

OK, Tina, time to focus. The man's clearly trying to say something. Pay attention!

Tina turned to him. "Alright, I have to admit I'm out of my depth here, so you'll have to elaborate. Are you trying to say that Edwin will mind that we– that you and I–"

"Shag," he deadpanned, and Tina nodded jerkily.

"Yeah, but it's really none of his business, is it? On the other hand, now that Mr. Tate saw us, it'll look like I lied when he asked about you–" she started muttering.

"So, he did ask," Holyoake said in a dark tone.

"You greeted him by the door! Of course he asked." Tina gave Holyoake an exasperated look. "But technically he has no right to be against it. I mean, if we started dating, then of course I wouldn't do that again, but–"

"If we started dating, you wouldn't go on a date with the Mushroom Bloke?" Holyoake asked in an even voice.

"What? No! If I dated Edwin, I wouldn't sleep with a random bloke!"