opening licence.
‘Yes, but not for paying customers. What was the Simmons woman doing inside the bar yesterday? And just now. She got something wrong with her arm? The way you were holding it, I thought for a second you might be getting all gooey about her.’
It wasn’t only Mrs J who had a gossip antenna tweaked for perfect reception. And what business was it of Ted’s if Dan had been getting smoochy with Red? But Ted appeared to be getting wound up. Perhaps he’d just come from his computer and space research. That always set him off. ‘She likes coffee.’
‘So she’s reacting to you?’
‘To my what?’
‘The mediation. Is she coming round to our way of thinking?’
‘Oh, that. Well, I reckon we have to give her a bit of time to adjust to our ways.’
‘You’ve been mediating for a week. You said you’d charm her.’
Dan had an uncomfortable impression he just had. She’d certainly charmed him with her teasing, buoyant smile. ‘Give her a chance, would you? How about we give her a gesture?’
‘Such as?’
‘Is there anything wrong with the picket fence idea?’
‘Mmm.’ Ted chewed his bottom lip. ‘It’ll take her a while to get shire approval.’
‘So why don’t we say she can apply for it? That’ll give us all some breathing space.’
‘Just don’t like it when things are done so fast and behind our backs.’
‘Right.’ As if that was news.
‘There’s something not quite right about her, Dan. I feel it. Right here.’ Ted tapped his chest. ‘I’ve got a nose for these things. I’m going to Google her.’
‘No need for that. She’s trying to do the right thing. Give her a few more days, eh?’
‘What’s she doing here?’ Ted asked. ‘Why does our little town interest her enough to have boarded a flight from England? Why would the likes of her want to run a business in a town like ours if it wasn’t for disreputable motives?’
Dan couldn’t rightly answer those questions but if ever there was a moment when he should show Red some support, it was now. He was breaking down her barriers, but he needed a bit more time to suss out how he’d done it, because all he could think of was her soft arm under his hand and the pretty smile she’d produced for him—even if it was a tongue-in-cheek smile—and how all that had left him feeling a bit giddy.
Ted didn’t give him a chance to answer. ‘There’s something familiar about her. It’s like I’ve seen her before. Not recently— a long time ago. And I don’t feel it was a pleasant experience. I’m open to all possibilities not of this earth,’ he said. ‘I’ve made studies and the like, and as such, I think I’m qualified to recognise what’s not quite right.’ Ted gathered himself like a peacock settling its ruffled feathers. ‘There’s nothing on the interweb about the galaxy, habitable planets or aliens I haven’t researched.’
‘It’s called the internet, Ted.’
‘Google. Takes you places, Dan.’
Dan nodded.
‘We’re an exoplanet here in Swallow’s Fall.’
Sounded technical enough to be plausible.
‘Things have dimmed in town since her arrival. It’s a bit like transits. Planets crossing in front of their host star and dimming the light. She’s dimmed our light.’
‘Charlotte,’ Dan reminded him, wondering if Charlotte realised she’d hit the final frontier when she moved into town.
Ted looked down the street as though looking into the future. ‘My ultimate goal is to be taken and remember it.’
‘Steady now, Ted.’ This is what Mrs J had warned Dan about. He followed Ted’s gaze down the street. Last time this happened, Ted got lost for four hours before being found in the back field, apologising to everyone for being away so long; he thought he might have been gone with the aliens for a month, but he couldn’t remember any specifics.
‘I’ll have to keep my focus sharp if they take me. I believe they’re very demanding.’
Dan put an arm over Ted’s
‘Yes, but not for paying customers. What was the Simmons woman doing inside the bar yesterday? And just now. She got something wrong with her arm? The way you were holding it, I thought for a second you might be getting all gooey about her.’
It wasn’t only Mrs J who had a gossip antenna tweaked for perfect reception. And what business was it of Ted’s if Dan had been getting smoochy with Red? But Ted appeared to be getting wound up. Perhaps he’d just come from his computer and space research. That always set him off. ‘She likes coffee.’
‘So she’s reacting to you?’
‘To my what?’
‘The mediation. Is she coming round to our way of thinking?’
‘Oh, that. Well, I reckon we have to give her a bit of time to adjust to our ways.’
‘You’ve been mediating for a week. You said you’d charm her.’
Dan had an uncomfortable impression he just had. She’d certainly charmed him with her teasing, buoyant smile. ‘Give her a chance, would you? How about we give her a gesture?’
‘Such as?’
‘Is there anything wrong with the picket fence idea?’
‘Mmm.’ Ted chewed his bottom lip. ‘It’ll take her a while to get shire approval.’
‘So why don’t we say she can apply for it? That’ll give us all some breathing space.’
‘Just don’t like it when things are done so fast and behind our backs.’
‘Right.’ As if that was news.
‘There’s something not quite right about her, Dan. I feel it. Right here.’ Ted tapped his chest. ‘I’ve got a nose for these things. I’m going to Google her.’
‘No need for that. She’s trying to do the right thing. Give her a few more days, eh?’
‘What’s she doing here?’ Ted asked. ‘Why does our little town interest her enough to have boarded a flight from England? Why would the likes of her want to run a business in a town like ours if it wasn’t for disreputable motives?’
Dan couldn’t rightly answer those questions but if ever there was a moment when he should show Red some support, it was now. He was breaking down her barriers, but he needed a bit more time to suss out how he’d done it, because all he could think of was her soft arm under his hand and the pretty smile she’d produced for him—even if it was a tongue-in-cheek smile—and how all that had left him feeling a bit giddy.
Ted didn’t give him a chance to answer. ‘There’s something familiar about her. It’s like I’ve seen her before. Not recently— a long time ago. And I don’t feel it was a pleasant experience. I’m open to all possibilities not of this earth,’ he said. ‘I’ve made studies and the like, and as such, I think I’m qualified to recognise what’s not quite right.’ Ted gathered himself like a peacock settling its ruffled feathers. ‘There’s nothing on the interweb about the galaxy, habitable planets or aliens I haven’t researched.’
‘It’s called the internet, Ted.’
‘Google. Takes you places, Dan.’
Dan nodded.
‘We’re an exoplanet here in Swallow’s Fall.’
Sounded technical enough to be plausible.
‘Things have dimmed in town since her arrival. It’s a bit like transits. Planets crossing in front of their host star and dimming the light. She’s dimmed our light.’
‘Charlotte,’ Dan reminded him, wondering if Charlotte realised she’d hit the final frontier when she moved into town.
Ted looked down the street as though looking into the future. ‘My ultimate goal is to be taken and remember it.’
‘Steady now, Ted.’ This is what Mrs J had warned Dan about. He followed Ted’s gaze down the street. Last time this happened, Ted got lost for four hours before being found in the back field, apologising to everyone for being away so long; he thought he might have been gone with the aliens for a month, but he couldn’t remember any specifics.
‘I’ll have to keep my focus sharp if they take me. I believe they’re very demanding.’
Dan put an arm over Ted’s
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