'What happened?' Lara asked in a low voice. It was as if she knew already.
He could tell her easily. She could be his confessor. 'I knew someone,' he began. Then a hand slapped his back.
'Hey!' It was Abby. 'Don't tell me you haven't got drinks in for us!' She smiled at Lara. 'He treats us like lackeys!'
'Sorry,' Noah said. He turned to attract the attention of the barman.
For the rest of the evening Abby refused to leave Noah's side. He knew why. Abby knew him too well. She was good company and gave no indication to Lara that she was suspicious of her, but Noah was well aware of his friend's feelings.
After last orders, when the group was breaking up, Noah said to Lara, 'There's an event next Sunday. We're going on a tour of local ancient sites, churches, springs and so on. Should be quite a convoy. Would you like to come?'
'Well' Lara put her empty glass down on the bar. 'Might be difficult. I don't have transport.'
'I could pick you up,' said Noah.
'Great!' Lara opened her bag and rummaged in it. 'I'll give you my address. What time?'
'Oh, about midday.'
'It'll cost a tenner,' said Abby, somewhat darkly.
'Good value,' Lara said, taking the lid off a fountain pen.
Outside, in the car park, Abby started on Noah. 'What are you up to?' she demanded. 'I thought you'd decided to leave punters well alone.'
'What do you mean?' Noah countered, fiddling with his keys.
'I mean that you fancy her. It's obvious. But you've been down this road many times before. You know where it leads.'
'She's just coming to the event,' Noah said. 'What's wrong with that? Lots of other people are going and they're all punters as well.'
Abby folded her arms belligerently across her chest. 'I'm not stupid!'
'Give him a break, will you,' Gary snapped.
Abby was not to be deterred. 'She's a fan, Gary, and she's got her sights set. There's something a bit odd about her. I can just feel it.'
'He's a grown man,' Gary said in a tired voice. 'For Christ's sake, Ab, you sound like his bloody mother.'
'I'm the nearest he has to that,' Abby said, getting into the front passenger seat of Noah's car.
For the next few days, Noah couldn't stop thinking about Lara Hoskins. Abby was wrong to be so suspicious. Of course, he had met Sarah at a lecture, long before he'd begun the regular meetings, and perhaps this was why Abby was so scared for him. He'd dated lots of girls since, some of them plucked from the 'Enigmas of History' group, and he was the first to admit that none of them had worked out particularly well, but he was sure this was different. Lara was bright and had an enquiring mind. There were no warning signs. Her hands had been steady on her glass all evening. She'd been open and sociable.
By Sunday morning he was buzzing with anticipation, and spent more time than usual on his appearance. Lara was probably about ten years younger than him, in her mid-twenties by the look of her, but that didn't matter. He looked young for his age. All his life, women had flocked to him.
When he drew up outside her house, she came through the front door before he'd even turned off the engine. She was dressed in black jeans and T-shirt, with a black hooded fleece tied around her waist, presumably in case it got cold later. Her long black hair was caught up in a severe ponytail but swished provocatively around her head and shoulders as she ran down the short drive to the road. She was as slim as a boy and looked athletic. Noah's heart turned over. She was gorgeous.
'Hi!' she said breathlessly as she virtually threw herself into the car. She smelled strongly of an oriental yet floral scent.
'Hi,' Noah echoed. 'I like a woman who's ready on time.'
Lara laughed. It was a bright, free sound, devoid of artifice. Of course, she'd been ready for hours.
When they arrived at the meeting point, Noah was pleased to see there was a good turnout about seven packed cars. Abby was going round collecting money and distributing maps.
At each site they visited, Noah had the group sit down and meditate to see if they could pick up any information from the past, such as what the site might have been used for in ancient times. He never did this at the indoor meetings. This was his select group, with whom he was prepared to try more 'weird stuff, as some referred to it. During the meditation, Lara saw a great deal of detailed and pertinent imagery. 'I think you're psychic,' Noah told her privately.
'Oh, I know that ,' she said.
'You couldn't be more perfect,' Noah said.
Lara smiled. 'When can we continue our conversation?'
'Later. How about dinner?'
'Sounds great.'
Noah had to lose Abby and Gary for the evening, which was not easy. He didn't want Abby to know he was taking Lara out, sure that she would insist that she and Gary went with him. Fortunately, they'd brought their own car that day, so at the last site Noah whisked Lara off quickly, virtually without saying goodbye to anybody. He knew he'd have to pay for it later and could anticipate Abby's terse message that would be waiting on his answerphone
