In among the shit fest that had been the last month or so, I’d thought a lot about this woman, deliberately staying away from Caulder’s while I untangled the deep-set roots I had to Lev and Irina. I’d promised myself the next time I saw Jolie, it would be to ask for a chance with a clean slate. Meeting in Harrod’s had almost seemed like fate, almost, because my slate wasn’t quite clean yet. But it would be soon, real soon, the tethers were almost frayed through.
“I haven’t seen you at the bar.”
Kristoff placed a jug of water and two glasses on the table along with the menus. I mumbled a thank you without looking up. “I stayed away on purpose,” I said to Jolie.
“Because of me.”
“Yes, and no.” I wasn’t lying to her. “I needed to work on a few things.”
“And did you?”
“I did, yes.”
She twirled the empty glass in her hand before putting it down on the table in front of her and filling it with water. “How’s that working out for you?”
“The family business no longer owns me. I can, and will, walk away without repercussion.”
“That must feel good.” Next, she poured water into the second glass and nudged it toward me.
“Thank you. And, yes, it feels good. Been a long time coming.”
Tilting her head down, she moved closer as she spoke. “Organised crime. That’s the official term, right?”
“Suppose so. I have a legitimate business too.”
“Caulder’s.” She nodded, and I was thankful she recognised my bar for what it was, and she knew it was legitimate. Besides, I didn’t see Jolie working in an establishment that was shady in any way.
“Caulder’s is my focus going forward.”
“Good. I’d hate to see you in jail, or worse, dead.” If only she knew I should have gone to jail or died for the crime I’d committed all those years ago and many since. Taking a sip from her glass, she lowered her voice again. “You’re out of all your dodgy shit? For good?”
“I am. And I was coming to Caulder’s next week. Coming to see you.”
“Well,” she sighed. “That’s all sorts of flattering, Yannick.”
“Let me guess, it doesn’t get me anywhere?” That familiar weight of disappointment settled in my gut and I second guessed myself yet again.
“Nope. Not with me.”
“Damn!” I swore a little too loud. “So, what is it going to take, Jolie Summers, if flattery gets me nowhere with you?”
“The flattery I can live without. This burger here…” She pointed to the Monterey Jack stack on the menu. “Not so much.”
“Consider it done,” I laughed heartily. “On one condition.”
“What?”
“You let me do this again.”
“Wine and dine me?”
“Yes, with water and burgers if that’s what takes your fancy.”
This time her laugh was effortless and for a moment time stood still and all I wanted to do was wave my hand and make everything disappear except us.
“Okay, fine. I enjoy your company, I always have. I’m not promising anything, Yannick. We’re worlds apart, you know that, right? Night and day is what we are and I don’t know if that’s ever going to change. You have a reputation which precedes you and I’m just little old me, which I like by the way.”
She wasn’t really wrong. The moves I’d made to get out of the organisation were shaky at best, even when I was all out, I wasn’t entirely sure it would be the end of the story. I was still married, still had Tayte to contend with, threads I had trouble letting go of that could end up dangerous if I wasn’t careful.
“I’ll take it. Maybe in time I can convince you I’m worth taking a risk on.”
I wouldn’t grovel, but I also wasn’t willing to walk away without something from Jolie. Building a friendship was better than nothing at all at this juncture. She was a woman I wanted in my life and I’d had every intention of coming back around when I could, when I was able to stay. That time was just around the corner.
“You have work tomorrow?” I asked, wanting to change the subject to something less heavy. We knew very little about one another, something I wanted to change.
“Early start too. Off to Reigate to temp for a few weeks covering maternity leave. It’s a wonderful school actually, I’ve been up there before.”
“You enjoy the teaching?”
“I do,” she chuckled, “For my sins, not all those cute kids are perfect little angels.”
“Then why not full-time?”
“There’s too much out of hours. I would have no life of my own.”
“What do you do in the holiday periods? I imagine you’re not salaried, all those weeks without work means no wage, right?”
“The bar work keeps me going, places open for longer over the summer, easy enough to pick up extra shifts. And honestly, there’s not too much difference in wages if the tips are decent.” She cocked her head to the side and looked at me for a moment. “I’m a simple girl, Yannick. If I have to eat eggs on toast for a week, then I will.”
Jolie was humbling. A woman who admittedly struggled but didn’t let her circumstances define her. She got on with things, regardless. Irina wasn’t half the woman the one sitting next to me was. My ex wife eating toast because times were hard was implausible, and utterly laughable. I’d never wanted for anything, ever, didn’t know what it was like to scrape the bottom of the barrel at all. I definitely could have learnt a thing or two from Jolie, we all could.
“You’re a survivor.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Never thought of it that way, I
