He was neatly arranging the boxes of crackers on the top shelf when the shop bell rang. ‘Just a second,’ he called down from the stepladder. Then on reaching the ground and turning around, Danny caught his breath.
The woman must have been in her forties, her red hair tied up in a messy bun. She had a tiny beauty spot on her right cheek. The imperfection of a smudge of red lipstick against her alabaster skin tone made her all the more desirable. Her long black coat swung open to reveal a curvaceous figure covered by a smart grey trouser suit. Danny felt like a car that goes from 0-100 mph in a single second. It really was lust at first sight.
‘Oh, er. Hi. How can I help you?’
The woman took in the rough diamond in front of her. Then without thinking she reached forward and placed her index finger on the deep scar on his cheek. She pulled away as quickly as she had done it.
‘I’m sorry, pal, I know that was weird.’ He hadn’t expected a thick Scottish accent. ‘But how the hell did you get that?’
Even Danny, who had experienced all sorts, including prison life, was taken aback by this woman’s directness. He could smell alcohol on her breath.
‘It’s a long story,’ he managed defensively.
‘And I’ve had a long train journey.’ She hiccupped. ‘Decided to drink two mini-bottles of wine from the catering cart. I’m a bit drunk, to be honest.’
Danny then noticed the wheelie case that she had left just inside the door. ‘Staying down here then?’
‘Aye, just for a wee while, like.’
‘You’re going to miss the fireworks.’
She looked directly into his eyes and ran her tongue around her smudged lipstick. ‘Am I?’
Danny felt an immediate stirring in his jeans. ‘So, where are you staying?’
‘Um. I canna remember the name of it.’
‘The Ship?’
‘No, that’s not it. It’s a fishy-type name. I can’t bloody remember now.’
‘The Lobster Pot?’
The woman giggled like a teenager. ‘That’s it.’
Phew. Danny felt relief. He couldn’t be fraternising with the hotel guests; that was one of Lucas’s rules and he kind of understood it.
‘I’m Danny.’ He held out his hand. She took it in both of hers, looked closely at the top, then randomly turned it over, running her finger along the inside of his palm as she did so.
‘And what big hands you’ve got…Danny,’ she murmured.
Stopping himself from saying, ‘All the better to ravage you with,’ he just said, ‘And you are?’
‘I’m, um…’ the woman stuttered. Then, on noticing the boxes of Lily’s Kitchen cat food on the floor at his feet, she quickly replied, ‘My name is Lily.’
‘That’s a pretty name.’ Danny was pulling out all the charm stops.
‘Flattery will get you everywhere.’ She smiled to reveal teeth with a slight gap between the front two. ‘Well, I’m pleased to meet you, Danny, or can I call you Daniel?’ she purred.
‘You can call me whatever you like,’ Danny flirted.
‘You bad, bad boy.’ The woman hiccupped again.
‘So are you down here for business or pleasure?’ Danny straightened himself up. He must get a grip.
The woman looked directly into the eyes of the stocky, gangster-type character in front of her and licked her lips again.
‘Let’s just say, Daniel, that I have a mind for business…and a body for sin.’
CHAPTER 15
‘Oi, mate, I’d thought you’d be back before this.’ Lucas apprehended Danny as he ran in the back door from a now dark car park and came through to the hotel kitchen, pulling off his jacket as he did so. On realising his T-shirt was on back to front he quickly put on his apron to cover it. He also hoped that neither Jacob nor Raffy had spotted him hot-footing it back down the fire escape of the Lobster Pot.
‘Titch left me with a list of jobs. Look, it’s a long story,’ Danny said truthfully, thinking back to his earlier conversation with Lily, and realising that his life was made up of those. He was knackered but had never felt so satisfied in his whole life – and that was including his encounter with that mad bitch Bergamot a while back, in the kitchen of the Corner Shop. Older women really did do it for him. It was definitely a kink of his. She had been so vague as to why she was down here. In fact, the mystery made it all the sexier; dazed by desire, all the pair knew about each other after their passionate encounter in Lily’s bedroom at the Lobster Pot was their first names – and every inch of the other’s body.
‘Did the single guest arrive already?’ he asked, to divert Lucas’s attention.
‘Yes, but there’s no way she looks like a hotel inspector, whatever a hotel inspector should look like. She is far too young – and what’s more, she has a visible tattoo. Danny mate, I can’t see Alex Polizzi or any of those other snooty hotel inspectors going around with a tattoo. I haven’t heard a peep from her since she checked in at four. I went up to my room earlier, and do you know what? It was really weird: she had put the half-bottle of champagne outside her room, unopened.’
‘That’s odd. Maybe she is the inspector, and they are not allowed to drink on duty or something?’ Danny offered. ‘Or maybe she’s given up drinking and doesn’t want the temptation. Lots of people are sober by choice these days. So, what bookings have we got in the restaurant tonight?’
‘None, actually. Ms Swift is our only room booking,’ Lucas accentuated the Ms, ‘and she didn’t want to book a table. She’s asked for breakfast at eight tomorrow morning though.’
The relief on Danny’s face was immense. He could do with an easy night.
‘Yeah, I reckon everyone is saving themselves for tomorrow night. It is a bit of an event in the Cockleberry Bay calendar, the fireworks,’ Lucas explained.
‘Mum’s gone home with Alfie, I take it?’ Danny went to the chest freezer and opened it.
‘Yes, he was crazy excited about his birthday tomorrow.’
‘Bless him. OK, I’ll get the burgers out to defrost in the fridge for tomorrow and I was going to make some fresh coleslaw. If there are any walk-ins, just shout.’
Lucas went out to the bar, then returned to the kitchen straight away. ‘I tell you what, mate, go home and see that lad of yours before he goes to bed. I can manage here tonight. You can do the coleslaw in the morning.’
‘If you’re sure, that would be amazing.’
‘Course I’m sure. He’ll never be six again, will he?’
‘I’m stoked, mate, thanks.’
‘If you don’t mind being here to do the woman’s breakfast, that would be good though. It’s gotta be perfect just in case she is the inspector.’
‘Kushti. I’ll be here for seven thirty, on the dot. The burger buns are being delivered around then too.’ Forgetting his T-shirt was back to front, Danny took off his apron.
Lucas laughed to himself. A long story indeed? But he knew Danny felt like he had been missing out on meeting women since he had moved out of London, so good on him.