page52 (1/2)

Walking straight over to the counter, he s coffee cups

‘It’s Tara, isn’t it?’ he said ‘I’m Dimitri’

‘I knoho you are,’ she said flatly ‘And Leo’s at Saturdayfootball, I’m afraid’

‘It isn’t Leo I’ve come to see It’s Erin’

There was a slight pause as she looked around before lowering her voice, as if she didn’t want to put her livelihood at risk by engaging in some kind of shoith the tall man who had just walked into her café

‘Erin doesn’t want to see you’

‘Well, I’ here until she does So perhaps you’d like to pour me a cup of coffee and I’ll wait over there while you tell her that? Black, no sugar, please’

Tara’s mouth opened and closed, before she disappeared into the back behind some sort of curtain and Dimitri walked over to a table near theand sat down A wo on her own at a nearby table smiled at hi—least of all to soht as well have had the word ‘available’ tattooed across her forehead

A shadow fell over the table and he looked up to see Erin standing there Over her jeans and sweater, she earing an apron which ereat In fact, she looked terrible Her face was pale and her green eyes were dark and shadowed

‘Perhaps you’d like to drag your attention away frohtly, ‘and tellhere?’

‘You haven’t brought my coffee’

‘You’re not getting any coffee’ Pulling out the chair opposite hi in a low voice ‘Look, you’re welcome to come and see Leo any tiiveup here out of the blue like this’