‘Hello?’ came Chance’s crackly voice through the speaker.

‘It’s me. Jemima.’

‘Hey! Come on up!’

He buzzed the door open and she went inside.

Jemima ascended the stairs, noting how quiet it was – no other voices. She pushed open the reception door into his practice. Chance had already shut off some of the lights ready to lock up and was collecting plastic cups and paper plates of canapes. His practice was not what she expected. She assumed it would be clinical and blokey but instead was neat, uncluttered, warm and inviting.

‘Hi. Sorry I’m late, I—’ said Jemima.

‘Don’t be daft. I’m glad you made it at all.’

‘About five hours after everyone else,’ said Jemima. ‘Let me at least make a donation.’

She pulled her purse out but Chance put a hand on hers, stopping her.

‘It’s fine.’ He smiled, his hand lingering a moment.

Once again, Jemima was taken by his eyes. Even in this dim light they seemed to glow. Finally, Chance moved his hand.

‘Take a load off,’ he said, dusting off a couple of chairs and pulling them together.

‘Cheers and I’ll definitely donate… next time.’

‘Yeah. Next time. Let me get your coat,’ Chance said helping her out of her mac.

Jemima swayed as she picked up his soft, earthy scent.

‘Care for a plastic beaker of wine?’ he said holding up a screw-top bottle.

She grinned. ‘Thought you’d never ask.’

Jemima re-crossed her feet which were propped up on a chair in front of her. Chance had slipped his shoes off too and put his feet next to hers. Every now and then, their toes would touch sending a bolt of electricity through Jemima. How was it the briefest of contact could do that? she wondered as she watched him read from her phone, occasionally uttering a quiet, ‘hmm, mmm.’

She took a sip of wine dying to know what he was thinking but scared of what he might say.

‘You don’t have to read the whole thing,’ she said.

‘Nearly done…’ murmured Chance, his eyes wide as he read.

Jemima now regretted letting him see her book. Though it was only a couple of chapters it felt as though he were performing open heart surgery on her.

‘Wow,’ he said finally handing Jemima’s phone back.

As their fingers touched, crackle, another shot of electricity. Jemima shifted in her seat as thoughts of kissing him surfaced in her mind. She shook her head, burying them.

‘So…’ she said steering her meandering mind back.

Chance was the first civilian to read any of her new draft and she so wanted his seal of approval. He was her canary down the mine shaft but she couldn’t tell if he’d been poisoned by noxious gas or would live to read another day.

‘It’s, I mean… I effing love it, pardon my Greek but wow,’ said Chance, reaching over and patting Jemima’s ankles, resting his hand there.

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. I mean firstly, Beverly is – sexy.’ He laughed, his cheeks flushing.