‘I don’t doubt that.’ Evan grinned.

‘Ah, well, at least I’ve got you to keep me company, so I don’t have to sit here on my own like Milly No Date,’ she said. Then, putting her elbow on the table, she rested her chin on her fist and peered at him. ‘Haven’t you got lovely eyes?’

‘You reckon?’

‘Yeah, they’ve got a proper cheeky twinkle.’

‘That’ll be the beer,’ Evan snorted.

‘Had a few, have you?’ She smiled.

Evan felt her knee press against his and drew his head back. ‘Are you flirting with me, Lesley?’

‘It’s Laura, and what if I am?’ She held his gaze. ‘Not scared, are you?’

Amused, Evan said, ‘Should I be?’

‘Nah, I’m a pussy cat,’ she said, giving a teasing smile.

Eyebrows shooting up when he felt her hand on his thigh, Evan said, ‘Aren’t you worried your date might walk in? If he got held up in the traffic, he could be here any minu—’

‘What the fuck is going on?’

Jumping at the sound of Marie’s voice, Evan snapped his head round.

‘All right, love.’ He smiled guiltily. ‘I didn’t see you coming in.’

‘Oh, I bet you didn’t,’ she hissed. ‘You were too busy drooling over this slapper.’

‘Oi, who you calling a slapper?’ Laura protested.

‘The tart who’s trying it on with my husband, that’s who!’ Marie spat, turning the glare onto her. ‘Buy you this, did he?’ She snatched up Laura’s glass. ‘Well, have it, then!’ She tossed the contents into her face.

‘Hey, come on, pack it in,’ Evan said, jumping to his feet when Laura reared up out of her seat and grabbed Marie by the hair.

‘Get your fuckin’ hands off me,’ Marie yelped, trying to claw Laura’s face with her nails. ‘And you can keep ’em off my husband, an’ all, you trashy little slag!’

‘What’s going on?’ the landlord bellowed, appearing behind the bar.

‘Nothing, mate, I’m sorting it,’ Evan said, pulling the women apart and shoving Marie toward the door.

‘Get off me,’ she snarled.

‘Pack it in and get outside,’ he ordered. ‘There’s nothing going on. She’s only a mate.’

‘If I wanted him, I’d have had him by now,’ Laura called after them loudly.

Enraged, Marie turned on her heel and used her weight to barge past Evan. Two girls who’d been watching the fight from a nearby table almost fell off their seats in their haste to move out of the way when she snatched Evan’s pint glass up off the table and lunged at Laura.

Throwing his arms around her to prevent her from smashing it over Laura’s head, Evan manhandled her out of the door, saying, ‘Calm down before you give yourself an asthma attack, you daft cow.’

‘Let go, you cheating bastard!’ she snarled, her chest heaving.