Esther remedied rejection the way she remedied everything: with loud music and a lot of makeup. Who needed Susan and Daisy when Ed Gemmell was around? All Esther needed to do now was locate him.

Where are you?

Nanoseconds later: Catterick bar.

Excellent. See you in 5.

Not bothering to read whatever he’d sent in reply, Esther grabbed her coat and hurried across the quad. The bar was busier than when they’d been there last, which wasn’t surprising, given the time of day, and Ed Gemmell was hard to find in a crowd. McGraw, however, was not, and Esther wriggled her way to where the two of them stood by one of the barred windows.

“Gentlemen!” Esther flung her arms out in ecstasy, squeezing a wheeze of welcome out of Ed Gemmell and turning uncertainly to McGraw. “Do we hug?”

McGraw looked at Esther, then at the full pint of beer in his hand. “Another time, perhaps.”

Probably for the best.

“Right. Well, Ed Gemmell, I’m here to hijack whatever plans you have for the evening and whisk you away to Rock Night.”

She’d already looped her arm in his when Ed Gemmell made a strangled noise that sounded like, “I can’t.”

“What?”

“I—er—not sure—I can—”

“Of course you can.”

McGraw, who had been standing there silently like a sexy statue, chose that moment to clear his throat.

“McGraw! Why don’t you come, too?” So what if she was fraternizing with the enemy? Susan only had herself to blame. If she’d been there . . .

“No, thank you. I have plans. With Ed.”

“To come dancing with me.” Esther snuggled closer and gave Ed Gemmell a hopeful pout.

“I . . . maybe . . .” He swayed a little as if hypnotized before peeling his eyes from hers and mouthing a desperate “Help me!” at McGraw.

“Stop this black magic.” McGraw put his pint down, covered his friend’s glasses with one hand, and extracted him from Esther’s grip with the other. Once free, Ed Gemmell glanced desperately between them like a dog torn between two owners, and McGraw fixed Esther with a stern stare.

“The man said no.”

“No, he didn’t.” Technically, he’d said, “I can’t,” which wasn’t the same thing at all. “Come on, Ed Gemmell, come on . . .”

“This is beneath you, Esther.” McGraw drew Ed Gemmell away from her reach. “Leave him be.”

Esther’s Hail Mary was a Fail Mary. Storming back across the bar, bruised by her lack of success, Esther turned to shout, “Susan was right about you!” at McGraw. “You are an awful human being!”

But McGraw just gave her a cheery wave, one arm still clamped on Ed Gemmell’s scrawny form.

Susan decided to switch pubs. It was a risk, but the one they’d been in didn’t do food, and they needed something other than liquid sustenance.