Rory's Proposal by Lynda Renham

infamous Flora Robson.’
    Her leggings are wet and she looks harassed. I smile back and glance around her salon. It’s nicer than I imagined it would be. I could kill Grant for giving me the impression she was some old spinster. Still, on reflection, I suppose I should have realised she wasn’t, else why would he want to take her to dinner? I feel a pang of irritation at the thought of Grant coming on to her.
    ‘This is your salon?’ I say.
    She nods proudly.
    ‘Right,’ I say and it is then I spot the water behind her. She’s got a leak. This is good. I if I can help her out she will think I have her interests at heart. Best to help first and talk later.
    ‘Looks like you’ve got a bit of a problem,’ I say, pointing to the wet floor.
    ‘Oh yes, the basin, it’s blocked. It does this on and off. I need new pipes or new basins, one or the other. It’s just there is never enough time or more importantly never enough money and …’ she trails off and looks embarrassed.
    Perhaps best not to say who I am until I have helped her with the flood. I follow her into the salon, the smell of her perfume enticing me in. She turns and fiddles with her hair nervously. Her eyes lower to the box of chocolates under my arm. Damn I’d forgotten all about them.
    ‘They’re big,’ she says and blushes like a schoolgirl. ‘I’m sorry, it’s just I thought the chocolates that Rory’s tried to bribe me with were big,’ she adds. ‘A bit of an insult to my intelligence really, thinking just because I am a woman I can be bribed with chocolate.’
    I can’t really hand her the chocolates now can I and say, ‘Hi I’m Thomas Rory and I’m here to insult your intelligence by bribing you with chocolate.’ I’ll be bashed over the head with the mop, no doubt. I sigh. The stupid thing is I don’t want to tell her. I like the way she looks at me and I feel quite certain Thomas Rory would not get that look. How the hell do I explain the chocolates? The box is ridiculously huge. I feel a right plonker holding them.
    ‘Yes, I nearly forgot. It’s an apology … for the car accident. You said you had a sweet tooth,’ I say smiling at her.
    ‘Wow, thank you,’ she says lifting the lid and looking longingly at the chocolates.
    ‘Let me help with the blocked basin.’
    She hands me the wrench.
    ‘It’s all I’ve got to offer I’m afraid,’ she says apologetically.
    Well that wrench is pretty useless. No wonder she didn’t get anywhere with that. I grin at her. She is so appealing that the temptation to tease her is overwhelming.
    ‘Oh, I think you’ve got a lot more to offer. I’ll get my toolbox from the car,’ I say and am rewarded with another blush. I’m sounding more like a plumber by the minute.
    ‘Right, she says. ‘Just give me a shout when you’re back. I need to get my leggings off …’
    She blushes again and looks delightful.
    ‘What I mean is …’
    I smile and walk out to my car. What am I doing? I’ve got to tell her. This is ridiculous. I’ve got to say something positive at the board meeting tomorrow. We need to get moving on this site and the board are expecting some news. I’ll fix the leak and then introduce myself properly. I’ll make the offer. Tell her she can keep the chocolates. If the offer isn’t enough I’ll ask her to name her price and that will be it. I undo the pipes and clear out the muck. She comes back into the salon wearing new leggings.
    ‘Would you like a coffee or something else?’ she asks, blushing for the umpteenth time.
    ‘What is the something else?’ I ask teasing her again.
    ‘I have some lemonade in the fridge,’ she says shyly.
    ‘That sounds good and one of those cupcakes would be nice,’ I say.
    She smiles and I feel captivated by her as I watch her take the lemonade from the fridge.
    ‘Great, thanks. This is unblocked. Do you have a mop or something?’ I ask, wondering if now is a good time to tell her. I glance at the cupcake and lemonade and