Your Lying Eyes

Your Lying Eyes Chapter 21

ason parked outside the pub he had arranged the meeting at and walked inside, looking around for the person he had come to meet.  The regular customers looked up at him as he made his way over to a table where two young women were sitting waiting, a drink ready for him.

"Hi," she smiled at him.  "I was beginning to think that you weren't going to show up.  Didn't want to have to come down to the hotel to you.  I don't think that many people would have been pleased to see me again," she said.

"Well you did leave on a bit of a bad note when you left Dublin," said Jason.  "Pity how things have worked out.  I was hoping that you'd have been with us a bit longer."

"How are things between them now then?" asked Sophie, taking a sip from her glass.  "Still bad?  Or worse?  'Course for you that would be better wouldn't it?" she remarked.

"Looks like they had another row tonight.  She was having a meal with another man in the hotel.  He came back to eat with me and Gary. I er, forgot to tell him that she was there. We were in the middle of eating when he got there," he told her, a smile breaking out on his face as he remembered.  "Don't think he was too happy to see her with someone else.  Double standards has our Dougie!"

"Oh that's interesting!  So little Miss Goody Two Shoes has got herself another bloke then?" smirked Sophie.  "Who is he?"

"Don't know," said Jason.  "He looked like he wasn't short of a bob or two and I suppose you'd fancy him!"

"So it could be all over for them then?" asked Sophie.

"He went to see her I think,  he was waiting outside her flat tonight when I came past," said Jason.  "It may end I don't know.  I think I'm just going to wait and see now.  He's bound to screw it up sooner or later."

"So all my work was pointless then?" said Sophie.  "I hope you don't think you're going to get out of paying me!  You promised me.  He did Nina!  He told me I'd get paid, especially if I lost my job," she told her friend who was with her.

For the first time, Jason looked at the woman with her properly.  She was tall, with long blonde hair and blue eyes.  Somehow she looked familiar to him.

"Don't I know you?" he said to her as he tried to remember where he had seen her before.  "You look familiar."

Sophie burst out laughing as her friend smiled back at him.

"Oh Jason that's so original!" she giggled at him.  "Honestly!"

"Don't laugh," said Nina, nudging her friend.  "He's right."  She smiled across the table.  "We have met before Jason.  But it was a long time ago.  Early nineties it was.  Me and my boss were hired to take some publicity shots for the band.  That's when we met."  She held out her hand to him.  "My name is Nina Richards."

Jason shook hands with her and listened as she continued.

"I've got my own agency now.  I'm planning to move back into the northwest in a couple of months.  I told Sophie that I needed to find premises and somewhere to live.  I'm staying with her while I do that."

"So you're a photographer then?" he asked her.  She nodded in reply as she took a sip from her glass.

"Yes.  We do a lot of work in the music business, so you may find yourselves working with me again in the future," she smiled at him.

He nodded thoughtfully.  Sophie shifted in her seat catching his attention once more.

"Well have you got my money or not?" demanded Sophie, determined that he should pay her.

"Yes of course," he said, taking an envelope from his pocket and handing it over.  She took it from him and lowered it below the level of the table, counting it quickly.

"Well?" he asked her, finishing his drink and sitting his hands on his hips, ready to leave.  "It's all there?  Satisfied?" he asked her.  "And don't forget, not a word of this to anyone.  Right?"

"Ok Jason, not a word," she smiled at him, happy that she had got her thousand pounds.

"Right then, I'm going," he said getting to his feet.  "I'll give you references when you need them.  Bye Nina, may see you again sometime.  Good luck with the business!"

With that he left the pub.  As he sat in the car turning the ignition, he got the feeling that he would be seeing Nina in the future. She could be a useful contact.

Anna sat in her room, her face wreathed in smiles despite feeling so ill.  She and Howard had spoken on the phone and he had arranged to come over the following evening as usual to see Maisie, and to have the talk that they both knew they needed.

She had taken two tablets to rid herself of the headache and was feeling rather drowsy now.  Her pillow felt cool and comforting as she settled down to sleep.

The next morning she felt much better if a little apprehensive about seeing Joe again at work.  She hoped that he had got the message now that she wasn't interested in him and that he would leave her alone.

She hadn't been in work long when she was summoned to his room.  He stood at the window as she came in the door and turned to face her.

"I just want to apologise for last night Anna.  I was out of order doing what I did.  It won't happen again, I promise you," he told her.  "I hope that you won't change your mind about the job I offered you last night.  I would hate to lose you as a member of my team," he said.

"I think that I can overlook it this time, Mr Barratt," Anna said.  "As long as there is no repeat of it in the future.  Is that all you wanted to tell me?" she asked, standing to leave.

"Yes that will be all for the time being," said Joe.  "You can go now, thank you Anna."

She left his office and returned to her desk outside.  Sian and the other girls were chatting excitedly about Saturday evening.

"You'll be coming too won't you Anna," asked Sian, coming over to her desk.

"Coming where?" asked Anna.  "What's going on?  You all planning something?"

"Yes," said Sian sitting down to explain to her.  "Every couple of months or so, the whole office goes on a night out.  We've just heard that John has managed to get us all into the new nightclub in the centre of town.  He knows one of the owners or something.  We're all going there on Saturday night.  You will come with us won't you?" she asked her.  "Say you will.  It will help keep your mind off all the problems you've been having recently.  We'll be dining there as well.  The upper floor is a restaurant.  It's going to be such a great night out!"

"It does sound rather special," said Anna.  "It's been ages since I've had a night out like that.  Yes, I'll come with you," she agreed.

The rest of the day was filled with numerous discussions about what to wear and last minute hair appointments being made.  All of them were really excited and the time flew by to five o'clock, and the end of the day.

By the time she reached the apartment, she was feeling rather nervous about seeing Howard that evening.