Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 3

"What about that jacket over there?" Ella pointed to another stand and then walked over to retrieve a jacket. Without waiting for him to reply she checked the label. She unzipped it and removed it from the hanger.

"If she wants to carry around a ton." David really did try to keep his tone friendly, but he could tell from her expression that she was not impressed. "This is lightweight." He gestured toward the jacket he held in his hand.

"Does your brother have something lightweight in a rust shade?" Ella challenged, her eyes still on the jacket that David thought weighed a ton. The colour would suit Amelia. The jacket he held out to Amelia would wash her out. And Ella knew that one reason Amelia was making an effort to go on this trip, was because she wanted to make an impression on Jack, though she claimed it was because she had never done any school trips when she was at school and that she was doing Ben a favour. Ella knew better.

"What?" David snapped, unable to hold onto his temper. He knew this moment had been brewing from the time she had arrived in town. He knew it. That's why he had kept well away. Avoided her at all costs. He knew it wouldn't take much to set him off. Years of festering resentment would need just a spark to ignite it.

Ella turned her head, glanced over her shoulder and said with a suitably crushing and demanding tone, "Rust. Or a red gold. Something vivid not dull as dishwater." She made sure her voice was condescending, her tone pompous, and her request more like an order.

David was ready to throttle her. The tiny muscle at his jaw beat a harder staccato as he fought down the urge to wrap the jacket around her neck. "This is an outdoor sports shop. Not some haute couture fashion outlet. Greens, khakis, browns....."

"We know it's a sports shop." Ella's scathing tone interrupted him before he could swing into full rant. She could see that her tone was getting to him, and the devil in her wanted to ride him even more.

"Try it on for size and shape." David told Amelia, ignoring Ella once again.

Ella felt her temper kick up a notch. But she kept her words and thoughts to herself. Two could play at this. Amelia glanced at Ella then David. Then with an apologetic shrug took the jacket and put it on. Once she had it on, David could understand why Ella had wanted a different colour. The jacket he selected made Amelia look pasty. Ella said nothing. David tried not to shift, and desperate not to concede he was wrong, thought he'd dig himself out by going for the comfort angle.

With a quiet sigh, he asked, "How does it feel?"

"Yeah, good." Amelia said as she stretched out her arms and then checked out the pockets. She put both hands in her pockets, wiggled her fingers, "How are they supposed to feel?" She hunched her shoulders, then pulled on the zip, zipping it up and then down as if that was the done thing to do when trying on these out door jackets, "It feels ok." She shrugged and looked at him as if she was missing some point. "Er, yeah, it feels ok. Like a jacket."

"You like it?" He pushed. Amelia shrugged again, glanced at Ella. David's eyes narrowed. "Your friend isn't the one wearing it." David did his best not to grate out the statement. He knew that the jacket was doing nothing for Amelia. It would keep her warm and dry, but appearance wise it was hitting all the wrong buttons. But that did not mean he was going to allow Ella to dictate what should be Amelia's choice. He nodded his head toward Ella as he told Amelia, "She isn't your keeper. Or is she your wardrobe organiser?"

"Not exactly, kind of true." Amelia jammed her hands into the pockets, again, wondering why everyone had to be at loggerheads, it was just a jacket. Amelia shrugged. "But she's got better dress sense then me."

"That's a matter of opinion." David muttered under his breath, taking note of the three inch heels Ella was wearing, and the clearly expensive designer label linen dress. Ok, so it suited her, but given she was out shopping with her friend, he'd have expected her to be wearing something a touch more practical. But instead, as per normal, she was in a fashion parade outfit more suited to city chic. She'd been living in a small town for near on two years, you'd have thought she'd have toned down her dress code. But no, no change there. High maintenance. Expensive. Couture.

"It has to look good." Amelia said quietly. How was she to attract Jack's interest if it didn't make her look good? And going by David's reaction she was sure it didn't look good, otherwise why hadn't he raved, like he'd done about the bike shorts?

"Amelia the trip isn't a fashion show." David told her as she started to unzip the jacket, his eyes focussed on Ella, and his words were clipped as he added, "Despite what she thinks." He tipped his head briefly toward Ella, then tacked on, "It's a cycle trip. You need to be comfortable..."

Ella took a quick breath and fought for calm. Arrogant, conceited twit she said the words silently just before she bothered to speak more loudly, "So if she looks good she can't be comfortable? Is that what you're saying." Ella didn't bother to be diplomatic. He was clearly telling her to butt out, and she had no intention of letting her friend go on the trip looking like a damp squib. Not when she knew that Amelia had plans to attract Jack.

"Did I say that?" David glared at Ella. Pretentious cow. His mind echoed with the words, but his clipped voice said, "No, I didn't." It didn't take much for her to rile him. He was sure that if she simply blinked it would irritate the hell out of him. Miss high and mighty.

"So what are you saying?" Ella asked sweetly, her eyebrow raised in challenge, and when he simply folded his arms and the tiny little muscle began to hammer at his jaw line with increased fervour. Ella rolled her eyes in disgust and then she turned to Amelia and said softly but with clear conviction, "Ames, it makes you look like you've just puked!"

"Eeeow." Amelia shrugged it off as if it was infected. She glared at David. "Next."

David took the jacket she handed him, threw Ella a fulminating glance and then turned back to Amelia, "Look, you asked for my help getting kitted out for this bike trip."

"Yes, yes. I did." Amelia nodded quickly, knowing that from his stance he was about to bail, "Cause you know what you're doing. But I don't want to look like I've been ill." She shrugged then muttered with quiet but clear wishfulness, "I want to look nice. Do you know what I mean?" She looked up at him just as she mumbled. "Really nice." More than nice.

Not that it would make any difference. The one man she was interested in, now, after a recent meeting, seemed to think she was a spoilt, unkind bitch. But if she looked like she was permanently ill he was likely to steer well clear of her, and that would not do at all. This trip was going to make or break that relationship, and she needed all the help she could get.