Sweetly Isolated (The Swallow Barn Cottage Series, Book 1)

Spring Up Like a Mushroom

Tina looked over the table. Oh, the man's laying it on thick. The chicken cashew curry smelled wonderful - but what was this additional aroma in the air?

"I think we could watch a film tonight," he said. Popcorn! That's what it is! "One of the few unhealthy things I can make."

"I can make popcorn too," she said with a laugh. "You put it in the microwave and press the button that says 'popcorn.'"

"Well, I think our first 'movie night' is worth a tad more effort," he murmured.

Oh wow. He surely seems to think so! Tina looked at a large bowl of what appeared to be homemade salted caramel popcorn.

"What are we watching?" she asked, sitting down to dinner.

"Anything you fancy." That's surely generous. "Something heart-warming, 'tis the season, after all," he drew out. "Something... romantic?" He raised his eyebrow.

Tina's internal 'chicken alarm' started blaring. She stuffed a forkful of curry in her mouth and chewed.

"To think of it," she said after swallowing. "I know just the perfect film."

***

"I'll give you that," he said, throwing a handful of popcorn in his mouth, "You have surprised me."

She shrugged and pushed her hand in the bowl on the sofa between them.

"I watch it every Christmas," she said, without tearing her eyes off his Mac.

"You watch The Third Man every Christmas?" he repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah, and I had a tape of the music from the film, my Nana gave it to me." Tina chewed another ball of sugary deliciousness. "You know, Anton Karas, on a zither. I've always loved the Short Reprise, and that little trill at the end."

Tina imitated the sound, and grabbed more popcorn. Holyoake was surprisingly quiet, and she looked away from Martins who'd just come to visit Anna. Hm, what's this expression exactly? Sort of like that widened-eyed look he gave her when he'd slipped on her shower water.

"What?" she asked, one of her cheeks full of popcorn.

He chuckled. "Nothing. Watch your Christmas-inappropriate film, Clementine."

Tina shrugged again and went back to the film. It was one of her favourite parts: Anna was being detained by the police.

***

"Would you like me to find you an agent?" he asked, and Tina jerked and bumped her elbow on the inside of the dishwasher.

"Blimey, it's like you're waiting for just the right moment to make me hurt myself," she grumbled and straightened up. "You were saying?"

He handed her another dirty plate.

"I can get you in touch with an agent. They can have a look at your manuscript. No guarantee, of course."

No bloody guarantee?! Seriously?!

She continued staring at him - as she suspected, with an exasperated expression on her face - and he lifted his hands in surrender.

"Again, I make no promises," he said.

"Well, we wouldn't want any of those, would we?" she drew out venomously. "Let's try to avoid tying you down with any sort of a... commitment, shall we?" She patted his upper arm with a fake concern on her face. "That just wouldn't do."

He guffawed.

"And no, thank you," she added and picked up another plate. "I'll be alright."

"It's really no trouble," he said.