Chapter 35

Jenny took a deep breath to steady herself, before pushing open the door to the coffee shop that she had followed Wilder to, her heart hammering somewhere in her throat. If she was honest with herself, she was beginning to feel like creepy stalker herself, but – she reminded herself for the fifteenth time – it was her job. She had planned this run-in for the past couple of days, and she was convinced she could get him ask her out again. As she entered the shop, the warm waft of coffee beans met her, immediately making her feel more relaxed. She walked up to the till, and for the briefest of moments, she allowed her eyes to flicker towards the corner where Wilder was sitting, his nose buried in a newspaper, and one hand around his half-empty coffee mug. She instantly withdrew her gaze and focused instead on the harassed-looking young woman on the other side of the counter.

"A large coffee please," Jenny said, hoping that her voice would carry in such a small shop but at the same time not allowing herself to look around again.

"To go?" the young woman asked in an impatient tone.

"Yes," Jenny replied, rapping her nails on the counter as she fought with the urge to turn around.

The barista nodded in acknowledgement, and busied herself with the coffee machine. She eventually plonked the large cup down on the counter. "That'll be £3.45," she said shortly.

Jenny was half way through opening her purse when the voice she had been hoping to hear sounded behind her shoulder.

"I'll get that," Wilder said as he passed a five pound note over the counter.

Jenny turned, a convincingly surprised look on her face. "Are you following me Mr Wilder?" she said in a joking tone as she scooped up her coffee.

"Ah so you do remember my name?" he laughed as he collected his change off the barista. "Pity my number didn't stick in your head."

"Well yes it is a pity," she sighed mockingly. "Especially as it seems that with you, I'd never have to pay for another drink myself."

He smiled as they moved away from the growing queue of caffeine-withdrawn people. "A woman like you is too beautiful to pay for her own drinks."

She laughed genuinely. "And the world has just rotated backwards on its axis. Do those sexist comments actually work on woman?"

"Until now apparently," he chuckled, leading her over to his table. "Will you join me?" he added, gesturing down at the chair.

She shook her head with an apologetic look. "As you can see, my coffee is to go," she said, holding up her coffee cup as evidence. "I'm a busy woman."

"Well clearly – someone's got to tend to all those bored housewives of yours," he remarked, and for a spit second she wondered what on earth he was going on about. Then she realised that he was indeed referring to her cover story of being a beauty therapist, and she immediately chided herself – it was a major failure on her part to not to remember the lies she had span him. He pulled the chair out for her, clearly not taking no for an answer. "But seeing as you owe me for not calling, I think a quick coffee is the least you could do."

She smiled and considered him for a moment. Of course, she'd had no intention of leaving – but she'd be damned if she'd let him know that. "Five minutes," she said eventually as she perched down on the seat.

"That's all I'm asking for," he said smoothly as he slid into the chair opposite her. "I clearly didn't make much of an impression last time, so let's see if I can do a little better this time."

Jenny slid her coat off, and noticed his eyes linger on her chest before travelling back to her face. "I get a lot of numbers," she informed him with a smile.

"I don't doubt that," he said, before taking a gulp from his large mug. "But none of those other numbers are off me."

Jenny let out a laugh again. "God, no one can accuse you of being modest can they?"

"Not at all," he smiled back. "So what time shall I pick you up tonight?" he added out of the blue.

"Excuse me?" she laughed in incredulity.

"Tonight. When shall I pick you up?" he repeated, not a hint of a reaction on his handsome face.

She repressed a grin with difficultly, finding his forcefulness rather engaging. "And what makes you think that I'd agree to go out with you tonight?" she asked with feigned curiosity.

"Because you want to," he answered simply.

She fixed him with a withering stir. "I wouldn't bank on that," she replied with a hint of smugness in her voice. "I've actually got plans tonight," she added, lying easily.

"Well that is a shame," he said, his eyes holding hers in a way that she had never experienced before. "With anyone special?"

"Maybe," she answered cryptically, wanting to nurture his jealousy as much as possible.

"Hmm," he sighed, taking another gulp of his coffee. "And tell me – how would your man feel about you being here with me right now?"

At his words, her mind reluctantly and unexpectedly jumped to Cutter, and before she could help it, her chest convulsed. Stop it, she thought to herself firmly, that's not going to happen anymore . . . "Well I'd imagine he wouldn't be very happy about it," she replied stiffly.

"Hmm," he said again, leaning towards her slightly. "Then why don't you blow him off and come out with me instead?" he pushed, his voice commanding.

She laughed again, and looked away for a moment to give off the impression she was thinking it through. When she looked back, she found him watching her expectantly. With a resigned smile, she reached in her hand bag and fished out a pen. Then, she reached forward and pulled his arm towards her. Pushing up his sleeve, she wrote her number across his inner arm.

"And how do I know you're giving me your right number?" he asked in an amused voice whilst she finished the last digit.

"You don't," she replied simply as she placed the top on her pen.

He smirked and pulled back his arm, but as he did so, something on the other side of it caught her eye. There were three deep gashes running down it, looking like deep claw marks.

"How on earth did you do that?" she asked with a frown as she gestured down to his arm.

Wilder hastily pulled his sleeve down, his expression cool. "Work," he replied simply.

"What do you work with – tigers?" she joked, although she felt a little niggle of suspicion that whatever inflicted that wound on him was a lot bigger than any cat alive today.

He gave her a strained smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "So I'll give you a ring later then yeah? Set something up for tonight?" he said, changing the subject abruptly.

She nodded with a forced smile of her own, before she got to her feet. "Time to get back to those bored housewives," she added with a sigh as she scooped up her coat.

"Well do give them my regards," he smiled as he stood up also. She chuckled before turning to walk away. "Hang on," he said suddenly after her, halting her in her tracks. "I don't even know your full name?"

"It's Jenny - " she began, before she stopped, a red light going off in her head, telling her that giving him her real last name would be a mistake. "Jenny Brown," she finished automatically.

"Beautiful," he commented with a curt nod.

She rolled her eyes with a suppressed smile. "I'll see you tonight," she said, giving him a reproachful look before she pulled the door open, and stepped out into the intense sunshine.

It was only what she was in her car that she actually realised that she had picked the name 'Brown', and it suddenly dawned on her why. Claudia Brown – the name that still swam around her subconscious – for some reason it had escaped her mouth before she could think about it. Although it was probably fitting that she was using that woman's last name for her cover, Jenny thought bitterly as she started up the car. After all, Cutter had seen her as Claudia – that was the only reason he had wanted her in the first place. She supposed it was rather apt that now she was stepping into her supposed 'counterparts' shoes for this undercover work.

Cutter would be thrilled, she though resentfully as she pulled her car away.