The day after Rainn was released from hospital her cousin visited her at home.

“I’m sorry,” said Margaret.  “I wanted to come while you were still in hospital.”

Rainn laughed.  “You mean you wanted me to stay in hospital longer?”

“You know that’s not what I meant.  I wanted to get an earlier flight, but I couldn’t.”

“Margaret, you needn’t have.  It’s such a long way to come and I’m fine, really.”

“Rainn, you were hit by a car!  Of course I was going to come.  I’d have come to wherever you were.”

“I’m not badly hurt.  I was shaken but these injuries will heal.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Margaret.  “I wanted to come.”

She was silent for a while and Rainn knew what she was thinking.

“Where’s Yvonne?” she asked, eventually.

“At work.”  She heard Margaret shift in her seat.  It was enough to know how she felt.

“Don’t be angry with her,” she said.  

“How can I not be angry?” said Margaret.  “How can she be so negligent?”  

“It wasn’t her fault.  It was me.  I was stupid.”

“It wouldn’t have happened if she had kept an eye on you.”

“She can’t keep an eye on me all the time.”

“You could have been killed.”

“I wasn’t.”

“That was just good fortune.”

“Maybe,” said Rainn.  “I’m not sure what it was.”

Margaret poured tea from the teapot.  Rainn took her cup and she listened to Margaret stir in her milk and sugar.  

“And the car driver?” Margaret asked.  “What will happen to him?  Was he speeding?  Have the police spoken to him?”

“It wasn’t his fault.  I stepped off the kerb straight into him.”

“Well, maybe.  But he should still apologize.”

“If anything, I should apologize to him.  I knocked the wing mirror clean off his Porsche.”

“Oh, poor him,” scoffed Margaret.  “He’ll probably ask you to pay to have it replaced.”

“I offered,” blushed Rainn.

“What?” Margaret spluttered on her tea.

“He came into the hospital.  I said sorry and asked if I could pay for the damage.”

“Are you crazy?” asked Margaret.

“That’s what he said.  Anyway, he wouldn’t hear of it.”

“Probably feeling guilty.”

“Maybe.”  Rainn nodded.  “He didn’t seem like that though.  He seemed . . .” she tailed away.

“He seemed, what?” asked Margaret suspiciously. Rainn could imagine her eyes narrowing.

“Nice,” said Rainn.  “Kind.  We got on very well.”

“You got on,” repeated Margaret.  “How many times did you see him?  I meant meet.”

“I know what you meant,” smiled Rainn.  “A few times.  He brought me gifts.”

“Did he?  I wonder what he wanted.”

“I told you, we get on.  There is no need to be suspicious.”

Rainn cast her mind back to those conversations in the hospital ward.  The smell of Jack, mixed with the heavy scent of flowers had lulled her into a pleasant mood, as she lay on the plump cushions.  Maybe it was the medication, maybe it was the shock, but there had been something in that room, something in Jack’s melodious voice that Rainn had found soothing.  She had never felt like that before.

“You get on,” said Margaret, interrupting Rainn’s thoughts.  “Do you mean get on or got on?”

Rainn smiled.  “I don’t know. We will see what happens.”  She could imagine Margaret frowning at this.

“And what do you know about this man apart from he drives a Porsche and gives gifts?”

“What else is there to know?” asked Rainn.  She was grinning as Margaret tutted.

“He sounds like a criminal.  What’s his name?”

“Jack.  He did tell me his surname but I’ve forgotten it.  I was a little disorientated at the time.”

“And what does he do?”

“Works in film.”  Rainn could feel Margaret’s suspicion which amused her greatly.

“Anything else?”

“Just that he’s a nice guy.  Interesting and funny.  And he’s got a lovely voice.  I feel like I’ve heard it before.  Do you think he’s famous?  Maybe he’s an actor.  He said he worked in film.  Perhaps he’s just being modest.”

“Wait a second,” said Margaret, “you said his name was Jack?”

Before Rainn could answer, she could hear Margaret rushing through to the kitchen.  When Margaret returned, Rainn could tell she was carrying a newspaper.

“Yesterday’s paper,” Margaret said.  “I picked it up at the airport.”  She proceeded to thumb through it.  “Do you think that maybe the man’s surname might have been Bradley?”

Rainn clapped her hands.  “That’s it! Exactly!  Have you heard of him?  Is he famous?  A celebrity?”

Margaret found what she had been looking for and read in a rather world-weary way.

“‘Dangerous Jeopardy’ actor, Jack Bradley (32), admitted to being involved in a car accident near Liverpool Street station at the weekend.  At first, Karolyn Jones, his agent had denied the heartthrob’s involvement. However, when footage was uploaded to social media by onlookers, she was forced to issue the following statement.

“Mr Bradley was present at a small traffic accident.  It was in no way his fault and the police have not been involved.  He has since visited a hospital to visit the woman who was injured and has left her flowers and other gifts.

“Jack Bradley, who has been involved in recent controversy over allegations of drug use on the set of his current set, was photographed last night leaving an exclusive restaurant with his girlfriend, Chelsea Lopez (24).”

“Oh,” said Rainn.  There seemed nothing else to say.

Margaret sighed.  “There’s a photograph.  Looks like a nice restaurant.  Italian, I guess.  He’s a good looking man.  I recognize him now.  He’s wearing a nice suit.”

“What about his girlfriend?”

“I’ve no idea what she’s wearing.  Not very much.  Her legs are ridiculous.  Can’t tell much about her face.  She’s hiding it behind a pair of huge sunglasses.”

Rainn felt tears form in her eyes.  She wasn’t sure whether it was because of sadness, or frustration at her own naivety.

“Oh, come on, Rainn,” coaxed Margaret.  “Don’t feel like that.”  She handed her a tissue.  “Now we know who he is, there’s no need to feel bad.”

“You mean because he would never want someone like me.” Sobbed Rainn.

“That’s not what I’m saying.  Quite the opposite.  You would never want someone like him.  I can’t say I know much about Jack Bradley, but all I know is bad.  You deserve better than someone like that.”

“What do you know?” asked Rainn.

“Well, I know that he uses his wealth and fame to surround himself with young, trophy girlfriends who are usually no more than a pair of long legs and a pair of designer sunglasses.  I’m sure he doesn’t even like them anyway, as he cheats repeatedly, with no qualms.  I read that this has made him lose all respect for women and cynical to the core. He strikes me as the jealous type.  Possessive even though he won’t stay faithful himself.”

Margaret paused to sip her tea with a very superior air.

“I know he is going through a very public career crisis. It’s probably why he was flying round in his Porsche.”

“He wasn’t speeding,” interrupted Rainn.

“Well, whatever,” shrugged Margaret. “Then there’s the rumours of drug use and his horrible temper.  You could imagine how the violence in his films might spill over to his private life.”

“Is that a fact or your opinion?” asked Rainn.

Margaret folded the paper.  “It’s what people say.”  And then to change the subject, she asked “Have you heard from John?”

“John?” repeated Rainn, as if she had never heard of him. “Oh, God, John!  I hadn’t thought.”

“You mean you haven’t told him about the accident?”

“I didn’t have chance!” protested Rainn, wondering if she looked guilty.  “I probably should have.”

“You two are still friends, aren’t you?”

“Of course we are.  We’re always friends.  Always have been.  Always will be.”

“Invite him for dinner,” said Margaret.  “I’ll make something.  You, me, Yvonne and John.  It will be fun.”

“You’ve just flown in, you can’t be making dinner.”

“Nonsense,” snorted Margaret, standing up.  “You can call him.  Your phone is in the kitchen, I’ll get it.”