by Sarah Pond
'No, I just got here. I'm Lea, I think Sue mentioned that I was helping out?' she said as she walked forward to shake hands with Rachel. She didn't say that she had actually been there a little while, watching Rachel dance. She could see that Rachel was already embarrassed enough.
'Oh, yes, of course. Hi, I'm Rachel.' They shook hands, Lea thinking how soft Rachel's were. She wished she had put hand lotion on.
'Lovely to meet you, Rachel. Are you settling in okay?'
'Yes, thank you.'
'There's a folder which has info such as local shops and restaurants, useful numbers like taxi firms, that kind of thing.'
'Great, thank you. I've just eaten the scones, they were delicious.'
'I'm glad you liked them. I made them this morning, they're always best eaten fresh.' Lea's blue eyes creased at the edges as she smiled at Rachel, and she again had the strangest feeling that Lea could see into her very being.
'You made them? It was very thoughtful, thank you. I couldn't remember whether the cream or the jam went on first!'
'Here in Devon, we put the cream on first, with jam on top. The main thing is that you enjoyed them.'
'I think I tried it both ways. I have to admit that I did get in a bit of a sticky mess!'
Rachel noticed Lea looking at her, as if she was trying to work something out. As soon as the thought had come into her mind, it was gone again. 'Well, I'll leave you to carry on getting settled in. If there's anything that you need, just give me a call.' Lea wrote her mobile number on a piece of paper, and handed it to Rachel. 'It was lovely to meet you, Rachel. Bye!'
'Bye. And thank you.'
Lea let herself out, closing the door gently behind her. As she walked home, she thought about the girl with the grey eyes, dancing so freely, and smiled to herself.
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