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  A cry of anguish got caught up in her chest as Catlin carefully began to ease her way over the fence. She darted a brief glance downwards, with one leg either side of the barrier which separated two worlds and was about to swing the other over when she was interrupted for a second time. She could have sworn a voice, barely more than a hushed whisper, had called out for her to stop and again the hand grabbed her shoulder, more forcefully than before, causing her to jump in surprise, and Catlin found a dark haired man, close to her own age, standing there and who looked more terrified of what she was doing than she herself was. Between the drink, the adrenaline and his curious arrival, Catlin lost what portion of her balance she had retained thus far and toppled backwards off the fence, landing with a sobering thus on the floor of the roof terrace at his feet.

  Chapter Two

  “Are you all right?” he asked with genuine concern in his voice.

  “Do I look it?” Catlin sniped sarcastically from her sprawled out position on the decking.

  “Here, let me help.” Normally, she’d have refused any assistance from a total stranger, adamant that she could manage fine on her own, but the steadying influence of the drink had worn off and, realising how close she had been to doing something mortally idiotic, Catlin’s legs were incapable of supporting her, and so she gladly took his hand when it was offered and allowed him to help her to an upright position.

  “Everything in one piece?” he asked with a barely concealed smile. Whether it was born of relief or humour Catlin could not tell, but she didn’t care much either way.

  “Everything bar my dignity. Thanks. For the hand up, I mean.” It was important to add that in for it dawned on her that he must have witnessed most, if not all, of her rooftop escapade, and the resulting shame left her feeling more than a bit self-conscious.

  “Yeah, I guessed what you meant.”

  There was a hesitant pause as they stared at one another, wondering how much they could get away with saying without making an already difficult situation down right impossible.

  “You sure you’re okay? It was quite a tumble you took there.”

  “But not as big as the one you nearly had,” Catlin imagined him to be thinking.

  “Yes. Really, you don’t have to worry over me. You know the saying – no sense, no feeling.”

  “I’m sure you’ve got plenty of sense, though I don’t think it’s too smart prancing about on a rooftop in the middle of the night.” There it was – the first dig.

  “Are you including yourself in that? I’m not alone in being guilty of that, am I?”

  He looked quite stunned by the quickness of her rebuke, but the smile soon came back to his face, one of those rare smiles that you cannot help but return even if your mood is as tempestuous as a storm at sea.

  “You’ve got me there. It probably means we’re both short on intellect. Mind you, it’s a good thing I did come up, otherwise…”

  “Quite,” Catlin cut in swiftly, but with a smile, not wanting to be reminded of her folly, least of all by him. “But, what are you doing here, on my roof?”

  “It’s complicated. I kind of found myself here unintentionally. I used to live nearby years ago and finding myself back in the area I fancied a look around some of my old haunts, and here I am. I remembered the views from up here were something special and, with the aid of the fire escape over there, came up to see if they’d changed much. Didn’t plan on meeting anyone else up here at this hour.”

  “So, you’ve been here before then?” Catlin was intrigued, especially when she saw some of the brightness fade from his face and an expression akin to regret take its place. Maybe she was not the only being hounded by demons from the past. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be nosy.” He shook off his melancholy and the light flooded back into his eyes although a tinge of sadness lingered.

  “Hey, if anyone has a right to ask, it’s you. I’m on your roof after all. Someone I knew used to live in this building, so it’s probably fair to say I’m familiar with the area.”

  His gaze drifted from Catlin and out towards the hills, which towered black against the navy-grey of the night sky with its scattering of stars, allowing Catlin to get her first proper look at him. He looked to be in his early to mid-thirties, though his aura spoke of a wisdom beyond his years. His dark hair framed his equally dark and piercing eyes which once on you seemed to be hypnotic, holding your attention until their owner broke the enchantment, and which looked out at everything with a sensitivity she had thought to exist only in fiction. He was good looking too, all the more so for his being completely unaware of the fact for there was no trace of arrogance or vanity to seen in his behaviour or his words. It was incomprehensible to Catlin that he had not been snapped up by either a modelling agency or one of the big movie houses. Maybe he had been, for stranger though he was, she could have sworn he looked vaguely familiar.

  In those minute spent analysing him, Catlin had kept her eyes fixed on the stranger, so preoccupied with her assessment of him that she did not realise until it was too late that he had been aware of her observation.

  “Something the matter?”

  “No, nothing at all,” Catlin babbled, her face turning red, grateful the low light prevented him from seeing her blushes.

  “There must be something, based on how you were studying me. Is my hair on end?”

  “No, it was just… well I thought I recognised you from somewhere. You said you used to live around here before, but do you still live or work locally?” He shook his head and crossed his arms over his body, a private sorrow stealing the smile from his lips.

  “No, I’ve not lived around here for ages. I’m just visiting.”

  “Oh. Right,” Catlin sighed, confused at why it was she should be so disappointed by this piece of information. “Are you back for long?” He shoved his hands into his pockets, deliberately keeping his gaze fixed on the ground.

  “I’m not sure how long I’ll be around. It depends on others besides myself. It’s hard to explain my situation.”

  Catlin nodded her head in recognition of the gentle dismissal.

  “It’s okay, I get it. Don’t panic, I’m not going to show the pair of us up by asking for your number or anything. I was just making conversation, not looking to usurp your girlfriend.” He laughed, actually laughed, with genuine amusement and in the same way as his smile forced you to respond like for like, his laughter went directly to your heart and lifted it. Catlin found it impossible to keep from joining in the hilarity.

  “Did I say something humorous?”

  “Sorry, it’s just the idea of a girlfriend. I’ve not heard anything so hilarious in a long time.”

  “Right, then you mean…”

  “No, I’ve not a boyfriend either. I am quite single and quite straight.” Catlin inwardly scolded the part of her which jumped into the air gleefully at the news.

  “Really? Well, that’s… good.”

  Another pause and she began to think herself deranged for even daring to flirt with this guy who was well and truly out of her league. She had sent lesser specimens running for cover upon asking them for a date or merely hinting at the idea. She was well aware of her faults and flaws as well as her virtues and could count her feminine traits on the fingers of one hand and still have four fingers spare to use for something else. Yet here she was, making a not so subtle play for a man who could easily be voted the hottest male on the planet. It was quite likely that in the coming minutes, in a desperate bid to flee her advances, he’d be the one hurling himself off the roof! But, rather than looking horrified as was the usual reaction, he seemed uncertain about what he should say or do. Catlin wondered if perhaps after seeing her almost jump to her death once that evening he did not want his outright rejection to make her attempt it for a second time. She decided to be the bigger person and spare him any further discomfort.

  “Anyway, it’s getting late. I’d best be getting downstairs and you must have places to go.”

  Now s
he was really confused, because he looked at her with such desperation that she was convinced her leaving him was the last thing he wanted.

  “Will you be okay finding your way home from here?” she added. It was a ridiculous question, but she had to say something.

  “Yes, I know my way from here.”

  “It’s been nice to meet you. Erm, sorry, I don’t know your name.”

  “It’s Ben. Ben Ellison.”

  “Hi Ben. I’m Catlin Manners.”

  “The writer?”

  “Yes,” she replied with a cringe.

  “I’m a big fan of yours.”

  “Really? How mortifying!” They threw in another pause for good measure, suddenly reluctant to walk away from the other.

  “Well, you’re right. It is late. Good-night Catlin.”

  “Good-night Ben. It was nice to see you.”

  “It was nice to be seen.” They shook hands somewhat formally as they made their farewells and took a step in their respective direction of travel, each looking at the other as they moved away. Finally, Ben turned his head and broke the stand-off.

  Catlin walked over to the door which led down to her apartment, then froze, rendered immobile as an incomprehensible fear that she was never going to see him again seized her, and she shot a hurried glance back over her shoulder to see if he was still in sight. To her surprise he seemed to have experienced the very same compulsion and was stood looking over at her, relieved when she smiled at him.

  “Good-night, once again,” Catlin called with a wave. “And thank you. For everything.” That time she did mean everything.

  “Don’t mention it.” He began to move away again.

  “Perhaps we might see each other again, you know, around here, somewhere, sometime.”

  He shot her what was his now famous smile.

  “I hope so. Good-night Catlin Manners.”

  “Until next time, Ben Ellison,” she replied and with great effort of will, she forced herself to step in through the door and allowed him to vanish from view.

  Chapter Three

  The night was a blur for Catlin once she left Ben. Upon returning from the rooftop, the apartment welcomed her back warmly, as if it was somehow happy to have her safely in its walls again. She sat for a while, shuddering occasionally as the shock of what she’d almost done came to mind but she did not want to think on the troubles of the day or the peril of the evening, preferring to muse on the smiling stranger she had been fortunate to encounter and her thoughts of him soon drove the chills of such remembrance’s away. Ben Ellison. Who was he and, more importantly, why had he appeared on her roof, that night and at the very moment she needed him? It was curious, but despite their having spent less than half an hour together it was as if she had known him for years. There had been some weird and instant connection as soon as they had spoken. It wasn’t a one sided feeling on her part either, he had felt it too, she was sure of that.

  Their brief introduction continued to haunt Catlin long after she had gone to bed. She closed her eyes and she could see him and that smile, hear his laughter stirred up and carried along on the wind outside her window. Heavens! She was acting like a lovelorn teenager experiencing the joys of first love rather than a woman of thirty three who had seen enough of relationships to have every last drop of romance kicked out of her veins. But whereas she would have normally given herself a stern ticking off for being so immature, Catlin laughed off her silly emotions, making fun of her own romantic nature instead of punishing it. Still, those feelings did not allow sleep to come easily to her that night, her mind, body and spirit being agitated by the uplifting mix of happiness, hope and disbelief that she had met such a man and survived such a night, that by daybreak she had snatched barely an hours rest, but she woke with the energy of a hyperactive three year old.

  The day was as ordered as the previous night. She had planned to spend it working on her next book, but found concentration to be as elusive as sleep and could not settle down long enough to put any real effort into the task. Often she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window or a mirror as she flitted from room to room finding, time after time, that she was grinning for no apparent reason other than in the seconds before her mind had strayed to thoughts of her rescuer. By mid-afternoon she had to concede defeat and admit attempting any work was a futile effort. The few pages she had managed scribble down when she read back over them were utter gibberish. For two days she continued in this fretful state until she had to admit it was no use. Work was beyond her.

  Hoping that a bit of exercise would shake off the greater part of her restless energy Catlin grabbed her walking boots, got into the car and headed out to the hills. It took less than twenty minutes for her to reach her favourite trail, one which led up into the highest part of the hills. Few people bothered to venture out that far, except for the serious hikers on a weekend, so with it being only half way through the week, she was virtually guaranteed to be undisturbed.

  It might have been the height of summer, but between the clouds in the sky and the wind which whistled down from above the worst of the sun’s heat was carried away before it came close to reaching her. But the weather had never bothered Catlin, good or bad and she savoured every step she took for with each one she was carried further away from the distractions of the city and into the sanctuary of the wilds. She had left the low valley where she’d parked her car some distance behind and was more than half way up the hill she was navigating when she stopped to take a drink from her water bottle. It was so peaceful. There were no car engines revving, no tyres or brakes squealing, for the bustle of the city was unable to extend its reach that far. There was nothing but the sounds of the birds singing, the insects chirruping and boots crunching their way up the stony path behind her. Boots? Did she have company after all?

  Catlin’s heart began to sink at the prospect of company, until she heard his voice.

  “By thunder, you can get a crack on, can’t you?” Catlin did not so much turn as spin around at his approach, unable to convince the beaming grin which spread over her face as Ben trundled into view, to make itself scarce. She had been doubtful as to his really being there, thinking it to be a trick of the mind, and was more than pleased to have met him again so soon.

  “Ben! What are you doing out here?”

  “I’m here because of you, of course.” Catlin was undecided as to how she should interpret that statement it was so vague, but it did not hang around long enough to become a point for deeper consideration. She had spent most of the past two days (and a chunk of three nights) wondering if Fate would be kind enough to permit them a second meeting, half afraid that it would and half petrified it would not and then suddenly – there he was. She jogged back down the path to join him.

  “You look tired,” she teased as he tried to catch his breath.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve had to climb anything this mountainous.”

  “Come on, old man. I’ll give you a hand. There’s a fallen tree up here you can rest your old bones on.”

  She took his hand as it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do, and he allowed her to drag him up the final few metres of the hill. There, they sat down on the trunk of the tree which lay alongside the path and rested.

  “So, are you going to confess and admit the truth or not?” Ben looked panicked.

  “Truth about what exactly?”

  “Back up there, there’s no need to go on the defensive. I was just referring to the real reason for your coming out here.” He relaxed.

  “Oh that. I told you – I’m here because of you.”

  “You’ll have to explain that in a bit more detail. That you’re here because of me could mean several things. You’re not one of those nutty stalker fan types are you, who just has to be wherever I am at all times?” she joked. His breath recovered, Ben gave her one of those smiles which bypassed all sensibilities.

  “No, you’re quite safe. I came out as you reminded me of this p
lace. When I was on your roof it came back to me how much I liked it out here. This just happens to be my favourite route through the hills.”

  “It’s mine too. Quite a coincidence though, that we should both pick to come for a hike on this same trail, at the same time and meet for a second time entirely by chance.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. It is definitely odd. I kept thinking the same thing over and over after we had gone our separate ways.”

  “Did you?”

  Catlin was secretly pleased to find out she’d not been alone in her restlessness following their meeting. “Perhaps there’s a reason for it.” There she was again, flirting with him. Why couldn’t she stop herself from doing it? The last thing she wanted to do was frighten off the one person she seemed to have a genuine connection with, but as before, Ben did not seem inclined to make a run for it.

  “I’m sure there is,” he replied. The tone of his voice was indecipherable, leaving Catlin questioning if she had already blown what tiny chance she had of forming a friendship with him, but then she saw the cheeky gleam of a grin playing about his eyes, and she was reassured that nothing had changed in the days that had passed since they parted ways on the rooftop. “Come on. It’s pretty obvious I’m out of condition. Let’s get moving.”

  They strolled on for hours more, halting here and there as they discussed certain topics they had a shared love of in deeper detail. They were both avid readers, with the curious mix of fantasy, horror, whimsy and poetry ranking in their top five shared favourites. They had a mutual passion for the environment and animal welfare, something which caused Catlin to recount how she had once waded into a river in an evening dress in order to rescue a pigeon that had fallen into the water. It was the first time her actions were not laughed at. Ben in turn told her how he had got himself torn to bits scrambling through a thorn bush to reach a rabbit that was tangled up in some discarded wire.