The Little Stranger

Chapter Thirteen

"Hey, you never told me your little nanny Gemma was a looker," Tom approached Jake a few days later as they sat on the tour bus on their way to the next venue in Scotland. He then leaned forward looking a little furtive "Do you know if she is, er, involved with anyone?" he enquired meaningfully.

Jake at that moment was too occupied trying out lyrics for a new song he had been inspired to write that morning about his daughter, and was totally zoned out to the rest of the world around him. That was until Tom approached him with his unexpected request.

Now he looked up from his notepad he had been scribbling on with a pencil, not sure if he was hearing right.

"What are you asking me about again?" he frowned a little in bewilderment back at Tom.

"I am talking about Gemma, your nanny" Tom replied with a grin.

"Gemma is not just my nanny, she is my friend, we go a way back" Jake found himself correcting him

"Yeah, I know all that, you already mentioned it the first time you introduced her," Tom replied dismissively, "But I want to know if she is with anyone, you know, or is she a free agent?" he queried again on the more pressing matter on his mind.

"Why do you care?" Jake demanded, and now it was Tom who looked puzzled

"Why do you think? Y'know, I've got talking to her since she joined us, and she seems nice, I am interested in her." he explained.

The penny finally dropped for Jake, "Oh" was his only reply in realisation.

"So, is she in a relationship? she never mentioned anyone, and I didn't see a ring on her finger, but I didn't want to ask her outright, that's why I am asking you" Tom continued.

Jake shrugged now recovering, and getting his brain back on track, "No, I don't think so. To be honest I am not sure" he frowned again.

"How can you not be sure? she works for you, you said you were friends" Tom pointed out.

"Well, it's not something we have ever discussed" Jake managed to reply honestly

"But she has never mentioned any guy, or even girl?" Tom asked hopefully

"No," Jake found himself reluctantly admitting, not liking the way this conversation was going. It was making him feel uncomfortable, but he wasn't sure why. He told himself that it was because he knew Tom was recently divorced, and he didn't like the idea of him getting involved with Gemma when he was still sorting out the mess from his previous relationship. It didn't feel right.

"So, you like her then?" he asked, as if wanting further confirmation.

"What's not to like?" Tom grinned and Jake felt the twinge of discomfort again, and found himself having to fight down the urge to want to punch Tom in the mouth, which was totally irrational

"Don't you think it's a bit soon, to be eyeing up another woman? you are only getting over your divorce" he then reminded him, "Not so long ago, you were cussing your ex-wife and saying you were done with women"

"That was before we went on tour," Tom recalled furrowing his brow in remembrance, "I am over all that now, I think it's time I moved on"

"With Gemma?" Jake demanded, sounding doubtful

"Yeah, why not?" Tom returned wide-eyed

Jake found himself combing his mind to think of a good reason, but came up blank. So, he just shrugged, "I don't know, it just doesn't seem like a good idea to me" he replied lamely, not looking Tom in the eye,