He nodded his understanding and sat down. ‘Thanks.’ They looked out through the row of trees to the park. ‘Are you visiting?’ he asked.
‘No, I dropped a friend off. His dad’s not well. I thought I should wait.’
With that the heavens opened. Rain bounced high off the pavement. ‘Come on,’ said the carer, stubbing out his cigarette and ushering her into the building, past a reception desk and through to the TV lounge.
‘You might as well have a coffee while you wait,’ he said.
‘It’s okay.’
‘Tea then?’ He waited expectantly by the door.
‘Sorry. I don’t drink tea or coffee.’
He gave her the look she’d seen many times – one of British bewilderment. She knew she was an embarrassment to her fellow countrymen but what could she do? She didn’t like the taste – never had done.
‘Orange squash?’
He was trying hard to please and she didn’t have the heart to keep rejecting his offers. ‘That’d be lovely. Thanks.’
He disappeared and she realised she was standing almost in the centre of the large room and all eyes were on her.
‘Dot, wake up. I think your Barbara’s here,’ said a tiny lady in a large chair. The woman next to her, presumably Dot, came to with a start.
Ruby shook her head. ‘Sorry. I’m not Barbara,’ she said.
The woman put her glasses on. ‘You’re not.’ She turned to Dot. ‘It’s not Barbara.’
‘What are you saying, Kitty?’ asked Dot, fiddling with her hearing aid.
‘She’s not Barbara. She’s …’ Kitty stared straight at Ruby.
‘Oh. I’m Ruby but I’m—’ Dot’s hearing aid screeched into life.
‘She’s Ruby,’ explained Kitty to Dot.
‘I know she is,’ said Dot.
‘Here’s your squash,’ said the carer, coming back into the room.
‘Thank you. Please could you let my friend know that I’m waiting in here? Doesn’t matter how long it takes but I don’t want him having to get a taxi.’
‘Sure. Resident’s name?’
Ruby had a think. ‘Mr Walker.’
The carer scrunched up his features in thought. ‘Nah, don’t think we’ve got a Mr Walker.’
‘I’m waiting for Curtis Walker. I assumed …’
‘Curtis.’ His expression was unreadable. ‘He’ll be seeing Harry. I’ll let him know.’ Did she imagine it or did he just give her the once-over? He addressed the residents. ‘Before you ask – the kettle’s on. And I don’t want to short-circuit your pacemakers but there’s chocolate digestives today,’ he added with a wink.
‘Have a seat, Ruby, and tell us what you’ve been up to,’ said Dot, moving the newspaper from the chair next to hers.
Ruby looked around. Most of the people were either asleep or reading; nobody was watching the telly. She had no idea how long she was going to have to wait. ‘Sure.’
‘How’s that fella of yours?’ asked Kitty.
Ruby was quite warming to the duo and decided to play along. ‘Which one? The one who peed in my kettle or the one who stole my microwave?’
Kitty and Dot both hooted with laughter. This was fun. ‘Didn’t you go out with …’ Dot was clicking her fingers as if trying to recall a name.
‘Lenny?’ suggested Kitty. Dot shook her head. ‘Terry? Bert? George?’
‘No!’ said Dot, quite sharply. ‘Gordon,’ she said, clapping her hands in apparent pleasure that she’d remembered the name she was after. They both stared at Ruby.
‘Nope. Never been out with a Gordon. I went out with a Greg once. He liked plaiting my hair with his huge sausage-like fingers.’ The pair laughed again. There was a scraping sound. Ruby turned to see a lady dragging another chair over. ‘Here, let me get that.’ Ruby moved the chair and the surreal conversation continued.
She wasn’t sure how but she ended up telling them the engagement ring story and those who were awake were enthralled.
‘And then we went to Covent Garden and had a meal and wine.’ The images of Covent Garden popped into her mind, making her feel wistful.
‘But you found him, this Lewis?’ asked Dot, leaning so far forward she was one sneeze away from toppling out of her seat.
‘Nope,’ said Ruby and the room seemed to give a collective sigh. ‘But we’re going to Leeds on Monday to see if the jeweller can help us.’
‘Good idea,’ said Kitty.
‘Here you go, ladies and gents. Teas all round,’ said the carer, wheeling in a trolley. ‘Curtis said he’d be down in about ten minutes. And to thank you for waiting.’
‘Cool,’ said Ruby, taking a proffered biscuit. She turned back to her new friends. ‘So tell me about Harry.’
Chapter Thirteen
Ruby was pretty sure she knew the moment Curtis had entered the room. Call it a sixth sense or intuition – but whatever it was it made her spin around. She was helping Dot to do the twist as Chubby Checker blared out from the television.
Curtis was standing in the doorway and cleared his throat. ‘Are you ready to go?’
‘Here he is. Come and join us,’ called Kitty, grabbing her walking frame and heading towards him, although she’d been dancing for the last ten minutes quite happily without it.
‘Ruby.’ His tone contained a strong plea for help.
‘Leave him be, ladies,’ said Ruby, changing the channel back to BBC. There was a collective groan from the room.
‘Spoilsport!’ shouted someone.
‘Next time, I’ll bring some speakers and we’ll have a proper rave,’ said Ruby.
‘Don’t we need drugs for that?’ whispered Kitty.
‘We’ve got plenty. We’re popping them all the time,’ said Dot, with a giggle.
‘It’s been fun but I’ve gotta go. You all take care.’ Ruby blew kisses to everyone and a round of applause broke out. She walked from the room, leaving Curtis frozen to the spot looking as if he was trying to work out what he’d witnessed.
‘What were you doing in there?’ he asked as he followed her out of the building.
She paused and smiled. He did seem genuinely confused. ‘It’s called having fun, Curtis. You should try it sometime. Anyway, how was your dad?’
Curtis swallowed hard. ‘Not good. It’s a chest infection. But the doctor doesn’t want to move him to hospital. He’s prescribed some antibiotics, which should help but they take a few days to have an effect …’
Ruby gave his arm a squeeze and he stared at her hand resting there. ‘Anything I can do?’
‘I can’t impose any more.’ He looked up and down the deserted street. ‘I’ll get a taxi.’
‘Curtis, come on. I’ve waited half an hour for you. At least let me give you a lift somewhere.’
‘Thank you,’ he said with a slow smile. ‘A lift home would be great.’
They walked in silence to the van. The rain had disappeared and the sun was fighting to escape from behind a cloud. She hardly knew him and yet it hurt her to see him look so sad. She couldn’t help but study him across the bonnet before they got in. ‘I know it looks bleak right now, but people frequently recover from chest infections. Let’s hope for the best.’
‘He has familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Any additional pressure on his heart could be fatal.’
‘Right. Familial? I’m guessing that means it’s hereditary?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m so sorry, Curtis.’ All sorts of feelings pogoed around inside her. How awful to be dealt something like that. To watch someone suffer from something that was potentially coming for you next.
His eyebrows pulled tightly together. ‘No, it’s fine,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘There’s no reason why I would have it.’ And with that he got in the van. Ruby paused for a moment. Curtis really was an oddball.
Ruby got in the driver’s seat and they set off. She decided to fill the silence.
‘Your dad sounds like a bit of a hero.’
Curtis turned slightly. ‘Have you
been gossiping?’
‘I’m shocked you’d even say that. I was merely showing an interest and those lovely ladies were happy to have a chat and share what they knew. That’s all.’
‘That’s gossiping.’
‘We’ll have to agree to disagree.’ Ruby felt this might be a bit of a theme. ‘They said your dad was a policeman who rescued children and kittens.’ Curtis gave her a sideways look. ‘Okay, I might have added the kittens. Are they right?’
‘He is a retired police inspector and he and his wife used to be foster parents, which isn’t quite as dramatic as rescuing children.’
‘Ah,’ said Ruby as a piece of the puzzle slid into place. ‘And were you one of those children?’
‘I was,’ said Curtis. ‘Do you mind if we don’t talk anymore?’
‘Of course, that’s fine,’ said Ruby. The stack of questions she wanted to ask would have to wait.
Ruby was pleased she’d driven Curtis home because if she was shocked by the sight of his house then he must have been devastated. There was police tape all around it and the scene was exactly as the police had explained. What they’d failed to mention was that the truck was still wedged in the house. They got out of the van and stood aghast.
Ruby drew in a breath so hard she made herself cough.
‘You all right?’ he asked.
If she had covered one eye and viewed each half of the house separately it was like the before and after of the apocalypse. One side of the house was resplendent in ornate red brick with pretty divided windows and a neat garden full of colour. The other had a truck sticking out of the side of it. It had been carrying bricks, some of which remained on board, but most of the load had been shot across the grass. Rubble was strewn around the garden like there’d been an explosion and the window frame was hanging precariously. There was a truck-sized gap in the fence, revealing great troughs ploughed across the lawn where it had careered off the road, uprooting and demolishing plants, pots and pretty much everything in its path.
‘Look at the state of it.’ Unexpected emotion made her swallow hard. She instinctively linked her arm through his and hugged it tight to her. ‘Oh, Curtis. This is awful.’
‘It is rather inconvenient.’
‘Inconvenient? Your beautiful home has been trashed.’ She was heartbroken on his behalf. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘None of this is your doing. In fact, you may well have saved my life. Had I not been with you in London I would have been at home here, sitting in the living room.’
‘Bloody hell, Curtis. That’s frightening.’
He pushed out his bottom lip and stared at the house. ‘It’s going to take a while to fix but that’s what you have insurance for.’
She could hardly believe his unemotional response. ‘Was the driver okay?’
‘Surprisingly, yes. The police said he climbed out through the windscreen into my living room. They had to force the back door to let him out.’
‘It’s going to be a mess inside too,’ she said, thinking out loud.
‘I expect it is. My cleaner won’t be pleased.’
‘You’re right. That’s going to take more than a squirt of Mr Muscle.’
Curtis walked a little closer and she followed him. From this distance she could see through the window and it didn’t look good.
‘Bloody hell,’ said Ruby, unsure what else to say. Ruby nodded at the ‘How’s my driving?’ sticker on the back of the truck. ‘Should I give them a call?’
‘I think it’s a little late for constructive feedback,’ said Curtis, puffing out a breath like a plumber assessing a leak.
A recovery lorry was parked nearby and a man hopped out of the driver’s side and came over. ‘You Mr Walker?’ he asked.
‘I am,’ said Curtis, whilst Ruby edged closer to the house for a better look at the damage.
‘I was meant to be meeting the fire officer here twenty minutes ago only he’s late. I can’t tow that out until the building is shored up.’
‘Of course. Let me make a few phone calls.’
Ruby looked about. They were on the edge of a village. There was a farm opposite and swathes of green fields surrounded them. It was like the places she had visited as a child. Her mother had always been one for trips out on the bus. And she loved looking around villages like this one, followed by a long walk and a picnic.
Curtis ended a call and came over. ‘Have you got someone you can stay with?’ she asked.
‘No, but I’ll check into a hotel. Honestly, I’ll be fine.’
‘There must be someone?’ She didn’t like the idea of him not having somewhere to crash. Off the top of her head she could come up with at least five people who she was sure would take her in if she were in the same situation.
Curtis smiled indulgently. ‘I’m not big on friends. Are you?’
‘Hell, yeah.’ She was about to rattle off some names but when she thought about it, all her closest friends now had children and her best friend had moved away because of her husband’s work so now they only spoke on the phone. Her friends were thinner on the ground than she liked to admit. Perhaps she’d let things drift because she was a little envious of them living the dream. Best she didn’t analyse it too much. ‘Life kind of gets in the way sometimes. I’ve got Kim.’
‘Your employer?’
‘She’s more than that. Anyway, we were talking about your friends and family,’ she said, keen not to dwell.
‘Harry is my only family.’
‘Look I still don’t have a phone but you can call the florist’s or pop in any time. This is a lot to deal with on your own. But hey, if you hire me, I could help with this too.’ She gestured to the house.
‘Thank you. That’s kind.’ His expression changed. ‘Are you serious about doing some paid admin work for me?’
‘If you mean, do I still want to be your part-time personal executive assistant? Then yes I do.’ She was quite looking forward to it if she was being honest. She wanted to prove to him that she was more than capable of doing the job. She also felt a little responsible for the additional testing needed on the Cordelia Stuart-Bruce project. And there was also the promise of potentially meeting a decent man.
‘I don’t think you can be both personal and executive. And in an industry that loves a three-letter acronym do you really want to be a P-E-A?’
‘I’ve been called worse things,’ mused Ruby.
Curtis rummaged in his laptop bag and pulled out a small white box. ‘Here, it’s a new phone. I bought it in Covent Garden. You’ll need one if you’re going to be my PEA.’
Ruby was shocked but tried to hide it. She scrunched up her nose. ‘I don’t want to be referred to as your pee. Let’s go with executive assistant. But I can’t accept a phone like that; they cost hundreds.’ She crossed her arms to stop her hand rushing out and grabbing it. She’d wanted one of the new iPhones for ages. Her mother’s voice was in her head: ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch.’ And this was like the grown-up version of accepting sweets from strangers. Only was Curtis really a stranger? After the twenty-four hours they’d spent together she was already starting to get the measure of him.
‘You can easily transfer over your old details to this one. You need to try to contact Lewis on the old one before you switch it all over. If Kim has your mobile number, get her to call your phone and see who answers.’
‘Genius! I will but I don’t think I can take the phone – I can’t afford to pay you back for it.’
He thrust the phone at her. ‘It comes with the job. A perk if you will.’ He held it steady in front of her. It would be rude to say no again. She took it from him and resisted the urge to open it up then and there; she’d save that treat for later.
‘Mr Walker. Fire officer is here.’ The recovery driver was pointing to a uniformed man getting out of a nearby car.
‘I need to get on,’ he said.
‘Thanks for this, Curtis.’ She waved the phone box at him. ‘I’ll be off too then.’
A thought struck her. ‘Can I use this for everything, not just work?’
‘Of course.’
‘Cool,’ she said, walking away. ‘Thank you.’
‘Although a word of advice,’ he called and she turned to listen. ‘If you’re looking up sperm donors only go for the legitimate ones this time.’
The recovery driver’s eyes almost popped out of his head.
Back at the florist’s there was a queue of customers so Ruby got stuck in to serving. She loved her job. The smell in the little shop was the best. She’d always loved the scent of flowers – they had a calming effect on her and made her feel happy. And most of the time the customers were lovely. They’d usually come to Bloom with a View to do a nice thing – either buying plants or flowers for themselves or for someone else. She liked listening to people and choosing the right mix for them. That moment when they saw it come together and their face lit up was what gave Ruby the most job satisfaction.
Early afternoon there was a brief lull in customers and Kim was clearing down the bench in the back room, which tended to get strewn with cut stems and leaves. ‘Can I borrow your mobile phone?’ asked Ruby. ‘I need to call my number and see if Lewis, the guy who borrowed it, answers.’ She’d managed to bring Kim up to speed in between customers.
‘Sure.’ Kim handed it over.
They both paused while Ruby rang her number and waited. She heard her own voice begin. ‘It went straight to voicemail. I’ll try again later,’ she said, jotting down her old number. A customer came in and they went back to work.
Before she knew it, Kim was handing her a can of Coke. ‘Right, sit down and fill me in on the details of Curtis. He seems really ni—’
‘Hang on,’ said Ruby, holding up her palm. ‘Before you go choosing hats, this is purely a business arrangement.’
‘I thought there was an engagement ring?’ Kim leaned forward and cupped her tea, her eyes fixed on Ruby.
‘Yeah, there’s that too. Seriously, I don’t want you getting any ideas about matchmaking. He’s so not my type.’
‘Because he’s nice? Dresses smartly? Has manners?’
Ruby stuck her tongue out. ‘He’s …’ How could she describe him without sounding unkind? Her shoulders slumped. ‘I don’t know. He’s a bit uptight and quite … unemotional. A bit robotic. He’s all logic and no soul.’
The Promise of Summer, Part 2 Page 3
