by M A Comley
“I’ll see you at the other end,” Matthew shouted, suspended from the wire, his adventure underway.
Now that she was back on terra firma, her confidence soared once more.
Jake was waiting for her. “Better now?”
“Much, thank you.”
“You don’t give me the impression you’re the girly type at all.”
“What are you trying to say? That I put on an act?”
“Simply voicing my opinion out loud. Glad to see you’re not shaking so much now. May I ask where your fear of heights comes from?”
“You can ask, but whether I’d be able to explain away my years of terror in a sentence, well, that remains to be seen.”
“So it stems back to your childhood then?”
“I suppose it does. I’ve never really thought about it. It’s nice of you to be concerned, I appreciate it.”
He grunted and walked on ahead.
Matthew had reached the end and strode towards them, sporting a huge grin. “That was epic, guys, you should’ve both given it a shot.”
“Yes, why didn’t you go with him, Jake?” Lucy was keen to enquire.
“I picked up a sports injury playing rugby last week. I’ll have a go in the future. What’s your excuse, Lucy?”
“My fear of heights had a lot to do with it.”
“Is that all?” Jake pushed.
Matthew got between them and placed an arm around their shoulders. “Guys, it really doesn’t matter. Right, on to the next one.”
It hadn’t taken Lucy long to realise this day wouldn’t go down in her memory scrapbook as an enjoyable experience.
She made sure she smiled in all the right places and cheered Matthew on during his ventures, all whilst standing alongside Jake. Maybe he was the problem, the reason why she was struggling to relax and enjoy herself. Or was that an unreasonable suggestion?
After watching Matthew exert himself for a couple of hours, Lucy proposed he took a breather, and they all returned to the car. Jake took a car rug from the boot and laid it out on the grass nearby while she and Matthew retrieved the bags.
She unloaded them and both men appeared to be suitably impressed by the dishes on show.
Jake picked up a Scotch egg and asked, “Home-made?”
Lucy smiled. “I have to hold my hands up and confess. All of this is shop bought. I work full time, as you do, I imagine. Making this lot from scratch would’ve taken me days.”
“He’s teasing you, Lucy, ignore him. It all looks delicious. You have some of my favourite things here.”
“Oh, such as?”
“Pork pie and those little fondant fancies. I couldn’t get enough of those as a child.”
Shit! What’s he saying? That he thought the spread would be more suited for a children’s party rather than a picnic for sophisticated adults?
“I loved them, too. That was my aim in selecting them, to relive my childhood, I suppose.”
Matthew leaned in for a kiss. “Top marks. I think you achieved your aim. I love it.”
Jake said nothing, his gaze drifting to a nearby family of two adults and three kids. He strained his neck to see what their lunch consisted of. “Oh look, they have virtually the same spread as us.”
“Popular choices then, obviously,” Matthew announced.
Lucy, however, died a little inside. At least her enthusiasm had for the hours of trouble assembling the food the evening before. She nibbled on a tinned salmon sandwich and cursed herself for not thinking to remove the crusts. And that was how she spent the next hour or so, tearing herself apart. Criticising every damn thing that was wrong with the picnic she’d worked so ruddy hard to put together. Why? Well, Jake was to blame for that.
Matthew laughed at the way his brother continued to tease her, however, it all left a sour taste in her mouth and spoilt the day for her. So much so that she even thought about feigning an illness to put a halt to the day. Matthew has changed since his brother came on the scene, or am I guilty of reading far too much into his behaviour?
“Come on, guys. I need to have another go at that wall,” Matthew announced, jumping to his feet.
“You go ahead. I’ll help Lucy clear up this mess, and we’ll be with you in a mo.”
Matthew rushed off without giving her a second glance. All of a sudden, being left alone with Jake, her anxiety levels rose once again. She fumbled with the containers, dropping the odd one here and there.
Jake rescued them before the contents spilled onto the blanket and said, “Clumsy.”
Her head shot up, and he smiled briefly. Just being in his presence was having a detrimental effect on her welfare. Her emotions were almost strangling her. A pain clawed at her chest; she put that down to the tension mounting within.
Unable to cope, she excused herself and sprinted towards the toilet block on the other side of the car park. She ran a paper hand towel under the cold tap and placed it on the back of her neck. A lady in her fifties flushed the toilet and exited one of the cubicles. Lucy smiled awkwardly at her.
“Are you all right, dear? You look a tad peaky.”
“Too much excitement for one day, I fear. It’s all rather overwhelming for my system. I’ll be fine in a second. Are you having fun today?”
“Me? No, I wouldn’t be seen dead going on any of these torturous contraptions or rides. I value my life, not fond of risking it. I know, all the safety procedures in place would prevent anyone hurting themselves, but there’s that tiny voice niggling away at me. I can guarantee, if anything was going to happen to anyone in this place, it would be to me.”
She laughed. “I feel exactly the same way. Give me a day of sunbathing on the beach any time.”
The woman pointed at her. “I said the same thing to my old man. He and the kids are loving this place, though, so it wouldn’t seem right dragging them away when they’re having so much fun. Anyway, I’d better get a wriggle on. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“You, too. Take care, and thank you for your kindness.”
“Showing a little kindness never hurt anyone in this life, did it now?”
The woman left the toilet, and Lucy couldn’t help the feeling of loneliness that enveloped her. She tried to shrug it off. There was no reason for her to feel that way, not now she had Matthew. Lucy studied her reflection, really studied it, and was shocked to see the worry lines that had recently disappeared had emerged again. Why? Was her sixth sense working its magic, picking up on something in Matthew, or Jake for that matter?
Maybe she was guilty of reading too much into it because she had barely spent any time with him and had been forced to spend time with Jake instead. But something was definitely in the air, and she had to admit it was unsettling her.
She shrugged, shook out her arms, trying to release the tension there, then she doused her face with cold water, dried it on a paper towel and left the toilet block to make her way back to the picnic area.
Jake was busy still clearing up. Most of the bags were half-filled, and there was only the rug left to fold. “Typical of you to turn up once all the work is done.”
Although he smiled, she detected the bitterness in his tone.
“I’m sorry. As for that being typical of me, nothing could be further from the truth, but I’m willing to let you off this time, especially as you know so very little about me.”
“And there lies the problem…”
She crossed her arms and stared at him. “Go on, don’t stop there.”
“As a family, and I’m including Matt in that, we know next to nothing about you.”
“And you perceive that as a problem? Funny that, because I don’t think Matthew does.”
“There you go, that proves my point.”
“What does?” she snapped, her annoyance now visible.
“He hates being called Matthew. Everyone in the family calls him Matt, except Mother when she’s angry, of course.”
She chewed on the inside of her cheek. What am I supposed to
say to that? I don’t know why Matthew hasn’t instructed me to call him Matt. It’s as if Jake is blaming me for something. God, I wish I was anywhere else but here right now, stuck with him. “Matthew has never told me to call him otherwise. When I say never, I mean in the few days I’ve known him. You make it sound as if I’ve known him a lifetime and you’re punishing me for not being aware of the slightest details. I think that’s harsh, don’t you?”
He placed the rug and the last of the bags in the boot of the car. “Maybe, maybe not. Forgive me if I reserve judgement on you and my brother for the next month or so. He’s been here before, several times over, in fact.”
“What are you trying to say? That I’m like every other girl he’s met?”
Jake shrugged. “If that’s how you insist on interpreting it.”
“But…we’ve had this conversation…”
“And what was the outcome?” Jake prompted when she paused.
She dipped her head and mumbled. “That’s private and between me and Matthew,” she replied, sticking to her guns and insisting on calling her new beau by his proper name until he told her to do otherwise.
“Whatever. I’m off.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m leaving. Tell Matt I got bored with the company and I’ll see him at home later.” With that, he threw her the car keys and marched away.
“But how will you get home?” she asked foolishly, searching for the right words to appease him in the hope he would stay.
“There’s a wonderful invention called the taxi,” he flung back at her sarcastically.
Lucy watched him walk away until he turned the corner. She blew out a breath, which puffed out her cheeks, and slammed her fists against her thighs. Was she right to blame herself for the outcome of their conversation? She was confused. As far as she was concerned, she hadn’t said or done anything that Jake could have possibly found offensive. She shrugged, slotted the keys in her jacket pocket and went in search of Matthew, or Matt, or whatever she should call him. How the hell had that man caused me to doubt myself? She refused to go there again. Her life was on an upward curve, and she’d be buggered if the likes of Jake, or anyone else Matthew was acquainted with, was going to spoil what they had.
She located Matthew descending the tallest climbing wall. Once he was on the ground, he spotted her and excitedly trotted towards her. He swooped her up in his arms and planted a lingering kiss on her lips. “That was fantastic. I wish I could’ve shared the experience with you. Maybe one day we’ll conquer your fear of heights together.”
“Maybe. I can’t make any promises, though. So glad you enjoyed it.”
He scanned the area, and she sensed what was coming next.
“Where’s Jake, in the loo?”
“No, he left. Said he had to be somewhere else.” It was only a small lie, nothing major.
“He did? Did he say where?”
“No. Have you ever thought he might have felt a bit of a gooseberry, tagging along with us?”
“He was eager to meet you. When Jake wants something, it’s hard to say no to him. You got on okay together, didn’t you?”
“I think so. He packed the car up and then took off. He left me wondering if I’d upset him in some way, but I couldn’t think of anything I might have said or done that could’ve offended him.”
“You? Upset someone? I doubt that could happen.” He flung an arm around her shoulders and steered her back towards the car. “I’ve had enough excitement for one day. You must be bored rigid, though. I appreciate what it’s like when someone drags you somewhere which doesn’t suit you.”
“I’m fine, honestly. I don’t mind hanging around here if you want to carry on.” Another half-truth. She did mind, but she was prepared to put herself out for the sake of this man’s enjoyment, unlike his brother, apparently.
“As much as I love you for saying that, no, let’s call it a day and participate in doing something we can both enjoy.”
Her heart swelled. “Are you going to give me a hint?”
“You’ll see.”
They chatted as if they’d known each other for years, and during the stroll back to the car, Lucy fell a little deeper in love with Matthew. “Can I ask you something?”
Matthew had started the engine and left the car park. He indicated and pulled over. He turned in his seat to face her. “Ask away, I have no secrets.”
She resisted the temptation to wince. You might not, but I have! What if, in time, those secrets come out? What will happen to our relationship then?
He clicked his fingers in front of her face, bringing her out of her daydream. “Hello, Lucy, are you in there?”
“Sorry, I was miles away. Don’t ask me where.” She tried to laugh off her major slip-up.
“Okay, I won’t. What did you want to ask me?”
“It was something Jake mentioned.”
“Go on. I’m sorry, I’m not into reading minds, although I do have many other talents which you’ve yet to discover.”
She tutted and groaned. “Stop, I’m trying to be serious here.”
“I apologise, you have my full attention.”
“When we were alone, he seemed to chastise me for calling you Matthew, even went as far to tell me that no one in the family calls you Matthew, and, well…oh, I don’t know. He said you hated the name, is that true?”
“It’s true. Saying that, and in my defence, whenever you say my name it does funny things to me.”
She hadn’t expected that response and giggled. “Oh right, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say to that.”
“Neither am I. Give me a kiss instead. I haven’t had enough of those today.”
They shared the most intimate of kisses which made them both moan with pleasure.
Matthew cleared his throat. “Oh God, right, back to plan B, and sharpish, I think, before we get ourselves in trouble.”
“Which is?”
“You’ll see. I’m going to lower the window, if that’s all right with you? I need to cool the interior of the car down.” He winked.
“Go for it, I’d welcome that myself.”
Then he selected first gear and drove them to the ultra-secret location. The bowling alley in the centre of town. “Fancy a game? I take it you can play?”
“I can. I used to be in a league, many moons ago.” As soon as the words broke free, she regretted airing them. Shit! What if he decides to look me up and realises I’m lying? Except I’m not. I was in the league, only it was under a different name. What’s wrong with me? I’ve kept my other life a secret all these years, but in the last few hours I’ve slipped up a few times.
“You’ve drifted off again. Is there something on your mind, Lucy? Something you’d like to share with me?”
“No, I have no idea what’s happening to me today. For some reason I keep thinking about the good times I spent with my parents, before their deaths.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have probed. You’re entitled to your privacy, just like I am.”
“Thank you. It’s still early days, and sometimes it catches me out, so forgive me.”
“Nothing to forgive. I’m fortunate enough to still have both of my parents with me. I haven’t got a clue what it must be like to lose one of them, let alone both of them at the same time. I’m here if you ever need to unburden yourself, you know that, right?”
“I do.”
She reached for his hand, and they strolled into the bowling alley. He was the perfect gent, and she left all the organising of the shoes to him. However, where the ball was concerned, she took an age to choose the one that felt right in her hands. That was the most important part to a professional, as she had once regarded herself.
Matthew insisted she should go first. She knocked down nine pins with her first ball. He was impressed, but she was disappointed at her rustiness. Annoyed even, that she wasn’t allowed to do a couple of practice runs to get back into the swing of things.
His first
throw ended with a strike, which meant she was playing catch-up from the moment they got on the lane. Right, if that’s the way you want it, buster, step aside and let me show you what I’ve got hiding in my locker—well, not all of it, just some of it.
Her second ball resulted in a spare which blew him away. “Wow, that’s some power you have in that slender wrist of yours.”
If only you knew! “I told you, years of practice. I was lulling you into a false sense of security with my first ball. Game on now, honey.”
“Game on, eh?” He selected his ball and took four large steps up to the line and released it. Yet another strike.
Her muscles tensed. She hadn’t realised she had such a competitive streak. Not even when she’d played the game in the league had this streak come to light. Maybe Jake had wound her up the wrong way and she was eager to vent some of that anger by punishing Matthew.
The rest of the game went the same way, each of them stepping up and delivering the perfect strike. She kicked herself for not concentrating hard enough on the first ball but then chastised herself for being so harsh. It had been around ten years since she had last entered the lane.
They chilled out at the bar for about an hour, and then Matthew insisted he took her for dinner. One look at the outfit she had on made her decline his kind offer.
“I’ll give that a miss in this getup.”
“Not even a burger and chips?”
She placed a hand over her stomach. “I couldn’t, I ate far too many carbs at lunchtime. Would you mind if we called it a day instead?”
“Are you all right? I thought we were having fun?”
“I’m fine.” She wasn’t really, there was something niggling her about the day, and she was struggling to shake the feeling off.
“Okay, far be it for me to push the issue. Can I see you tomorrow? I’ll take you for a ride out in the country. There’s a beautiful pub I know that serves a traditional Sunday lunch.”
