‘Touché, Alexandra. Touché! Sweet popcorn it is.’
From that point on, we talked non-stop. What was supposed to be my standard thirty-minute drink ended up being over a three-and-a-half-hour date. And I honestly had no idea where the time went.
We spoke about films a lot, I did remember that. He knew so much about them, and he gave me loads of recommendations for ones I hadn’t even heard of. I thought that would be my evenings sorted for the next few years.
Probably contrary to Laurie’s suggestions, we talked about relationships for a while, and whilst I vented (not too much, though) about guys who were just after fun (which I thought would also highlight the fact that if that was what he was after, he was barking up the wrong tree, although I sensed that wasn’t the case), he gave me an insight into some of the women he’d met.
He sounded more exasperated and disillusioned than I was. Miles had been on dating apps for the last four months, ever since he’d broken up with his ex-girlfriend of two years (I knew the rules said not to date guys that had come out of a serious relationship less than six months ago, but she’d left the country and he seemed cool about it, so it was fine). He said a lot of women were just into the fantasy of being with a doctor. One had even asked why he hadn’t come on the date in a doctor’s coat so they could do role-play later. A couple, he said, were mainly interested in how much he earned and if it was enough to give them a champagne lifestyle.
It was funny. As I listened to him and protested that those few examples were not representative of womankind as a whole and certainly not me, I also got a greater appreciation of how frustrating it must be for a decent guy when a woman judged them by the bad experiences she’d had with men. It helped to remind me of the importance of keeping an open mind.
What else did we speak about? Our shared love for animals was definitely a topic we covered. I just remembered laughing. A lot. At one point, it felt like I’d done two hundred sit-ups because my stomach ached so much. And every time he smiled, my heart started beating faster.
Not only was his smile electric, but his mouth, his lips, were amazing too. Equally sized top and bottom, smooth and very juicy.
We had a few moments too. I felt it. The connection. We’d belly laugh about something or other and then we’d catch each other’s gaze and just sit there smiling. Silently. It was only for a few seconds each time, but there was just something there. Something indescribable. Like a force. An energy. Pulling us together. Wild card or not, I was definitely attracted to him.
The bell rang. We looked up and saw the barman stood on the counter.
‘Thank you for joining us, ladies and gentlemen. Our time to part has come. Last orders!’ he said jovially. It was very theatrical here. I loved it.
‘Wow!’ said Miles, glancing down at his watch. ‘Closing time already? I didn’t even get to show you the Gin Parlour upstairs with all the chaise longues, quirky furniture and cool trinkets on the walls. I feel like we just got here.’
‘I know—it’s mad!’ I said, pulling my phone out of my handbag and touching the screen to check. Yep. It was indeed almost 11 p.m. ‘The time has just flown. And I didn’t even get to ask you about your job or, I don’t know…all the hundreds of things we’re supposed to talk about on first dates.’
‘Well, that’s easily solved.’ He smirked.
‘Yeah, I guess we could start talking about it now before they chuck us out.’
‘Or’—Miles leant forward—‘we could just talk about it on a second date. If you’d like to see me, again that is?’
‘Of course!’ I said, a little too keenly. ‘Yeah, I mean, that would be cool. If you’d like to.’ Well, he wouldn’t have asked if he didn’t. One day I’d get the hang of this dating and saying the right thing.
‘I’ve had an amazing evening with you, so I’d love to. How about tomorrow night?’
‘Tomorrow?’ My stomach plummeted.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I was meeting Luke tomorrow night. Dammit. I mean, not dammit as in I didn’t want to. Of course I wanted to see Luke. Luke was great. Why wouldn’t I want to see him? It was just that I really liked Miles now too.
Christ. I’d told Stacey this multi-dating thing would be messy…
‘Yeah, tomorrow night,’ he repeated.
‘I’m really sorry, but I’ve got plans tomorrow night.’
Gutted. Who knew when he’d be free again? You hear about doctors working long shifts day after day. Maybe it would be another week until he was free.
‘Okay.’ He paused. ‘How about tomorrow afternoon, then?’
Oh! That could work…I normally did the housework on a Saturday, but I could often get it all finished by noon. And anyway, as Luke had said on our first date, life’s too short to spend it doing chores. I could see Miles in the afternoon and then Luke in the evening. Two guys in one day? Well, I wasn’t sleeping with them and we weren’t committed… Remember, it’s fine. It’s totally fine…
‘Tomorrow afternoon is good, actually,’ I confirmed.
‘Great! In that case, I’ve already thought of the perfect place to take you.’
‘Really?’ I said.
‘Yep.’ He grinned.
‘Where?’
‘It’s a surprise.’
‘No! You’ve got to tell me!’ I pleaded.
‘No can do,’ he teased.
‘Okay, then, I’ll just guess.’
‘No guessing allowed.’ He waved his finger. ‘It will ruin the surprise.’
‘Another pub?’
‘No! We’re at a pub now. What kind of boring romcom will our story be if we went to the pub on both our first and our second date?’ he laughed.
‘Ha ha! So we’re starring in our own romantic comedy, then?’
‘Of course we are. I told you I’m a romantic! Haven’t you noticed the cameras and the extras coming and going? The director and I are going to edit the footage later.’
‘Well, now that you mention it, I did see a few people acting a bit suspiciously earlier,’ I joked. ‘Okay, if it’s not the pub, then it must be the cinema?’
‘Too obvious. I can confirm that it is not the cinema. Because we talked a lot about films today, tomorrow we can chat about something different. Got to mix things up a bit. For the sake of our film, of course. Want to keep the audience entertained so the next scene, i.e., our second date tomorrow, should make them happy. And you, of course. I need to ensure the leading lady is happy at all times…’ There went that killer smile again, and the elastic in my knickers.
Dear God.
‘That’s good to hear,’ I said, regaining my composure.
‘Alexandra,’ he said, standing up and holding out his hand. I put my palm into his as we headed towards the door. ‘Allow me to escort you to your chariot.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘There’s no fairy-tale carriage waiting for me outside of this pub, though, unfortunately.’
‘Ha-ha! Well, I can hail a taxi for you if you like. Make sure you get home safely.’
‘Thanks, but I’m fine. I’ll just jump on the tube.’
‘Sure?’ he asked.
‘Absolutely.’ I’ll admit, it had been nice getting a taxi home after my date with Luke, but it wouldn’t take long to get home from here, and I didn’t want to waste money.
‘Well, in that case, at least let me take you down to the platform, so I know you’ve got on the tube okay.’
‘Really, it’s okay. You don’t have to…’ Suddenly a line from the book popped into my head: Allow a man to treat you well. Just like Luke had paid for the taxi, Miles was trying to be a gentleman and ensure I got on the tube safely, and here I was batting his kind advances away. ‘Actually, if you’re sure you’re okay to, I’d love for you to walk me to the platform. That’s really kind of you.’
‘No problem at all.’ He squeezed my hand gently. ‘It would be a pleasure.’
Chapter Thirteen
As I stepped off the tube, I felt the butterf
lies dancing in my stomach. I hadn’t been able to stop smiling all morning as flashbacks of last night’s date with Miles jumped in and out of my mind. He was so funny. So warm. So…I couldn’t put my finger on it, but he just made me feel completely at ease.
It was a fairly mild October afternoon, so I’d opted to wear a black-and-white knee-length skirt which was tight around the bum, then flared out slightly at the bottom, with opaque tights and a smart fitted black polo-neck jumper with a little black cotton jacket, and I had just changed into some black suede high-heeled boots. Not the most comfortable to walk in, hence why I’d waited until the last minute to take off my flats and put them on, but I was yet to meet a man who didn’t love a woman in heels, and as bad as it sounded, I wanted Miles to fancy me. Plus, I could usually manage to walk from a station to a nearby destination. Most places in London were only a few minutes’ walk from the tube, so I’d be fine.
I couldn’t wait to find out where we were going. We’d arranged to meet on the northbound platform of the Bakerloo line at Oxford Circus station, and with eighteen stops until the train reached its destination, it was hard to guess a potential location. Perhaps we were off to a concert at Wembley Stadium? I didn’t remember us talking about music, though.
I reckoned we were going to Paddington. I’d heard there were some nice new bars and restaurants around there. Or maybe—
‘Hello, leading lady!’ said a voice behind me.
‘Hi!’ I said, turning around to see Miles flashing his megawatt smile. He leant forward to give me a kiss on each cheek. Gosh, he smelt good. All woody and manly. Oh God. I could feel the tingles starting. Focus.
‘So, ready for scene two?’
‘Sure am!’ I said, trying to compose myself.
Miles was wearing tan-coloured trousers, a white-and-blue lightly chequered shirt, mint-green jumper and navy-blue blazer. Very dapper.
‘Excellent. Glad to hear you’re ready.’
‘Can you tell me where we’re going yet, then?’ I said.
‘Not too much longer to find out,’ he said as we boarded the carriage. ‘Probably not even worth sitting down as we’re getting off at the next stop.’
‘Regent’s Park?’
‘That’s the one!’ He held on to the handrail closest to the double doors.
My mind started racing.
‘Are we going for a walk? Is there a festival there?’
‘Patience, Alexandra,’ he teased.
‘You’re so cruel!’
‘Come on. Off we get,’ he said, holding out his hand. We took the lift to the exit. ‘So,’ he said as we stepped outside, ‘would you like to know where we’re going now?’
‘Yes!’ I shouted. ‘You know I do!’
He stood in front of me, grinning.
‘We…are…going…to…’
‘Stop teasing!’
‘The zoo!’
‘The zoo?’ I repeated. ‘That’s actually pretty cool!’
‘Yeah?’
‘Hell yeah!’ I gushed. ‘I love animals and I haven’t been to the zoo for years!’
‘Phew! I hoped that you’d like the idea. It’s just that when I was listening to you last night, your face really seemed to light up during our conversation about Cuddles and my family’s dog Bouncer. Then when you said that sometimes you felt you liked animals more than humans, I thought bingo!’
‘Wow, you remembered what we talked about and put all that thought into a date? For me?’
‘Yeah…’ He blushed. ‘I just thought it would be nice. Different to just taking you to a bar or pub. The weather isn’t too bad today, so I thought we could have a nice stroll through the park, which will take about twenty minutes, and then spend a couple of hours at the zoo. Maybe even have a quick drink afterwards. Depends on what time you’re going out tonight, of course.’
‘Oh, er, I should probably head off around five,’ I said, trying not to feel guilty about my drink with Luke at 6.15.
‘Cool. Well, that gives us a good few hours, then. Shall we start walking?’
‘Yes, let’s,’ I said.
‘Great!’
As we approached the park, it suddenly dawned on me. We were going to the park. Walking through the park. Twenty minutes, he said it would take. Walking in high-heeled boots. For twenty whole minutes. Then walking around a zoo for hours. Shit. My bunions, feet and my ankles were going to be totally fucked. If I’d known where we were going, then I would have…I would have…
Actually, I didn’t know what I would have done, or what I would have worn. My beige ballet shoes, which were the only flats that I owned, weren’t exactly sexy. I hadn’t bought them with dates in mind. Just comfort. Nothing I could do about it now. I just had to block the pain out and try and enjoy the date.
‘So,’ I said, taking a deep breath and trying not to focus on my toes, which were already beginning to burn, ‘last night, I didn’t get to ask you much about you and your work.’
‘That’s okay. I’m not that fussed about talking about it. I’m happy to, though, of course, if you want to.’
‘Thanks. I’m really interested to know what you do. What kind of doctor are you?’
‘A paediatrician.’
‘That’s really cool,’ I said, moving slightly to the left to let a woman with a pushchair and three kids pass along the walkway. ‘Do you work really long hours?’
‘It’s not too bad. I’m fortunate. I generally work Monday to Friday, around fifty hours a week. Sometimes more if extra shifts are needed, and we rotate being on call overnight. Could be much worse.’
Oh, that was interesting. I’d assumed he’d constantly be on call and need to work long shifts. Then again, fifty hours was still a lot.
‘And do you enjoy it?’
‘I love it.’ His face lit up, and then it became overshadowed with sadness. ‘Don’t get me wrong. It can be draining emotionally—especially when you’re dealing with sick or dying children. That’s tough. Particularly when I first started. It’s still hard now, but you’ve just got to find a way to get through it and help as many of the kids as you can.’
‘A real-life hero.’ I smiled.
‘Oh, I don’t know about that…’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘I do the best that I can, but we’re a team. We pull together. We all want to help. I’m just a doctor doing his job. I wish I could do more. I’d really love to carry out some relief work overseas. Help more children in need.’
‘Well, I think it’s brilliant.’
‘Thank you, Alexandra,’ he said, staring into my eyes and causing my heart to flutter. ‘That’s really kind.’
‘Please,’ I replied. ‘Call me Alex.’
Our eyes locked once more, and I felt the same spark and tingles as I’d experienced last night. The connection. The magnetic energy.
‘Okay, Alex,’ said Miles, breaking the spell. ‘So, which animals do you fancy seeing today, then?’
‘Ooooh…I don’t know. How about everything!’
‘Excellent!’ He rubbed his hands together excitedly. ‘Love your enthusiasm.’
‘Well, you make it very easy for me to be enthusiastic. So,’ I said, quickly changing the subject in case he thought I was being too gushy, ‘what made you become a doctor, then?’ His face fell. ‘Oh, sorry. Do you not want to talk about it?’
‘It’s okay. Just wondering whether the story’s a bit heavy for a second date, that’s all.’
‘Don’t worry. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. I was just interested to find out more about you. But we can talk about something lighter if you prefer.’
‘No, no, it’s fine,’ he said. ‘If it feels too dreary, then just pinch my arm and I can dance for you or something. That will definitely make you laugh and help lighten the mood!’
‘Why? Are you not a good dancer?’
‘Two giant left feet,’ Miles laughed.
I looked down at the ground, which, true to the season, was covered with russet, yellow and brown leaves. Hi
s brown shoes glistened, and they were indeed large. You know what they say about men with big feet…
‘I’m not much of a dancer either,’ I said, removing my mind from the gutter.
‘That’s a relief. At least if I invite you to a party, you won’t show me up on the dance floor.’
‘Definitely no chance of that!’
‘So,’ he said, taking a deep breath. ‘Getting to the serious stuff…I had a difficult childhood. Dad left when I was five, Mum started drinking heavily and became an alcoholic. Things got pretty bad. I still have vivid memories of when I was six or seven, waiting at the school gates for her to pick me up, then having to try and find my own way home, using the key under the mat to open the door and then seeing her passed out drunk on the sofa. I also remember the stench of whisky on her breath. I always wondered why other adults didn’t have that. Because I’d gotten so used to Mum stinking of alcohol, I’d just thought it was how all adults smelt. The more time passed, the more my health deteriorated, as I’d lost so much weight.’
‘Weren’t you eating? Didn’t she feed you?’
‘No. Not really. If she was having a good day, then maybe I’d get dinner. Sometimes even toast for breakfast, but that was rare. When she was really out of it, which was most of the time, she wouldn’t cook or go shopping. I’d be left scrambling around the house, looking for enough pennies to buy a packet of crisps from the corner shop for dinner. The free school lunches I was lucky enough to have were often the only food I ate all day. Teachers noticed that I was getting thinner and thinner and were always asking if everything was okay at home. Especially as I always looked scruffy. Sometimes I’d go weeks without my clothes being washed or ironed. The kids would tease me, saying I smelt, so I remember trying to wash my uniform in the bath with soap. Which was fine, but then one morning, when I tried to iron my shirt on the floor—I was too small to put up the ironing board up, you see—I burnt myself. So when I turned up at school, the teachers immediately called social services.’
‘Jesus. That’s awful,’ I said, trying to imagine what he must have gone through. Even though we’d known each other less than twenty-four hours, it was strange to see such sadness in his eyes. I’d already become used to his smile and the warmth that seemed to radiate from him.
Only When It's Love: A Chick Lit, Romantic Comedy Novel: Holding Out For Mr Right Page 10
