The Promise of Summer

by Bella Osborne

  ‘Right. If you have a look in there, I’ll be back in ten minutes,’ said Curtis. ‘Then we can have a drink and something to eat?’

  ‘Okay.’

  He turned and walked off.

  Ruby checked out all the latest designs and even tried a couple on from the sale section. She couldn’t afford them but it was fun to pretend. When she emerged, Curtis was waiting nearby but appeared to have found a friend. A man in a suit was standing next to him with an uncannily similar gait and facial expression to Curtis.

  ‘No purchases?’ asked Curtis. Ruby shook her head and the man next to him pretended to be shocked.

  ‘Hi,’ said Ruby, waving to the man.

  ‘He doesn’t speak. He’s a mime artist,’ explained Curtis, pulling a five-pound note from his pocket and handing it to the street performer who did an elaborate bow.

  ‘Cool,’ said Ruby but Curtis was already walking away. They passed a few more performers before they reached a café with a large dark red awning and tables outside.

  A waiter quickly appeared and offered them a menu. ‘It’s a little early for dinner … unless …’ Curtis looked at Ruby.

  ‘We do need to eat but …’ She leaned forward and lowered her voice. ‘How expensive is it?’ She had a feeling it would be pricey and she had already blown five hundred quid today.

  ‘It’s reasonable for London and the food is good quality.’

  ‘Then I’m in,’ said Ruby, taking the proffered menu. The long list of food made her mouth water.

  ‘Anything to drink?’ asked the waiter.

  ‘Ruby, would you like to join me in a bottle of wine?’ asked Curtis.

  ‘Sure.’ She could definitely do with a drink and the setting was so perfect she felt all it needed was a nice glass of something chilled.

  ‘Red, white or rosé?’ he asked.

  ‘White please,’ said Ruby.

  ‘A bottle of the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, please,’ said Curtis.

  ‘Certainly, sir.’ And the waiter retreated.

  Ruby ordered the ravioli as it was one of the cheapest things on the menu and they sipped wine while they waited. She tried to take everything in, all the people around her chatting and laughing like they did this every day. Maybe they did. The comings and goings of people across the cobbles – different shapes, sizes and outfits. Summer was in full swing and it felt like they’d all come to Covent Garden. The whole atmosphere had her hooked.

  ‘Are you okay?’ asked Curtis, leaning back in the bistro chair and looking relaxed for the first time that day.

  ‘Yes and no.’

  Curtis’s mouth lifted at one side. ‘You’re not one for a straight answer, are you?’

  ‘Well, this is lovely. I mean really lovely.’ She made a sweeping gesture with her wine glass and then put it down so she didn’t spill any. At those prices it would have brought her close to tears. ‘But the rest of the day hasn’t been great, you know? My plan got derailed.’ She gave him a pointed look. ‘And I kind of feel that I’ve let Lewis down,’ said Ruby, sipping her wine and then putting it down again so she didn’t glug it too fast.

  ‘I’m supposing he would have realised that he’d lost the ring long before now. In which case he’s either improvised with something else, gone ahead without it or postponed the proposal. Either way it will be a nice surprise when we are finally able to return it to him.’

  ‘I guess.’

  ‘Would you like to discuss the artificial—’

  ‘Can you not keep saying that? Please,’ said Ruby.

  Curtis nodded. He looked about the surrounding tables before eventually speaking. ‘Would sperm donor be better?’

  ‘I’m not sure it would but okay, fine.’ She wasn’t entirely convinced but it was a marginal improvement.

  ‘Good,’ said Curtis, seeming pleased. ‘What would you like to discuss about the sperm donor?’

  His factual approach wasn’t conducive to a relaxed natter. It felt a bit like being interviewed. But at the same time it made it easier to give an honest answer. ‘I’m mad at myself because in two minutes flat I let you talk me out of a decision I had spent a long time planning.’

  ‘Does that not mean it was merely a bad decision?’

  ‘No.’ She heard the irritation in her own voice. ‘I don’t have many options for a baby. I’m almost thirty-five. I’m single. And even when I’m not single, I have a habit of choosing highly unsuitable men. This was a logical next step. I’m young enough to cope on my own as a single parent. It avoids any of the hassle that comes with a relationship and I wouldn’t have to answer to anyone else. I could have done the whole pregnancy and birth my way. Grrr!’ She made a growling noise and Curtis recoiled. ‘I’m furious with myself. It was a good decision. I’ve done the wrong bloody thing as usual. I’ve let someone else change my mind. And now I’m not pregnant, never likely to be and I’ve chucked away five hundred quid for nothing.’

  ‘Ah,’ said Curtis, holding up a finger. ‘I can help there.’ He rummaged in his laptop bag and pulled out the envelope of money she’d given Neil.

  Ruby felt her eyes pop wide. ‘You nicked the cash?’

  ‘No. I pointed out that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority might be interested in his business and he reluctantly returned the money.’ Ruby ran a thumb over the notes. This was a turn-up. ‘I’m afraid he took fifty pounds out. For his … services.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She waved the envelope at him. ‘This makes me feel a bit better.’ She took a large swig of wine. She might even buy another bottle now her finances suddenly looked a bit healthier.

  ‘Good. I wanted to do that, make you feel better. I did a small amount of investigation after you went inside and there are a number of far more reliable suppliers of sperm on the internet. Although they do seem to charge more in the region of a thousand pounds.’

  ‘Yeah. I found those ones too. That was why Neil seemed like a bargain. But I did do lots of research and he was the best I could afford. The ones who send you stuff through the post looked seriously dodgy. I mean it could be anything in the little pot, right?’

  ‘I think the phrase you get what you pay for probably applies here.’

  Ruby put the money away and the waiter arrived with their food. The smell of the dishes was divine. ‘Maybe I’ll save up while I do a bit more research.’ It was starting to feel like not all was lost; even if she wasn’t pregnant today, she still had options.

  ‘I think that’s very wise. Have you completely ruled out sexual …’ Ruby’s hard stare seemed to have halted him. He rolled his lips together. ‘Ruled out a more traditional approach?’ he amended, cutting into his fishcake.

  ‘Look, Curtis. I don’t mean to be rude. But you need to trust me when I say that there are no decent men out there who are interested in me. And believe me I have done my research on this one too.’

  ‘Fifteen per cent of people find their partners at work.’

  Ruby giggled. ‘I do love Kim but not like that, I’m afraid.’

  Curtis frowned. ‘I take it Kim is female.’

  ‘She is.’

  ‘Who else do you work with?’ he asked.

  ‘Nobody. It’s just the two of us.’

  ‘Ah.’ Curtis took a sip of his wine. His cheek twitched and he took a slow intake of breath. ‘Perhaps I could be of assistance?’

  ‘Really? How?’ She was intrigued and a little amused.

  ‘You did a good job at convincing Jonty and the others at the meeting that you were my assistant. And you certainly seemed to win Jonty over very quickly. Whilst I don’t particularly need a full-time assistant, I often find I spend a lot of time on admin work that could be completed by someone else. I also had some feedback that I should do more schmoozing, something I feel you would understand far better than me. As my admin clerk you would have access to a number of companies and therefore employees. Thereby increasing your pool of possible mates.’

  Ruby burst out laughing. ‘You make m
e sound like a chimp on a nature programme.’ Curtis’s expression was deadpan, making her moderate her amusement. ‘Thank you, Curtis. That is a most generous offer. Which I promise you I will give full consideration to.’ Was it her imagination or was she starting to talk like him now?

  Kim cashed up the till, sorted out the flowers, prepped for the next day and readied herself to lock up. They had a wedding tomorrow so they’d need to be in early even though a lot of the work was already done. She hoped Ruby had remembered; she’d message her later to remind her. Kim picked up the twins’ bouquet she was going to deliver on her way home and paused by the door. The bins hadn’t been emptied. She let out a slow breath. However much she wanted to forget that the letter existed, she simply couldn’t. She put down the bouquet and stomped through to the back room, grabbed the balled-up paper out of the bin and shoved it deep into her pocket. She locked up the shop and left.

  The delivery was in Fulwood, which was on her way home. She parked the car and knocked on the door. As she waited, she could hear the screams of the babies. A flustered young woman opened the door and her troubled expression instantly dissolved at the sight of the balloons and the bouquet.

  ‘The Taylor family?’ asked Kim with a smile.

  ‘Wow they’re beautiful, thank you.’

  ‘You’re welcome. And congratulations!’ said Kim, turning to leave. These were the moments of her job that she loved. She looked over the top of her car at the big old church on the other side of the street. She caught a fleeting glance of someone she recognised – Adrian. She remembered the offer he’d made to go with her to the dog rescue. She needed cheering up, and going to look at strays was definitely one way to do it. She crossed the road and walked around to the churchyard entrance. Adrian was sitting on a bench in the churchyard. She strode towards him but then slowed her pace. Maybe approaching him was being insensitive, realising where he was. He most likely wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Now was not the time – her rescue pup could wait. Kim turned on the gravel and began walking back to her car.

  ‘Kim?’

  She turned at the sound of Adrian’s voice. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you,’ she said as she walked back towards him. ‘I was making a delivery across the road and …’ Adrian was coming around the other side of the bench to meet her, but she carried on. ‘I was heading back to my car and I looked across at the church. I quite like old churches and …’ She might as well sit down now he’d spoken to her. He was clearly happy to chat. ‘I spotted you and thought I’d just pop over.’ She plonked herself down on the bench. Adrian hovered at the other end for a moment, making her look up at him. His eyes travelled from her to a nearby grave and hers followed.

  The grave was neat and well-tended with a white stone headstone and a beautiful and very familiar bouquet of mixed roses. Kim’s gaze travelled from the flowers up the headstone and the name – Justine Booth.

  Ruby and Curtis caught a later train and found seats facing the direction of travel in the quiet carriage. Ruby was still buzzing from Covent Garden and a bit more than her fair share of a bottle of wine. Curtis had insisted on paying for everything because he said it was a business expense as, technically, they’d both been to a business meeting.

  ‘This job you’re offering me,’ began Ruby, buoyed by the alcohol, ‘is it paid?’

  ‘Yes, if you’re going to do administrative tasks.’ Ruby twisted in her seat. Now she was interested. ‘If it was purely you using my contacts to find a mate …’ He stopped himself. ‘A suitable partner, then I don’t think there would be any associated remuneration.’

  ‘No worky, no money. That’s fair. But I’m not useless, honest. I know the action list I did today probably wasn’t that useful.’ Curtis’s eyebrows twitched in agreement with her. ‘And the cartoon dragon may have been a mistake. But I can do stuff. I worked in an office years ago. And at the florist’s I do loads; as well as making up arrangements I answer the phone, serve customers, do the banking and I cover for Kim when she’s not there. It’s all proof I can be trusted. I could get Kim to write me a reference.’ She was suddenly very keen to do this, especially if it was going to generate a bit more cash.

  ‘Can you fit it around your full-time job?’

  ‘Yeah, some days are quieter than others and I can work evenings and on my days off.’

  Curtis pondered her statement. ‘It could be on a trial basis, just for this project and purely until you found a donor, sorry, mate – partner.’

  ‘Perfect, and it means we can work together to get the ring back to Lewis too. I could do some investigating. Maybe set up a conference call.’ She was showing off now. She’d only ever done a conference call once before but he didn’t need to know that.

  ‘Hmm. Perhaps you could screen some of my calls and, if I give you access to my diary, set up some meetings.’

  ‘Yes, I can do that. No problem.’

  ‘And in return I could introduce you to suitable men.’

  ‘Like a pimp?’ She was teasing him.

  ‘No. Not like that at all. For example, you could liaise with Jonty. I’ve known him for a number of years. He’s reliable, trustworthy and seems popular in the office. He doesn’t wear a wedding ring so it’s likely he’s single.’

  ‘Are you setting me up, Mr Walker?’ Ruby gave him a mock-shocked look.

  ‘I thought that’s exactly what we were doing?’ Curtis seemed confused.

  ‘I’m kidding. It’s cool. One thing, do you trust me to do a good job?’

  ‘I trust you to do your best and I’ll remain undecided until I see a result.’

  ‘Fair enough.’ She held out her hand and he shook it. ‘And you’ll need to come up with someone better than Jonty – I’m pretty sure he’s gay.’

  Curtis’s phone vibrated on the table and he left the carriage to take the call, leaving Ruby to contemplate what she was getting herself into. She’d spent the whole day with a stranger and when it came to strange Curtis fitted the brief completely. However, as the day had gone on, she’d kind of got used to him. He talked funny and he seemed confused by her most of the time but there was an innocence about him that made her feel safe in his company. He’d got her across London in one piece and taken her to Covent Garden, which she’d loved. She knew she wasn’t a great judge of character but Curtis was very different to anyone else she’d ever met. For one thing he wasn’t trying to impress her. He didn’t put on a front and she liked his ‘what you see is what you get’ approach.

  His idea of introducing her to men he knew wasn’t conventional but she’d tried pretty much all the other options – clubs, bars, blind dates, speed dating, a multitude of apps and none of those had worked. If she thought about her friends, a lot of them had met people at work so maybe there was something in the statistics Curtis had spouted. And in her romance novels the heroine often found love when she least expected it, so you never knew. It was a crazy idea but perhaps it was worth having one last try to find love. If it failed, she always had the donor plan to fall back on.

  Her evening in Covent Garden was catching up with her and now she needed a wee. She followed the signs, past Curtis who was scowling hard while listening on his phone. The toilet was a sort of round cubicle and seemed very space-age; when she pressed a button the door glided open. She went in, pressed another button and watched it slide shut – all very Dr Who.

  She wiped the seat and sat down. Oh, the relief. She was mid-flow when the door majestically slid open, revealing her sitting on the loo in all her glory. She was horrified. But she was too far away to reach the close button. To stand up now would have dire consequences. In the doorway two men were having a conversation, oblivious to her situation. Most likely one of them had leaned on the button. Just behind them she could see Curtis speaking on his mobile. Could this get any worse? Curtis stepped forward, and without looking directly at her, he pressed the close door button. He turned his back and she watched the door slide across.

  Ruby let out
a huge sigh of relief. She quickly finished, washed her hands and left the cubicle. Curtis was still guarding it. She whispered a ‘thank you’, being sure not to make eye contact.

  She hurried back to her seat and got her book out, so she had something to hide behind. The carriage door opened and Curtis entered and retook his seat. He’d seen her on the loo. She could feel the colour seeping into her cheeks.

  ‘Thanks for closing the door. What a nightmare! I didn’t know I had to press multiple buttons …’ The look on his face made her stop babbling. ‘You okay?’ she asked.

  ‘No.’

  ‘Want to elaborate?’

  ‘That was the police.’

  ‘Bloody hell, what’s wrong?’

  ‘A truck left the road and smashed into the side of my house. Until it’s been deemed safe, I cannot return. I’m homeless.’ In that moment he looked utterly lost and alone.

  ‘I’m so sorry. You poor thing.’ She shook her fuzzy head. ‘That’s a real bummer.’

  ‘Indeed, it is a … bummer.’ He checked his watch. ‘It’ll be twenty past ten when we pull in. I’ll need to make some calls to local hotels if I want a room at such short notice.’

  ‘No way. You must stay at mine tonight.’

  ‘What?’ He looked alarmed at the prospect. ‘No, thank you. That is kind but I’ll go to a hotel.’

  ‘At this time of night? I won’t hear of it. You can sleep in my bed …’ Curtis’s eyebrows almost reached his hairline. ‘And I’ll sleep on the sofa.’ His eyebrows returned to their normal position. He opened his mouth to speak. ‘No. I’m not discussing it,’ she said, patting his arm. ‘After taking me to Covent Garden, shutting the loo door and giving me a new job it’s the least I can do.’

  Chapter Eleven

  Kim stared at the headstone as the breeze tickled the roses. ‘Justine’s dead?’

  Adrian came to sit on the bench next to Kim. When he spoke, he spoke to the headstone. ‘She died two years ago.’

  ‘But you buy her flowers every Friday.’ Kim knew it sounded daft but it was all she could think to say; the shock was ricocheting around her mind.