The Promise of Summer

by Bella Osborne

  ‘Here you are,’ said Curtis, startling her. ‘Sorry, my meeting overran. You all right?’

  ‘This room. It’s amazing. It’s bigger than my flat.’

  ‘You like it? There wasn’t a lot of choice at such short notice and I didn’t fancy the hostel-style hotel on the ring road.’ He scrunched up his nose and she did the same although she clearly wasn’t as fussy as him. She’d been quite excited when she’d last stayed in a Premier Inn.

  She turned around to face the double doors she’d come through. They were impressively tall and sleek. She closed them and then flung them open and sashayed through – it felt amazing. ‘We all need double doors in our lives. These are incredible.’ She repeated the routine a few times and added ‘Ta-dah!’ Curtis coughed. ‘What?’

  ‘I thought you were used to living indoors but it’s not apparent from your behaviour.’

  ‘But these are fabulous,’ she said, coming through the double doors and striking a pose with a pout.

  ‘But you have seen doors before?’ His lip twitched.

  ‘Curtis, it’s called having fun. You know what they say. Growing old is compulsory but growing up is optional?’

  He seemed to consider it. ‘I would have thought they were the same thing.’

  ‘Er no. You have fun though, right?’

  ‘I used to as a child.’

  ‘Wow. You’ve forgotten how to have fun.’

  ‘Not exactly, there’s not really any call for it. Or time for it either. I work.’

  ‘But not all the time?’ she asked, although she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

  ‘I work every day because I don’t have any commitments. I have time to fill and work does that.’

  ‘You can work and have fun. I have fun every day at Bloom with a View.’

  ‘At work?’

  ‘Yep. I always swore that if I didn’t, I would quit. So, I do a job I love. You’re there far too many hours not to.’ It was also something her mum had instilled in her. She’d always say, ‘Rather be a happy dustman, than an unhappy duke’. Although Ruby had never worked out how you got the job of a duke – she was pretty sure it wasn’t something you could apply for on Monster.co.uk.

  Curtis scrunched up his features in thought. ‘Interesting theory. Even more so because it comes from you.’ He joined her in the bedroom and closed the doors to the bathroom. ‘I take it we’re done with the doors?’

  ‘I just really like them. They make you feel amazing.’ He gave her a doubtful look. ‘Seriously, you need to try it. Go on,’ she added.

  Curtis looked uncomfortable. Eventually he gingerly stepped forward and opened one of the doors.

  ‘No, no, no.’ Ruby gave him a gentle shove into the bathroom and shut the door with him on the other side. ‘Both together. Like this.’ She demonstrated the dramatic entrance one last time and a rush of something coursed through her system. She felt like she could do anything, be anyone. It was great. Curtis, on the other hand, had only just managed to get out of the way in time to avoid being smacked in the face. ‘Your go,’ she said. ‘And no half-hearted nonsense. Enjoy it.’

  Curtis swallowed hard. Ruby shut the door and waited. A couple of moments passed and she could imagine him psyching himself up on the other side. The doors flung open and Curtis strode through, making Ruby gasp. His jaw was clenched in concentration – moody but determined. Despite his very neat appearance seeing him materialise like that gave him a film-star quality.

  ‘How was it?’ she asked.

  ‘Fine. Can we go to Leeds now?’ Despite his words she could sense he’d secretly enjoyed it – just a little bit.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ruby was pleased that Curtis had sorted out the train tickets for both of them. Better still, he said he’d cover them as a work expense because they were going to discuss her workload during the journey. They had a seat with a table and Curtis faced the way he wanted to, giving Ruby full view of the carriage. Curtis tapped away on his laptop and she watched a couple who were sitting a few seats down. They were younger than her and there was something about their body language that caught her attention. The way they touched each other, the facial expressions and how they happily invaded each other’s space. They were clearly in love and Ruby had to concentrate not to let out a heavy sigh.

  Curtis shut the laptop with a slap, making her jolt. ‘What is it?’ he asked, placing both hands on the closed lid and giving her his full attention.

  ‘It’s the couple down there,’ she said in a whisper and nodded her head.

  Curtis leaned out into the aisle for a good look behind him.

  ‘Don’t be that obvious. You’re as subtle as a truckload of bricks.’ Curtis gave a mock scowl over his shoulder. She instantly realised her mistake. ‘Sorry.’ Curtis stayed leaning into the aisle for a while. ‘Curtis,’ she hissed and he righted himself.

  ‘I see two people acting quite childishly. What is it that you see?’

  She tilted her head. It was obvious to her. ‘Two people in love.’

  ‘Really?’ But before she could answer he was having another unsubtle look. ‘How on earth do you deduce that? Neither is wearing a ring. I’ve not seen them kiss. And we can’t hear what they’re saying.’

  ‘It’s the way they look at each other. How comfortable they are in each other’s space. The fact that happiness is practically radiating off of them.’

  ‘Hmm. Interesting.’

  ‘It really is interesting. Well, it is to me. I love that they’ve found their ideal partner,’ said Ruby, folding her arms and trying hard not to stare at the couple.

  ‘What are you looking for in an ideal partner?’ he asked.

  She narrowed her eyes. ‘Why do you want to know?’

  ‘For one I’m meant to be introducing you to suitable potential partners and I’m also genuinely interested. Relationships fascinate me. Though they also confuse me.’ He grimaced as he spoke.

  ‘I know what you mean. I read a lot and the men in the books are nothing like reality.’

  ‘I suppose that is why it’s called fiction,’ he said.

  ‘Good point. But it’s not only finding someone. It’s finding the right person and making it last.’ A thought struck her. ‘Adam and Eve couldn’t make their relationship work long-term and they were in paradise – what are my chances in Sheffield?’ She chuckled at her own joke.

  Curtis didn’t. ‘I’m not sure location is a big factor in longevity.’

  ‘Maybe not, but if you think about all the permutations of what you and they want from a relationship, the odds of finding a match are stacked against you.’

  ‘Go on then. I won’t judge. Your top-three things you’re looking for in an ideal partner.’ He tilted his head expectantly.

  She loved things like this and it was a surprise that it was his suggestion. ‘Hmm. Someone I can trust.’

  ‘I agree,’ he said. ‘Integrity is vital.’

  ‘It’s a lot harder to find than you’d think.’ He was watching her intently. She had a little think about what she would want in a partner. ‘Someone who makes me laugh and has the same interests as me, so we’ve got something in common. They need to have the same goals too.’ A picture of Chris Hemsworth cradling a baby popped into her mind.

  ‘You set goals in your relationships?’ Curtis opened his laptop and started typing.

  ‘Are you making notes in a spreadsheet?’

  ‘I might be.’ His guilty face peered over the top of the lid. ‘I’m intrigued. Especially now you’ve said goals.’

  ‘When I say goals, I mean that I want a long-term relationship and children.’

  ‘I see, and the men you usually meet want sex and no ongoing commitment. Correct?’

  She was about to become defensive but he’d actually hit the nail on the head. ‘Yep. That’s basically the issue.’

  ‘Fascinating. Thinking about your criteria, my first suggestion would be Bob. And you’ve already met.’

  Bob? Who
the hell was Bob? Ruby’s mind raced back to the meeting and the dull bald man in his forties. ‘Bloody hell, Curtis.’ She didn’t want to be rude about Bob but she needed to shut this down quickly. ‘For starters, I’m guessing Bob lives in London, he’s probably shorter than me and when I ran over his toes with the chair there wasn’t exactly a spark between us.’

  ‘Spark?’ he asked.

  ‘You know. That instant connection. Something that draws you to someone. A little frisson of excitement.’

  Curtis was still watching her closely, his fingers poised over the keyboard. ‘I’m not sure I know what you mean.’

  ‘Okay. You know when you meet a woman …’ she was suddenly aware that she had talked a lot about her relationship problems and desires but knew nothing of his ‘… or a man, I don’t know what your preference is. But anyway. It’s that sense you get when you meet someone you’re attracted to. A strong feeling. It’s that little something that tells you they feel the same.’

  Curtis pressed his lips together. ‘I don’t tend to have strong feelings for people either way.’

  ‘I think I probably could have guessed that.’ They both went quiet while they pondered this.

  ‘Shall we go through the progress you’ve made on the emails I sent over and what else I need you to do?’ he said eventually.

  ‘Sure.’ She got out her list. The young couple hooted with laughter, instantly distracting them. Both Ruby and Curtis leaned into the aisle to get a better look.

  Ruby liked Leeds – she’d been a few times. It made a change from Sheffield and it wasn’t far away. They had all the good shops too. Some fancy big ones and some interesting little independent ones – neither of which she could afford but she liked looking. They had devised a plan on the train. Or more to the point Curtis had said, ‘I suggest we take the ring into the jeweller’s and ask them if they can contact the purchaser for us.’ And Ruby had agreed.

  They entered a stunningly beautiful Victorian arcade with a glass-domed roof and intricate tiled floor. The jeweller’s was tiny and had an entry bell. Curtis went to push it and Ruby stopped him.

  ‘Hang on.’

  ‘Why?’ Curtis stepped back to read the signage. ‘This is the right jeweller’s.’

  ‘Yeah, but look.’ Ruby pointed to a notice in the window, which read ‘Robbery 13th April. A number of items were stolen from these premises in an armed raid. Police are looking for any information that will lead to the recovery of the items and prosecution of those involved.’

  ‘Do you think—’ began Curtis.

  ‘Well, I do now!’ Ruby pulled him away from the door. ‘We need to think about this.’

  ‘If it’s stolen we need to return it,’ said Curtis.

  ‘But if Lewis didn’t know it was stolen, he will lose the ring and be out of pocket.’

  ‘But if it is stolen, it means we are handling stolen goods and that is an offence.’ Curtis’s eyes widened.

  ‘Not if you don’t know they’re stolen.’

  Curtis tapped the notice. ‘But we do.’

  ‘Not for sure.’

  Curtis’s expression said otherwise. A face appeared on the other side of the window display, giving them both a start. A smartly dressed woman pretended to rearrange the things on show whilst eyeing them both with a level of suspicion of someone recently robbed.

  ‘Come on,’ said Ruby. ‘We can’t discuss this here.’ She started to walk away but Curtis wasn’t moving.

  ‘If we knew what was stolen, we would know if the ring was one of the items or not,’ he said, getting out his phone and searching the news. ‘No details or photographs on here. It just says jewellery to the value of fifty thousand pounds.’

  ‘Wow,’ said Ruby, but then given the price tags she’d seen that was probably only a few handfuls of stuff.

  ‘And I bet this ring is one of them.’ Curtis was looking unsettled.

  ‘We can’t exactly ask.’ A thought pinged into her head. ‘But we could pose as a couple looking for an engagement ring. One with yellow diamonds.’ Ruby was warming to her plan but Curtis was already shaking his head. She returned to the window and started to peruse the rings and she pointed at a couple.

  Curtis moved closer. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Is the jeweller shop woman still watching us?’ she asked.

  Curtis checked. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Great. Right, here’s the new plan.’

  Curtis didn’t like the new plan and had made that very clear but Ruby was on a mission. They’d been for a walk around the city centre and gone over the plan a couple of times. They were now back in the arcade and approaching the little shop.

  ‘I don’t think I can do this,’ said Curtis, stopping and backing away.

  ‘Come on, it’ll be fun.’

  ‘No, it won’t.’ He’d gone all rigid and was gripping his laptop bag tightly like a life raft. ‘I’m not good at pretending. I was never picked for parts in the school play. I was always the narrator.’

  ‘And I was Dopey – I get that we aren’t always suited to our parts. But all you have to do is follow my lead. Got it?’

  ‘They’ll see through the charade and it will end badly. I’m not happy,’ said Curtis.

  ‘And now I’m grumpy,’ said Ruby.

  ‘Can we please stop calling out dwarves?’

  ‘Look, I know you’re uncomfortable about this. But seeing as you’re pretending to be getting engaged – and, can I point out, engaged to me – you should be very happy. Ecstatic in fact.’ Curtis blinked repeatedly. ‘You could do worse, you know,’ said Ruby, trying not to be offended by his terrified expression.

  ‘I’ve not thought about how I would behave if I were betrothed.’

  ‘You’re not trying for a BAFTA, Curtis. We just have to look believable as a couple.’

  ‘That’s what’s worrying me,’ said Curtis.

  Ruby narrowed her eyes. ‘Am I not good enough? Is that it?’

  ‘On the contrary. I’m just not sure we would be a likely pairing.’

  Ruby flicked her hair over her shoulder and put her hands on her hips. ‘Who do you see yourself with then?’

  ‘Let me think …’ Curtis took an inordinate amount of time. Eventually he shook his head.

  ‘Exactly,’ said Ruby, trying to calm herself down. She pressed the doorbell before Curtis came up with any more excuses. The door buzzed open. Ruby grabbed Curtis’s hand and pulled him reluctantly inside.

  The woman behind the glass-topped counter slapped on a smile. ‘Good afternoon, how can I help you?’

  ‘We’re looking at engagements rings,’ said Ruby.

  ‘How lovely. Congratulations.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Ruby. She gave Curtis’s hand a squeeze.

  ‘Thank you?’ he said but somehow made it sound like a question.

  ‘Did you have something in mind?’ asked the jeweller.

  Ruby rocked from side to side. ‘I’m not sure. You see diamonds are traditional, right?’ The woman nodded. ‘But I kind of like a bit of colour. I mean I’m going to be wearing it for the rest of my life.’ She heard Curtis swallow hard. She rested her head on his upper arm because she couldn’t reach his shoulder. He stiffened.

  ‘What sort of budget are you looking at?’

  Curtis opened his mouth but Ruby spoke. ‘Sky’s the limit. My Curtis said I can have exactly what I want.’ Curtis’s eyes bulged in alarm.

  The woman appeared delighted. ‘I see,’ she said, scanning the shop.

  ‘Nothing too large. I’ve got dainty fingers.’ Ruby waggled her left hand in front of the woman for effect.

  The jeweller proceeded to bring out rings one at a time for Ruby to look at. She fell in love with a ruby and diamond twist and was admiring how pretty it looked on her finger when Curtis coughed, bringing her back to reality.

  ‘Do you like this one?’ she asked him.

  ‘But … I … er … we’re not …’

  Ruby could sense he was going to blurt
something out so she did the only thing she could think of and kissed him quickly on the lips. She figured the shock would keep him quiet for a while. Curtis stopped talking but was now blushing from the collar up. ‘It’s so adorable when you can’t find the words – that’s why I love you,’ she said tilting her head at him admiringly for the jeweller’s benefit. ‘You know what? I love yellow,’ said Ruby. ‘And I quite fancied the ring you showed us with the three stones. I don’t suppose you do one like that but with yellow stones?’

  ‘We can make one. We did one with a stunning central yellow sapphire.’

  ‘Diamond,’ said Ruby a little more sharply than she’d intended. ‘You can get diamonds in yellow. Right?’

  ‘Of course. It would be a special order but we could have that made up within four to six weeks to your exact design. It would be in the region of—’

  ‘Do you not have one available to buy today?’ Ruby leaned forward a little. Curtis was still busy turning red.

  ‘No, I’m sorry.’

  ‘So you don’t have one with yellow diamonds in the shop?’ asked Ruby. The woman gave her a puzzled look and Ruby worried that she’d said too much. ‘Only I thought I remembered seeing one in your window ages ago. But I might have been mistaken.’

  ‘It’s not a piece that I can recall. But then I was working at our York store until a couple of months ago.’

  Ruby felt her shoulders sag. ‘You’ve been really helpful. And given us lots to think about.’ She turned to Curtis who was now looking like rigor mortis had set in. ‘Hasn’t she, darling?’

  ‘Yes?’ said Curtis.

  ‘Let us mull over everything and hopefully we’ll see you again very soon. Thanks,’ said Ruby and she gave Curtis a tug to get him moving.

  Outside she let out a puff of a breath. Curtis still appeared somewhat stunned. ‘You okay?’ He blinked. She realised he had a smudge of her lipstick across his top lip. ‘You might want to …’ She pointed and he seemed to snap out of his trance.