The Promise of Summer

by Bella Osborne

  ‘He’s in London until the end of the week,’ explained Ruby.

  ‘Okay, I’ll let him know. Thanks for your help.’

  ‘No, hang on. I’ll come over. Give me thirty minutes.’

  True to her word, in less than half an hour she was knocking on Harry’s door. He opened his eyes when she entered and she was sure she saw him smile. He was a man who was fading. It was like his batteries were slowly losing power.

  ‘Hi, Harry, they called me in because you’re driving Dot and Kitty wild again.’

  His smile broadened and he struggled to lift his oxygen mask to speak. ‘They wish,’ he said with a gasp. His breathing had deteriorated. ‘Where’s Curtis?’

  ‘He’s living it up in London.’ Harry raised a doubtful eyebrow. ‘Honestly. He’s even going to a party tomorrow night.’ And probably pulling the woman of his dreams, she thought sadly. ‘So, you’ve got me instead.’

  ‘Thank you. I don’t get many visitors. Curtis is one of the few who keep in touch.’

  ‘That’s a shame. Did you foster many children?’ she asked.

  ‘One hundred and eighty-seven over twenty-two years.’

  ‘Wow. That’s a whole lot of kids.’

  ‘I take it as a compliment that they don’t keep in touch.’

  ‘How do you work that out?’ Ruby sat down on the bed.

  ‘It means they went on to be even happier. We were always only meant to be a stopgap.’ He took a moment to breathe deeply on the oxygen. ‘Apart from Curtis. They found him adoptive parents three times but each time he came back to us.’

  Ruby’s heart ached for the lost little boy Curtis once was. ‘Why was that?’

  Harry sighed deeply. ‘I think everyone has a picture of what their child will be like and Curtis never really matched anyone’s expectations. Children aren’t performing seals; they are fully formed individuals from a young age.’ He took a shaky breath. ‘That’s hard for some prospective parents to understand. It’s like any relationship – you have to accept people as they are. No good comes from trying to change them into something they’re not.’

  His words hit home. ‘You’re right. None of us are perfect.’

  ‘True,’ said Harry with a cough. ‘We loved Curtis with all our hearts. I fear I’ve not told him often enough.’

  ‘I’m sure he knows.’

  He reached out and with a cold bony hand he clutched hers. ‘I’ve not got long.’ Harry’s expression was grave and it broke her heart a little.

  ‘Nor me, there’s a film on I want to watch,’ she said with a wink.

  He chuckled and it turned into a cough. ‘You know what I mean. And there’s things I need to tell Curtis.’

  ‘Okay. Are we talking “I’ve got a map detailing ancient buried treasure” or is it some pearls of wisdom?’

  ‘Both,’ he said, returning the wink.

  ‘Now I’m interested. You could tell me and I’ll write it down?’

  ‘Please.’ He squeezed her hand again. ‘You’re perfect for our Curtis.’

  She laughed out of embarrassment. ‘Thanks, but I don’t think he thinks of me like that.’ She leaned closer. ‘Don’t say I said anything but he’s interested in a woman at work.’

  ‘Oh.’ Harry looked crestfallen.

  Ruby pulled her hand free from his and took out her phone. ‘Right, you talk and I’ll type.’

  It was Wednesday and Ruby was very aware that tonight’s party was likely to be the clincher between Curtis and Cordelia. Kim had done her best to keep Ruby busy all day and to her credit the day had flown by in a flurry of online orders and deliveries. Kim had promised her a night out and now she was quite looking forward to it, if only to take her mind off Project Cordelia. The taxi dropped Ruby off and she knocked for Kim. She hadn’t been out out for a while, so she’d made an effort and done her hair and make-up.

  ‘You look nice,’ said Kim, exiting the house.

  ‘Thanks. So do you.’

  ‘Ta. I think I’ve lost a couple of pounds already thanks to Boomer taking me for a walk every day. I’ve not worn this dress in ages.’

  ‘It suits you,’ said Ruby as they began to walk towards the pub.

  ‘Right. Confession time,’ said Kim.

  ‘Oh dear. What have you done?’

  ‘It’s more what I’m about to do.’ Kim scrunched up her shoulders. ‘It’s speed dating night.’

  ‘Oh, Kim. No. I wanted to have a good girly natter. Not spend the evening being judged by some chancers looking for a quick hook-up.’

  ‘Trust me. It’s not the usual cheap and tacky set-up,’ said Kim.

  ‘They’re all cheap and tacky.’ Ruby shook her head, she couldn’t hide her disappointment.

  ‘This one is twenty quid and it’s VIP dating.’

  ‘Does that stand for Vomit-Inducing Plonker?’

  ‘Hey. I’ve paid your twenty quid. Don’t go slagging it off until we’ve at least checked it out. Tony behind the bar said it was bringing people in from all over. He’s expecting a bumper night. And I thought it would be a giggle. Goodness knows we could both do with one.’

  Ruby huffed out a breath. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Aw, go on. We’ll have a laugh and if it’s rubbish then I promise we’ll leave. Please,’ begged Kim.

  ‘You’ve given up on Vince and Adrian then?’ asked Ruby.

  ‘Vince comes with more complicated add-ons than satellite TV and I’ve not heard anything from Adrian. I saw the speed dating poster and thought it would be fun. Fun is what we both need right now.’

  ‘Fun? There speaks the voice of a woman who hasn’t had all her optimism trampled on by cocky middle-aged men in Marks and Spencer’s brogues.’

  ‘Come on,’ said Kim, linking arms with Ruby and picking up the pace. ‘Let’s find you a man.’

  They were about to go into the pub when Ruby’s phone lit up.

  ‘Just a sec, it’s Curtis,’ she told Kim as she accepted the FaceTime call.

  Noise instantly blared out and Curtis’s moving face blurred across the screen. ‘Hellooooo from Londinium!’

  Was he drunk? ‘And hello to you,’ she said, finding herself chuckling at the sight of Curtis letting his neat hair down.

  Cordelia appeared at his shoulder and waved. ‘Where are you, Ruby?’ she asked, her voice sounding slightly slurred too.

  ‘I’m in Sheffield. Are you all having a good time?’ She could see that they were and she suddenly wished she’d gone. That feeling dissolved when Cordelia rested her head on Curtis’s shoulder and he didn’t flinch. She screenshotted it in her mind. It was hard to hear them over the general noise of the party.

  ‘Yes, I’m having a time with lovely Curtis … I mean a lovely time with Curtis.’ She hiccupped, which seemed to surprise her and she disappeared from view.

  ‘This is Martin.’ Curtis angled his phone at a snogging couple. ‘I think you may have missed your opportunity there.’

  ‘Never mind.’ She shrugged.

  ‘What?’ he asked, clearly having trouble hearing her.

  ‘I said. NEVER. MIND.’

  ‘Shhh,’ said Curtis, putting his finger to his lips and giggling like a child. ‘I’ve found more double doors.’

  She couldn’t help but laugh along. ‘Curtis, you’re becoming obsessed.’

  ‘I know. But you’re right. You feel amazing when you walk through them. I’ll show you.’

  She caught a glimpse of people chatting, a waiter, and then they were somewhere slightly quieter. She stood up straighter, glued to the screen. Two double doors with port holes appeared.

  ‘I’ll turn you around for the full experience,’ said Curtis. He pushed on the doors. ‘Ta-dah!’ There was a loud crash and Ruby caught a brief glimpse of a waiter lying on the floor covered in what looked like mini quiches. ‘I am sooo sorry. Ruby, I’ve got to go.’ He ended the call.

  Inside the pub was actually quite nice. It had had a makeover since the last time Ruby had visited and although sh
e wasn’t going to let on to Kim, the few men already at the bar looked quite hopeful. Maybe this was what she needed. The discounted rate on her dating app had only brought in a new bargain basement of disappointment. What did she have to lose? Apart from a couple of hours and another drop of pride?

  ‘Ooh, cocktails are half price,’ said Kim, picking up a menu. ‘Well, a few of them are.’ She passed it to Ruby.

  Ruby read them out. ‘A Slow Comfortable Screw, Sex On The Beach, Screaming Orgasm and Slippery Nipple. Just the suggestively titled ones then.’ Maybe this wasn’t quite the classy VIP dating evening Kim had been sold.

  ‘I like a Slippery Nipple,’ Kim declared.

  ‘Ladies, are you here for our VIP evening?’ asked the barman.

  ‘Yes,’ said Kim, getting out her tickets.

  ‘Excellent. Here’s your score sheet. There’s three rounds and a break after each one. I’ll get you some drinks and then you can make your way through to the back room. What can I get you?’

  Ruby sighed. The nice-looking guys at the bar probably weren’t there for the dating. ‘I’ll have a white wine, thanks,’ said Ruby. She turned to Kim. ‘If it’s rubbish we leave after round one.’

  Kim pondered. ‘That’s like three pounds a bloke.’ Ruby raised her eyebrows. ‘Okay, fine. If there’s nobody you score more than half marks, we’ll decamp into here for a natter instead. Deal?’

  ‘Okay.’ Ruby scanned the score sheet. Marks were to be awarded out of ten for Appearance & Hygiene, Personality, Conversation, and Sense of Humour. ‘This is harsh.’

  They took their drinks and wandered through to the other room. Ruby was still studying the score card and wondering how she would fare. She was freshly showered and doused in deodorant but she wasn’t feeling particularly witty. She wished she was at the party with Curtis.

  The woman on the door took their tickets, wrote their names on stickers and directed them to tables explaining that to start with they needed to sit facing the wall and then turn around when the bell sounded. A few other women were already sitting down facing the wall like they were in detention.

  ‘Where are the men?’ asked Ruby, suddenly thinking Kim might have signed them up for lesbian night.

  ‘They have to wait at the bar.’

  Ruby’s enthusiasm lifted a little. After a few minutes the woman announced that the men were joining them and then the bell would sound and the first round of dating would start. She got that little squiggle of something in her gut. Was it excitement, anticipation or merely fear? She wasn’t sure but right then and there she decided this was the last time she was going to put herself through something like this. All the judgement, the scrutiny and the whiff of desperation needed to end and tonight was that night. She immediately felt better about it all.

  ‘Just enjoy it,’ said Kim, reaching across and giving her arm a friendly squeeze.

  Ruby heard footsteps enter the room and her pulse started to quicken. This was crazy but she had to admit it was quite exciting. The bell sounded. Ruby took a deep breath. She saw Kim turn slightly ahead of her.

  Ruby turned around fully to face her first date. The man was putting his phone away. It was his jacket she noticed first and then the hair. He looked up. She couldn’t quite believe it.

  ‘Lewis?’ It couldn’t be, could it?

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Ruby found she was doing the rapid blinking thing she’d often seen Curtis do, but it wasn’t changing the image in front of her. Lewis was sitting at her table large as life.

  ‘I can’t believe it’s you.’

  Lewis was giving her an odd look. ‘Do I know you?’

  ‘I’m Ruby from the train a few weeks ago. I’ve been looking for you.’ She was beyond excited to have found him and was doing that slightly crazy arm-waving thing she sometimes did. ‘I’ve got your ring. Not me exactly. A friend, who I also met that day on the train. He’s got it. It’s in his safe. So, it’s … um, safe.’ She was rambling. She gave a short smile.

  Lewis’s expression changed and his shoulders seemed to relax. ‘Ruby! Oh my God, it’s really you. And you found the ring – that’s terrific. I thought I’d never see that again.’

  ‘Sorry. We tried to get the ring back to you. We went to the London Eye but we must have missed you.’

  ‘Wow, that was super kind of you. I can’t believe you recognised me.’

  ‘I’ve got a good memory for faces and it was such a big day for you. And I’ve been thinking about you a lot.’ She felt her cheeks flush. She was wording this all wrong. ‘I mean, wondering about what happened with your proposal after you’d lost the ring. Did your girlfriend say yes?’

  There was a brief pause and she was aware of the intense chatter from the other tables around her. ‘Er … No.’ His lips made a flat line. ‘Turns out I didn’t need the ring after all. She stood me up.’

  ‘What? She missed her own proposal?’

  ‘She’d been seeing someone else so turns out it was a lucky escape. And that’s why I’m here tonight.’

  ‘Oh right. Yeah.’ She’d almost forgotten she was at a speed dating event.

  ‘My mate dragged me along actually. It’s a bit soon after the split for me.’ His face crumpled but he swallowed hard to compose himself.

  ‘You must have been devastated.’

  ‘I was. I thought she was the one.’

  ‘I’m sorry. But at least you didn’t give her the ring. We should swap details – then you can have your ring back and I can have my phone.’

  ‘Crap. Your phone.’ His hands shot up in the air. ‘I am really sorry about that. I felt like such an idiot. There were so many people getting on and off I just hopped off the train for a second. Next thing I knew the train was leaving.’

  ‘But you’ve still got my phone?’

  His jaw tensed. ‘No, I handed it in to lost property … at Kings Cross station.’

  ‘St Pancras?’ It was basically the same station but Curtis always called it St Pancras.

  ‘Yeah. That one.’

  ‘I didn’t think to ask there. But I can give them a ring. Ha, ring … because you had a ring.’ Why was she talking like a fool? It was best if she shut up.

  ‘It’s good to see you again, Ruby,’ said Lewis, his eyes appraising her.

  ‘It’s good to see you too.’ He reached for her hand and gave it a brief squeeze. Her heart gave a little flutter. The bell sounded and all the men stood up.

  ‘I’ll catch you in the break, yeah?’

  She nodded and he beamed back at her as he moved on to Kim who was looking at Ruby and Lewis with interest. She mouthed at her that it was Lewis but Kim was rubbish at lip-reading.

  A man a little older than Ruby with a buzz cut sat down opposite her but it was hard to drag her eyes away from Lewis. He was her ideal man apart from having a girlfriend but now he didn’t. Maybe she could slot in her place and claim the fairy-tale ending for her own. She gave herself a mental slap and tried to concentrate.

  ‘Hi, I’m Ruby.’

  ‘Hey, Ruby, I’m Jackson. I love your hair.’

  ‘Thanks. I like …’ She was going to say she liked his and then realised he hardly had any.

  ‘It’s okay. I know I look like I’ve had nits. I shaved it off for charity.’ He ran a palm self-consciously over his shorn head. They chatted and he seemed nice. He asked about her and he listened. But each time she glanced at Lewis he was looking right back at her. This was fate. She was absolutely sure of it.

  When the break came, she was in dire need of another drink. Seeing Lewis had been the nicest shock ever but it was still a shock. Kim was chatting to the last man at her table and from what she could overhear, Ruby ascertained it was about spaniels.

  She tapped Kim’s arm. ‘The queue at the bar will be huge.’

  ‘Whoops, sorry. Got to go,’ she said to the man. ‘But lovely to meet you. Might see you dog walking,’ said Kim and he nodded enthusiastically.

  They went through to the bar and
Ruby scanned the room for Lewis. It was busy and she couldn’t see him.

  ‘Any get over half marks? Are we staying for round two?’

  Ruby glanced at her score sheet. She hadn’t even bothered to mark Lewis. ‘We can do. But something amazing has happened.’

  ‘Ooh, which number was he?’ asked Kim.

  ‘The first one for me, and your second one. He was Lewis.’

  Kim had the look of a toddler trying to answer questions on University Challenge. She scanned her own score sheet and read through her notes. ‘Campervan T-shirt?’

  ‘What?’ asked Ruby.

  ‘He was wearing a T-shirt with a campervan on it. Travels a lot for business. Really funny. I had to make notes or I’d forget who was who.’

  ‘He’s the guy I met on the train to London. The one whose engagement ring I found.’

  ‘Wow. That Lewis?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘And he’s engaged and he’s come to this?’ She was frowning her disapproval.

  ‘No, that’s the best bit. He split up with his girlfriend. She dumped him!’ She tried very hard not to sound too thrilled at this news but it was difficult not to. He was the kind of man she’d been searching for all along. Someone kind, funny and unafraid of commitment. But she needed not to get too excited. Just because he ticked all her boxes didn’t mean she did the same for him.

  Kim’s head was on a swivel as she scanned the bar area. ‘Where is he now?’

  ‘No idea. We’ve arranged to swap numbers so I can give him the ring back.’

  ‘Wasn’t he about to propose like a month ago? Isn’t it a bit quick for him to be doing this?’

  ‘It was more than a month. Maybe four and a half weeks. And his mate dragged him along. Just like mine did.’ She tipped her head at Kim. A space came free at the bar and Ruby linked arms with Kim and pulled her forward. ‘My turn to get the drinks in. What are you having?’

  Kim perused the cocktail menu again while Ruby had another surreptitious look for Lewis. The bar was packed and quite warm. The speed dating night had definitely been a success. She took her time to scan all around the room, checking every face for Lewis. There was no sign of him. Had he left already?