“Local crafts mainly. Gifts and cards, things like that. I make little hanging signs and sell those in the shop. My Aunt Sylvia insisted I open it. She left me the money to set up when she died, bless her.”
“Sounds like an amazing woman.” Sam offered.
“Hmm, she was. Very opinionated and sometimes irritating as hell but lovely all the same.” She continued to tell him enthusiastically about her shop and the different crafts people she had met.
Sam smiled and listened intently. He found her quite beautiful. Her long wavy hair fell in chocolate tendrils around her shoulders, where it had escaped the grasp of the claw pinning the rest of it in a loose pile atop her head.
He discretely ran his eyes over her body. Her curves were accentuated by the fitted skirt and top she wore, giving her a timeless Marilyn Monroe-esque appearance. Every so often she would push her spectacles up her nose, even when there was no need to do so. He thought that was really cute. Her bright blue eyes sparkled and he couldn’t help but smile at the way she waved her arms around as she spoke; so expressive. She was clearly a nervous talker. He felt the urge to stop her mouth with his. Not because she was boring; no she was anything but boring. He just wanted to kiss her. It took all the will he had not to just do it.
At the end of their conversation they stood outside the window of the coffee shop in the chilled December afternoon. Mallory felt sure she had bamboozled him with her non-stop jabbering and her life history. Good job, he’s way out of my league really, she thought to herself. At least I won’t see him again to remind him what a clumsy, fat, chatterbox I am. Hmmm, there was that low self-esteem rearing its ugly head again. She had always felt herself unattractive and had pretty much given up on the yo-yo dieting. After all, she was single and busy with Le Petit Cadeau, so it didn’t really matter that she had crept up three dress sizes since her youth.
Expecting this to be the start and end of a beautiful friendship, she held out her hand. “It was very nice to meet you, Sam with the Canadian accent.” She smiled. “Thank you for rescuing my face from a date with a concrete pavement.”
“You are very welcome.” He let out a long breath, but didn’t move. He wasn’t making a run for it. “It would have been such a shame to spoil such a pretty face with a bashed up nose and cracked teeth.”
Mallory chuckled as she saw him outwardly cringe as the words escaped his shapely lips. “Well, thank you…I think.” She glanced upward as if trying to decipher the compliment.
“You sound as if I’ll never see you again.” He looked sad, “Is that it? Is this the end? How could you? After all I’ve done for you?” He held his knuckles to his teeth and bit down in mock, melodramatic actor mode. The back of his other hand pressed to his forehead.
This guy was funny. She found herself allowing a small hope to shine through, that this was not the end. Perhaps he did want to see her again.
~~~~~
Later that night she sat, snuggled up on the sofa with Ruby, watching a re-run of Friends. It was the one where Brad Pitt’s formerly fat character, Will, is invited for Thanksgiving. He has an aversion to carbs because of his past and is scared to go back there. He fights himself when the yams pass him by and initially succeeds. It was one of her favourite episodes. Humph, if only I had that amount of willpower! She thought to herself.
She was just munching through another carb laden mouthful of cereal when the phone rang. Her heart leapt. Surely he wouldn’t be ringing so soon? She and the rather yummy Sam Buchanan had exchanged phone numbers at the end of their lunchtime chat and she had almost skipped back to the shop, avoiding all the cracks in the pavement this time around.
“H-hello?” she stammered hopefully, into the receiver.
“Hi ya, Chick! Are you okay? You sound a bit odd.” Perceptive as ever, Josie, who had been her best friend since school, was not known for beating around the bush. They had been friends through thick and thin. The thick boyfriends, who Mallory regrettably discovered were either too self-absorbed or more interested with cars and staring at other women’s tits. The thin, on the ground patches where loneliness and reluctant celibacy seemed to be the way of life thrust upon her. Josie was her touch stone, her voice of reason. She was glad to have the opportunity to spill the beans on the potential new guy in her life.
“Oooh Mally, he sounds dreamy.” Josie had swooned after Mallory had imparted every last detail she could remember; and there were many.
Josie loved listening to details about Mallory’s love life, since she had been with Brad since high school. They had been childhood sweethearts and had no intentions of ever being with anyone else. Still, Josie loved to live vicariously through her best friend any time a new man came on the scene. “Did you kiss him? Does he smell good? Is he well off?” Josie barraged her friend with questions.
“Good grief, Josie! Talk about the Spanish Inquisition.” There was a pause and the whirring of their brains was almost audible.
Suddenly the girls cried out in unison in their best Monty Python voices the oh-so famous line from the oh-so famous Python sketch.
“Anyway,” Mallory continued after they had stopped laughing hysterically, “I did notice he smelled rather gorgeous when I fell on him. Kind of fresh and Calvin Kleiny? And no I didn’t kiss him. What do you take me for, woman?”
“I take you for a gorgeous girl who has not had a good orgasm in almost a year! That’s what! You deserve something good, Mally!”
“Thank you, Josie, but you know I don’t just go about jumping into bed with random men who save me from smashing my two front teeth in.” She giggled.
“No, you just wait and wait to find that the bloke you have been waiting for is more interested in his bloody vintage Mark II Ford Escort.” Josie reminded Mallory of her last disastrous relationship. Mallory groaned.
“Don’t go there, Josie. I honestly thought Craig’s obsession with that canary yellow passionless wagon was endearing at first.”
“Yes. Until you found out that he used to tuck it in every night.” The two friends howled with laughter. “So, is he well off?”
“Josie! Really, I don’t ask such questions. Anyway, I’m guessing he’s comfortable. His job sounds quite high flying. Honestly though, Josie, I don’t care about that stuff. I just want someone who looks at me as though he could ravish me on the spot; someone who wants to make a life with me; someone who won’t mind that I’m not super-model thin.” Mallory sighed at that last thought.
“Hey! What have I told you about that? Men prefer curves.” Josie attempted to stomp on the negativity.
“Yeah? Shame that none of them are prepared to admit that in public. Eh?”
“So do you think he will call you?” Ah there we go, Josie had asked the dreaded, million-dollar question.
“Oh I really hope so, Josie. I had a really good feeling about him.”
“In your knickers I bet.” Josie gave a coarse cackle, making her sound like a fish wife. Mallory tutted and shaking her head, decided she was tired out.
Giving a yawn she mumbled, “And on that note, Josie Gardiner, I am hanging up. Night night.”
“Night night you spoil sport. Love you squillions, babe.”
“Love you too, you cackling banshee!” The conversation came to its usual banter-filled end and Mallory was once again alone, save for the little black Patterdale terrier with staring brown eyes pawing at her for attention.
~~~~~
Mallory’s shop was crammed the next day. She was rushed off her feet and even had to call in Josie for assistance. Together they smiled, chatted, served customers and had the old fashioned cash register make that fabulous kerching! noise over and over again. When five o’clock finally came around, Mallory locked the door heaving a huge sigh of relief.
“Phew! Thank goodness it’s time for home.” She slid down the door, landing with a bump on her ample bottom.
Josie smiled down at her friend holding out her hand to pull her back up. “Come on you. Let’s get back to yours
and have a bite to eat and then we’ll wander down to the Railwayman’s for a couple of pops.” Josie wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. It sounded like a bloody good plan.
Mallory put the day’s takings in the money bag and fastened Ruby’s lead onto her bright rainbow coloured collar. “You’ve loved today haven’t you, Rubes? All that attention.” Ruby wagged her tail and pawed at Mallory’s skirt in agreement. Just then her cell phone began to vibrate in her bag. She opened her bag and rummaged around in its cavernous depths frantically searching for the phone. Finally putting her hand on it she swiped it up to her ear, “Hello?” She gasped feeling flustered.
“Well, hello there, Miss Yorksher.” A familiar voice kissed at her ear, making her shiver with excitement.
“Oh, hi! Sam, right?”
“Oh great, you’ve almost forgotten me already, huh?” He sounded perturbed.
“No-no! Not at all. I was just checking. You’d be surprised at how many Canadian men have been ringing me lately.” She chuckled.
“Ah well, I’m afraid I’m going to push to the front of the line. I wondered if you’d like to meet for a drink or a bite to eat later…I know it’s short notice.”
“Ah, I was actually going out with my friend, Josie, tonight I’m afraid.”
Josie heard her declining the offer of a date and began to make throat slitting gestures and wave frantically in her face. Mallory screwed her face up in confusion, mouthing “what?”
“Just go on the bloody date, Mal, you moron. You can see me any time.” Josie whispered loudly. Chuckling became audible from the other end of the phone.
“Ummmm, I think you should take your friends advice, Mallory. She sounds like a very sensible girl.”
“Oh, if only you knew the truth, Sam, if only.” She sniggered as she saw Josie’s expression turn from horror to relief. “Okay, well, there is a little pub near my home. It’s not flashy but they make a fab steak and kidney pie.”
“It’s a date!” Sam trilled and Mallory’s face almost split in two, thanks to the cavernous grin on her face. They made their arrangements and Mallory floated from the shop with a smile as a new permanent fixture.
When she arrived home, Mallory frantically searched through her wardrobe. I really need to go shopping, she sighed to herself. She grabbed something which she felt was passable out of her limited wardrobe and showered. Just as she climbed out of the shower the doorbell chimed.
“Oh, bollocks!” Why did the doorbell always ring when you had either just stepped in, or out of the shower? She wrapped a bath sheet around her voluptuous figure as she hurried down the stairs. She tied a towel-turban on top of her head and opened the front door.
“Ta-daaaaaaa.” Josie waved jazz hands around. Josie was petite, blonde and very pretty, until she opened her mouth. Subtlety was not a trait she was famous for. She stood there in jeans and a hoody, UGG boots and a woolly hat with flaps that covered her ears.
“Your timing, as always, is impeccable, Miss Gardiner.” Mallory grumbled dryly.
“I thought there may be a chance you might need these.” She handed a green and white paper bag to her best friend.
“Oh, Josie, what have you done?” Mallory had a feeling she knew what the contents of the bag were. She reached inside and pulled out the small blue box which, sure enough, had the word Condoms emblazoned on the side.
“They’re ribbed ones too,” Josie wiggled her eyebrows giving her a double thumbs up.
Mallory tried to look indignant. Shaking her head and huffing out a sharp breath she stared at her friend, “Seriously, Josie? Do you honestly think I am likely to need these? I’ve only just met the guy.”
“Well, I bloody well hope so. You daft bat!” Josie was now the one to appear indignant. “Anyone would think you were hunch-backed and covered in warts and boils. He sounds bloody gorgeous and you obviously fancy the pants off him. This is post war Britain and the rules have changed, Mallory. In fact there are no rules. So, stop worrying about your body and go get you some nice, juicy ass, girlfriend.”
Mallory laughed at Josie’s appalling attempt at an American accent and “gangsta rappa” stance. She sighed, rolled her eyes and shaking her head, slammed the door in Josie’s face.
~~~~~
Sam and Mallory sat at a small table beside the fireplace in the Railwayman’s Arms; Mallory with her glass of red wine and Sam with a pint of ‘Sleeper Ale’ the pubs homemade brew. They chatted easily.
“So, tell me about your last boyfriend. I was shocked when you told me you were single. I expected you’d have been snapped up by some lucky son of a gun long ago” Sam blurted suddenly, totally changing the subject and catching her off guard. He, genuinely, did seem surprised at her marital status which both pleased and embarrassed her.
“Crikey, get right to the point, eh, Sam?” Mallory could feel her face flush as heat rose to her cheeks. After a pause to see that Sam was, actually, interested she began.
“Hmmm, how long have you got? Tell you what, I will give you the abridged version…Craig Spencer was a mechanic, a year older than me, divorced from a marriage that began when he was only twenty-two. He was obsessed with his car. In fact, he loved IT more than he did me. I thought it was love, but he just wanted a fling, even though we went out for a year. Then one day I realised that if there was ever to be some kind of an ultimatum the car would win hands down. So I ended it.” The words rushed out all in one breath. She gasped air back into her lungs.
“Wow!” Sam looked stunned. He gazed at her and took her hand. “I cannot believe that dumb son-of-a-bitch loved a hunk of metal more than a beautiful, funny, sexy-as-hell girl like you.” He looked down at their hands and freed hers, “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to be so…forward. I mean I don’t know the guy…I am sure he—”
“Hey, it’s fine, honestly.” Mallory missed the now absent contact and wanted to reach for his hand in return, but refrained. “You’ve pretty much got him pegged.” She smiled.
They sat in silence for a few moments when something dawned on Mallory. “Wait a minute. You think I’m sexy?” Her eyes widened at the realisation. His lips turned up into a scrumptious half smile that made her toes curl.
“Hell yeah!” He nodded and there was a mischievous glint visible in his verdant eyes.
Mallory sat up a little straighter, feeling quite boosted by this unexpected compliment. “So tell me about your last girlfriend? It’s only fair.”
“Touché,” Sam said. He thought for a moment and then began, “Where do I start? Syd was…uhh—”
Mallory gasped, “Wait. Sid? Like the actor Sidney Poitier? As in a...man?” She feared that she had just opened up a whole new can of worms and discovered that her new, potential true love was bi-sexual. She wasn’t sure she was that open minded.
Sam slapped his knee as he threw his head back and guffawed at her shock. “Sydney was and still is as far as I am aware, a girl!”
“Thank goodness for that.” Mallory burst out laughing with him, “I was just wondering what on earth to say next.”
“Sydney Lowery was a secretary in my brother’s firm. I met her when I worked in the office in Ottawa to do my internship. She was lovely at first.”
“What did she look like?” Mallory interrupted
“Hey, no fair. I didn’t ask you what that douchebag, Craig looked like. A little irrelevant don’t you think?” He briefly raised his eyebrows but continued to smile.
“He was tall, skinny and hairy with big ears. Nuff said. Humour me, Sam. I’m just curious.”
Sam chuckled after she gave him a vision of her ex.
“He sounds as ugly as he was stupid.” He gave her a wink. “Okay, she was about five-eight, long curly auburn hair, with green eyes.” He rubbed his forehead as if trying to remember.
“Was she thin…chubby…?” Mallory trailed off, looking down at her hands and as she fiddled with her nails. Sam reached over and gently squeezed her forearm as if trying to reassure her.
“Mallory, s
he is who she is. I didn’t ask her out because of her size. Anyway it’s a moot point. We split. She was seeing several people behind my back. The one she really wanted broke her heart. She came back to me, but I wasn’t interested.”
“Hmmm, well she sounds like a douchebag too then.” Mallory defended him
“It would appear so.” He smiled, tilting his head to one side, “Good for us that our former partners were so crappy, huh? Or we may never have met.” He kept his eyes locked on hers and she melted inside.
~~~~~
Mallory took out her keys as they arrived at her cottage. Wondering what the hell she was doing bringing Sam back to her place. What if they ended up kissing? Or worse still, what if they ended up in bed? He would see her naked! Oh-my-God! Oh-my-God! Oh-my-God! She panicked as her breathing increased. She fumbled, trying to get the keys into the lock.
“Hey, are you okay? You look a little shaky?” Damn! He had noticed.
“Y-yeah, yeah I’m fine, no problems…just can’t get the key in with my gloves on, silly me. What a dufus,” she rambled. He took her shoulders and turned her to him. Gently he cupped her face in his warm leather clad hands and gazed into her eyes.
“Hey, it’s coffee, that’s all. Don’t be nervous.” He smiled, planting a light kiss on her forehead. “I am not expecting to jump into bed with you, Mallory. I am so not that kind of guy.”
“Well,” she let out a sigh, “that’s good to know.” She clambered for some poise. “And I wouldn’t expect you to want to…erm…anyway.” She tried to turn her attention to the door.
“Wait, what? You wouldn’t expect me to want to?” He frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, forget I said anything. Really. I was thinking out loud.” She hadn’t meant that last part to be audible at all! Dammiiiiiit!
Still grasping her shoulder with one hand, he tilted her chin back to look at him with the other.
“Hey, Mallory, believe me when I say this, as I don’t say things I don’t mean. Oh I want to, really I do. All I’ve been able to think about since we met the other day is how much I wanted to see you again. How much I would just die to kiss those luscious lips of yours and how good it would feel to run my hands over your sensuous curves. You’re so sexy, so feminine. You’re the way a woman should be. Don’t ever think that you are not exactly what men want; what I want. Popsicle sticks do nothing for me. Curves are what turn me on. And man do yours turn me on. I just don’t want to scare you off by groping at you on our first, official, date. I really think we have something here. Don’t you feel it too?”
Bridge Over the Atlantic Page 2
