by Jill Mansell
‘Well, that was me making my first move. Being a tiny bit flirty, showing you that I’m interested.’
Here we go. This was what she’d been leading up to.
‘It’s just that you’re bloody gorgeous and I get the feeling you like me too.’ Caz searched his face. ‘I mean, am I wrong? And here’s me, sitting all alone on this huge bed while you’re over there in that chair. You seem quite a long way away, that’s all.’
Shay gave a tiny shrug. This wasn’t how he’d expected tonight to pan out, but sometimes these things happened and maybe this particular thing was happening for a reason. The last few weeks hadn’t been easy, God knows. Right now, Didi was in London with Aaron. By this time they’d be in bed together. She was marrying him in December and that was that. If Shay had had any idea how seeing her again after all these years would make him feel, maybe he would have come back to Elliscombe earlier, preferably before Aaron had appeared in her life.
But instead he’d been an idiot, holding on to his pride and refusing to allow those feelings and emotions to rise to the surface. He hadn’t come back in time and now it was too late. Didi had been snapped up by someone else.
‘You know what happens when you play it cool?’ Caz slid down from the bed, her wide-necked top falling off one tanned shoulder.
‘What happens?’
‘It makes other people keener.’ She moved towards him. ‘It’s quite a game-playery thing to do, but it does the trick. It makes them want to kiss you.’ Reaching his chair, she took hold of his hands. ‘I really want to kiss you, and I hope you want to kiss me too.’
Shay looked at her. It was an offer not many men would refuse. He still had the picture of Didi in his head, but what was the point of even continuing to think about her?
‘OK, I’ll count to three, and if you haven’t kissed me by then, you’ll have to leave,’ said Caz. ‘Because that’ll mean I’ve made a massive show of myself.’
Shay rose to his feet and drew her to him until their mouths were almost touching. With a slow smile, he said, ‘No need to count. I’m not going anywhere.’
‘Phew.’ She gave a shaky laugh of relief. ‘Thank goodness for that.’
Chapter 27
If the timing hadn’t been so terrible, it would be funny. Didi lay awake on her side of the bed, gazing up at the ceiling and listening to Aaron’s low-level snores as he slept on his back next to her.
Aaron’s snores weren’t the problem. The reason she was unable to sleep was because of the epic Boeing 707-level noises emanating from the living room and reverberating through the thin wall separating them from their overnight guests.
She pressed the pillow over her ears but it didn’t help; Raj and Kev were quite the double act. Sometimes they snored in unison, but more often they were out of sync. Plus there were all the random grunts, snuffles and snorts to add to the chorus.
No wonder the pair of them didn’t have girlfriends.
Sliding out of bed, she resisted the urge to creep into the living room and smother them with cushions. Instead she crossed to the window and leaned against it to admire the view over the river. The stars were out in force, a crescent moon hung above the tetris-patterned skyline and even at this time of night the roads far below were still busy with traffic.
Not like Elliscombe at all. Resting on her elbows, Didi pictured the main street outside the hotel, illuminated by the ornate vintage street lamps casting pools of golden light at intervals along the pavement. The next moment – she couldn’t help it – her imagination sent her rising from street level, soaring over the gabled roof of the hotel then hovering in mid-air outside the windows of the Midnight Suite. Inside, Shay would be sleeping, and unlike Raj and Kev, his breathing would be regular, silent and not annoying at all. Moving closer in her imagination, Didi saw that the diamond-leaded window on the right was ajar. If she wanted to see him, all she had to do was nudge it open a bit wider and swoop inside—
Back in non-fantasy land, there was a loud crash from the living room, followed by a muted bellow of, ‘Fuck . . . ow . . . get out the way.’
Kev must have rolled off the sofa. Didi heard him stagger to his feet, curse as he banged into the glass coffee table then stumble to the bathroom at the far end of the apartment. Where he proceeded to empty his bladder into the toilet bowl so loudly you’d think he was doing it through a megaphone.
When he’d returned to the sofa and resumed snoring, she went back to bed. It was OK. In the morning, Kev and Raj would wake up with raging hangovers, apologise profusely for having been nightmare overnight guests and head for home.
And once they were gone, she would get on with the business of breaking up with Aaron.
Finally.
When Shay opened his eyes the next morning, Caz was lying on her side next to him, tracing light circles on his chest.
‘I’ve been waiting ages for you to wake up,’ she murmured playfully.
‘Ages. Does that mean two minutes or three?’
‘More like one and a half.’
‘And now I’m awake. What happens next?’
‘That thing we did last night. Can we do it again, please?’ She moved closer. ‘I liked it a lot.’
An hour later, Shay returned to his own room to shower and dress, before popping back into the Midsummer Suite.
Caz was sitting up in bed, tucking into the full English breakfast that had been delivered while he’d been across the corridor.
‘Have a sausage,’ she offered, waving the one on the end of her fork at him.
‘I’m fine.’
She grinned. ‘I already know that.’
He pinched a slice of toast from the tray. ‘Right, I’m off to collect Dad from the hospital.’
‘And I’ll definitely see you later, once he’s settled? Or am I about to get ghosted, now you’ve had your way with me?’
‘I’ll be back.’ He hadn’t had that sinking feeling that so often made its presence felt the morning after the night before.
She reached forward for a kiss. ‘That’s all I need to know. You just make sure your dad’s OK before you leave him. He’s the one that matters. I’ll wait as long as it takes.’
As he closed the door behind him, Shay thought what a nice, un-diva-ish thing that was to say.
At the hospital, they had to wait a while for Red to be checked over by the doctor on duty. At last he was given the all-clear and they were allowed to leave.
‘Plenty of rest, remember,’ the doctor warned them. ‘No gadding about.’
‘My gadding-about days are over,’ said Red. ‘Am I still allowed to drink?’
‘In moderation.’
Shay shook his head. ‘Why are you even asking that question? You know you’re going to do it anyway.’
His father winked. ‘Sometimes it’s more fun to do things when they’re forbidden.’
As they drove back to Elliscombe, Red said, ‘Shall I tell you what’s great about being this ill? Everything looks better.’ He pointed through the window. ‘The fields, those hills, the birds in the trees. They’re all miraculous.’
A pigeon flying overhead took the opportunity to drop a white splodge on the windscreen. ‘Even that?’ said Shay.
‘Even that.’ Red chuckled and coughed. ‘Might not seem like it to you, but even pigeon poo is its own kind of miracle.’
‘Look, are you sure you want to stay on at Rosa’s? If you moved into my suite at the hotel you’d be more comfortable.’
Red pulled a face. ‘No thanks. I’m happy where I am. Can we stop at the house to see how it’s going?’
When they reached Hillcrest, Shay pulled up and gave him a brief tour. The roof had been repaired, the pointing completed, and the kitchen and living room both smelled of drying plaster where the walls had been stripped back to basics and completely redone. Red nodded his approval. ‘Coming along.’
At Frog Cottage, Rosa came running out to greet them. Having carried his father’s case inside, Shay laid out his variou
s medications on a tray in the kitchen, along with a list of instructions as to how many needed to be taken, and when. A chicken casserole was simmering in the oven and a just-made Victoria sponge was cooling on the worktop.
‘See what I mean?’ Red said happily. ‘Why would I want to move into some fancy hotel when I’ve got all this here?’
‘Are you hungry?’ Rosa looked eagerly at Shay. ‘If you’d like to stay for lunch, you’d be very welcome. I’ve made tons.’
But Red was already shaking his head. ‘No need for him to stay. He’s spent the last week sitting by my bed. Off you go, do your own thing.’ He made a get-out-of-here gesture. ‘We’ll be fine here, just the two of us.’
‘Are you sure?’ said Shay.
‘Completely. After a week stuck in that ward, I’m looking forward to a bit of peace.’
Shay knew for a fact that his father couldn’t possibly know about the night he’d just spent with Caz Holloway. But from the way Red was looking at him, you’d think he did.
Returning to the hotel at one o’clock, he encountered Marcus, the nervous waiter. In a stage whisper like a pantomime spy, Marcus said, ‘Did they tell you who’s staying in the Midsummer Suite?’
‘Caz Holloway.’ Shay nodded. ‘Yes, I heard.’
‘If you see her, don’t ask for a selfie.’ Marcus shook his head seriously. ‘Sylvia said we mustn’t do that.’
‘I won’t, I promise.’
As he climbed the stairs, Shay passed the corridor leading to Didi’s quarters and deliberately averted his gaze. She was in London with Aaron; the time had come to accept this and get her out of his system once and for all.
Well, he’d already made a start.
He continued up to the top floor and tapped on the door of the Midsummer Suite.
‘Who’s there?’
‘Room service,’ said Shay.
Seconds later, the door opened and there she was, wearing nothing but a bath towel and a naughty smile. ‘Well hello, room service. I hope you have something special for me.’
He took a packet of red and black fruit pastilles out of his pocket. ‘Picked these up in the hospital shop. Will they do?’
‘To be honest, I was hoping for something a bit more special than that.’ Caz snaked her bare arms around his neck and insinuated herself against him. The white towel dropped to the floor.
Shay moved her backwards into the suite. ‘In that case, might be an idea if we close the door.’
‘Spoilsport,’ said Caz.
OK, it had felt before as if the fates were conspiring against her. But it was three o’clock in the afternoon now and Didi was starting to suspect them of cracking up laughing whilst pointing at her gleefully behind her back.
Raj and Kev had carried on sleeping and snoring until midday, before waking up and complaining about their terrible hangovers. When Aaron had made them cups of tea and offered to call them a cab, Kev had mimed vigorous retching and declared that he felt far too ill to get into any kind of moving vehicle.
Finally, finally they’d recovered enough to leave. There’d been mention of calling up friends and arranging to meet in a pub in Notting Hill for hair of the dog, and Didi had waved them off, sending up a silent prayer of thanks that she’d never have to see them again as long as she lived.
She and Aaron had still been watching from the window when another taxi pulled up outside the apartment building and a woman in a pink coat emerged from the back seat. Aaron said cheerfully, ‘Here she is, then. She’s early.’
‘Who’s early?’
‘It’s Mum. She wanted to surprise you.’
Chapter 28
Oh what? Come on, fate. Give me a break, please.
Didi had been all geared up to getting The Conversation started. And now this. ‘What’s she doing here?’
Aaron gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. ‘Hey, don’t look so horrified. It’s something nice!’
Aaron’s mother Kay lived in Swindon and worked as an assistant in a pharmacy. Two years ago, she had lost her husband and her confidence, and today – of course – was the first time she’d felt brave enough to make the journey up to London on her own. She was a sweet and lovely lady, and catching the train had been an ordeal for her.
‘But I gave myself a good talking-to and said it was time to get a grip,’ she told Didi. ‘Trips don’t have to be scary, I just have to think of it as an adventure. And of course I wanted to see you again. Has Aaron told you where we’re going? I booked it myself, as a special treat for the three of us.’ Her eyes bright, she added, ‘And we must take loads of photos, because guess what else I’ve done? Joined Instagram!’
What could Didi do but go along with it? She wasn’t a monster. Kay had organised for them to take a trip on a boat that travelled up and down the Thames while everyone on board enjoyed chicken and chips and jugs of sangria, and a bald man and a huge woman in a purple kaftan took it in turns to tell long-winded jokes and play mournful music on a harp.
For three extremely long hours.
After that, Kay said she’d always wanted to go on one of those topless buses to see the sights of London, so Aaron bought tickets and they dutifully admired Buckingham Palace, the shops on Oxford Street (‘Look, there’s another Marks and Spencer!’) and the traffic careering around Hyde Park Corner. By the time they got off, Kay had taken over two hundred photographs and uploaded most of them to Instagram for the benefit of her six followers.
At 8.30, the taxi arrived to take her to Paddington. She hugged Didi. ‘Bye, love. It’s been so lovely to see you again. Not long now till the wedding!’
This was awful. Didi hugged her back. ‘It’s been lovely to see you too.’
‘Now that I’ve got the travel bug, we’ll be able to meet up more often.’
‘Oh yes.’ Feeling like a politician who knows he’s not going to be keeping any of his promises, Didi said, ‘We definitely will.’
‘Don’t forget to follow me, will you?’
For a split second, Didi thought she meant follow her to Paddington, which was actually the plan just as soon as she’d finished finishing with Aaron.
‘On Instagram.’ Kay nodded encouragingly. ‘Otherwise you won’t be able to see all the photos I post. I’m hoping to go viral!’
At last she was gone and it was just the two of them, alone together in Aaron’s ultra-modern eighth-floor apartment.
‘Is there anything left to drink in the fridge?’ said Didi. If Raj and Kev had polished off the lot, she was going to have to hire an assassin.
‘There’s a glass of white left.’
A glass? She could do with a full bottle. ‘That’ll do.’
‘Mum loves you,’ said Aaron. ‘I’m so glad you two get along so well together.’
‘OK, there’s something I have to tell you.’ She didn’t have time to lead into it gently. She reached for the glass he was holding out to her and took a giant gulp. ‘We need to talk.’
He grinned. ‘Sounds ominous.’
‘Well, it is kind of . . . ominous. Sorry.’
‘Is this to do with Mum?’
‘No, no . . .’
‘About the wedding?’
She took a breath. ‘Yes, it’s about the wedding.’ God, this was hard.
After a second, Aaron said, ‘If you’d rather elope, that’s fine. We can change anything that needs to be changed. You want to fly to Vegas and get Elvis to do the honours? No problem.’
OK, enough of playing twenty questions. Didi blurted out, ‘It’s the whole getting-married thing. I’m sorry, you’re great and you haven’t done anything wrong. I just don’t love you enough to go through with it.’
Aaron was no longer smiling. She saw the confusion on his face morph into stony disbelief. ‘Is this a joke?’
‘I wouldn’t joke about something like this. It’s just been a feeling building up and up . . . I realised I should be more excited about us spending the rest of our lives together.’ She spread her hands helplessly. ‘And
I just wasn’t.’
‘Because I’m not exciting enough? You mean I’m boring?’
‘You aren’t! Of course you aren’t boring! This is nothing to do with you, it’s all me!’
‘Oh give me strength . . .’
‘I’m sorry. I can’t help how I feel.’
‘And you’ve just this minute decided you need to break it to me,’ said Aaron.
‘Well, no . . .’
He figured it out. ‘You mean it was the whole reason you came down here. And you’ve been waiting since last night for the chance to say it. Jesus.’
‘I didn’t know we were going to have non-stop visitors.’ Didi’s stomach squirmed with misery; she hated having to be the bad guy.
Aaron was looking at her as if she were a stranger. ‘So is it just the wedding that’s off? Or the whole relationship?’
She swallowed. ‘Yes. I mean, the second one. Both of them.’
‘I don’t believe this is happening.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Stop saying fucking sorry. Why are you sorry anyway? This is what you want.’ He paused suddenly, his eyes narrowing. ‘Oh I get it now, there’s someone else. You’ve found a replacement, some guy who’s better than me, more exciting than me.’ His jaw taut, he said icily, ‘Now let me think, I wonder who that could possibly be.’
Didi’s heart was thudding like the hooves of a runaway horse. She shook her head. ‘There’s no one else.’
‘No? I wonder why I find that so hard to believe. It’s all been going on, hasn’t it? The old boyfriend who came back, better-looking and oh-so-much-richer than before. And like an idiot I trusted you completely, because I thought you loved me as much as I loved you. Go on then, tell me, how long have you been shagging him?’
‘Nothing’s been going on and I haven’t been shagging him. Or anyone, because I’d never do that. I can’t force you to believe me, but it’s the truth.’
‘And I still don’t believe you.’ Aaron took a step back and raised his hands. ‘I’m not the jealous type. Did you notice that I didn’t say anything about him to make you think I was worried? That’s because I wasn’t worried.’
