Christmas at the Dog & Duck

by Jill Steeples

  Max rolled onto his side to look at me, our gazes still locked together, our limbs still entwined, neither of us wanting to break the intensity of the moment. He reached up with his hand to caress my face and swept his fingers through my hair, tidying it behind my ears, before kissing me on my lips. ‘I may have lied. About having an ulterior motive in bringing you here.’ His voice was husky and edged with humour.

  ‘Is that so?’ I said, running my finger around the outline of jaw, drinking in all the gorgeousness of his lovely face. ‘That’s absolutely terrible. I’m shocked. Totally shocked.’

  ‘Will you stay?’

  I stretched out my body in his lovely huge bed, not wanting to ever leave it, but knowing that I’d have to soon, breaking the magic spell we’d created between us. ‘I’d love to, but Mum’s at home so I should really get back.’

  ‘Aw shame. I wanted to have you all to myself. Some other time, eh?’

  ‘Yeah, definitely,’ I said, thinking it couldn’t come soon enough, the very idea sending a warm pool of delight to the depths of my stomach.

  Twenty-Five

  ‘It’s good to see you looking so happy.’

  Mum grabbed my hand from across the other side of the pub table and gave it a little squeeze. Her taxi would be arriving soon to take her to the airport and Eric, Josie, Ethan, Betty, Johnny and Polly, and Paul and Caroline, and some other friends had gathered for a farewell drink.

  Admittedly ever since that glorious evening spent in Max’s bed I hadn’t been able to stop grinning. At random moments when I was least expecting it a big dreamy smile would take over my face and people would look at me oddly asking if everything was okay.

  Hmmm, everything was just perfect.

  It was hard not to stop thinking about Max though, reliving in glorious detail every moment of that night, each delicious kiss, every caress of his hand over my body, every snippet of conversation we shared. I knew it all, frame by frame. He’d invited me to lunch the following day but I’d already made plans with Mum and then he’d been tied up with work for a few days and was away on business now so we hadn’t seen each other since, but I was sure it was only a matter of time until we did.

  ‘Oh, I am happy, Mum. I’ve told you. Everything’s going well at the moment and having you home these last few days has been such a lovely treat. I’m going to miss you so much when you’re gone though.’

  ‘Oh, me too. Let’s not talk about it. We’ve still got…’ she glanced at her watch ‘…twenty minutes left.’

  Funny thing was I’d often thought about Mum and Dad in the intervening months when they’d been away, of course I had, but it was only spending time with Mum these last few days that I’d appreciated just how much I’d missed them. There would be a huge gap in her place when she left, but I had to keep reminding myself that we’d still be keeping in contact by email and Skype, and it was only for… two years. Two years? Who knew where I’d be or what I’d be doing in two years’ time, if I’d still be in Little Leyton or if I would have returned to London, if Max would still be a feature in my life, or if he would just be a distant wonderful memory. The thought made my stomach lurch.

  Now, as I watched Mum making her way around the pub saying her goodbyes in her inimitable style, with hugs and kisses, and much laughter, I had to turn my head away to stop the tears from rolling.

  ‘Come on,’ I said to Josie who was sitting next to me, ‘let me have a cuddle with this little one.’ I took Stella from her mum's arms and buried my head in the gorgeous scent of her babygro, before holding her up in the air, her little face gurgling happily at me. My heart lifted, amazed at how much she’d changed in such a short space of time.

  ‘Oh, I can’t leave without having one last special cuddle with my favourite little girl, can I?’ said Mum, suddenly back at my side. She sat down on the other side of me and indulged in a bit of baby snatching. ‘You know how proud your mum would be Josie to see this little one, don't you? You’re doing a fabulous job, you really are.’

  We shared a look between us - me, Mum and Josie - and I think we were all in danger of dissolving into tears there and then. Instead we picked up our glasses and raised a toast to each other.

  ‘You’ll keep an eye on Ellie for me, won’t you Eric?’ Mum asked.

  ‘Of course I will, you know that.’

  ‘And I’ll keep an eye on Eric,’ I said, laughing.

  ‘Yes, well make sure you do. I want to be kept updated on what’s happening here at the pub. You know you can come and stay with us, Eric, if ever you want to.’

  Eric raised his eyes at me in amusement. Over the last few days, Mum had invited everyone, and their grandmother, to visit her in Dubai.

  ‘I might just take you up on that, Veronica. Anyway,’ he said, peering out of the window, ‘you’d better get a move on. Looks like your taxi’s here.’

  We all moved out from the table, picked up Mum’s bags and congregated outside the pub, standing in an awkward huddle, taking it in turns to say our goodbyes. I waited until the end when Mum wrapped her arms around me and gave me a huge hug, squeezing me until it hurt.

  ‘Goodbye, love.’

  ‘Bye Mum. Send my love to Dad, won’t you?’ I said, unable to hide the emotion from my voice.

  ‘I will.’

  I turned away, noticing the tears in her eyes and allowed Eric to bundle her into the back of the taxi. As it pulled away and drew out of sight, Eric put his arm round my shoulder and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

  ‘Come on you, let’s get you inside and we’ll have another drink.’

  What would I do without my friends? I was so grateful to them all for being there, for me and Mum, for making our farewell almost bearable just by their presence. These people were like a second family to me and the pub a second home. That was one of the good things about being in Little Leyton, I had a support network around me. If I’d been in London it would have been much harder to deal with, going back to an empty lonely flat. I had much to be grateful for, especially now I had an extra exciting dimension in my life in the form of Max.

  I had another couple of soft drinks, before people slowly began to drift away. It was early afternoon and thankfully I had no pub shifts or dog walks planned for the rest of day. Just as well probably in my heightened emotional state. When Polly left to go and visit her parents, Johnny stayed to keep me company and later he joined me on the walk home.

  ‘Can I ask you something?’ he said, as we strolled leisurely through the village.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Your mum mentioned that you were out with Max Golding the other night. Are you two an item now?’

  Surely I couldn’t be blushing in front of Johnny? I knew him too well and yet suddenly I felt laid bare under the scrutiny of his direct question.

  Of course I’d told Mum what a lovely evening I’d had with Max, reiterating that we were good friends only and ignoring her subsequent doubtful expression, and I’d told Josie probably more details than she’d wanted to hear, but then I knew she wouldn’t whisper a word to anyone. What could I tell Johnny though?

  Part of me wanted to spill the beans and tell him everything. Probably not the best idea considering our past history. I wanted to tell the whole world about my wonderful evening with Max, in all its glorious detail, but discretion got the better of me. It was still early days. Effectively a one-night stand at the moment. Neither I nor Max knew what the future held for us and perhaps until we did it was best to keep our budding relationship under wraps.

  ‘Not an item,’ I decided upon, as I pulled mugs out of cupboards and spooned coffee into them. ‘We’ve spent some time together, yes, but we’re just friends,’ I said, dishing the same old line out again. Judging by the expression on Johnny’s face it seemed I wasn’t convincing him anymore than I had Mum.

  ‘Look Ellie, just be careful. How much do you actually know about Max? He’s had a long-term girlfriend until very recently, did you know that?’

  I turned t
o look at Johnny, scanning his expression. There was a time when we shared everything with each other, all our innermost secrets, our hopes and our fears, but I could hardly confess my true feelings for Max. It didn’t seem right.

  ‘Sasha? Yes, of course I know about her. They separated recently. We’re both single now, Johnny. We’re not hurting anyone.’

  ‘I’m not concerned about anyone else, Ellie. I’m just worried about you getting hurt. That’s all.’

  I felt my skin bristle, my good mood doing a vanishing act. What was it to do with Johnny, anyway?

  ‘Well thanks for the concern, but I’m more than capable of looking after myself.’ I handed him his mug of coffee. ‘You didn’t waste any time in going off with Polly. You weren’t so worried about me getting hurt then, were you?’

  He shrugged, his shoulders slumped as he nursed his coffee. ‘I wouldn’t have got together with Polly in the first place if you hadn’t blown me out.’

  ‘Oh, right, I see. Is that what all this is about? You’ve moved on, found someone new, but you don’t want me to do the same. Are you jealous, is that it? Oh, Johnny, you disappoint me. I thought you were bigger than that.’

  He sighed, shaking his head. ‘Look I’m sorry. I’m not explaining myself properly. I’m happy with Polly and the way things are going, she’s a great girl, but I still have feelings for you, Ellie. I can’t switch those off just because we’re not together anymore. You were my teenage sweetheart!’ He looked up at me from under long dark eyelashes and my heart tugged at the poignancy of his words. ‘I’m not daft. I know there’s no future for us romantically anymore, but I still care about you and what happens to you? Is that such a bad thing?’

  ‘No.’ I sighed, matching his smile. Johnny and I went back a long way. The last thing I wanted was to fall out with him. ‘What, and you don’t think Max Golding is a good move for me?’ I said, wryly.

  ‘All I’m saying is, be careful. He’s a businessman, motivated by money and I’m not certain he’s too fussy who he tramples over to get what he wants.’

  I appreciated Johnny’s concerns, but if he’d witnessed the Max I’d seen the other night, the kind and sensitive man, then I felt sure he would have to reassess his opinion of him. Max was good-looking, charming and rich, to boot. No wonder he’d ruffled a few feathers in the village.

  ‘Look, I’ll promise to be careful, if that makes you feel better?’

  Johnny nodded resignedly, an awkward silence hanging between us. ‘So, what do you know about him buying the pub then?’

  ‘What?’ I looked up, my fingers momentarily caught in the handle of the mug, scorching my knuckles. ‘Ouch, shit! What are you talking about?’

  ‘Ahh.’ Johnny nodded sagely. ‘Not a lot then, I’m guessing.’

  I put the mug back down again, fanning my hand in front of my face. I looked at Johnny, perplexed, eager for an explanation, my heart suddenly racing in my chest.

  ‘I’ve had my suspicions for a while now,’ he went on, ‘ever since I saw him snooping around the place with his surveyor and his accountant.’

  ‘Oh honestly, Johnny, that doesn’t mean anything.’

  ‘I asked him, this morning. I ran into him in the High Street. Apparently the contracts have been signed today. Max Golding is the new owner of The Dog and Duck, I’m surprised he didn’t mention it to you.’

  Surprise didn’t even come close. Shock, more like. Followed by a good dose of anger. My stomach fell to the floor and a sharp pain stabbed at my chest. Could it really be true? Or was Johnny making up stories about Max in an attempt to jeopardize our relationship. I looked across at Johnny. No, never. If there was one thing I knew about Johnny it was that he would never lie to me.

  ‘Well, I don’t know why you’re surprised,’ I said, trying desperately hard not to show just how gobsmacked I was. ‘I told you, we’re only friends. And I haven’t seen him in days. Besides, he doesn’t have to tell me everything that’s going on in his life. Why would he tell me about his business dealings?’

  Why wouldn’t he? We’d had plenty of discussions about the future of the pub and not once had Max intimated he wanted to buy it for himself. I couldn’t believe it. I thought there was something between us, a special connection. He knew how concerned I’d been about Eric and yet he hadn’t said a word. First he’d kept the fact he had a girlfriend to himself and now he’d failed to tell me he was buying the pub, something he knew I would be desperate to hear about. And if what Johnny was telling me was true, then it meant Max would be my new boss – where would that leave our relationship, if there was any chance we still had one?

  ‘Well, I just assumed that he would. Knowing how close you two have been recently.’

  I wasn’t about to admit it to Johnny, but I would have made the same assumption too.

  ‘He does seem to like his pubs.’

  ‘Does he?’ I said, still reeling from the news.

  ‘Yep. He bought The Bell in Upper Leyton and The White Horse at Fletton. Completely gutted and renovated them into luxurious homes and sold them for a tidy profit, so I understand.’

  Bile rose in the back of my throat. ‘Well he wouldn’t do that with The Dog and Duck. Not to Eric. They’re good friends.’

  ‘Oh right. Well you obviously know him much better than I do. You should ask him.’

  At that moment I felt as though I didn’t know Max at all. He’d asked me an awful lot of questions about the pub. About Eric too. I’d thought he’d just been showing an interest, but perhaps he’d been using me to get some background information. The thought made me shudder with disgust.

  ‘Oh don’t worry, I intend to do exactly that.’

  Twenty-Six

  As soon as Johnny left, I felt totally adrift, not knowing what to do. Part of me wanted to go straight round to Max’s and demand to know what was going on but, as I’d told Johnny, Max didn’t owe me any explanations. I would have hoped he’d wanted to tell me, but clearly not. That hurt. The other night I’d felt so close to Max, as close as it’s possible to feel to someone. I’d trusted in him, feeling as though I could have told him anything. I’d opened up to him completely and yet he hadn’t done the same. Now I felt used and foolish.

  What plans did he have for the pub? Was he really going to rip the heart out of it and sell it on to the highest bidder? And what about Eric? He hadn’t seemed worried when I’d spoken to him earlier, but he’d probably been putting on an act for the sake of Mum and me, not wanting to upset either of us, knowing we’d both be feeling emotional anyway.

  I paced up and down the kitchen only then spotting the envelope on the fireplace, snatching it up as though it were a lifeline. I ripped open the paper and pulled out a card. It showed a grumpy-looking pug with her puppy, sitting side by side. My heart melted.

  To my darling daughter, thank you for such an amazing time! Remember, although we’re apart in distance, you’re always very close to our hearts. We are very proud to have you as our daughter and whatever you decide to do in life is fine with Dad and me. Just have fun! Lots of love, Mum xxx

  Tears pricked at my eyes as a huge swell of emotion rose in my chest. In the short time since I’d waved Mum off in her taxi, all the joy seemed to have been sucked from my life. Oh Mum! What wouldn’t I give to have her back here for just another half an hour. Time to share a cup of tea or a bottle of wine. To chat and ask her advice over this latest bit of gossip that would be sweeping through the village like wildfire. My heart sank at an awful realization. Would the pub even still be here when Mum next came home?

  Just as I was wondering what to do next the phone rang, making me jump out of my reverie. Maybe it was Max with an explanation? Or Eric or Josie wanting to tell me the news. Or Mum telling me she’d missed her plane and was coming home to give me a much-needed cuddle.

  ‘Hello, is that Ellie Browne?’

  ‘Yes.’ I didn’t recognize the woman’s voice at all.

  ‘Ah, hello Ellie, it’s Rhoda Dexter here.’ There was
a pause where I was obviously expected to realize who this person was. A dozen different dog faces flittered into my mind as I tried to match an owner with the pictures; the cockapoo, the lab, the pointer, the collie cross, the Bitsa – no, none of those.

  ‘From Firman Brothers?’ she finally added.

  My mind quickly played catch-up. A couple of months ago I’d applied for a job with the biggest global consultancy firm of them all, Firman Brothers. It was just a punt really. Something of a whim. It was round about the time of Amber’s accident, when I’d just met Sasha and I’d had a severe case of the hump with Max and was wondering if my future did belong in Little Leyton after all. The job was at management level and I really didn’t have the wealth of experience they were looking for. I’d assumed my application had gone straight in the bin. It was no big shakes.

  ‘Oh yes, of course, hello.’

  ‘I know it’s short notice, but I wondered if you’d be available for an interview tomorrow afternoon? Say 2.30 pm.’

  My little world in Little Leyton span round me in a blur. London and the heady heights of corporate finance were a million miles away from the life I lived now. Wasn’t my future firmly planted in the village or was Fate wading in with her size-nine wellies and telling me to get the hell out of here?

  ‘Yes. Yes, I would.’

  ‘Super. Look forward to meeting you then.’

  *

  After a restless night where I got absolutely no sleep whatsoever while my mind played over and over Johnny’s revelation about Max, my poor brain trying, and failing, to make sense of it, I crawled out of bed early the next morning knowing I had an extremely busy day ahead of me. Before I caught the train to London, I had four dogs to walk and I decided it would be easier and quicker to walk them together, so with Amber, Digby, Hugo and Monty as company I headed out.