I roll my eyes at her. I’d been through seeing him at the Coffee Pot at least twice last night.
‘C’mon, I need to hear it again now my head is clear.’ She takes a big bite from the croissant and a flake of pastry sticks to her bottom lip.
I recount the story in full detail yet again, and then say. ‘At least now I’ve had chance to tell him that I didn’t throw him out.’
‘Bugger that, do you think you’ve got a chance with him?’ Her eyes look hopeful.
‘What? No, he’s with someone. Someone young, leggy and blonde who was hanging on to his every word. No, that’s all in the past. In fact it never really got started. How could it when I was seeing James.’ I think back wistfully, imagining what could have been if only I hadn’t got back together with James when I did. I shake my head trying to get rid of the image. There is no point dwelling on it now.
She blows out her lips, raspberry fashion. ‘That was the biggest mistake you ever made, Lola. Don’t even mention him again.’
‘I know that now, but obviously not at the time. At the time I thought it was the right thing to do, to give us another chance. I thought we had unfinished business and I really believed he had changed,’ I say, shrugging my shoulders. ‘I’ll just put it all down to experience.’
‘Huh, well that’s very forgiving and noble of you, Lola. If it were me I would hunt him down and squeeze his balls until they turned blue,’ she says, squeezing an orange in demonstration.
‘I’ve no doubt you would, Chrissie, but things have moved on.’ I bite into a slice of granary toast and consider the future. ‘Who knows, maybe I’ll meet someone else in the future.’
‘Of course you will.’ She spreads jam onto the remainder of the croissant, her tongue licking her lips thoughtfully. ‘In fact, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. You see, there’s someone at work I could fix you up with if you fancied it, his name’s Nigel, and he’s a technical artist.’
‘Nigel?’ I wrinkle my nose.
‘I know it’s a naff name, but he’s a great guy honestly, I wouldn’t try and fix you up otherwise, and I reckon you two would really hit it off. You should just meet him and see before you decide. He’s athletic and sporty, he’s got a body to die for honestly, you really need to see it for yourself.’
‘You make him sound like an object, Chrissie,’ I say, pulling the top off an apricot yogurt and dipping the spoon in, stirring the contents gently. ‘Thanks, but no thanks. I’m happy just to coast along for now.’
‘Are you sure? I could text him to come and meet us later?’ she has her finger poised on her phone.
‘No thanks really, Chrissie. But if I need fixing up, you’ll be the first to know about it.’
She smiles to herself as she bites into her croissant and jam. She chews thoughtfully for a minute, and then says. ‘What was this girl like?’
‘Which girl?’ I look up surprised, yogurt spoon halfway to my mouth.
‘The one Robert was with. If we identify the enemy we could take her out. And I don’t mean take her out.’
‘For goodness sake, Chrissie, are you working for secret service in your spare time?’ I laugh.
‘If I was, I would hardly tell you would I?’ she says, with a wink. ‘But it doesn’t hurt to know who or what you are dealing with.’
‘It doesn’t really matter anyway, but as I said earlier, she was young leggy and blonde.’
‘That could be anyone,’ she says, shrugging her shoulders.
‘I know, but you did ask. It’s not like we were introduced.’ I think for a moment. ‘She did have endless legs and beautiful long hair. Oh, and a cute little beauty spot.’
‘Just above her lip?’ she points to the right side of her mouth.
‘Yes, how do you know?’ I ask, I am getting the worrying feeling she does work for the secret service after all.
‘That’s not his girlfriend you idiot, that’s Mike’s daughter, Chloe. She’s back from University for the summer. You’ve met her before, you should remember her.’ She looks at me like I am indeed an idiot.
‘I met her when she was about eight, and she certainly didn’t look like that then.’
Chrissie nonchalantly picks a red grape from the fruit salad and bites into it and I watch it burst between her teeth. ‘Of course that makes her Robert’s cousin.’
My eyes widen, I hadn’t thought about that. Chrissie drags me from my thoughts again. ‘So, what are you going to do about it?’
‘I’m not going to do anything, he knows my situation,’ I say, spooning more yogurt into my mouth.
‘C’mon, Lola, do something.’ She is almost jumping in her seat with frustration.
‘No, Chrissie, just let it be,’ I say, bringing an end to the conversation.
She shakes her head in exasperation but knows better than to push me once my mind is made up.
After breakfast, Chrissie and I go for a long walk to burn off the excesses of the weekend. We haven’t been out walking for several months, so as the weather is fine, we take advantage and find ourselves going round Stowe Pool, behind the cathedral. And then we walk back round the pool in the opposite direction and find a bench to sit on. Chrissie stares out over the water, watching the ducks.
‘What do you think about babies?’ she asks me, chucking a piece of bread into the water and watching as an army of ducks descend on it.
‘Why, are you and Cal thinking of starting a family?’
‘I was sort of thinking about it, I’m not sure how keen he is though.’ She looks doubtful as she pulls some more bread to pieces.
I eye her seriously. ‘I think you should take it one step at a time, Chrissie. After all, Cal freaked out when you and he were originally discussing marriage - you don’t want him to go all psycho boyfriend on you again do you?’
‘Not really, no. But the clock is ticking and I do want to have kids some day.’ She tosses more bread into the water and a piece bounces off a ducks head.
‘I think you should get the wedding in the bag first and then see what comes afterwards. You can be quite forceful at times and I don’t think you realise how much it freaks Cal out.’ I put my arm around her shoulders and give her a gentle hug. ‘Remember, softly softly, catchy monkey.’
She laughs, ‘very apt, but I don’t think Cal would appreciate being compared to a monkey.’
‘Well, just as long as you get the sentiment,’ I say, my eyebrows rising in question.
‘I do, Lola. I need to stop being such a ball buster and chill out. Right?’
‘Right,’ I say, nodding.
When Chrissie had gone home I set about tidying away the evidence of our weekend. I scrub the kitchen table and get my laptop out to check the shop’s website and emails. There are several orders and a couple of enquiries, so I mark the orders for printing at the shop tomorrow and work my way through the replies. I have just pressed send on the last email when I hear the roar of an engine coming up the drive. My eyes narrow, it can only be Alex’s Porsche. He’s got a bloody nerve turning up here after the trouble he caused last time. What’s he after now I wonder, one of my kidneys?
I snap the laptop shut and get up from my seat just as the doorbell rings out. I take a deep breath and get myself into battle mode. I’m not going to take any more of his nonsense, so he can just turn around again and be on his way. I open the front door ready for whatever yarn he will spin me.
But instead my heart leaps in my chest and I stop in my tracks. ‘Robert?’
‘It was really good to see you last week, Lola,’ he says, holding a crash helmet in one hand and biker gloves in the other.
‘Same here,’ I reply. ‘I didn’t think I would see you again.’
He pushes the gloves into the helmet, his leather biker suit creaking every time he moves, and then says, ‘the thing is, I left something unfinished, and it really drives me insane to leave things half done.’
‘Okay,’ I say, not quite following. ‘What was it, maybe I could help you out
with it?’
‘You can definitely help me,’ he says, placing the helmet onto the floor and stepping towards me. He put his arms around my waist, pulling me firmly against his body. Then he reaches his head down and presses his lips to mine. His tongue gently brushes over my lips and my desire levels shoot through the roof. I feel every nerve in my body tingling in response to his touch, I want to hold on and never let him go again.
He breaks from the kiss and burrows his head into my neck, pulling me against his body. ‘I’ve wanted to do that for so long.’
I can feel his warm breath on my neck. ‘But you did it before - you kissed me before and said it was nothing.’
‘I couldn’t tell you then, you weren’t free, but it really does matter.’ He pulls back from me slightly still holding onto my waist. ‘I can’t stop thinking about you, Lola. Please God, say you feel the same and I haven’t just made a complete arse of myself.’
I look up into his eyes and all the feelings I have been holding back over the past months bubble to the surface. The fact he is here now holding onto me, I feel like I never want him to let me go.
‘I do feel the same,’ I whisper, ‘I’ve felt the same every day since you first kissed me. It’s been like torture seeing you and not being able to touch you. And then when you left, I felt like a part of me had gone forever.’
‘Kiss me again then,’ he says, his lips meeting mine as he pulls me against his chest.
After a minute I pull back feeling breathless, and look up into his eyes searching for confirmation. ‘Show me how much it matters.’
He smiles and kicks the front door closed with his foot, and then he takes my hand and leads me up the stairs and I feel like I’m ascending heaven.
Chapter Twenty Six
One Month Later
The autumn leaves are golden and trembling on the branches, ready to fall and there is a definite nip in the air. I pull my cardigan closer round my body and look up at the thick white cloud cover through the window, full of rain just waiting to fall down. I've always loved this time of year, with its cosy nights in by the fire, and the promise of Christmas glittering on the horizon.
I see Robert at the end of the driveway, talking to the removal van driver. He passes some money over and stands back as they pull off from the kerb and drive off down the road, and he walks back towards the house, Harley at his heel. All of his belongings are now out of storage and in and around the house, the Harley Davidson safely ensconced in the garage for the winter. What was Lola's house is now Robert's house too.
I see him pass by the window on his way to the front door. Chrissie suggested a kitsch little name for the two of us with both of our names melded together, maybe Lolbert or Rola, but that may need a little work, I think to myself smiling, I'm quite happy to be Lola and Robert, together at last.
The front door shuts and I feel the air move inside the living room as the pressure within changes. He enters the room, a big smile on his face, and immediately wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a firm embrace.
'So, just the two of us.' He looks down, lifting my chin up to his face.
'What will we do with ourselves?' I ask, a big smile spreading across my lips.
'I can think of one thing I'd like to do repeatedly,' he says, and kisses me passionately before pulling back and looking back down into my face. 'There's a lot of lost time to make up for after all.'
'I won't argue with you on that score,' I say, 'but Chrissie and Cal will be here any minute.'
'I'm sure they won't mind waiting outside for a while.'
I pull back from him, my hand on his chest playfully. 'You have met Chrissie before - she doesn't do waiting, not for anyone.'
He laughs. 'I guess not, but we have plenty of time to ourselves now, just me and you.'
I can't respond as his lips come down on mine again and I lose myself in yet another kiss, and I can't seem to get enough of them. But before I can think any further there is a loud knocking sound at the front door and we pull back from each other.
Robert rolls his eyes skywards. 'We'll finish this later.'
I laugh, as I leave him to open the front door, and Chrissie and Cal come through, bringing the cold air in with them.
'I saw you two through the window, you horny little devil.' She kisses me on the cheek. 'But I can't blame you, I'm surprised you can keep your hands off him.'
I lean into her and whisper. 'I can't most of the time, that's why it's taken a month to get the removals van here.'
I kiss Cal on the cheek and take his coat and he passes me a bottle of very cold wine, one thing on his mind, as he sniffs the air. 'What's cooking, I'm starved?'
'Shepherd's pie,' Robert replies.
'One of your creation's, Lola,' Chrissie pipes up with a twinkle in her eyes.
'Don't be silly, this is homemade, and I'm a Mark's and Spencer's girl, through and through.'
'I bet their food sales will be dropping now Robert has moved in then?' Cal asks.
'Hey, leave her alone you two, I'm giving her lessons or I'll be tied to the kitchen forever.' Robert puts his arm around me protectively.
'And I made a raspberry pavlova for dessert, and not an M & S packet in sight,' I say proudly, not letting on just how much coaching it had taken, and how much patience Robert had shown, whilst I tried to get the meringue right in the end.
'Impressive.' Cal nods and rubs his hands together.
'Okay, so I'd better dish up before it burns.' Robert strides off to the kitchen closely followed by Cal.
Chrissie links her arm through mine and holds me back. 'So, it's nice to finally see you, it's been weeks.'
'Well I have been a little busy.' I nod towards the kitchen where Robert has just disappeared.
'I bet you have, you saucy mare,' she says, and her eyes narrow. 'I'd ask what you've been up to but I'd only get jealous.'
'I'm sure you've been up to pretty much the same sort of thing as me, if your past history is anything to go by.'
'Of course, I have to keep poor Cal on his toes, or rather on me, no wonder he's famished all of the time.' She laughs, and then lowers her voice into my ear. 'But I have got some news.'
'Oh,' I say, raising my eyebrows.
She chuckles to herself, and puts her hand up to her mouth.
'Oh god, you're not pregnant are you?' I ask.
'What, god no, I had a rethink about that and maybe you're right, one thing at a time, plus I don't need any distractions as far as Cal is concerned, I like to give him my undivided attention, and plenty of it.'
'And you call me a saucy mare?'
'Come on you two, we're dishing up,' Robert shouts from the kitchen.
Chrissie rolls her eyes at me. 'Better not keep them waiting.'
Finally we're all sitting down ready to tuck into shepherd's pie, baby carrots and sugar snap peas.
'So, now we're all together we'd like to make a very short announcement.' Cal pings his knife off the wine glass on the table.
We all stop and wait for him to continue, and he pauses for effect and I can see Chrissie bursting to say something.
'We've set the date for the wedding.' Cal's face is a picture of happiness at the announcement.
'Oh congratulations,' Robert says.
'When is it,' I ask, mentally running through my wardrobe in case I have to come up with an impromptu outfit.
'Next September,' Chrissie says, no longer able to wait for Cal to continue. 'I'm so excited.'
'Congratulations,' I say, and kiss her cheek.
'We were going to do something sooner, as I need to get this one down the aisle before he changes his mind again.' She nods to Cal, whose face is the picture of innocence. 'But he assures me that he would rather I had the time to plan the wedding as I want it to be, and not feel rushed into it, and he won't flip out again in the meantime.'
I glance over at Cal and he winks back at me. 'I'm happy with the deadline, no scary surprises involved and I have the woman of my dreams by
my side in the meantime.' He takes Chrissie's hand and kisses it.
Robert smiles at me from across the table.
'And then it will be your turn,' Chrissie says, looking at Robert.
'Whoa, early days, Chrissie, early days,' I say, blushing in Robert's direction. He knows that I would never want to be rushed into anything.
He just laughs and squeezes my hand across the table.
'I know, I'm sorry, I'm just so happy I want everyone to join in,' she says, and she actually blushes, something I very rarely see on Chrissie.
Cal nudges her plate towards her again. 'Get that pie in you, Chrissie, before you get carried away anymore.'
'Well if it makes you feel any better, we are really happy.' I look over at Robert, my face beaming.
'As we are, getting to know each other,' Robert adds, and he smiles, his sexy eyes are only for me.
'So let's raise a toast to weddings,' Cal says, raising his glass and looking to the rest of us to follow, and we all grab our glasses.
'And to mind blowing sex,' adds Chrissie with a laugh, just as we chink them all together.
'You are insatiable, Chrissie,' I say to her, shaking my head with an amused smile.
'You knew exactly what I was like when you agreed to be my best friend, so there's no backing out of it now, Lola, you're stuck with me.' She smiles triumphantly.
'And I wouldn't want to be stuck with anyone else either, just don't ask me to be a bridesmaid.' I return her smile.
'Damn,' she says, and turns to Cal. 'Now I'll have to rethink everything.'
'Don't you think four bridesmaids are enough?' He says.
'For Kate Middleton, maybe yes,' she says.
'Didn't she have eight?' I ask.
'Can't remember,' Chrissie adds.
'Nor me, I was too busy looking at Pippa's ars…' Cal starts to say but is cut off mid sentence by Chrissie.
'Okay, we get the picture.' Her eyes flash a little of the green eyed monster, which is most unusual for her, her sexual liberation has never been a secret from anyone.
Lola's House (Lola Series) Page 21
