‘Sweet. But unnecessary. I can look after myself.’
‘Of that I’ve no doubt.’
‘But I am interested in the fact that he felt you needed to be told to behave yourself. Quite the Lothario, are we?’
Alex laughed. ‘Not at all. Well, not these days at least.’
‘I see.’
‘I’m reformed.’
‘Really.’
‘Really.’
‘But Charlie still felt the need to tell you to behave.’
‘Old habits die hard, I guess.’
‘I guess they do.’
I smiled and carried on walking, trying to work out how I felt about Charlie feeling the need to give Alex instructions about how to behave with me. I knew he meant well but I didn’t really appreciate being talked about as if I were his little sister. Even my own brother didn’t get involved in my love life. Though I imagined the fact that he knew I had a better hook and jab than he did had something to do with that.
‘Don’t be mad at him.’
‘Who?’
‘You. At Charlie.’
‘I’m not. And can we please stop talking about Charlie? It kind of feels like he’s on this date with us.’
‘Heaven forbid,’ Alex said as I leant against his car whilst he wrestled the toy into the back seat. He closed the door and came to stand in front of me. ‘That would never do,’ he said, leaning down for another kiss.
Away from the nosy gaze of wandering tourists and drunken clubbers, I relaxed and smiled against the kiss as Alex’s hand traced up the side of my bare arm. Little ripples of shivery pleasure coursed through me. I wasn’t sure whether it was from the slight chill now coming in off the sea or from the heat of the intimate touch but could hazard a guess. I felt Alex smile in response and when he pulled back, there was merriment in his eyes.
‘See? Most definitely just the two of us.’
‘Well, that’s good.’
‘I don’t want to take you home yet,’ he said, his fingers sliding down my arm and entwining with my own.
‘What time is your shift tomorrow?’
‘I’m on lates tomorrow.’
‘Sadly I’m not.’
‘Shame,’ he said, a teasing look flashing in his eyes.
I stood straighter and gave him a playful shove. ‘Now I understand the warning. I hate to disappoint you, PC McSpeedy, but I’m not a first date kind of girl. No matter how gorgeous the man involved is.’
A deep laugh rumbled in his chest and burst out. ‘I didn’t think you were. But you can’t blame a guy for trying.’
‘Watch me,’ I teased back.
‘OK. I apologise.’ He stroked my arm. ‘Don’t tell you-know-who, will you? I promised him I’d behave.’
‘So definitely no reformation of the Lothario, then?’
‘No. I mean yes. That is… Oh, come on, show me a man who would turn down a beautiful girl offering to take him to bed, whatever number date they’re on.’
‘I didn’t offer!’
‘I know you didn’t. It doesn’t mean I don’t live in hope.’
‘Besides, I think you’re wrong there.’
‘I am?’
‘Yes. There was an article in the Telegraph about how three quarters of the men surveyed would turn down first-date sex.’
‘Really? When was this study from – 1953?’
‘Funny.’ I pulled a face. ‘Actually, it was 2015.’
‘Interesting.’
‘Clearly you weren’t part of the survey panel.’
‘Clearly not.’
I laughed and shook my head, keeping my face turned away for a moment until I could feel my heart slowing down a little. I had a bad feeling that, reformed or not, Alex Ford might well have the ability to charm a woman who had never once slept with a man on a first date into doing just that.
‘Everything all right?’ he whispered, close to my ear.
I nodded.
‘I’m sorry, Libs.’ His voice was soft but sincere, the teasing note gone. ‘I shouldn’t have said—’
‘It’s all right, Alex,’ I said, looking up, meeting his eyes. ‘Really. I know I might seem a bit old-fashioned with my no-first-date-sex thing, but… that’s just me. In fact, I know there’s no “might” about it, what with Tinder and everything else, but that’s just not my thing.’ I pulled at some stray hairs the breeze had blown across my face, struggling to catch them in my fingers. Alex stilled my hand with his, gently lifting the stray hairs away and smoothing them back.
‘It’s not mine either. I promise. It used to be. I will admit that, but not now.’
I smiled.
‘Come on, let’s get you home.’
He pulled open the door, lifted me gently into the seat and walked round to the other side. Settling in, and turning the key, he leant over. ‘By the way, it’s Sergeant McSpeedy, not PC. I worked hard for that promotion.’
I flicked him on the arm with my clutch. ‘Just drive.’
He laughed and backed out of the space, watching for the odd inebriated, veering pedestrian, and headed off east towards the marina.
22
‘So?’ Amy said as I answered the phone.
‘Good morning to you too.’
‘Oh, yes, yes, all that stuff. Come on, I’m on my tea break. I need all the details double quick!’
‘What details?’
‘Libby!’
I laughed and took a tip from Amy, making my way to the kitchen, and pulled two mugs out of the cupboard before flicking the kettle on to boil for tea for Tilly and me.
‘It was… nice.’
‘Nice?’
‘Yes. Nice. Fun. We had a good time.’
‘Oh, dear.’ Amy’s tone had more than a hint of sympathy to it.
‘No, really! It was good.’
‘What did you do?’
I filled Amy in on where we’d gone and what we’d eaten, et cetera, whilst deftly making drinks with one hand. Mobiles, whilst useful, were way too thin to tuck under your chin as you could with regular old phones. Although Tilly and I were close, I wasn’t quite ready to be sharing the ins and outs, so to speak, of my sporadic dating scene on speaker phone.
‘So, did anything happen.’
‘There were a couple of kisses.’
‘And?’
‘And what?’
‘Were they good kisses?’
‘Yes.’ I laughed. ‘They were good kisses.’
‘But not goooooooooood kisses.’ Amy drew the word out, and made it sound all breathy and hot.
‘Ames, they were very nice.’
‘Oh, dear.’
‘Will you stop saying that?’
‘Are you seeing him again?’
‘He said he wanted to.’
‘Do you want to?’
‘Yes. Of course. I like him.’
‘Do you like him enough?’
‘Enough for what?’
‘Oh, come on, Libs. You like nearly everyone. You’re a nice person. But do you like Alex enough to make it something more than that?’
‘Blimey, Amy! We’ve only met twice. Just because you and Marcus are already halfway up the aisle already…’
‘We are not!’
‘You know what I mean.’
‘Yeah… I do.’ Her voice went all soft for a moment.
‘Look. I’ve got a million things going on at the moment. I had a really nice time with Alex last night. I hope he had a good time too. But we’ll just have to see how it goes.’
‘Libby?’
‘Yes?’
‘You don’t exactly seem thrilled about it all.’
‘Oh, Ames. Really. He’s lovely. He makes me laugh, and he’s fun to be around. I’m just… I don’t know, maybe a little distracted right now.’
‘By work or someone else?’
‘Work, of course. What else would it be?’
‘Nothing. I was just… uh oh. My boss is sending me daggers. Tea break must be over! I’ll call you late
r!’
‘OK. Have a good afternoon.’
I tucked the phone in my waistband and picked up the drinks I’d now made and walked back into the living room, placing one of the mugs down on Tilly’s desk.
‘Oh, thanks! I was just going to do that when you went off.’
‘No problem. How’s the scheduling coming along?’
‘Good. Do you want to take a look at it and see what you think? I’m not sure about whether to switch these two things around.’ Tilly pointed at a couple of bullet points. I rolled my chair round to her side of the desk and began reading through the list she’d begun compiling. We were pretty good at organisation but with her wedding and then a three-week honeymoon coming up, prep work was definitely key right now.
The early evening rays of the sun caught the twisted metal of the old West Pier, highlighting its sad state and showing its beauty all in the same moment. The boys were busy colouring in their superhero books as the rest of us chatted over wine and breadsticks. Dad and Gina had driven down from London, booking a room at the Grand for the night, and Matt and Maria had ensured that they both had the evening off.
My birthday dinner was a tradition that seemed to be upheld more by my family than me, but it was a lovely opportunity to get everyone together. And also the one time I could be certain my dad wouldn’t try and find me a date!
Mum’s passing so close to my birthday had made it difficult for a long time and each of us knew that she should still be here with us, celebrating. My family’s insistence on doing this every year, moving shifts, schedules and everything else to ensure that it happened, made me love them even more.
Amy and Marcus came in, having scooted home from work for her to change in record time – something that normally took my dear friend a heck of a lot longer. In order for my nephews to be here, a stipulation that was non-negotiable, the event was always a little earlier than I’d normally have arranged. There was no sign of Charlie yet, but he had promised to leave early and said he’d get here as soon as he could. The boys ran over to Amy and gave her a hug, considered Marcus and soon began giggling at something he said, before running back to the colouring as the new guests came over to me and we exchanged more hugs and Amy handed me a gorgeously wrapped gift.
‘Oh, Ames, you shouldn’t!’
‘You don’t know what it is yet!’
‘I know. But it looks pretty.’
She shook her head. ‘I love that you’re my friend. You’re so easy to please. I can just give you a pretty box and you’re happy. It’s great!’
I shrugged, smiled and opened the gift – a cashmere wrap that we’d oohed over online and that was just as beautiful as the wrapping that had enclosed it.
‘No Alex or Charlie yet?’ Amy asked as Matt poured them both a glass of champagne after I’d thanked them.
‘No, not yet. Alex had some mountain bike thing on today after his rest, and Charlie said he’d be here as soon as he could.’
Amy raised her glass to me. ‘Happy birthday, Libs.’
‘Thanks.’ We clinked glasses and sipped our bubbly.
‘I thought Alex might have spent the day with you. You know, young love and all that.’ She giggled.
I pulled a face. ‘A few dates is not young love, thank you very much! And for your information, he did offer but I’m up to my ears in work at the moment so taking the day off wasn’t really an option. Plus, he’d had this thing arranged before he knew it was my birthday. I’m hardly going to ask him to change it.’
This time it was Amy’s turn to pull a face. ‘I would have done,’ she said, honestly.
I laughed and glanced at Marcus.
He shrugged. ‘Guess I’m not going mountain biking on your birthday, then.’
‘Not if you want to see your next one.’
‘Fair enough.’ He grinned and kissed her on the cheek.
I rolled my eyes, but my smile told them I actually loved it.
‘Charlie!’ Liam’s voice rang out and he bounded off his chair and ran across the restaurant.
‘Hello!’ Charlie dropped to a squat and laughed as Niall caught up with his brother and they both careered full speed into him.
‘Have you brought your car?’
‘Not today, I’m afraid.’
‘Ohhh!’ they chorused, sadly.
‘Sorry about that. Another time though?’
‘Yeeaaahh!’ They jumped up and down, still half hugging him.
He stood and each boy grabbed a hand, pulling him over to show him their artwork. As he passed he raised his eyebrows at me. ‘Hello, birthday girl. Be right there.’
I grinned and made a ‘no problem’ gesture. Charlie paused briefly to place a small turquoise gift bag in front of me. Amy’s eyes widened as she mouthed the word ‘Tiffany’s!’ to me. Surprise showing on my own face, I looked back up to Charlie, but he was already being tugged away by the boys.
Movement at the door caught my eye. Alex stepped through and gave a quick recce glance before his eyes rested on me.
‘Oop. Here comes lover boy,’ Marcus whispered.
‘Oh, shush up, you.’ I laughed and rapped him on the knuckles with a breadstick before standing and going to meet Alex halfway.
‘Hello.’
‘Evening. How’s the birthday girl?’
‘Fine, thank you. How was your biking?’
‘Great, thanks. Did I miss much?’ He nodded at the scene behind me.
‘No. We’ve been waiting for you to turn up. Charlie’s only just got here too.’
‘Oh, good.’
‘Thank you so much for the flowers this morning. They’re beautiful.’
‘My pleasure. I didn’t really know what to get you.’
‘You didn’t have to get me anything.’ I kissed his cheek and took his hand in mine. ‘Ready to come and meet everyone?’
‘Let’s do it.’
I smiled and began to turn. Alex tugged lightly on my hand. ‘Hey.’
I turned back.
‘Don’t I get a birthday kiss?’
I tilted my head at him. ‘But it’s not your birthday.’
‘That’s just semantics,’ he said softly, sliding his hand around my waist and pulling me to him. His lips were warm and soft as they touched mine and I felt myself move closer.
‘Who are you?’
Startled, we pulled apart and looked down in the direction of where the bold question had come from. Niall and Liam stood there studying us.
Alex flicked his eyes to me then back at the boys. I opened my mouth to speak but Alex beat me to it.
‘I’m Alex,’ he said, holding his hand out to them for a handshake.
Liam looked at it for a moment, then took it and shook it. ‘I’m Liam.’
‘I’m Niall,’ said Niall, who had chosen not to shake Alex’s hand but was instead winding his own into mine.
‘Nice to meet you, Niall, Liam.’
Liam considered him for a moment longer. ‘Are you coming to Auntie Libby’s party?’
‘I am.’
Liam looked at me for a moment.
‘OK,’ he replied, before wandering back to the table and taking an empty chair next to Charlie. Niall remained where he was, his big green eyes watching Alex.
‘Come on, Niall. Let’s go and introduce Alex to everyone else, shall we?’
Niall nodded and headed off towards the table, pulling me with him. I stuck out my hand and grabbed Alex’s before he got left behind, tossing a look over my shoulder as I did so. ‘Welcome to my family.’
Alex grinned and squeezed my hand in reply.
I’d seen Gina’s radar begin pinging the moment Charlie had walked in and now, with Alex attached to my hand, it was working overtime. I’d introduced Charlie to Dad, and Gina. Matt and Maria had already met him a couple of times now and had clearly got him relaxed and chatting by the time I got to the table, which I appreciated.
‘Everyone, this is Alex. Alex, my dad, Gina. Matt, my brother, my sister-in-law, Ma
ria, and you’ve already met their boys, Niall and Liam.’
Alex shook hands with everyone, making easy conversation. Gina was clearly already sold on him. Even my dad gave me a little look that seemed to intimate something. I wasn’t sure what but he seemed pleased so I just took it at face value and carried on.
Once everyone had taken their seats and the boys had settled a little more, a toast went up and champagne levels went down. Our orders were taken and we all munched on olives, breadsticks and sun-dried tomatoes as we waited for the starters to arrive. I saw Alex’s eyes take in the Tiffany bag at my place setting.
‘Are you going to open it?’ Amy asked, trying to peer into the bag.
‘Later, if that’s OK?’ I flicked my glance to Charlie. He nodded. As I turned back, I caught a glimpse of something in Alex’s expression. A tightening of his jaw. But the next moment it was gone and I wondered if I’d seen anything at all.
‘Alex, do you have a James Bond car?’ Liam asked during a momentary lull in the conversation.
I saw Alex’s glance flick to Charlie and then to me.
‘No.’ He smiled. ‘I don’t. Wish I did, though. They’re really cool, aren’t they?’
Liam nodded quickly in agreement. ‘Charlie has a James Bond car.’
‘I know he does. Nice, isn’t it?’
‘Mmm hmm.’ Liam returned his concentration to his drawing and it seemed that his questioning was done.
‘So, where did—?’
‘Auntie Libby?’
Or not.
‘Yes, Liam?’
‘Is Alex your boyfriend?’
I could see smirks all around the table, including one on Alex’s face.
‘Umm, well…’
‘I am,’ Alex filled in.
‘Oh.’
I waited. Experience told me that my eldest nephew and his enquiring mind weren’t done with me yet.
‘But couldn’t Charlie be your boyfriend instead of Alex, Auntie Libby? Then we get to go in his James Bond car.’
A second of silence descended on the table.
‘Ouch,’ Alex said.
‘Alex drives a police car!’ I blurted.
Like a lot of small boys, Liam and Niall had an affinity for anything that had sirens.
‘Are you a policeman?’ Niall asked.
‘I am.’
‘Is your police car here?’ Liam asked, his interest in Alex now a little more piqued.
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