by Kim Nash
Mario smiled. ‘It is all true. And I met this a-lovely laydee called Monica who is my wife’s a-friend. So, beautiful laydeees, what is your delicious pleasure this evening?’ Coming from an English man, that would have sounded so cheesy but it just sounded so perfectly right in a sexy, deep Italian accent. Monica ordered them a bottle of chilled Pinot Grigio, and Mario said that he would bring it over to them, so they took the two tub chairs in the bay window that overlooked the pretty high street. Grace sighed with contentment. She really loved living here.
‘OMG! I nearly forgot to tell you. You will never believe what happened to me this afternoon,’ Grace said, relaying the story of ‘Fit Bloke’ turning up. Her eyes shone and she lit up with excitement as she described Vinnie.
‘OK, madam!’ Monica announced. ‘You very clearly need a man in your life, so the next thing I am going to do is to find you one.’
‘No thanks, Mon,’ Grace replied determinedly. ‘I’m happy enough on my own – well, with Archie and Becks anyway.’
‘Darling, Archie is a child and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but one day he is going to grow up, become independent and leave you. And as for Becks… Well, I hate to burst your bubble but Becks is a dog if you hadn’t realised, not a man! And you’re hardly going to meet someone when you don’t go anywhere. You walk to school, go to work and sometimes venture to your local supermarket. It’s not enough though, Grace,’ Monica said, kindly. ‘I know that people invite you places, so please don’t tell me they don’t. Why don’t you go?’
‘I just feel that everyone must be thinking that there’s something wrong with me because I can’t find a bloke. I hate going out when people are in couples. I know that it’s really kind of them to invite me, and they don’t understand, but I just feel like a leper being on my own. Do you know, recently I met up with some of the mums from school for coffee and one of them said that her brother had arranged to have a table at a charity event at a local rugby club and she wondered if any couples would like to go. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I was mortified. Then when I got home, I realised how bloody rude it was of her to do that! And then I became angry because she obviously felt that it was OK to leave out people who were single and only invite people if they were in a couple. Yet, I ended up being the one who felt awkward. How could I allow someone to make me feel like that?’
‘God knows what that was all about. I wish I’d have been there. I’d have bloody said something. I’m sure she didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But darling, that was how you chose to feel. Everyone has a choice in how they feel. And you can’t change someone else’s behaviour. All you can do is to change your reaction towards their behaviour. If you felt that she was being rude, perhaps you should have said something at the time rather than come home and let it fester so you ended up feeling doubly bad.’
Grace knew that for all Monica’s interference and exaggeration, she was incredibly astute when it came to feelings and that she only had her friend’s best interests at heart, always trying to give her confidence from a place of love.
‘Anyway, I knew you’d say no, so I’ve already signed you up with a profile on a dating site.’
Grace nearly spat out her Pinot. ‘You’ve done what?’
‘Well, you wouldn’t have done it yourself so I’ve done it for you. It’s a site where you can write a statement, on behalf of your friend. Do you want to know what your profile says?’ she asked, getting her iPad out of her handbag.
Grace put her head in her hands, her heart sinking, and sighed loudly. ‘Oh, Mon, what have you done?’
‘I’m putting you out there, gorgeous. You are much too fabulous to be alone and I’ve been lovely about you. I’m your friend and I know how amazing you are, so of course it’s just fantastic. Just listen to what I put before you say it’s not for you. Please, Grace.’
Monica took Grace’s stunned silence as approval and read out the profile that she’d very carefully pondered over for hours before finally hitting the submit button.
Vivacious and curvy with a fabulous personality, Grace is my amazing friend who is beautiful inside and out and deserves someone in her life who will love her deeply and treat her like a princess. She’s kind, she’s generous, she’s totally awesome and would do anything to help anyone ahead of helping herself. Mum to a ten-year-old, it’s now time that she started to put herself first and have someone wine and dine her and love and respect her for the incredible person that she is.
‘See, that’s not too bad is it?’ she asked.
‘S’pose not!’ Grace answered like a truculent teenager. ‘But I am so going to get you back for this one day!’
‘Oh darling, that’s fine by me. I mean every word I say about you. I hate to think of you being alone when Archie is at his dad’s. I know how much you hate it and you can’t just keep going to bed at eight o’clock at night so that the time goes quicker. And don’t even try to deny that!’ She held her finger up to stop Grace as she went to open her mouth to speak.
‘Anyway, I did this last weekend and I wanted to leave it till today so I could get a fab picture of you all dolled up to put on the site. I used that picture of you that we took today, after your make-over with Bernice and Carlos! Let’s have a look at some of the men on there and see if there’s anyone you like the look of.’
‘Oh God! Must we?’
‘Yes, we must, gorgeous!’
‘Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a look, would it?’ Grace said, tentatively, peering over Monica’s shoulder at the list of available men.
‘Oooh he looks nice!’ Monica picked out Dave from Essex.
‘He looks like he’s just come out of prison,’ muttered Grace. ‘Or is still in there.’ The corners of her mouth actually twitched upwards in what was very nearly a smile.
‘OK, what about Roger from Nuneaton? Do you fancy rogering Roger?’
They both tittered with laughter and Grace thought that if nothing else came from this experience, at least they’d have had a bloody good laugh.
‘They’re all old, Monica!’ Grace exclaimed.
‘I hate to tell you babe, but you’re no spring chicken yourself these days! We could always extend the age range to incorporate toy boys for you?’
‘No! Absolutely not! Ooh… what about him? He looks nice. What does his profile say?’ she pointed out the most normal-looking of the men on the page. He looked nice and friendly. The only downside was that his name was Derek.
‘It says, “Derek is a self-confessed great bloke. He hates nightclubs and noisy pubs and would much prefer to go out for delicious meals and a good bottle of red. A plumber who is very handy around the house, and very well house-trained, he loves taking on refurbishing projects and taking long walks in the countryside.“
‘He sounds worth a try Gracie, you might get your dream bathroom quicker than you thought! And think about the house. You could make a list of jobs you need doing and ask him on your first date if he’s capable of doing them. Interview him to see if he’s up to the job.’
Grace smiled and thought actually how nice it would be to have someone handy around the house. Mark was absolutely rubbish at DIY and too tight to pay anyone to do it, so consequently they had lived in a state of unfinished jobs which she’d had to pay a fortune out to have finished before she could even consider putting the house on the market.
Within a few clicks, and before Grace could even think any further about it, Monica had sent a request through to the site to connect with Derek.
‘Ok, let’s see what happens now!’
Grace could not believe that she had been talked into this. Internet dating was something that tons of people had suggested to her and she had strongly protested against. In fact she’d had a massive row with Hannah about it when Hannah had suggested it’d be a great laugh. ‘A great laugh for the people who didn’t have to do it,’ Grace had yelled at Hannah, slamming down the phone. She’d had to ring back and apologise, realising that
she was so scared at getting out of her comfort zone that she’d taken it out on her sister, who Grace knew would never upset her intentionally.
Another friend of hers, Lynne, had suggested that she should go speed-dating and said that she thought it would be great fun. It was OK for her though, she was married and her husband John even said that he’d go too and choose someone for her! It seemed that their idea of a fun evening out was a little different to Grace's.
Grace temporarily and conveniently forgot their discussion about the dating site and she and Monica slipped back into their favourite pastime of people watching. They loved to pick out people and make up stories about them.
While they were discussing the lives of a couple that they’d nicknamed Doreen and Dave, who had hardly anything to say, and sat on their respective phones ignoring each other, there was a commotion at the entrance of the bar and a group of rowdy men came in. When they dispersed to the bar, one of them in particular caught Grace’s eye. He had his back to them and was stood on the edge of the group, not really fitting in, seeming quieter than the rest, and, oh boy, he looked like he had a body to die for from the back. He was dressed in smart jeans and a trendy blue shirt and jumper.
For the first time in a long time, Grace thought that he looked like the sort of guy that she might like to get to know better, then checked herself and wondered why anyone like that would ever look at her. She was a single mum of a ten-year-old, fat and frumpy and her idea of an exciting night out was a trip to her local Tesco to buy a new pair of pyjamas. She’d even been invited recently to a food-tasting event by the local manager for being one of their most loyal customers! Even before Monica had thrown away most of her wardrobe, Grace had had more clothes to go to bed in than she did to go out.
‘Ooooh! Fitty at ten o’clock! He’s lush!’ whispered Monica. ‘I could see you and Fitty making beautiful babies together.’ They giggled just a tad too loudly, feeling the effects of a glass or two of Pinot until ‘Fitty’ turned round and looked Grace straight in the eye.
It was Vinnie!
He smiled shyly at Grace as soon as he recognised her, seemingly embarrassed by his own loud friends. God he really was gorgeous, she thought. Then he was lost in the crowd as they all started jostling each other and starting what appeared to be a drinking competition.
Grace excused herself to go to the ladies’ and when she came out, he was just on his way into the gents’. As she passed him, she realised once again that he had the dreamiest blue eyes she’d ever seen.
‘Hello again,’ he said. ‘Sorry about the loud blokes I’m with! Hope they’re not spoiling your evening.’
‘That’s OK,’ Grace replied. ‘You don’t seem to be half as loud as they are, though.’
‘I’m not, that’s why. But my mate dragged me out.’ He looked sheepish but she couldn’t help thinking how incredibly handsome he was. She could get lost in those eyes forever. And that voice!
‘I know that feeling. I’m normally in watching X Factor and eating a Chinese in my jimmies on a Saturday or dancing around the lounge to Strictly but I’ve been dragged out by my friend Monica. She’s trying to encourage me to get out into the big bad world more.’ Grace smiled, knowing that Monica only had her best interests at heart.
‘What about your husband? Is he babysitting tonight? I noticed that you wear a wedding ring and I remember you talking about your son earlier.’
‘Oh no, the rings belonged to my mum, I just wear them because they were hers and it makes me feel close to her. No… as for me and my son’s dad, we’re not together any more.’
Vinnie smiled. ‘Oh right. That’s good. Oh sorry, I don’t mean good. You know…’
‘Oy-oy Vinster!’ A tall, friendly looking man came up and patted him on the back. ‘Hope you’re not chatting this poor defenceless lady up, mate. You know Ellie won’t like it!’
Vinnie looked sheepish. ‘I suppose I’d better get back to my mates. I can’t wait till tomorrow, truth be told, as I normally spend my weekend mornings at the new coffee shop in town. It belongs to my sister Ruth, and I try to make it look busy for her. I always take some work along so I don’t look like an idiot on my own or you can find me in a corner with my nose stuck in a book. I’m a proper bookworm. Probably shouldn’t have confessed that,’ he said, smiling. ‘But you should come along, it’s really nice there and the coffee is great.’
Grace loved that Vinnie admitted to reading books. Mark always said she was rude when she read instead of watching TV with him. ‘Bye Vinnie, good to see you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.’
‘You too, Grace. And it was really nice to see you again. You look amazing, by the way!’
Grace blushed. She was not used to getting compliments. Vinnie’s cheeks looked a little on the rosy side too all of a sudden. Perhaps he wasn’t used to giving them out.
As she walked back into the bar, she turned at the same time that he did and they grinned at each other and he gave her a wink. Her heart exploded with lots of tiny fireworks. But then she thought it was just her luck to find someone she finally fancied to discover he was already taken. She wondered if ‘Ellie’ was the sender of the text message he’d received when he was looking at her garden, the one that had made him frown.
‘Monica, you will not believe who that fit bloke at the bar was.’ Grace was flushed as she returned to her seat.
‘Ooh, how exciting. Tell me more, you gorgeous creature,’ slurred Monica who had reached the bottom of her large glass of wine and had been up to the bar to fetch another bottle. ‘I told you that you looked a million dollars tonight, didn’t I?’
‘Ha! Only Vinnie, the gorgeous landscaper. He said that his sister has a coffee shop and that I should pop in on a Saturday as he’s always there. I probably won’t go, though. Anyway, I think he has a girlfriend. His friend mentioned a girl’s name and said that she wouldn’t like him talking to me.’
‘Not going? For God’s sake girl, you don’t have to marry the guy, he only asked you for coffee! You have to go. Just get yourself out there and start to live again. You can’t just live your life for your son. You are so miserable when you’re not with him, but this is how your life is now. I just want you to do something for yourself when Archie’s with his dad. You can either wallow and have a pity party, or you can get out there and grab life with both hands. Life is too short, and you are too fabulous to be alone!’
‘I know life’s short, Mon, but I hate not being a mum and being part of a family. It’s all I ever wanted in my life and when I had Archie I felt that my life was complete. When he’s not with me at home, it’s like the soul has gone from my house. The only thing I’ve ever been really good at in my life is being mum to Archie and when he’s not there I feel completely lost.’ Grace tried to explain.
‘You’re lonely, Grace,’ Monica said gently. ‘You need to get out more and enjoy some company or you’re going to end up a very sad and lonely lady who lives her life for her son. You are such a lovely person and have so much to offer someone. But if you’re not careful, you are going to smother Archie and when he grows up and wants to fly the nest, you’re never going to want him to leave. You’ll have him still living at home when he’s forty!’
Grace laughed and snorted wine down her nose and all over her blue jumpsuit.
‘Ew sweetie, you’re going to have to brush up on your manners if you’re going on a date!’ Monica laughed.
‘I haven’t said I’m going yet,’ Grace replied.
* * *
Thank heavens for that. No pun intended! I’m so glad that I engineered you meeting this nice young man. You need to recognise a good’un when you see one. I wish you could see what I could see, my darling girl. I wish you could see into the future and know that there is someone out there who is perfect for you. Someone who is kind, who is gorgeous, solvent and handy too! But above all someone who knows how to treat and respect a woman. Now all you have to do is make sure you don’t bugger another one up! I love you, Mum xxx<
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Chapter Six
The following day, Grace was making her morning coffee and trying to juggle her finances, which were pretty non-existent while she was concentrating on making the house nice for her and Archie, when Monica’s face flashed up on the caller display.
‘You just can’t keep away from me can you?’ Grace laughed.
‘Babes, are you doing anything tonight?’ Monica asked in a creepy, ‘I want something’ type of voice.
‘No, just a quiet one in front of the TV for me, catching up on Love Island,’ she replied.
‘Actually hun, you’re not. I know Archie has gone to his dad’s for two nights this weekend, so you are free and I just got an email from Derek from that dating website. You’re meeting him tonight for a drink at the Duke of Wellington at seven o’clock.’
‘But…’ stammered Grace.
‘Don’t you “but” me, young lady! Now before you start to even argue that you are not going, I can’t get in touch with him now, so he’s expecting to see you there. It’s just a drink, just meet him and see if you like him: if you don’t, you’ll never have to see him again, and if you do, that’s great. If nothing else, it’s a night out. Just think of it like you would if you were networking at work.’
‘I think I hate you right now, Monica!’ Grace said, laughing.
‘No you don’t, babe, you love me to bits, you know you do. Now be a good girl and go and get your glad rags on. Ring me later or tomorrow and let me know how you get on. Love you. Byeee.’
She’d disappeared before Grace had the chance to protest any more. She resigned herself to the fact that she was going to have to go. What was the worst that could happen?
* * *
Grace walked into the Duke of Wellington and could not see a soul that resembled the picture from the dating website. She went to the bar and asked for a gin and tonic, needing something to calm her nerves. There was a vacant table in the window with two comfy leather armchairs, which overlooked the village square, so she smoothed down her long-length blue top over her jeans, hung her linen jacket over the back of one of the chairs, plonked herself down in it and pulled a book out of her handbag. As an avid reader, she always made sure she had a book with her. It made her think of Vinnie, who’d said he was a bookworm. In fact there was nothing that made her happier than clean bedclothes, some new pyjamas and a great novel.
