Chapter 49
Jed had been slicing the remainder of the quiche into smaller and smaller portions to make it last longer, but last night he’d finished the final sliver. He could have asked Esme to send him another, but no, the time had come for action. A big gesture was needed and he’d arranged it.
Yesterday he’d cleared his diary, much to the irritation of his long-suffering PA in Manchester. And now here he was heading down the M6 once more to find out once and for all if he stood a chance with Esme Addis. It felt like buying a multimillion-pound property without viewing it first, because it could turn out to be a disaster. But at least he’d know.
‘And now,’ said the female dating expert who’d been burbling away on the radio about the best way for a woman to pull a man, ‘we reverse the situation.’
‘But surely the same principles apply,’ argued the male presenter.
‘Ah, that’s where you’re wrong, and it’s a mistake far too many men make! They might not mind being surprised by a visit with zero warning, but I promise you, it’s not something we women appreciate!’ The expert chuckled at the presenter’s hopeless ignorance. ‘We have to be forewarned so we can be looking our very best when we’re surprised. Our hair and make-up needs to be perfect, our manicures flawless and our clothes immaculate. I mean, if we’re going to be taken by surprise, we all want to be Instagram-ready!’
Oh God, really? Shit .
Seven miles later, Jed pulled in at the services and sent Esme a message.
Hi, on my way down, see you at 11 a.m.!
There, so it was still a semi-surprise but with a bit of warning. He saw that the message had been seen, and watched the dancing dots on the screen herald her reply.
K.
Less effusive than he’d hoped, but maybe she was otherwise occupied.
Never mind, soon be there.
At ten minutes past eleven, he pulled up outside Egg Cottage. There was no sign of Esme’s car, nor any response when he rang the doorbell then tried to call her phone.
Right, this wasn’t going according to plan at all.
But less than three minutes later, her car came into view and there she was, parking neatly behind him then jumping out of the car, clearly shocked to see him.
‘Oh my God, what are you doing here? What’s going on?’
‘I did message you.’ So much for advance warnings; Esme’s hair was tangled and dripping wet, her T-shirt and white linen trousers patchily damp, and she wasn’t wearing a scrap of make-up. Then again, as far as he was concerned, she looked perfect.
‘On my phone?’
‘No, by carrier pigeon.’ Jed smiled, because how could he not?
‘Sorry, today’s my day off and Marty’s school had an inset day so I took him swimming. Just dropped him back home. My phone’s at the bottom of my bag somewhere . . .’ She unzipped her vast canvas bag, whipped out a bright purple towel and searched for her mobile.
‘You replied to my message.’
‘I didn’t.’ Finding the phone at last, she peered at the screen. ‘Right, that was my naughty grandson playing a game on it earlier. Kids today are so pressed for time, they’re too busy to say OK so they just say K. I know, what’s the world coming to? Anyway, come on inside, what a surprise . . . It’s so lovely to see you! What have I done to deserve this visit?’
Jed followed her into the cottage. ‘I ran out of quiche.’
Esme burst out laughing. ‘I made another one last night. Are you hungry now?’
‘There’s something else.’
‘Oh?’ She turned to look at him. ‘What?’
I love you . But the declaration he’d planned wouldn’t come out. His brain, zip-zapping crazily, scrambled for an alternative option. ‘I need a haircut,’ he heard himself say, and put his hand up to his head. ‘It’s too long. Needs sorting.’
‘It does. I already told you that.’
OK, confession time. ‘I . . . have a bit of a fear of hairdressers. That’s why it’s so long. When I was a kid, this woman’s scissors slipped and she cut my ear. Ever since, I’ve always expected it to happen again.’ It wasn’t the manliest admission; would it put Esme off him? But he had to be honest with her.
Esme nodded slowly. ‘And does that mean you’re afraid of me?’
‘No. I trust you.’
‘That’s what I call a compliment.’ Her mouth twitched as she pulled one of the chairs out from under the table and set it in the centre of the kitchen. ‘Take a seat. Make yourself comfortable. I promise not to cut off any ears.’
Running upstairs, she returned with a white towel and draped it around his shoulders. Then, using a water spray, she dampened and combed his hair until it was as wet as her own. Finally she produced her hairdressing scissors and began to cut, carefully and expertly trimming an inch off his untidily overgrown locks.
Jed was in heaven. It felt amazing sitting here with Esme moving around him, her body inches from his own. Every so often her leg brushed against his knee, or her bare forearm made fleeting contact with his shoulder. She smelled of chlorine and fabric conditioner, and breathing it in was somehow more intoxicating than if she’d been wearing the world’s most exclusive perfume. The sound of her voice as they chatted was hypnotic, and when they stopped talking the silence was comfortable. Closing his eyes, Jed wished what was happening now could last for ever. He didn’t want this experience to end.
When it did, Esme produced a mirror and showed him his carefully trimmed, neatened self.
He surveyed his reflection. ‘Maybe shorter?’
She chuckled and resumed her work, and twenty minutes later gave him the mirror again.
‘You know you thought I could try having my hair properly short?’ said Jed.
Esme’s eyes sparkled. ‘Want to give it a go?’
‘Yes, please.’
This time it took thirty blissful minutes, but she didn’t seem to mind. Was this a good sign? He looked in the mirror and marvelled at the difference, then glanced up at her. ‘What do you think?’
‘I’d call it a complete transformation. You’re a new man.’
Jed experienced a warm glow. ‘You like?’
‘I very much like.’
He did too. He looked younger, smarter, better . Relieved, he said, ‘And I still have both my ears.’
‘I told you, I’m good at my job. Even if it isn’t my proper job.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Worth the trip?’
‘Well worth it.’
Esme studied his face. ‘Why are you really here?’
The time had come. ‘You’re not daft. You must know.’
‘I think I have a good idea.’ She shook her head slightly. ‘I just don’t understand. Look at that last girlfriend of yours, she was stunning. And I’m so . . . ordinary.’
It was his turn to stare at her now, in disbelief. ‘Are you kidding? You’re anything but ordinary. You . . .’ he rose to his feet, the towel sliding off his shoulders and a cloud of trimmed hair floating to the ground, ‘are extraordinary. Capable. Beautiful. Genuine. Kind.’ A lump rose in his throat, because he meant every word, but what if he was about to be rejected? ‘You are everything. You’re perfect in every way.’
Esme looked stunned. ‘Really?’
‘I’ve never meant anything more in my life.’
‘Oh my God.’ A smile spread across her face, slow and unstoppable. The next moment she launched herself at him, flung her arms around him and began to kiss him and kiss him and kiss him, taking his breath away.
It was . . . wow .
When she finally, reluctantly drew back, Esme said, ‘I’ve been wanting to do that for ages. You have no idea.’
‘I wish I had. You could have dropped a hint. I’d have been down here sooner.’
‘Sometimes it’s fun to wait.’ She kissed him again.
She was incredible. ‘Not now, though,’ Jed murmured against her mouth.
She linked her fingers through his and drew him out of the kitchen, towards the staircase. ‘Oh no, definitely not now.’
An hour later, Jed got busy on his phone whilst Esme was in the shower. When she finally returned to her bedroom wrapped in a huge towel, he said, ‘Where’s your passport?’
She pointed. ‘In that drawer over there. Why? Are you worried I’ve been lying about my age?’
‘Remember telling me about your favourite band? They’re playing in Paris tomorrow night. I’ve just sorted us a couple of VIP tickets.’
She looked stunned. ‘Tomorrow? But I can’t, I have to work.’
‘You don’t.’
‘I do! I can’t let them down.’
‘You won’t be letting them down. I’ve arranged for Alastair Blake to work there in your place.’
Esme did a double-take. ‘Is this a joke?’
All he’d wanted to do was make her happy, but this was the moment he realised she might not want him to make plans without asking her first. Panicking, Jed said, ‘No joke. Sorry, have I got this wrong? I thought you’d love it, but we don’t have to go if you don’t want to.’
She looked at him. ‘It’s just a shock. I’m not used to having stuff arranged for me. It feels a bit . . .’
‘Forget I said it. I can cancel everything.’ He was mortified.
Her expression softened. ‘No, but maybe ask me first next time. I’m used to being my own boss. You’re right, though, I’ll definitely love it. We’ll go tomorrow. Can’t wait.’
He took a deep breath. ‘We’re not going tomorrow. It’s today. The hotel’s booked. So’s the helicopter.’
‘A helicopter ?’ As she burst out laughing, the towel came undone and fell to the ground. With a shriek, Esme hastily reached for it to conceal her nakedness.
‘Thought we might as well make a proper break of it. It’s all arranged.’ Reaching for her, Jed pulled her back into bed with him. ‘So long as you promise never to try and cover yourself up like that again. You don’t need to.’
‘Sorry,’ said Esme. ‘It’s just, I have a bit of cellulite. You probably don’t know what cellulite is, but—’
‘Of course I know. It’s what some women spend their lives being terrified of getting. They starve themselves and have endless bizarre treatments to fend it off, but it couldn’t matter less to me. Because I love every inch of you,’ Jed told her. ‘And that includes any cellulite you may or may not have. Now, can we get you packed and ready to go, because I’ve arranged with Nick for the pilot to land on his helipad in an hour and we don’t want to keep him waiting.’
She was still grinning. ‘This is insane. I’ve always wanted to go up in a helicopter.’
She’d told him this during their dinner together. ‘I know. And I want your first time to be with me. Just like going to your first ever concert tomorrow night.’
‘There’s a covers band doing a show next month on a boat in Bristol harbour. Apparently they sound quite good. I was going to ask my girls to take me for my birthday next month.’
‘No need. Tomorrow you’ll get to see the real thing.’
‘Maybe we could do both,’ said Esme.
‘We can do whatever you like.’ He took her into his arms. ‘Whatever makes you happy.’
Esme gave him a saucy look. ‘If we do that right now, chances are we’ll miss our flight.’
Jed kissed her. ‘True. Better wait until we get to Paris.’