Chapter 4
Chapter Four
A nna had chosen her outfit strategically, knowing she always felt more confident when she was well-dressed. She’d got an extra confidence boost when Warren had gawked at the sight of her.
His grumpiness irked her, but she blamed his mood on his nerves.
Walking into the warmth of the restaurant, she pulled her shoulders back and corrected her posture. Tempted as she’d been to back out when Warren had given her the opportunity, she didn’t want to risk giving him a reason not to uphold his end of the deal.
It was just one evening, and the one good thing about spending so much of her life awash with nerves was that she was also adept at hiding them.
She stepped aside to let Warren pass. He headed for the smartly dressed couple in a booth at the side of the room.
Anna tugged her gloves off and unwound her scarf while he greeted his parents with quick, perfunctory hugs. After the snippets he’d told her about his family, she was intrigued to meet them. And to find out more about Warren, too.
It was actually weird how little she knew about him, considering he felt like part of the family half the time.
“I brought a friend,” Warren said, when his mum looked quizzically at Anna. “Sorry, I forgot to mention it earlier.”
“He didn’t forget at all,” Anna said smoothly. “I only invited myself half an hour ago. I hope you don’t mind, but he said you were visiting, and I was dying to meet you.”
“How lovely.” His mum offered a bemused smile. “I’m Jen.”
Anna introduced herself as she shook her hand, then did the same with his dad.
“It’s always good to meet Warren’s friends,” Dennis said amiably.
Anna caught Warren’s eye roll, but not the words he muttered under his breath. While his parents slid back into their seats, Warren took her coat and hung it with his own at the end of the booth. He motioned for her to sit, then slid onto the bench beside her.
“It’s lovely and cosy in here,” she said, rubbing her hands for warmth as she glanced around the room. “It only opened a couple of months ago, and I kept thinking I should try it. I’ve heard good things about the food.”
“It’s nice and convenient for our hotel,” Jen said.
Anna nodded vaguely, choosing not to ask why they weren’t staying at Lewis’s hotel. “Is it your first time in the Cotswolds?”
“We’ve been before, but not for years and not to this part.” Jen smiled. “It’s good to have an excuse now that Warren is here.”
Except he’d been living there for years. Again, Anna held her tongue.
“How do you two know each other?” Dennis asked.
“I’m Lewis’s sister,” Anna said.
“Oh.” His mum pinched her lips together, then opened her mouth to speak before Warren cut her off.
“Lewis is my boss at the hotel.”
“Ah.” They both nodded their understanding, but Anna could have sworn they really weren’t much wiser about the situation.
“So your brother is the manager of the hotel?” Dennis asked.
“He’s the owner,” Anna replied.
Dennis’s eyebrows rose. “That’s impressive.”
“Yes.” She chose not to disclose exactly how Lewis had acquired the hotel, deciding they probably wouldn’t be impressed to find it involved a healthy dose of luck. “He’s done very well for himself. But he always says it’s partly because of his brilliant staff.” She shot Warren a glance and smiled.
“You still enjoy working there?” Jen asked Warren.
He nodded. “I love it.”
“And what do you do?” Dennis asked, eyes on Anna.
“I work part-time at a florist’s.”
The conversation was interrupted by the waitress coming to take their drinks order, and then by their focusing on the menu to decide what they wanted to eat. A quick glance at Warren told Anna he wasn’t concentrating on the menu, despite having his eyes fixed on it.
His jaw looked painfully tight, and he held his shoulders so rigidly that she had the urge to massage the tension out of them. When he glanced up and caught her staring, she whipped her gaze away, cursing the way her cheeks flashed with heat.
Anna’s blush made Warren smile, and he felt himself relax a little. At least until they’d ordered food, and his dad manoeuvred the conversation straight back to where they’d left off.
“Did you say you only work part time?”
Warren breathed deeply through his nose. There was no way Anna’s erratic work schedule would impress them. Which wouldn’t matter if they were better at hiding their disdain of anything that didn’t meet their approval.
“I only work part time at the flower shop,” she explained. “But I also have a lot of freelance work.”
His dad’s eyebrows rose keenly. “What kind of freelance work?”
“I have an online shop,” she told him. “Selling cards and gifts. I also sell at craft fairs pretty regularly.”
“I see,” his dad said with a condescending smile.
“It’s pretty small at the moment,” Anna said. “But that’s how all businesses start, isn’t it?”
His mum tapped a nail against her wineglass. “Do you have plans to expand?”
“My idea is to have my own flower shop eventually,” she said, then paused and sipped her wine, while Warren tried to figure out if that was true or if she was just trying to impress them. “I have a degree in business and marketing,” she added.
Warren’s eyes widened. When he’d told her what his parents were like, he hadn’t expected her to outright lie. He was surprised she had it in her.
“I always had the idea of opening my own flower shop, but I decided it’d be best to get some experience first. It almost feels cheeky getting paid to gather knowledge for when I open my own place. I don’t tell my boss about my plans, of course.”
“Do you have a specific timescale for opening your own place?” his dad asked.
“I keep an eye on the property market, waiting for the right premises to come along. I’m only twenty-five, so I don’t feel there’s a big rush.
The more experience I have when I branch out, and the more money I’ve saved, the more likely I am to make a success of it.
” She shrugged. “Maybe I could even have a chain of shops one day.”
“Interesting plans,” his mum said, with a nod of approval .
“Sounds like you’ve got a good head on your shoulders,” his dad intoned. “I’m sure you’ll do well.”
Anna caught Warren’s eye. He could barely contain his surprise. For someone so meek and mild, she could put on quite a show of confidence when she felt like it.
Smoothly, she asked his dad about his work, which got him talking about his recent business deals. More impressive than her earlier performance was the way Anna feigned interest in everything his dad said.
The conversation flowed easily, filling the space until their food arrived.
“I don’t know about yours,” his dad said, winding tagliatelle onto his fork, “but my food is divine.”
“It’s good,” Anna said, popping a piece of ravioli into her mouth. “I think I’m spoiled with food these days since I eat at the hotel quite a bit. Warren makes amazing fresh pasta.” Glancing up at his parents, she smiled softly. “You must be very proud.”
Warren wanted to laugh at that. Even more so when his mum murmured that, of course, they were proud of him.
What else could they say? That he was their biggest disappointment?
He knew that’s what they were thinking, but they’d be nothing other than polite in company. Which was exactly what Anna had said – that family would always be on their best behaviour around other people.
He refused to look at his parents, but took a swig of his beer and decided that whatever Anna needed from him at her party next weekend, he would play the role to perfection.
When the desserts arrived, Anna turned to Warren. “What have you got planned with your parents tomorrow?”
“I booked tickets for Blenheim Palace in the afternoon.”
His mum would no doubt love it, and with so much to see, it should make conversation easier .
“It’s beautiful,” Anna said to his mum. “The palace is all decorated for Christmas, and there’s a light trail around the gardens. You’ll have a great time.”
“Why don’t you come with us?” his mum said.
“She’s working tomorrow,” Warren said, answering for her since she’d just taken a mouthful of tiramisu.
“That’s a shame,” his mum said. “At the florist?”
Anna shook her head. “There’s a craft fair. I’ll probably be there for most of the day.”
“What will you be selling?” his mum asked.
“Tomorrow it will be mostly Christmas wreaths and handmade Christmas cards. I also have handmade soaps and candles, which sell well.”
“That sounds lovely.” His mum smiled over her coffee.
“I’m looking forward to it. I have a table at this fair every year.”
“Maybe we could call in.” His mum looked questioningly at Warren, who searched for an excuse. He’d promised Anna it would only be dinner.
“We don’t have anything planned in the morning, do we?” his mum pressed.
“I thought we’d go for a drive,” Warren said. “There are some pretty little villages to explore.”
“I’d really like to see the craft fair.”
“You should,” Anna said, giving Warren a reassuring look before addressing his mum again. “They have food and drink vans in the car park. You can get mulled wine and hot chocolate, and it’s a gorgeous atmosphere. Not that I get to enjoy it much. I’ll be stuck behind my table all day.”
“Let’s go,” his mum said decisively.
“We can call in, I guess,” Warren said. If Anna didn’t mind, there was no reason not to.
“It’s over at the community centre just outside Bibury. I can send you the details. It’d be good to see you there.” Her eyes brightened. “I’ll be able to send you off to get me a hot drink and snacks. It’s usually so busy that I hardly have time to move out from behind my table.”
His mum dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “That’s the plan for the morning, then.”
Anna checked her watch as she pushed her empty dessert plate away. “Sorry, I’m going to have to head off. I have to be up early.”
“I’ll walk you home,” Warren said, then offered to get the bill, only to be waved away by his dad.
He held Anna’s coat out for her, and she glanced at him over her shoulder. “I’m fine getting home alone if you want to stay longer.”
“I’ll walk you.” Not only because he didn’t like the idea of her walking alone in the dark, but also because he had no desire to hang around with his parents. The evening had passed reasonably easily, and he was keen to get out while the going was good.
There was a round of goodnights, and his mum even hugged Anna before they left.
Outside, he broke into a smile.
After spending weeks dreading their visit, the first evening had gone surprisingly well.