Thirteen
Once again, Dad gave me a lift home. We’d had a similar discussion over breakfast about why I hadn’t arrived in my car, but this time I didn’t mention that I’d had alcohol.
‘You haven’t been banned or something, have you?’ Mum asked. ‘You have been drinking heavily since you met that Berry person, and her brother.’
‘No, Mum. I haven’t. I ate rather a lot of my neighbour’s delicious cinnamon cookies and I needed to walk off the excess calories. I’ve brought you a bag, and one for Gran if you’re popping into the care home to see her.’
‘You’re trying to make us fat?’ Mum looked horrified.
‘No. I’m trying to give you a delicious treat. One a day won’t hurt you. I had … several yesterday.’
‘Oh, I see. Well thank you. I’ll pass your gift to your gran. But she’s not in a care home, darling,’ Mum said. ‘It’s a residential establishment and community for the elderly.’
‘Otherwise known as a care home.’
‘I’ll give you a lift,’ said Dad.
It was clearly time to go.
‘You won’t be coming back, will you?’ Mum checked.
‘What? Ever?’ I asked, knowing full well what she meant.
Mum looked flustered. ‘No. Of course not. You’ll be here for Sunday lunch. I meant, you won’t need to stay tonight, will you? Your plumber is coming to sort you out today, isn’t he?’
‘Ooooh yes,’ I said in as sultry a voice as I could muster. ‘I do hope so. My plumbing needs a good sorting out.’
Mum furrowed her brows; Dad quirked one of his.
I didn’t bother to tell her he arrived yesterday and was returning today.
‘Oh, Lord,’ said Dad. ‘It’s snowing. Hurry up or we won’t be able to go anywhere.’
I dashed to the front door and flung it open. A solitary snowflake landed on my nose.
‘We might need to dig our way out, Dad,’ I said.
Dad shook his head and walked past me.
‘You don’t have to wind your mother up,’ Dad said once we’d left the driveway.
‘I know. But I can’t help myself.’
‘Try,’ he said.
I threw him a look. ‘Okay. But I make no promises.’
‘Just do your best. That’s all I ask. That’s all we’ve ever asked.’
‘Do you and Mum love me, Dad?’
He almost drove onto the pavement. He coughed, and puffed out his cheeks. He glanced in the rearview mirror and his fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
‘What sort of a question is that? Of course we do. It goes without saying.’
‘No it doesn’t. Gran often says it.’
‘Your grandmother has dementia.’
‘Ah. Is that why she says it? I thought it was because she cared about me.’ I knew Gran loved me. She loved me a lot.
‘She does. We all do. And we know you love us all, in your own little way.’
I almost burst out laughing.
‘My own little way? Yes, Dad. I do.’ Now the snow was coming down a little harder and faster. ‘You can drop me here. I’d hate you to get stuck in a snow drift on Midwinter Ridge.’ It wasn’t settling yet so there was no chance of that.
‘Good point. Your mother hates being left in the house for too long on her own.’
He pulled the car over and I quickly got out.
‘Thanks, Dad. See you soon. Drive safely.’
‘I always drive safely. You’re the one who needs to do that.’
‘I love you too,’ I said as he drove off.
Then like a kid of five, I stuck my thumbs in my ears and waggled my fingers at his car while sticking out my tongue. I just couldn’t help myself.
I noticed the van drive by and stop a few feet ahead but I didn’t think anything of it until I walked past and a deep gravelly voice said good morning.
I stopped but took a step away. Just in case. I reached my black belt in karate but it’d been years since I’d used it. My karate, not the black belt itself.
Alec beamed at me from the van. ‘Let me guess. That was your blind date. I take it things went well if you spent the night. But why did he drop you off here? Oh wait. You’re not that sort of girl, are you?’
‘Go and fix a pipe or something.’
‘I’m on my way to fix yours. But tell me, why did you step away from my van? Don’t you trust yourself to be near me?’
I glowered at him.
‘I didn’t know it was you. If I had, I’d have crossed the road to avoid you and your sarcasm. For all I knew, you could’ve been a murderer. Or someone who was going to kidnap me.’
‘Because that happens a lot in Fairlight Bay.’
‘It happens everywhere. You hear about things like that on the news.’
‘I rarely listen to the news.’
‘Why doesn’t that surprise me? How did you know it was me, anyway? Or do you pick up your dates from the streets?’
‘No, I don’t. I collect them from their homes and I take them back to their homes afterwards. I’d recognise you anywhere. Even with your clothes on.’
I narrowed my eyes at him and he grinned.
‘Has anyone ever told you you’re a pain in the arse?’
‘Frequently. But I’m also a lot of fun. And I’m kind, and thoughtful, and I can be romantic. With the right woman.’
‘Tell someone who gives a damn.’
‘I thought I was. Get in.’
‘Don’t tell me what to do!’
‘Fine. Would you like a lift? I’m going to your cottage anyway, so it’s really no trouble.’
I hesitated for a moment and he laughed.
‘What’s funny now?’ I hissed.
‘You are. Are you seriously going to stand there and think about it? It’s snowing and it’s freezing. I promise I’m not going to murder you. Or kidnap you. Or do anything else to you. Unless you want me to do something to you, of course. Then I’d be only too happy to oblige.’
I gasped.
‘All I want you to do is to fix my heating.’
‘Then the sooner you stop acting like an idiot and get in, the sooner I can get that done.’
‘An idiot? You’re calling me an idiot?’
‘If the shoe fits, wear it. As I’ve said before. I’m busy at this time of year.’
‘Hmm. Picking up women from the street, I bet.’ I mumbled as I walked around and got in the passenger side.
He grinned at me as he let off the handbrake. ‘Well it worked with you, didn’t it?’
I glared at him in silence, all the way to Midwinter Lane, which was at least a five-minute drive.
‘Any chance of a coffee?’ he asked when he parked.
‘You know where it is. Help yourself.’
‘I’m charging you by the hour, you do know that, don’t you?’
‘It takes three minutes to make a cup of coffee. I can afford that. I’m not your personal waitress.’
He sighed and got out. ‘Fine. Do you want one?’
‘What?’
‘If I’m making coffee anyway, I may as well make one for you.’
‘Look. I don’t know what you think is happening here, and I know I need you far more than you need me, but if you’re trying it on with me, you can forget it. I admit we had … a moment yesterday, but that’s all it was. A moment. And it was a … strange situation. You stay away from me and I’ll stay away from you and then nothing like that will happen again.’
I marched off as he grabbed his tools but he had caught up with me within seconds and we walked across the bridge together. Annoyingly, I slipped on the snow that was now settling, here on Midwinter Ridge, and he caught me in his arms, dropping his tool bag onto the bridge to do so.
‘I’ve got you,’ he said in a tone that made my insides turn to mush.
‘Thanks. You can let me go now.’
‘Must I?’
Our eyes met and held as snowflakes danced around us.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘You must.’
‘Fine. Just let me say this first. I have no idea what’s happening here either. I didn’t want this or expect this anymore than you did, and I don’t know what this is. But you’re right. We did have a moment yesterday. And it was more than a moment for me. In fact, I can’t stop thinking about it. Or about you. I’m not trying it on with you, believe me. My circumstances are such that I can’t start a relationship right now. However much I might want to. Sex is sex and if it’s just for fun, that’s fine. But I think with you, it would be more than just sex. For me, at least. So I agree we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. But do we really have to avoid one another? We’re both adults, aren’t we? We might be tempted to do something we shouldn’t but does that mean we will? I have self-control. And, if this morning is anything to go by, you now have a boyfriend.’
‘You … you’re wrong. That was my dad. I don’t have a boyfriend. Although someone did ask me out last night. But that’s another story. As for self-control. I have that too. And I agree, sex is fine if it’s just fun, but not if someone is already with a relationship with someone else. So yes. We’ll both behave like grown ups and we should be fine. And I’ll make the coffee. You get on with the job. That’s why you’re here, after all.’
I got my footing and gingerly walked on. He picked up his tool bag and caught up with me.
‘That is why I’m here,’ he said. ‘Although you are wrong too. About you needing me far more than I need you. I know you meant as a plumber and a client but I mean it in a personal way. But we won’t take that any further.’
I looked at him open-mouthed, as we strode up my garden path, until Adele and Marcus tumbled out of Adele’s cottage, arm-in-arm, kissing as they did so, right in front of our eyes.
Marcus coughed loudly and smiled and nodded as they pulled away from one another, both red-faced, flushed with happiness, and with love in their eyes.
‘All right?’ Alec said.
‘Yeah. Great,’ said Marcus. ‘You?’
‘Not bad.’
Marcus glanced at me. ‘Hello, Noelle,’
No words would come out so I smiled and nodded.
‘Erm. You remember Adele, Alec?’ Marcus pulled her closer.
‘Yes. Hi Adele. You okay?’
‘Hi Alec. I’m more than okay, thanks. Hello, Noelle. I’ll be in with you soon to start work.’
Marcus smiled at her lovingly as I watched on in silent disbelief, but also thrilled to bits.
‘Uh-huh,’ I nodded and quickly unlocked my front door.
‘See you later,’ Alec said, following me inside and grinning at me as I closed the door behind us.
‘Do you always have so much to say when you bump into your neighbours?’
‘Drop the sarcasm. I was surprised. Okay? Those two haven’t spoken one word to one another for almost two years and now look at them?’
‘I’m aware of that. And I was looking at them. I haven’t seen Marcus this happy in years. I didn’t know Adele that well because my wife and I had other friends we hung out with more than Marcus and his mates in those days, but I always thought she was nice. And I didn’t believe any of that crap Cara said about her.’
‘Your wife?’
I don’t know why I was surprised by that. I knew he was married or something from that phone call yesterday, but suddenly everything he’d said and done on that bridge just now came back and slapped me in the face like a massive and rock-solid ball of ice.
‘My wife?’ He furrowed his brows. ‘Why has that surprised you? Marcus told you my situation.’
‘Marcus told me nothing. I didn’t even know he’d called you, remember? But how dare you say all those things and make me feel the way you do! And yesterday, if I’d dropped that towel and laid down on my bed, you’d have had sex with me, wouldn’t you?’
‘Yes. No. I … I don’t know, to be honest. Were you … were you considering dropping that towel? Because believe me I was hoping you would. Even though I wasn’t sure what I’d do if you did.’
‘You’re unbelievable! And you just told me you weren’t trying it on with me! You’re nothing but a liar.’
He glowered at me. ‘I am many things, but a liar is not one of them. I haven’t lied to you. I’ve actually been more open and honest with you than I have with any woman over the last five years.’
‘Five years? You’ve been seeing other women for five years?’
‘No. I only started seeing other women about three years ago. But I’ve never felt anything for any of them like I felt for you yesterday. And I feel for you today, if I’m being honest. Which I am. I’ve told you how I’m feeling, and that’s pretty terrifying for me.’
‘I bet it is. You’re really something. Make your own coffee. I’m going for a walk. Call me when you’re done and I’ll pay you. And then I never want to see you again.’
‘What? Why? What have I done now? Talk to me, Noelle.’
‘No. Talk to yourself.’
I stormed off leaving Alec looking utterly dumbfounded and scratching his head as if he had no clue what had just happened.
Obviously, the moment I got outside, I phoned Madi and regaled her with the whole sorry tale.
‘What a jerk,’ she said. ‘Stay away from the man.’
‘I intend to. I certainly know how to pick them, don’t I? Oh, but at least two other people are happy.’
I told her about Adele and Marcus.
‘Crikey. They didn’t waste any time did they?’
‘They wasted the last two years. And even longer, if you take into account that if he had asked her out when he wanted to all those years earlier, none of that stuff with Cara and Jeff would ever have happened.’
‘True. It’s all about timing, isn’t it? And maybe being in the right place at the right time.’
‘Or in my case, the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m sorry I keep calling you, Madi, but it’s feels as if my life is spiralling out of control. Even the snow which seemed to be dancing around me and Alec on the bridge, is now twirling around me, relentlessly. It appears to be making fun of me.’
‘Yeah. Because snow does that, of course. Call me later with an update. Or even if you just need to chat. I’m always here for you, Noelle. You know that.’
‘Love you,’ I said.
‘Love you too.’
I rang off and the snow twirled even more.
‘You are such a fool, Noelle,’ it seemed to be saying.
Or perhaps that was me, talking to myself.