Chapter 15 #2
‘Mmm? Oh, yeah. Would be going faster but I have to carry everything down to the charity shop and the woman in there is fucking scary – I mean, you heard – she goes through everything like she’s trying to find reasons to turn it down.
Miserable old…’ He looked round at me and pulled a face.
‘Sorry, she’s not your mum or something, is she? ’
‘No!’ I laughed. ‘God no, Margaret’s an absolute nightmare. And she hates me, so feel free not to hold back. I am fully on board with slandering her.’
He deposited tea bags into two mugs and leant back against the counter. ‘Hard to imagine anyone hating you. Unless you chased her down to demand knitwear?’
‘Ha, ha,’ I deadpanned. ‘How’re the blankets and stuff working out for you anyway? All toasty aboard The Lady Di?’
‘As cosy as it gets on here, yeah, cheers,’ he nodded, and I realised that he looked me in the face when we talked, eyes alert and attentive, not so much as dipping titwards.
‘Though I can’t stop wondering how much it must’ve cost to make that.
’ He gestured at the blanket on the bench seat.
The cheating blanket, as it had become in my mind. ‘Kind of scared it’s priceless.’
‘Definitely not any more,’ I said, trying to make a joke out of it.
He winced. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to… you said it took like a hundred hours, right?’
‘Closer to two,’ I confessed.
‘Wow…’ He poured hot water into the cups and looked at the blanket again, clearly working something out in his head.
‘Yeah… well, that was certainly a lot of… wasted time,’ I mumbled.
He passed me a cup of tea and the brush of his icy fingers reminded me of the hand warmers in the bag at my feet.
‘Not a waste. It’s a gorgeous thing – just a shame it’s got uh… bad memories attached.’
I sighed my agreement, then picked up the bag and held it out. ‘Speaking of bad memories… thank you for fishing me out of the canal – and I, um, made you something.’
‘The much-discussed thank-you card?’ he asked, mouth quirking into a smile. He was playing with me, not trying to win or score points, just… playing. It was nice. He opened the bag and peered inside, and something soft and fleeting travelled across his expression.
‘They’re just…’ I started.
‘They’re great.’ He set aside the bag and slipped the hand warmers on. I was pleased I’d managed to guess a good length for him, perfect for tucking into the sleeves of his jumper. I watched as he flexed his knuckles and ran his fingers over the soft acrylic yarn.
‘I just noticed you have appallingly cold hands last time I was here so, seemed a safe bet.’
‘I do,’ he chuckled. ‘Toes too. I used to get a lot of complaints. My last girlfriend made me wear socks in bed. ’Course that was a few years ago now…
’ He cut himself off and gave me a slightly subdued smile.
‘They’re perfect. Thank you. Though I do feel like I’m really taking advantage of your skills. ’
‘It’s not a big deal, I promise. They provided a much-needed distraction,’ I half-laughed and busied myself sipping my tea, the word ‘girlfriend’ buzzing in my brain.
I’d given so many crochet presents away since learning to make things, but I’d never felt like this before – sort of squirmy and embarrassed.
Watching Cooper continue to admire the hand warmers, I couldn’t remember the last time anyone was so pleased with something I’d made.
I mean, definitely Lou, before she died.
Now it was probably down to Emma. She genuinely seemed to treasure the things I’d gifted her over the years.
Definitely just Emma, I thought sadly. Richard treated my projects as if I’d just popped into Primark to buy them for him, and even Mum and Dad didn’t really do more than say ‘Thank you’ and set aside whatever I’d made for them.
None of them would throw on the socks, mittens or hats I’d made as soon as they got them. That was for sure.
‘They’re acrylic,’ I said, trying not to sound apologetic. ‘You said about the jumper being too fancy, but acrylic stands up to anything – lots of washes, thorough wear, even if you have to carry a hundred boxes of Diana merchandise, I guarantee they won’t get worn out.’
That startled a laugh out of him and whatever that sub-dued look had been about was gone, his face relaxing. ‘Well, thank you. And not that it’s at all expected, but the next time you make me something, I promise to pay you what it’s worth.’
I waved him off and set my empty mug on the table. ‘It’s not about the money.’
‘I know – but you’re not just handing over a blanket, or a pair of socks – it’s your time, your skill,’ he said. ‘That warrants a little reciprocity.’
I smiled at him, pleased, because aside from Emma giving me free tarot readings and charm bags, no one had ever offered me anything back for my work.
Even for the stuff they asked me to make.
I wasn’t sure what to do with the warm feeling building in my chest. It felt like I was about to either hug him or burst into tears.
I decided to leave before I found out which.
‘Right, well, best be off. Lots of errands to run,’ I said. ‘Thank you for the tea.’
‘Any time,’ Cooper said easily. ‘Enjoy your errands. Help yourself to a doll or a mug on your way out… please. Please take one. Or five.’
I was laughing as I left, feeling lighter than I had in days.
Near the door I stopped and glanced back to find Cooper watching me.
He gestured to the heaps of Diana merch and I rolled my eyes, but took a teacup off the top of a pile.
He gave me a thumbs-up and I carried my new acquisition with me all the way back to the car park at the flat, smiling every time I looked at it.