Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
At home I realise I’m out of milk, so head to the corner shop to buy some. I’m walking along the pavement a little close to the road, when a car drives through a huge puddle of water and soaks me.
I stand there dripping and catching my breath, like in that scene from the Bridget Jones movie, cursing the idiot driving, and raising my hands in the air, when the car comes to a sudden stop. Oh heck, I hope there isn’t going to be any trouble.
‘I am so sorry.’
Hot shop guy is striding towards me, holding his hands up and at least having the decency to look genuinely sorry.
‘Really? You’re not just getting me back for soaking you in Prosecco.’ I make a vain attempt to dab at my trousers with my scarf that I have unwound from around my neck.
‘I’d like to think I’m not that childish,’ he says in that annoyingly lovely Irish accent. ‘Look, let me give you a lift, you can at least warm up for a minute in the car.’ At least he has the decency to look a little contrite. ‘I have heated car seats,’ he adds.
‘Is that a chat-up line?’ I ask, annoyed and already beginning to shiver but as it’s freezing and I don’t fancy walking home soaked through, I reluctantly accept his offer.
‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ he says with a laugh, before straightening his smile when I don’t return it.
‘And, actually, I was on my way to the shop,’ I tell him. ‘I am out of milk.’
‘Then take a seat, I insist. I will nip into the shop and get your milk for you,’ he says, fixing me with those eyes that are large and green, framed with dark lashes that any girl would envy.
‘Oh, and I’m Kian, by the way,’ he says when I am seated in his passenger seat. ‘Just so you’re not accepting a lift from a stranger.’ He grins.
‘Lauren,’ I tell him.
‘Pleased to meet you, Lauren, officially that is. After I get your milk, I will drop you home. How’s that?’ He smiles warmly.
I suddenly wonder whether I ought to let this guy know where I live. I don’t really know him after all. Should I even be sitting in his car, even though I now know his name? Then again, I have seen him about town, I guess, and Jo has his details from when he booked the gingerbread evening. I tap out a quick text to Gemma to tell her who I am with all the same, in case I go missing. Maybe I should have hopped in my car, instead of walking here.
‘Are you sure I am not keeping you from being somewhere?’ I ask Kian as the warm air from the car heater washes over me.
‘No, I’ve finished what I needed to do. I went into town to sort out a few birthday balloons. It’s my daughter’s birthday on Christmas Eve,’ he tells me.
‘The little girl you were with at the gingerbread evening?’
‘Yes, her name’s Bella,’ he says, smiling proudly.
‘She’s super cute,’ I say, recalling the little girl, and the excited look on her face when she won a prize.
‘She is adorable, although I may be biased. She’s really looking forward to her party,’ he tells me.
‘That’s nice. Ooh, that’s really nice,’ I say as he gives me a puzzled look.
‘The warm seat, I mean,’ I say as I feel the warmth flood through my body. ‘I could sit here for ages.’
‘Be my guest.’ He grins. ‘You can give me a shopping list of things to buy if you like, although I’m sure you want to get out of those wet clothes,’ he says, looking directly at me and I feel my cheeks flush.
‘Of course I do, but I am warming up quickly,’ I say, avoiding his gaze and wishing my car had such a feature.
Pulling up outside the shop, I reach for some pound coins in my pocket for the milk, rather than handing over my bank card.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ says Kian, smiling. He has nice teeth I notice. ‘It’s the least I can do after soaking you.’
‘So, it’s your daughter’s birthday Christmas Eve? I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing, being so close to Christmas,’ I tell him, when he returns with the milk, and two large chocolate chip cookies.
‘They were discounted at the counter,’ he explains and I wonder why he has bought two. Surely he isn’t expecting me to invite him in for coffee? But then, the other one is probably for his daughter.
‘I guess, that’s why I try to make it a bit special,’ he explains. ‘She is spending Christmas with me this year.’
I’m about to mention that I saw him near the community centre earlier, when a teenager walks into the road without even looking up from his phone.
‘Are you trying to get yourself killed?’ He winds the window down and calls to the startled teenager, after braking suddenly. The young man sheepishly raises a hand and mouths sorry, before darting onto the pavement.
‘Jeez. What’s the world coming to?’ He shakes his head. ‘Some people need their phones surgically removing from their hands.’
‘I know what you mean. Do you know, someone made a purchase in the shop the other day, without even glancing up from their phone. It’s plain rude sometimes.’
‘So that’s where I have seen you before,’ says Kian. ‘When I saw you at the gingerbread evening, I was racking my brains. You look kind of different out of that uniform.’ He glances at me, dressed in jeans, jumper, and boots. ‘It’s quite a formal look in the shop, isn’t it?’
‘It is. Bentham’s strives for the formal image alright. I kind of like getting dressed up for work though.’
‘I like it. It’s quite sexy in a way.’ He gives me a sideways glance and almost has me blushing once more. ‘Sorry, that probably makes me sound like a sexist pig.’ He pulls a face. ‘It’s just you know, the tight black skirt and white blouse, it’s reminiscent of the nineteen fifties. Especially with the red lipstick.’
So he has noticed my lipstick?
‘Sorry if that sounds bad. I’m never sure what is the acceptable thing to say these days. I just mean, it’s quite a glamorous look,’ he explains a little awkwardly.
‘I don’t see how anyone could be offended by being told they look good,’ I reassure him. ‘Maybe words like sexy are a bit off though.’ Which seems a bit like a double standard as he is known as hot shop guy to me and Gemma, but never mind.
‘Duly noted.’
‘Oh, and this warm seat is just too comfortable,’ I say, changing the subject. ‘I’d be worried I would fall asleep if I was driving any distance,’ I say, enjoying the warmth around me.
‘I never use it on a long journey for that reason.’ He smiles. ‘And I always start a long journey with a double espresso.’
It’s a short journey to my house, and I ask him to drop me off at the corner, just in case, even though he seems perfectly normal. And a good father by the sound of things but you just can’t be too careful, especially these days.
‘Um, thanks for the lift then. See you around,’ I say, before climbing out of the car.
‘I think you made it home just in time,’ says Kian, glancing up at the sky. ‘Or you might have been in for a second soaking.’
I look up to see that dark clouds have gathered above.
‘And maybe next time neither of us will soak each other.’ He smiles that gorgeous smile once more before driving off, and thankfully not loitering to see which house I go into.
There’s a brightness all around despite the grey clouds above, which can only mean one thing.
My clothes are almost dry as I turn the corner and head up the path to my house, just as a raindrop falls onto my face. Except it isn’t a raindrop, but a snowflake. I glance upwards to see tiny white flakes fluttering towards the ground.