Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
“ N ina!”
Nina reached the end of the bar and turned around to check who’d called her name.
“I’m sorry about splashing you.” The guy who had been with Rob Bird had caught her up.
As he approached, her she frowned. He clearly knew her name but she knew she hadn’t seen this guy before. He was young, a lot younger than her. He stopped as her eyes met his. They were warm eyes and he was tall with light brown skin. He continued to gaze at her and she wondered whether he had her mixed up with someone else as he was staring so intently.
“Please don’t leave,” he said, retaining eye contact.
She kept looking into his eyes. He appeared incredibly worried. “I’m not leaving. I was going to wipe myself down.” She pointed to the sign leading to the toilets.
“Oh, yes…sorry,” he stuttered and broke the eye contact.
“Have we met before?” She knew they hadn’t but he’d called her by name.
“No. I er…Rob said…”
“It’s fine, it was only a splash.” As nervous as he seemed, he appeared sincere and incredibly worried. She didn’t want to make him feel bad about it. She turned and continued to the toilet.
Inside she glanced in the mirror, noticing how flushed her face was. No wonder he thought she was angry. She realised she’d not retouched her make up before she had come out. Must be stress, she thought. She never left the house without a thick covering of foundation. Yet she quite liked the way she looked. Maybe this is what they mean about pregnant women blooming? She grabbed a few sheets of hand towel and wiped the lager from her dress. She decided she would not let a spilled drink ruin her evening. She’d far too much to worry about without getting upset over damp clothing.
She came out of the toilets to find the guy who spilled his drink was still there, waiting.
“Can I buy you a drink to say sorry?” he asked.
She crossed her arms. “So is that your pick up line, spill your lager over a woman so you can ask to buy her a drink?” Nina was feeling a bit of her old self coming through. She was never timid.
“I…er. No.” The guy looked mortified. “It’s…I’m…”
Nina smiled at him. “I’m only joking.” Her attempt at putting him at ease had the opposite effect. Surely he isn’t chatting me up? She’d only said it as a joke as he was clearly way too young for her. “I’m only drinking iced water.”
“Are you driving?” he asked.
“I am,” she said. “And pregnant!” What did I say that for? She’d decided not to announce it yet and she’d not told anyone other than immediate friends.
“Oh,” he said. “Right, I’ll get you the water.”
She relaxed. At least she’d made it crystal clear that she wasn’t available, in case he really was hitting on her. But surely not, she thought. Still, it would have been awkward to explain after a while that she was engaged, if he’d started chatting her up. She took a deep breath and scanned the room. She saw Rob Bird at the end of the bar. What was he going to say when he found out she was pregnant? Oh, no, she thought, realising she would have to ask this young man to keep what she’d told him to himself. She’d forgotten he was one of Rob’s friends.
“One iced water,” he said, handing her a glass as he held a half-filled large bottle of mineral water in the other.
“Tap would have been fine,” she said with a smile. She looked over the room as Rob burst out laughing again. “Can we have a quick chat?”
The guy visibly gulped.
Nina laughed. “Don’t worry. Look let’s go outside, it’s quite mild this evening and maybe my dress will dry off.” She went through the door. A couple of groups were already sat on benches which were on the village green.
She sat down and he sat opposite her.
She took a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have told you I was pregnant. I just said it because…” She didn’t want to say it was because she thought he was hitting on her. “I haven’t officially announced it yet. Could you keep it a secret? The thing is, it was a bit of a surprise, to me and the father. I don’t relish the thought of Rob Bird finding out yet. I can see you’re friends with him.”
“Of course, I won’t say a word. I’ve only just met Rob. By the way, I’m Warren, I work over at Booth Farm, with Mitch.”
“You’re one of the students?” she asked, guessing he must be even younger than she thought.
“I’m doing a PHD and creating a silvopasture. It’s a field that–”
“Ah, yes of course. I’ve heard about it, the self-sufficient field. It sounds amazing. I’d love to see it. I was on the council until recently, pushing through some environmental policies.”
“You can visit it any time,” he said.
“You seem to be fitting in well in there.” Nina gestured to the pub door.
“It’s my first time here. Rob’s a bit of a wind-up.”
“You’re a good judge of character,” she said with a laugh as she took a sip of her cool water. “So how are you finding it?”
“I was only in the pub about twenty minutes before you got here. And I’m not staying long. My parents, well that’s my adoptive parents, are coming over tonight.” He looked at his watch. “They’ll be here at about ten.”
“I bet they’re proud of you.” Nina took a sip of her drink. There was something calming about talking to Warren, someone that hadn’t known her as Councillor Smith. It was nice to chat with someone new.
“Yes, they’re getting married soon.”
“They left it late then?” she said.
“Well, when I said adoptive parents, it’s unofficial...they’ve only known me since I was sixteen. They own a café I used to go to a lot and we became close. I wasn’t that keen on the foster parents I had. Not them as such, I was hitting back at the system.”
This guy seemed really interesting and she was dying to ask more, but it was a personal topic for someone she’d only just met. “When are your parents getting married?” she asked,
“Early August. Jane’s in a stress over it. Said she can’t find a dress.”
“I’ve a bridal boutique.”
“Oh yes, Holly told me you had a shop.”
“She did? She spoke about me?” Nina frowned.
His eyes widened as if he should not have mentioned it. “Friday, she was yawning in the field and I asked her why she was tired.”
“Ah,” Nina said. “Because she was up with me when I lost my seat.” She shook her head.
“I can’t see Hedgehog Sam being any good at that job.”
She looked down at her stomach. “Everything happens for a reason.” She looked back up and smiled at him. For a young man, he seemed quite mature, more mature than Rob and his crowd that was for sure.
“Warren. There you are,” Jaz called from the door. “And you, Nina, Holly’s looking for you. She’s worried.”
“I came out for some air.” She lifted her glass which jangled with the ice inside.
“It’s my fault, sort of. Rob pushed me and my lager ended up all over Nina.”
“He’s already drunk.” Jaz gestured towards the door. “Warren, you’re on next! And don’t let me down, we’ve lost everything so far! They made mincemeat of the reverend.”
Nina laughed at Jaz. “Don’t tell me you’re the darts team manager?”
“No, I’m not. But I should be. Rob doesn’t know what he’s doing!”
“You’d better go in,” Nina said to Warren who was still sitting where he was, gazing at her.
“Right, yeah. And sorry, again.” He stood up and passed Jaz who stared at him with her eyebrows raised.
Jaz came over to the bench and sat down. “He’s totally smitten with you, must like the older woman.”
“Of course he’s not. I told him I’m pregnant. And I’m sure he would have noticed my ring.” She played with the huge diamond ring Ethan had bought for their engagement.
“Ah! So you picked up that he liked you too! Otherwise you wouldn’t have told him.”
Nina blushed. “It was just in case. But he’s way too young!”
“But really good looking,” Jaz said.
“Who’s good looking?” Julian said as he appeared behind his wife.
Jaz looked up and laughed at him. “I have eyes for no one but you, my Viking beast.”
Nina laughed as Julian gazed down at Jaz and it was then she recognised the look in his eyes. It was the exact same look that Warren had given her. Surely not!