Track 26
‘WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU’ (FOREIGNER)
The next morning, Lily came downstairs to find Adam asleep on the couch.
He had followed her out of the taxi and tried to talk to her, but she had just walked up the stairs, slammed her bedroom door, and gone to bed.
Instead of sleeping in her spare room as he usually did, he had crashed on the sofa. She had no clue why.
Rubbing her eyes and yawning, she began to make a pot of fresh coffee.
When she turned around, he was leaning against the doorframe in his T-shirt and boxers.
His arms were folded across his broad chest, his hair was all over the place, and he had fresh stubble around his jaw line.
She paused for a moment and wondered what the stubble would feel like grazing against her skin, what it would be like to see him like this every morning.
She shook her head and turned away when she realised she was staring.
‘Morning,’ he croaked.
‘Morning,’ she replied, carrying on with the coffee preparation.
‘Look, I’ve been thinking, Lil—’
She turned towards him and mirrored his stance. Her arms crossed over her chest. ‘Oh?’
‘Yeah… look… I know why you didn’t want me hooking up with that Nina woman.’
‘Gina.’
He threw his arms up. ‘Shit… Gina… God, what’s wrong with me?’
A wry smile pulled at her lips. ‘You were saying?’
‘Right, yes… I think that maybe you thought I shouldn’t go for the type of woman who picks up men in bars. Am I right?’ He cringed.
Her heart squeezed, he looked so adorable. She wanted to throw her arms around him and declare her undying love. Luckily she managed to restrain the urge.
She cleared her throat as she saw her get-out. ‘Yes, yes, that’s exactly it, Adders. She was obviously on the lookout for a one-night shag and you’re worth more than that. You deserve the real thing. Not some desperate tart out for a quick fondle.’
He walked over and encased her in his arms. ‘I’m sorry for being an arse.
I knew it… I lay awake for ages last night just trying to figure out why you were so pissed off and then it dawned on me.
I’m sorry for upsetting you. You’ve done a lot to try and help me, and I do appreciate it.
I just feel a bit like a fish out of water, you know? ’
He smelled all manly and his body was hard and warm against her softness. She blinked up at him. His nose was an inch away from hers… all it would take was…
She snapped herself back to earth and pulled away. ‘Yeah, well, that’s what friends are for, eh?’ she said as jovially as she could.
‘Aye, Lil. And you’re the best.’
‘And don’t you forget it.’ She smiled as sadness tugged at her heart.
After they had eaten a cooked breakfast together courtesy of Adam using whatever he could find in Lily’s fridge, the friends stood at the sink washing up.
He flicked soapsuds at her. ‘You should join the twenty-first century and buy a bloody dishwasher, you know.’
‘There’s only one of me, and I don’t produce enough washing-up to warrant adding to the hole in the ozone layer, actually.’
He stood silently for a while. ‘Lil?’
‘Yes?’
‘Can we go through some of the profiles together? Will you help me?’
She turned to glance at him. ‘What… now?’
‘Why not?’
She swallowed hard. ‘Well, because it’s Sunday, and I’ve got many things to be doing with my time today.’
He scrunched his face. ‘Like what?’
She shrugged. ‘Stuff… things… you know.’ She tried her best to sound convincing.
He fluttered his long dark lashes at her. ‘Come on, Lil. Please?’
‘Sod off, Adders, you can’t get around me like that.’ Who was she trying to kid?
‘Please, Lilington McPretty Pants. I’ll be your very bestest friend in the whole world, forever and ever. Please?’
She pursed her lips, trying not to laugh. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Adders, you really are a big girl, and a pain in the arse.’
‘Seriously though, who knows me better than you?’
She shook her head. ‘Oooh, I don’t know… your mum?’
‘Oh no, she doesn’t. You know me best of all. And do you honestly think I would ask twinset and pearls for relationship advice? The most significant relationship she’s had outside of Dad is with her tomato plants.’
Lily laughed. ‘Well, they say that they grow better if you talk to them.’ She pulled her lips in, trying to stifle a full-blown laugh.
‘Exactly… so please will you help me? Just to go through them?’
She rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time. ‘Ugh. Go get my bloody laptop, will you?’
Adam logged into his profile and nervously clicked on his matches. He tapped his fingers as he waited for the list to load up.
Thirty-five matches.
Lily’s eyes widened. ‘Flippin’ heck, Adders! Aren’t you mister popular?’
He grinned at her, feeling a little embarrassed. ‘I know. I couldn’t believe it.’
She clapped her hands together decisively. ‘Okay, let’s go through them, one by one.’
‘Okay… here goes…’ He clicked on the first profile.
Lily read aloud from the description. ‘Thirty-four-year-old busty brunette. Loves cats—’
He shook his head. ‘Nope… next.’
‘But, Adam—’
He slurped at the mug of coffee he was holding. ‘I’m allergic, next.’
She curled her lip but evidently, she had totally forgotten about the time they had visited her aunt in Coldstream who had four cats. By the end of the visit, Adam’s eyes were swollen, he was covered in purple blotches and was wheezing like a heavy smoker. It was not pretty.
As if realisation had dawned on her, her eyes widened. ‘Oh, shit, yeah, of course.’
He clicked the next one. ‘How about this one… Dark-haired, sexy, adventurous woman, willing to try new things—’
She gasped. ‘Ooh God, no.’
Confused he asked, ‘What? Why?’ He took another slurp.
‘Means she’s a bit kinky.’
He almost spat coffee all over the keyboard. ‘What? It could mean she’d be willing to try white-water rafting, or windsurfing… or something.’
‘Yeah, white-water rafting or windsurfing with a strap-on attached, probably.’
‘Eh? Strap-on?’
She shook her head. ‘A strap-on? A fake penis, Adam… good grief.’
He felt his face warming. ‘Erm, I know what a strap-on is, Lil. I was just shocked to hear you say it, that’s all.
And it didn’t look to me like there was any mention of strap-on penises…
penae… penisae… What is the plural for penis anyway?
’ Adam gazed up at the ceiling with his brow furrowed.
‘As an English teacher, you’d think I would know that. ’
She slapped his arm. ‘Adam, concentrate.’
‘Sorry, Lil… okay, next.’
‘Right… ooh, this one sounds okay… curvaceous redhead with an avid passion for skin art, and metal work… Ooh, you like curves, Adders.’
‘You kidding? She’s probably got none of her own skin visible other than on her face.
She has tattoos all over her chest as it is from what you can see on her photo.
And look at all the face piercings. I don’t fancy getting my lips stapled together every time I kiss someone. I don’t think so. Next.’
Lily gasped. ‘There’s nothing wrong with redheads though, Adders.’
‘Oh, hell, yes… I never even thought of that. Maybe that’s a wig and she actually just has a tattooed red head… no hair.’ He shivered and made a blurgh noise.
‘Well, I think you’re just being too bloody picky now.’
‘Says you who discounted the adventurous water skier.’
‘Feel free to give her a call, Adders. But don’t come crying to me when she’s tried to tie you to her bed and whip your arse from here to next week.’
He shrugged. ‘Fair point… okay… next.’
Lily read aloud, ‘Okay… late twenties, blonde… curves… loves Harry Styles… she’s into interior design and art, loves Florence and the Machine. Very pretty, looking at the photo. Ooh, this is a good one. I think I’d date her!’ She laughed.
He turned to her with raised eyebrows. ‘Are you really sure you’re not a lesbian?’ he teased. She punched his arm… very hard. ‘Shit, Lil! That really hurt!’
‘Good. It was meant to. Now what about this woman? She sounds great.’
After following all the necessary protocol required by the dating site, Adam messaged Arabella Douglas.
According to her details she lived near Inverness, which was a mammoth four-hour drive away, but she sounded rather lovely.
With Lily hovering in the background, but banned from reading over his shoulder, and with hope in his heart, he began to type.
Hi, Arabella,
I thought I would message as we matched on the app. I live in the Scottish Borders, which I know seems like a long way, but I was wondering if maybe you would like to meet for coffee some time? I’m happy to come to you one weekend.
I should tell you about myself, I suppose.
I’m almost thirty-one and I teach English to delightful high-school kids.
I say delightful because I suppose I have to make myself sound like I like kids!
Actually, I’m only kidding. I do like kids.
I think you have to like kids to be a teacher.
That or you have to be a sadist… or a masochist… And I can assure you I’m neither!
I’m widowed. My wonderful wife was killed by an idiot drunk driver two years ago and while I’m still trying to get over this, I also realise that I’m young and need to get on with my life.
I’m worried I’m sounding a little morose so if I am, please, forgive me.
I’m actually quite funny most of the time.
Although my best friend, Lily, wouldn’t agree.
She thinks my jokes are crap! Am I allowed to say crap in a first message?
Oh well, it’s out there now! I don’t swear much normally.
Okay that last sentence was a lie, I do swear but only usually when something shocks me!
I’m sure I’ll swear a lot when I read this message back after I’ve clicked send.
But I’m going to just keep typing and try not to think about it too much.
Do I use too many exclamation marks? As an English teacher I maybe should address that!
<< That one was meant as a joke (smiley emoji)
I sense that, even without reading back, I’m rambling, so I’ll close now. It would be lovely to hear from you. I like your photo. You’re very pretty and have stunning eyes. I hope that’s not too creepy or forward.
Bye for now,
Adam
He hit send and then debated whether to read back what he had sent. Lily came over and sat on the sofa beside him.
‘What did you say then?’
He shook his head and let out a long huff of air that puffed out his cheeks. ‘Not a damn clue. I just typed. Oh shit, Lil.’ He rubbed his hands over his face. ‘I think I may have sworn and talked about masochism!’
She gasped. ‘Oh, Adders.’ She slapped her hand on her forehead. ‘Give it here. Let me read it.’ She made a grab for the laptop, but he gripped it tighter.
‘Piss off! No way, Lil. I’ve sent it now so it’s too late.’ A struggle ensued.
‘Adam! It’s my laptop!’
‘Yes, and I’m still logged in so let me log out and you can have it back!’
She pulled at the laptop again. ‘Adam! Give… me… it… now!’
He leaned back on the sofa and held the laptop above his head. She scrambled over his body and reached for it.
‘Lil… as much as we’re close, will you please get your boobs out of my face. I’m a man, after all.’
She gasped in horror and fell to the floor. Her cheeks were bright red. ‘For goodness’ sake, Adders.’ She crossed her arms over her chest while he howled with laughter at her embarrassment.
She pouted and remained cross-legged under where Adam lay on the sofa. He huffed again. ‘Oh, for Pete’s sake… here… read it… Tell me what an utter-bloody-moron I am… go on!’ He thrust the laptop in her face. She grabbed it, grinning widely, and opened the lid eagerly.
After what felt like an eternity, she closed the laptop lid and turned to him. She was biting her lip.
He couldn’t tell whether or not that was a good sign. ‘Well?’
A wide smile took over her face. ‘I think you were, completely and utterly, 100 per cent Adam Armstrong. If she doesn’t adore you from that, then she’s a lesbian… or head over heels in love with someone else.’ She patted his leg and stood.
A sense of relief washed over him, and he breathed out of the O formed by his mouth. Thank goodness for that.
He followed Lily into the kitchen. ‘So, what do I do now?’
She shrugged. ‘You wait. In the meantime, maybe you look at a few more profiles? You know, just in case.’
He pulled his face into a frown. ‘But… but I only liked the sound of her. I didn’t fancy any of the others.’ He sounded like a sulking child.
‘Adam, unfortunately it’s out of your hands now, but I’m sure she’ll message back.’
Adam went home to finish off some marking and get ready for the first day back at school the next day.
Lily’s words had really given him a boost. She really was the best. He wondered what would come of his message.
Would Arabella reply? Would it be right away?
Who knew? He logged onto his account on the off-chance, and his breath caught in his throat.
Shit! A reply! Already! Now this can either be a really good thing or a really bad thing… shiiit! Nervously he clicked on ‘read’.
Dear Adam,
Thank you for your lovely message. It really made me chuckle.
I think your friend, Lily, is wrong. You sound like a complete hoot.
The thing is, my best friend, Skye, who is a sweet person but doesn’t know when to stop interfering, set me up on the dating site quite a while ago and I never really got anything from it.
She did it without my permission, and I was so annoyed when I found out.
Anyway, when nothing really came of it, I put it to the back of my mind.
Getting your message came as quite a surprise. A nice one, though!
I’m so sorry to hear about your wife. I can’t imagine the pain you must have experienced, and still be experiencing, and I really do hope that time heals your wounds. You sound like such a lovely man.
I’m sorry to have to tell you this… as you do seem really lovely… but I’m no longer single and therefore I’m no longer looking for the love of my life. I’ve found him.
All I can say, Adam, is that I met Harris at the strangest time and in the strangest circumstances, and I know that this will happen to you too.
Love will find you again when you least expect it.
I honestly think you should stop looking and let it happen.
You sound like the kind of person who is funny, warm, and kind, with a good heart.
And yes, I got all of that from one message.
So, some girl somewhere will get that from one meeting, Adam. I really believe that.
I wish you all the very best, but I do feel love will find you. I just hope that it’s soon.
Take care,
Bella
Adam closed the lid on his laptop. Ah… head over heels in love with someone else it is then.