Track 27 #2
Around an hour later, after finishing off the huge bar of chocolate he’d bought the night before, he got a reply.
Hi, Pee Pants! You did well to say you didn’t stay long! She sounds normal. Not sure that makes her your type but hey, what do I know? Drop Polly Pocket a message and see where it goes from there.
Lily x
He wasn’t sure what to make of Lily’s reply but decided he would message Jessica anyway.
What could it hurt? He clicked on her details on WhatsApp and paused.
He briefly considered doing a quick copy and paste of the message he had sent to Arabella but felt that Arabella was too nice to do that to.
His message to her would remain unique. So he opened a new message.
Hi, Jessica. This is Adam, the teacher you met at the singles’ event.
It was very nice to meet you. I’m so sorry for dashing off like that.
I can only hope that you weren’t swept off your feet by some other dashing hunk after I’d gone.
That’s not to say that I think I’m a dashing hunk.
Nor do I intend to sound mean in hoping you didn’t meet anyone else.
Anyway, I digress. You said that you’re based on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
That’s quite handy as I’m near Jedburgh.
Perhaps we could meet in Edinburgh for drinks or a meal?
Anyway, a little about myself, seeing as we didn’t get much chance to chat.
I’m almost thirty-one and as I said, I teach English in high school.
I love my job and the kids are great. You obviously like kids too as you work in a nursery.
I’ll bet that can be exhausting but rewarding all at the same time.
Anyway, enough of my rambling. Do message back if you’d like to meet up.
Cheers,
Adam
He clicked send and then opened the message up to reread it. God, I sound dull as ditch water. Wouldn’t blame her if she falls asleep before she gets through the first paragraph. Oh, well. As Lil said, nothing ventured… blah, blah, blah.
He watched TV for a while and had a bottle of beer.
He bounced his knee up and down and kept glancing at his phone as if Jessica would jump right out of it.
After about forty minutes, impatience got the better of him, and he opened his WhatsApp, just in case he had missed a message.
There was a reply! It turned out his phone was on silent, so he hadn’t heard the usual ping.
Before he plucked up the courage to open it, he went to the kitchen and put a frozen pizza in the oven.
Then, deciding he could put it off no longer, he opened up the message.
Hi, Adam. Thank you for your message. It was a pleasant surprise to receive it, and it was nice to meet you too.
I am on the outskirts of Edinburgh, so perhaps we could meet at a restaurant at Straiton?
It would be nice to meet you properly. I left not long after you did, as I felt very much like a fish out of water, if the truth be told.
Are you free tomorrow evening? I know it’s short notice, but I’m due to go on a girls’ holiday next weekend and will be spending next week after work preparing, getting a spray tan, packing, etc.
Couldn’t afford to go during the summer holidays so have special permission as it’s my friend’s hen do.
Shall we say half seven outside Benito’s? It shouldn’t be too busy on a Sunday evening. Hopefully I’ll recognise you from our brief meeting. Unless I was tipsier than I realised and you really are in actual fact a fat, balding sixty-year-old! Gosh, I hope I remembered you correctly!
Anyway, I’ll await your next message and I’ll hopefully see you tomorrow.
Jess x
A smell of burning wafted through the air, and Adam dashed into the kitchen to check his pizza.
Realising that the burning smell was just some dripped cheese, he took a large swig of his beer.
Shit! That’s quick! Tomorrow? Better message Lil.
He dashed back into the lounge and clicked to open a new message.
Hi, Lil! Guess what? She replied! The Jessica one, I mean.
She wants to meet tomorrow! Aarrgh! What should I do?
Should I go? If so, what do you think I should wear?
She has suggested Benito’s at Straiton, so it’s casual dress normally.
Shit, I wish you were here to advise me.
Not sure I can do this without your help, Lil!
Adders xx
He knew she wouldn’t respond right away, and it bothered him. He couldn’t leave Jessica hanging in the air wondering if he wanted to meet. He reread her message and decided to take the plunge.
Hi, Jess. Thanks for getting back to me so quick. I would love to meet you at Benito’s tomorrow night, yes. Seven thirty it is. I’ll be the short fat balding man ;-) Only kidding. See you tomorrow.
Adam :-)
Nervously munching on his pizza, he turned on the TV and scrolled to the channel where he could watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show; it reminded him of the giggles he’d had with Eve and Lily when they had been to see the show live.
He couldn’t concentrate, however. He kept glancing at the phone screen, waiting for at least one of the girls to reply to his message.
Lil was probably out getting drunk with Mack the cameraman and Jess…
well, maybe Jess was picking outfits for her girls’ holiday.
His phone pinged to tell him a new message had arrived.
Lily.
Adders, just bloody reply to her and set it up!
You dufus! You don’t need me there to do this, Adam.
You’re a grown man! Accept it and embrace it.
She sounds nice. Wear your jeans and your navy shirt with a white T-shirt underneath.
You always look nice in that outfit. But seriously you’ll be fine! BTW try to remember her name this time!
Lily xx
Next came a confirmation from Jessica. She would be there. Seven thirty. Tomorrow. Adam wondered if he had made the right decision.
Only time will tell, I guess.
On Sunday evening, he donned the outfit Lily had suggested and set off.
He arrived at Straiton ten minutes early and sat in the car feeling rather conspicuous.
People walked past him while he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and kept checking his watch.
One of these days, he would replace the broken dashboard clock.
He glanced over at Benito’s and saw a small-framed woman standing outside.
That’s her. He remembered thinking she was pretty the night before, but twenty-four hours was a long time.
He couldn’t tell a lot from where he was, but his stomach lurched at the thought of the night being crap and not having Lily here to rescue him.
He should’ve arranged for her to ring him with a get-out.
But then again, she was busy in Germany.
He climbed out of his car and made his way towards the woman. She was rather tiny, he’d forgotten just how tiny.
She smiled when she saw him approaching and pointed at him questioningly. ‘Adam?’
He smiled at her as warmly as he could manage. ‘Jessica.’
She held out her hand to him. ‘Please, call me Jess. All my friends do.’
He shook her hand. ‘You can still call me Adam… my friends call me it because well… it’s quite hard to shorten Adam, I suppose… I’ll stop talking now.’ Heat rushed to his cheeks. Ugh, nob. Jessica seemed to be trying her best not to giggle at him. She was very pretty and he liked her instantly.
Clearing his throat, he opened the door for her. ‘So, are we eating or just having coffee or something, seeing as we’re both driving?’
‘Well, I’m starving, so food is good.’
He smiled. She must not find me repugnant then. Good start. ‘Great. I’m hungry, too. I only had a pastry for lunch.’
‘At least you had lunch! I only managed a cup of coffee.’
They stood in the doorway waiting to be seated. ‘How come?’
‘Oh, I’ve been helping my sister move into a flat with her boyfriend today.’
‘Right… right… how old is your sister?’
‘She’s twenty-one. But they were childhood sweethearts so…’
They were shown to a secluded, romantic table towards the back of the restaurant. He pulled out her chair and she thanked him, smiling sweetly. The waiter came over and reeled off a list of specials and handed them menus and a wine list. They both shook their heads at the wine list.
Adam liked that.