Chapter 31
31
Roudie races across the sand, leaping across pools left by the tide and skittering away any time the waves get close to his toes. He sprints back to us, play bows and dashes off again. It’s his way of inviting us to join the only game that isn’t beneath his dignity. Tony drops my hand and darts towards Roudie, so he must already know the rules. Roudie careers away, helter-skelter, then stops stock still, panting, and pretending not to watch us out of the corner of his eye.
This time I hunch down, stalking him with slow strides. Roudie waits, then when I’m almost within touching distance, he sprints away towards Tony. The chase runs round and round, the two of us pursuing Roudie, until I cross paths with Tony. He stretches out an arm to catch my waist, pulling me in. I’m half panting, half laughing up at him. His lips are parted, the tip of his tongue between his teeth, as he reaches up and removes a strand of hair from my eyes. When it’s tucked safely behind my ear, he stares at me, like it’s the first time he’s seen me.
‘God, you are fucking irresistible when you’re happy.’
He kisses me, the wind whipping round us and his teeth pulling at my lip, then mine at his. Before, this sort of kiss has been like being up high, exhilaration followed by the fear of falling. I’m waiting for it, that sense I’m slipping out of control. But it doesn’t come. I could keep going forever, just me and Tony and the taste of sea salt on his lips. But Roudie pushes at us with his nose, and Tony slowly releases me and strokes Roudie’s head. ‘Sorry, mate, keeping you waiting, are we?’
Tony smiles at me and we walk off down the beach, hand in hand, Roudie between us like a toddler. And we don’t talk much. It’s so blustery, words get blown away. But his hand is in mine, or on my shoulder, or round my waist the whole time. Or it is, until there’s a sudden onslaught of rain. Not just drops, but sheets of water pelting against us. We race for the car, heads down, Roudie’s tail tucked tight.
Once we’re inside, doors slammed shut against the storm, Tony looks at the snakes of hair plastered against the white of my cheeks, and my puffa jacket heavy with rain.
‘You and the pup are soaked, aren’t you?’
I shake my head. ‘No. Roudie will hardly be wet at all under his topcoat, and I’ll dry off quickly enough.’
He reaches for my hand and squeezes it tight. ‘No, you won’t. You’re shivering.’ He looks away, but I catch the wince before his profile’s quite out of sight. ‘I’m sorry, Genie. I wanted this to be perfect. But it was a stupid idea, coming out here on a day like this.’
‘No, it wasn’t. I can’t think of a nicer way to spend the afternoon.’
He looks back at me. ‘You’re a special woman all right.’ Then his smile becomes properly happy. ‘And I’ve just had an idea, so get your seatbelt on.’
We drive, Tony leaning forward to squint through the rain, until he pulls into the car park of a gym we passed driving into town. He bends across to kiss my cheek. ‘You wait here with the pup. I’ll be right back.’
By the time Tony returns, the rain’s stopped. ‘Make the most of the showers. Cos I’ve just bought a membership, which is coals to Newcastle, I can tell you.’
I start to thank him, but he waves it away. ‘Me and the pup have got an errand to run. So, you go and get dry, then meet us out here, OK?’
The showers are blissfully warm. There isn’t a hair drier, but there are enough towels that I can get my hair close to dry, even if it is a bit on the tangled side. I’m facing up to putting back on my wet clothes when the blonde from reception puts her head around the door. ‘Your boyfriend asked me to give you these.’ She bundles supermarket carrier bags towards me.
Looking inside, Tony’s errand obviously paid off. So, when I hurry out to meet him, I’m considerably warmer, if not exactly glam, in black leggings that are slightly too short and an oversized grey sweatshirt. It’s got an unusually threatening Welsh dragon on the front, but I’m more focused on the new-born lamb soft fleecy lining.
When I get to the car, Roudie’s coat is like a hedgehog where it’s been rubbed dry, using towels I guess Tony bought for the purpose. Tony’s working on his last paw, and watching, I can’t help smiling. He’s being so painstakingly careful, just like when he pushed the hair away from my eyes earlier. And that’s the thing with Tony. He’s such a big boisterous person, being gentle or careful takes him superhuman effort. But because he has to try so hard, it’s amplified, so he’s a hundred times more gentle, more careful than anyone else. And suddenly, I know this is no longer just attraction. I love Tony. Absolutely.
It’s so obvious, I almost say it when he turns and grins at me. But I don’t, because who says I love you on a first date? Instead, I smile back and he’s the one that speaks first.
‘Better, beauty?’
‘Umm, much better, thank you. And I’ll finish Roudie, you go and get warm.’
When I tell Tony he’s taken a wrong turn, he shakes his head without explaining, until we pull into the car park of a pub just off the high street.
‘You all right with us seeing if dog-friendly extends to wet ones?’
I nod enthusiastically. ‘Absolutely, I’m starving.’
Tony smiles. ‘Thought you might be. I had a look at the menu on my phone. It does veggie, but it’s not exactly healthy eating. Only I reckon you and me can afford a day off from that.’
His arm is wrapped extra-tight around me as we walk in. The landlady, a grey-haired, round woman, is more than happy to accommodate Roudie. As Tony goes to fetch him and I take my first sip of gin and tonic, she gestures to an elderly Labrador, deeply asleep in a basket behind the bar. ‘It warms your heart, doesn’t it? When they’re soppy over the dog.’
I beam at her. ‘It certainly does.’
I turn to watch Tony stroll in. You’d think he’d look ordinary, just any other normal person, with his hair still wet, and wearing non-descript joggers and a supermarket own-brand sweatshirt. But he doesn’t, he looks how he always does. Special.
As we finish eating, in my case ridiculously good chocolate pudding, Tony smiles at me.
‘This has to be one of the best meals I’ve had in a while, even if it’s not the swankiest place I’ve ever taken a woman.’
That’s part of why this was a genius idea. If we’d gone to a smart restaurant, I’d have spent the whole time wondering if he’d been there with someone else, and how I measured up. But I’m pretty confident this is the first time Tony’s taken a girlfriend to a Welsh beach in the first week in October.
Only saying that would ruin it, so I glance down at my sweatshirt. ‘Well, I’m not exactly dressed for anywhere posher.’
Tony grins. ‘I dunno, that dragon’s doing stuff for me, all right.’ He reaches across the table and takes my hand, his face becoming more serious. ‘And you like that, it’s nice. I mean, I likes you all dolled up, obviously. But loads of people see you that way. You a bit softer, that feels like it’s just for me. You know?’
I nod and stroke his fingers, and he’s back to grinning as he turns my palm upward.
‘So, I’m guessing you reckon palm reading’s all women’s magazine bullshit?’
‘I’m afraid so.’
He bows his head over my hand, but looks up at me. ‘And you might be on the money. But my old gran, she was a believer all right.’
‘And let me guess, you inherited the sight?’ I ask, my voice teasing.
‘Take the piss all you like. But you never know, you open your mind and you might hear something to your advantage.’
‘I can’t claim psychic powers, but I think that’s a certainty.’
He grins. ‘I dunno. It’s just possible your palm might let on you’re a sarky bitch.’
‘Oh, I think we both know that already.’ I soften my smile. ‘But go on, tell me my destiny. Only isn’t that the wrong hand?’
‘Nah. Most people use the right, but my nan reckoned the left was stronger. Cos of what sits here.’ He lines the nail of his thumb up with where a wedding band would sit, then reaches round to stroke from my wrist, across my palm to the tip of my little finger.
‘So, for starters, you’ve got water hands, all long and slinky. Which ought to get you thinking, cos they’re supposed to go with being sensitive. Like exactly what I’d expect for a lady who can read what other people are needing from the other side of the room.’
He slides his thumb back and runs it across the first curving line. ‘And this one, it’s your heart line. See how it runs right up between your fingers? That’s a sign of a woman who’ll put all she’s got into taking care of her man.’ He glances up into my eyes. ‘So, for your job, that’s kind of appropriate, innit?
‘But it’s these that are real interesting.’ He traces the grooves below my little finger. ‘Your lines of affection. There’s differences of opinion on ’em, but Nan used to reckon they tell ’bout your lovers. And maybe she was right, cos you’ve got this one that’s barely there and don’t go far. I’m thinking we both know who that is. Then there’s these little ones that hardly show. I’m guessing they’re the guys you didn’t care ’bout enough to let ’em see you properly. Then you’ve got this one. It might start a bit unsteady, but it gets all long, and straight, and deep, don’t it? He’s the one you belong with.’
‘Why do I get the sneaking suspicion you’ve done this before?’
He winks and slips my hand under his. ‘Thing is, I might’ve given the odd reading in the past. But see how I’ve got all them little lines, what’s underneath ’em?’
And it’s true, the last line matches mine. Only his runs hard and steady without any of the wavering at the start.
We’re still looking at each other, not quite smiling when the waitress places the bill between us. I reach for it, then pull my hand back. Tony grins but doesn’t say anything until we’re on our way out to the car. He stretches an arm around my shoulder, pulling me in. ‘You, beauty, have done brilliant today, haven’t you?’
I look up, getting lost for a second in how he manages to look incredibly handsome, even in the yellow light of the car park. But then I remember I’m supposed to be asking him a question, and he realizes and gives me a big smile, then kisses my forehead.
‘Cos you’ve taken compliments without trying to twist ’em or duck out of ’em. And even better, you’ve let yourself be looked after, and you’ve hardly fought it at all.’ He softens the smile. ‘And I know that’s real hard. Having someone else take charge of the caring for a change.’
‘Sometimes.’ I rest my head on his shoulder for a step or two.
‘And it’s taken me a while, but I think maybe I do get why. Seeing how Gavin is with you. It’s got me wondering if you’re scared, letting someone take care of you, it’s going to end up with ’em telling you how you should be?’
I bury my head in his shoulder, trying to hide how much that means. ‘Maybe you are psychic after all.’
He stops and looks down at me, his eyes grave. ‘I dunno that you’ve gotta be a mind reader to come up with that one. Or to work out that if someone’s always going on ’bout how you could be better, it’d get you feeling like you’re not good enough now. And I don’t need no special powers to see how a few years of that could end up so it’s claustrophobic, any time a bloke comes along wanting to treat you nice.’ I can feel the tears coming, but Tony won’t let them. ‘Nah, beauty. Don’t you be sad ’bout nothing. I’ve got no interest in improving you, promise.’
I bite my lip then smile up at him. ‘Tony, that’s why today was so perfect. Everything you’ve done, it’s been you working out what I like, and giving me that, not what you think would be better.’
He smiles. ‘Yeah, that’s how this dating thing works.’