Chapter 25 #2
She eyed him surreptitiously as he concentrated on driving.
He really was very good-looking. Strong nose, lovely warm intelligent eyes and that glorious hair which swooped over his face and which caught the light from the sky.
It was most unfair that a man should have such shiny, thick hair.
Her own dark blonde was suffering from a serious lack of attention; she hadn’t visited a salon for months and it was usually tied back for work.
Making a mental note to ask Simona where the best one was, her mouth quirked; she doubted she could afford to go where Simona frequented.
Mark picked up her humour. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘I was admiring your hair and thinking how terribly unfair it is that you have such gorgeous locks.’
Mark grinned. ‘Nats thinks so too. She inherited our mother’s blonde hair.
Lovely ash-blonde but on the thin side. I have my father’s genes to thank for mine, although it’s darkened a lot from when I was a little boy.
Must be the Viking blood. There’s a lot of us in Yorkshire.
’ He glanced at her. ‘Nats would kill for your honey blonde. It’s the colour she always asks her stylist to do and never quite achieves it. ’
Livvy ran a self-conscious hand through her hair. ‘I was also thinking of asking Simona for a recommendation for a hairdresser. If I can afford it.’
‘Ah, that might be the problem. Simona’s not short of a bob or two. She’ll certainly be able to recommend one, but it won’t be cheap.’
‘Do you know her well?’ Livvy almost didn’t want to know the answer. The image of them looking cosy in Simona’s sports car flew into her vision.
‘I was friends with both Simona and Terence when he was alive. She was incredibly cut up when he died. I suppose I was a shoulder to cry on. When she felt up to it, she went to their house in Italy. It’s good to have her back.
We’re good friends but, of course, the town gossips wouldn’t have it.
The rumour was we were having a torrid affair.
As if.’ He laughed. ‘I could never afford Simona!’ He indicated right to go down a suburban-looking lane flanked by bungalows.
‘I got really fed-up batting off the tittle-tattle. Gossip is the one thing I can’t stand about Lullbury. ’
Livvy was amazed at the relief which poured through her. ‘Do you think men and women can have a friendship? Without anything else rearing its head, I mean?’
‘Certainly is with me and Simona. I love her as a friend, but she’d drive me bananas as a lover. Do you?’ His quick look was intense.
‘I’m not sure,’ Livvy said slowly. ‘Sometimes. Oh!’ Her sentence was cut off as the dull bungalows gave way and the road dipped down to rolling fields with a great expanse of shingle, with the sparkling sapphire-blue sea beyond.
Everything felt huge and open, with wide skies and a sea which stretched forever.
The sun bounced off the water with such a bright, metallic force it had her reaching for her sunglasses again. She leaned forward. ‘What a place!’
Mark pulled onto a car park next to a marquee. ‘It’s lovely here at any time of the year but it’s even better in the summer. When the weather’s hot I always think it’s a little bit Greek.’
‘Or Italian?’ She shot him a look.
He grinned. ‘Or Italian.’ He gestured to the marquee, festooned with heavy white lights which swayed in the sea breeze.
‘That’s the Hive Beach Café. Seafood second to none and the chips are to die for.
Maybe it’s being close to the sea that makes the food taste extra-good?
We could come back one day to sample it? ’
‘I’d like that.’ She smiled, recognising she was getting more and more attracted to Mark.
Was it too soon after Gavin? His abandonment had cut deep.
He’d been her only serious boyfriend. They’d made plans, had envisioned a life stretching ahead of them together.
His sudden departure still had her raw and hurting.
She supposed it was almost a grieving process.
Could she open herself up to trust another man and so soon?
For a second she wondered what Gavin was doing now; she’d blocked all his contacts and hadn’t spoken to him since.
It had been too painful. Strange. She’d been so busy setting up the pub she hadn’t given him much thought until now.
‘What’s wrong? You look sad.’ Mark reached out and feathered a touch down her cheek. ‘You and Angel will get on like a house on fire, I promise you. Don’t worry.’
On cue the dog rattled impatiently at her crate.
‘Think someone is keen to get out for a walk.’ He glanced at the waves racing to the shore. ‘Might be bracing. You up for it? Think Angel is.’
Livvy forced herself back to the Gavin-less present. ‘As long as there’s a hot latte at the end of it.’
Mark pulled a face. ‘You really don’t know much about dogs, do you? They don’t drink coffee.’
She thumped him lightly on the arm. ‘For that, the first round is on you.’
He grinned and opened the car door, letting in a blast of freezing briny air. ‘You’re on.’
She followed him, hoping the stiff sea wind would blow her introspection away.