Chapter 37
It was really hard for Nora to not hold her breath while she waited for Liam to respond.
A couple of seconds felt like for ever. She was about to cave and say ‘Only joking’ in her best Alan Partridge when a firm hand on her shoulder made her freeze.
If it was Gareth again, she was pretty sure there wasn’t a jury in the country that would find her guilty if she chopped him into little pieces with a cake fork.
‘Is it business or pleasure?’ asked her dad, hovering at her shoulder.
This was possibly worse than Gareth.
‘Dad, now’s not a good—’
‘Praise be. You are on a date at last,’ said her mother, coming to stand at the edge of the table. ‘I recognize you. Now don’t tell me …’ Una closed her eyes as if trying to contact the spirit world.
‘Mum, it’s Liam,’ said Nora in her most embarrassed voice, one that was reserved exclusively for her parents.
‘Liam. That’s it. I would have remembered. I never forget a boyfriend. And there have been quite a few.’ Una laughed. Nora died a little inside.
‘Mum. It is lovely to see you but do you think we could catch up later?’
‘It is lovely to see you too.’ Una turned her attention to Liam. ‘We rarely see her these days, Liam. She’s either working or climbing or crafting. We don’t even have a key for her house any more. Nora has such little time for us. Are you like that with your parents?’
‘Why don’t we see if there’s a bigger table and you can join us,’ said Liam.
He seemed oblivious to Nora trying to vigorously shake her head without it actually moving, which probably gave her the look of someone being electrocuted.
Why was he suggesting they join them? Did he think that was preferable to having dinner alone with Nora after what she’d just suggested?
Ali squeezed his daughter’s shoulder. ‘We don’t want to bother them, Una.’
‘But we’ve been invited,’ said Una. ‘It’d be rude to refuse.’
Nora looked up at her dad. A waiter hovered, awaiting a final decision.
‘No, Una. Let’s leave them to it.’ Ali put a hand on his wife’s waist to guide her away.
‘There’s a table here,’ said the waiter, indicating one nearby.
Nora shook her head but her mother was already sliding into the seat the waiter had pulled out. ‘The perfect compromise,’ she said with glee.
Ali shrugged. Bless him; he’d done his best.
*
Nora tried to enjoy her meal but it was tricky because she knew her mother was eavesdropping.
Although there was nothing interesting about her and Liam’s conversation.
All the fun shared memories had been covered when they’d met before.
Perhaps it was because they were very aware of the proximity of her parents that topics were neutral and neither of them was addressing the question she had posed.
‘Have you been on any nice holidays?’ asked Nora, fearing she sounded like a bored hairdresser.
‘Not had much time for holidays, plus they’re not the same on your own.’
‘I get you. I don’t go away much. I have Oliver to think about.’
Liam’s head shot up. And from the expression on his face she was worried he was putting two and two together and getting a much larger number – did he think she had asked him to join a thrupple?
She almost choked on her tagliatelle in an attempt to explain who Oliver was.
Unfortunately her mother beat her to it.
Una leaned towards Liam. ‘Nora has a lizard. His eyes are wonky.’
Nora hastily swallowed her mouthful. ‘Oliver is a chameleon and his eyes are meant to do that.’
Thankfully Ali said something that pulled Una’s attention away from Nora.
Liam was giving her an odd look.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘I wouldn’t have thought you’d be into reptiles. You always wanted a dog.’
‘I have one of those too … kind of. I have a dog share with my friend Jay.’ Pictures of Jay and Bruce on the beach flashed into her mind. Would she see more or less of Bruce now Jay’s career was taking off? She couldn’t bear to lose them both.
Liam started talking about the trials and tribulations of Leicester City football team and Nora concentrated on finishing her meal at record speed. Thankfully Liam didn’t want a dessert. At least now they could escape. They paid the bill and Nora went to say goodbye to her parents.
‘Night, Mum,’ said Nora, giving her mother a hug.
‘I like this one,’ she said in a stage whisper. ‘Love you. Stay safe. And remember to eat.’
‘Night, Dad,’ said Nora.
‘Sorry,’ said her father as he hugged her goodbye.
Nora and Liam left the restaurant. The relief was palpable.
For a moment they stood outside in the light drizzle.
Nora took a deep breath. ‘Well, that was a nightmare and I am very sorry. I had no idea they were coming here. But now I say it out loud I have a niggle that in the middle of a conversation about onions my mother may have mentioned that someone recommended it. But I definitely didn’t know they were coming tonight. If I had—’
‘Yes,’ said Liam, pulling her up short.
‘Sorry?’
‘Yes, I think we should try again,’ he said.
They stayed staring at each other for a moment.
Nora had no idea what the correct protocol was or if there even was one.
She’d expected to feel something but perhaps that came later.
And anyway she was still decompressing from the encounter with her parents.
‘Great. OK. Then I guess we’re dating,’ she said.
‘I guess we are,’ he said, taking her hand.
After the most stilted meal out ever, they had walked to their cars, kissed each other on the cheek and gone back to their respective homes. It wasn’t the romantic and passion-filled reunion she had envisaged, but she was still feeling good about things.
She’d messaged Jay as soon as she’d got to her car. She didn’t need his approval but he’d been on the 37-per-cent-rule journey with her and she wanted him to know that her process had come good. It mattered what he thought.
He’d sent back a thumbs-up emoji, which had left her deflated.
She had definitely shown more enthusiasm for his relationship with Tasha, so she was a little irked by his dismissive response.
A thumbs-up was for ‘Shall we have pizza for tea’ or ‘That thing you like is back on TV tonight’, not ‘I’m embarking on a relationship with my ex who might just be the one’.
The latter was also bothering her. They had made the next move but at what point would she know it was the right thing to do and that Liam really was the one?
She had filed that question under ‘currently too difficult to answer’ in the hope that it would resolve itself quite quickly.
Going forward would anyone she dated have to measure up to Jay?
Right now her feelings for Jay trounced how she felt about Liam.
But Jay wasn’t an option. It was all very confusing.
Back at home Nora updated her spreadsheet and called Dixie to check how she was and how things were going with getting Elsie towed.
She’d been half expecting to see the campervan on her drive when she got home from work but then if she was coming from somewhere miles away like Northumberland it would likely take a while.
‘Hey, Dixie, how’s things? Are you on your way back to civilization yet?’
‘Things are simply delightful. Renee couldn’t get Elsie fixed but she fixed me and Ned so it’s all fine,’ said Dixie.
‘Are you staying where you are? Exactly where are you?’ asked Nora.
There was a pause. ‘I’m in Belton. About eighteen miles away.’
‘Dixie! Have you been there all this time?’ asked Nora, flummoxed by the revelation her friend was so close by.
‘Yeah. Sometimes things don’t go to plan but they are exactly how they should be.’
‘That’s profound,’ said Nora.
‘I know, right? Ned says I’m full of insightful stuff. The things about me that I thought were just plain weird he sees as cool. How adorable is that?’
‘Very. So what happens now?’ asked Nora.
‘I’m having a little gathering. I’ll send you the details. It’s sort of an announcement. You’ve probably seen my teasers on Insta.’
Nora hadn’t but she didn’t like to say. ‘Do I get to know before everyone else?’ she asked.
‘I’m afraid not. I want to do a big reveal with you actually there. And Jay too.’
‘Ooh, can Liam come?’
‘Yeah, if he wants to … hang on a minute. Liam? Does this mean what I hope it does?’ Dixie squealed down the phone.
Nora wasn’t entirely sure it meant what she hoped it did but they were making moves in the right direction, or the first step at least.