Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Immy surveyed herself in the mirror. Having bright red hair, she always had to be mindful what colours she wore because a lot of colours would clash, but the blue of this dress suited her perfectly.
It was a simple satin dress with no patterns but it had a deep V front that ruched together underneath the breast in a deep blue cluster of sequins and beads then skimmed past her stomach and hips beautifully.
The perfect dress to hide her little baby bump, at least for now.
Although she was pretty sure everyone in the town would know soon enough.
Xander had been lying on the bed watching her get dressed and the look of desire in his eyes as she put her sexy underwear on made her feel warm inside. He came up behind her now, wrapped his hands round her stomach and pressed a kiss into the side of her neck.
‘I cannot wait to get you out of this dress later tonight,’ he muttered, in between kisses.
‘I’m not sure what the point was in buying me a dress that you want to get me out of,’ Immy teased, moving her head to the side so he could continue kissing down her neck and across her shoulder.
‘Mmm, quite. I may need to just make love to you while you’re wearing it. You look ridiculously sexy.’
Her breath shuddered at his touch. ‘Come on, keep kissing me like that and we’re never getting out of here.’
‘OK, OK, I did promise you a date after all.’
She slipped on her gold sandals and then followed him downstairs to his car. The night was warm, the heat of the day lingering on, and the smell of the flowers from the hanging baskets that adorned Cherry Lane drifted through the air.
‘It’s not far,’ Xander said, holding the car door open for her. She smiled and slipped inside.
Lovegrove Bay looked so pretty with the sun just starting to set, leaving trails of candy-floss clouds in its wake. The brightly coloured houses were all cuddled up together as they cascaded down the hill towards the sea, which was almost a turquoise green under an indigo sky.
There were so many cute shops here. There was a beautiful antique shop that sold everything from vintage leather suitcases and an old metal diving helmet that must be over a hundred years old, to gorgeous brooches and pretty china cups and plates.
Immy could spend hours in there and always wanted to buy the lot.
There was a bookshop, filled with modern and vintage tomes; a florist that seemed to stock the most unusual flowers; a wonderful jewellery shop that sold antique and contemporary pieces; multiple art shops selling everything from hand-sculpted pottery to paintings and art made from reclaimed finds on the beach, like bits of plastic and seaglass that was worn by the waves.
Despite the huge variance in the shops’ different wares, everything just seemed to fit together here and she loved being part of this wonderful community.
Xander drove out of Lovegrove Bay and along the clifftops peppered with cyclamen, wild primroses, bluebells, violets and the last of the daffodils but it wasn’t long before he pulled into a car park.
Immy gave a soft gasp. ‘We’re eating here?’
‘Yes.’
‘How did you get a table? They’re normally booked out months in advance.’
‘Well fortunately, I know someone who works here.’
She looked outside at the large gold sign, ‘THE CAVERN’. Although she’d seen enough pictures and posts on social media about the place, she’d never been here. But beyond the entrance foyer, a small building perched on top of the cliffs, there wasn’t anything else to see.
Xander opened the car door for her and she stepped out.
‘I’m so excited we get to eat here, thank you for doing this.’
‘My pleasure.’ He moved his hand to the small of her back as he escorted her inside.
They walked into the foyer and Xander gave his name.
‘I’ll show you to your table,’ the hostess said, grabbing two menus and walking off down some black marble stairs. They followed her.
They stepped down into the main restaurant and Immy looked around eagerly.
It was set inside a giant cave cut into the side of the cliff, with one side of the cave open, overlooking the sea.
The cave was lit with burning torches along the walls and candles in storm lanterns dotted around the restaurant.
It was lovely. The hostess showed them to a table right against the glass balcony.
‘Your waiter tonight is Max, he’ll be with you in a moment.’
She walked off and Xander groaned. Immy laughed, knowing Max was his brother. At least that explained how they had got a table.
Immy looked out over the view, the waves lapping against the cliffs below them, the sun painting scarlet ribbons across the sea.
A few moments later Max arrived at their table. ‘Good evening, I’m Max, I’ll be your waiter for this evening,’ he said, with a big grin on his face.
‘We’d like to request a different waiter,’ Xander said.
‘Oh hell no, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. My brother on an actual date. I thought I’d be more likely to see pigs fly past than see this.’ He turned his attention to Immy. ‘I heard your news, congratulations.’ He bent his head and kissed her on the cheek.
Immy smiled. ‘Thank you.’
‘Hey, hands off my girl,’ Xander said. ‘Or there’ll be no tip for you.’
‘I’m pretty sure I’m going to lose that anyway for all my sarcastic comments and it will be totally worth it.’
Immy couldn’t help smiling; she really liked Max. He had jobs all over town so she always saw him everywhere.
‘So can I get you some drinks to start?’ Max said, taking out his notepad.
They gave him their drinks order and he wrote it down.
‘I’ll go and get those for you and I’ll be back in a moment to take your food order,’ Max said. He turned to go, then hissed loudly at Xander, ‘Hold her hand.’
Xander rolled his eyes as his brother walked away chuckling to himself. ‘Sorry, I thought tonight would be romantic. I hadn’t counted on my brother being the third wheel.’
‘It’s totally fine and you can hold my hand if you want to.’
He smiled and reached across the table to do just that.
She looked down at the menu and tried to concentrate on it as he stroked his thumb gently over the back of her hand, sending goosebumps all over her body.
The food all sounded delicious and she had a hard time choosing, but in the end she opted for the salmon and crab fried rice. Xander went for a pasta dish.
Max returned with their drinks and a big grin on his face as he spied them holding hands. They placed their order and then Max slid a piece of paper onto the table in front of Xander.
‘Here,’ he muttered, more than loud enough for Immy to hear. ‘I printed this off. It’s ten steps for a perfect first date. Thought you might need it.’
Immy snorted.
‘I think I’m more than capable of going on a date,’ Xander said.
‘I don’t know, it’s your first one. A lot of people struggle, there’s no shame in that. The art of conversation is a tricky one,’ Max said, clearly enjoying every moment of this. ‘I printed off a few conversation starters as well.’
‘How about you go away and leave me to cock it up on my own.’
‘Well, you wouldn’t cock it up if you took my advice.’
Xander flashed him a glare and Max held up both hands. ‘OK, OK, I’m going.’ He gave Immy a wink and wandered off.
‘I hate my brothers,’ Xander said.
‘No you don’t.’
‘I bet you don’t get this kind of grief from Alex.’
‘Not now, but growing up we used to fight a lot, mostly over stealing each other’s clothes and make-up. I shaved one of her eyebrows once, I don’t think she ever forgave me for that.’
‘You’re very lucky only having one sibling. I got lumbered with five of them. I’m not sure why, my parents don’t even like children.’
Immy frowned. ‘Do you not get along with your parents? I have to say I don’t remember ever seeing them at family gatherings.’
Her sister Alex had been going along to family Christmas dinners for the last few years, where all of Quinn’s family would turn up, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and Immy had always been invited along as well.
She hadn’t started seeing Xander at these events until after his wife had died so she’d never met Brook.
‘No, you would never have seen them at any family event. And it’s not like I have a bad relationship with my parents, I just don’t have any relationship with them.
I honestly don’t know them to not get along with them.
They were absent from the majority of my childhood and I haven’t seen them now for around eight years.
They didn’t come to my wedding with Brook, although they did send the most hideous vase.
They’ve never met Etta and have no desire to.
We don’t even speak on the phone. They live in America so I guess time zones make having a relationship a little tricky, but even when they lived in the UK, we never saw them. They were always too busy with work.’
‘What is it they do?’
‘They’re agents.’
‘Secret agents?’
He smiled. ‘Celebrity agents; singers, actors, authors, sports stars, celebrity chefs, comedians. They run their own agency and have some of the biggest celebrities in the world on their books. Consequently they spend their lives jetting all round the world to look after them. They are mainly based out in Los Angeles now but they used to work and live in London. They had a second home down here in Lovegrove Bay which is where the six of us grew up, but they never came down to visit.’
‘That sounds really sad, I’m sorry.’