Chapter 27
As soon as Charles had left, Tess had needed to get outside.
She’d called Barney, clipped him on his lead and together, they’d walked down the lane and through the kissing gate that led on the public footpath towards the woods.
Barney couldn’t believe his luck in being out on his second adventure of the day, but simply being out in the elements and feeling the kiss of the sun on her cheeks had helped Tess to shake of the tension that Charles’s visit had brought on.
If anything, it had only made her more determined to forge ahead with the divorce and to get the locks changed on the cottage too, so that she wouldn’t have to deal with Charles’s nonsense any longer and he couldn’t wander in and out willy-nilly.
She supposed in one respect, Charles had done her a favour by turning up today.
She had completely forgotten to worry about her dinner date with Nico.
In fact, she was looking forward to it now: a chance to be wined and dined, and with the opportunity to have a rant about Charles, if the opportunity presented itself.
She was still fuming over Charles intimating that Rob had an ulterior motive in living alongside her.
That perhaps he was going to inveigle his way into her affections and that she, desperate for love and affection, was going to sign over all her worldly goods over to him.
Pfft! What did Charles take her for? They’d lived together for over thirty years and yet it seemed he really didn’t know her at all.
And breathe , she told herself as she’d walked on through the countryside, taking solace in the comfort of the tall trees, her mood lifting as she caught sight of the woodland phlox and Serbian bellflowers.
For her own mental health, it was better if she allowed all thoughts of Charles to flutter off into the distance, like the butterflies dancing around her.
She would need to have a word with Hannah, though.
Tess could understand her daughter’s anger and reluctance to speak to Charles, but she would have to speak at him at some point.
Tess had always been the negotiator and peacemaker between the pair of them and she worried how they would manage their relationship without her input.
Hannah took after her dad in the respect that, like him, she was incredibly stubborn.
She only hoped that they would be able to put their pride to one side, rebuild their relationship and find a new way of being with each other going forward.
Perhaps Hannah was struggling with the break-up much more than she’d admitted to.
Tess had assumed that with Hannah being on her adventure on the other side of the world, with her new handsome beau in tow, it might have distanced her from the emotional reality of her parents’ split, but on the last couple of occasions Tess had spoken to Hannah, she hadn’t seemed her usual bubbly self.
She made a mental note to speak to her tomorrow to check everything was really okay.
Energised and invigorated by the fresh air, Tess returned to the cottage feeling in much better spirits.
She made herself a mug of tea and sat in the garden flicking through the weekend newspapers until it was time to get ready.
To overcome the worry of what to wear, she had opted for a simple, pale-green tea dress that was casual, cool and comfortable, along with some espadrilles.
Ever since Dilly had cut her hair, Tess found it much easier to style, so with a few strokes of the curling wand, her locks were given some bounce, which she accentuated with her hands, zhooshing up her hair in the mirror.
Her usual quick application of mascara was replaced by some dusky bronze eyeshadow, eyeliner and some carefully applied mascara, followed by a light covering of blusher and a coating of lip gloss.
She checked her reflection in the mirror, looking first one way and then the other, feeling rather pleased with the effect.
It wasn’t until she heard a heavy knock on the back door that her nerves put in a return appearance.
She gave a quick spritz of perfume on her wrists and behind her ear and went to answer the door, bracing herself with a smile on her face.
Only it wasn’t who she was expecting standing on the threshold.
‘Oh… hello, Rob!’ she said, almost relieved.
‘Hi… ah, I can see this is a bad time.’ He was brandishing a bottle of wine in one hand which he slowly dropped to his side as his gaze subtly took in her appearance.
‘It looks as though you have plans,’ he wavered.
‘I’ll leave you to it and perhaps we can do this some other time?
’ he said, shuffling awkwardly on the spot.
‘Maybe you could pop this in the fridge and we can share it next time.’
‘Oh… thank you, that would have been nice, but I’m…’ She paused, uncertain of what to tell him. ‘I’m out with a friend tonight.’
‘Well, have a great time!’ Rob turned to walk away and then stopped as though he’d forgotten something. ‘I hope you don’t think this is totally inappropriate, but… I just wanted to say, you look… lovely.’
‘Thanks,’ she said more to herself, because Rob was already wandering off, their interaction affecting her oddly as her cheeks flushed with heat.
She glanced down at the bottle in her hand, noticing it was a bottle of champagne, and she took it across to put it into the fridge for another day.
A wave of disappointment washed over her as she sensed she may have missed an opportunity.
There were so many questions. What had Rob been about to say?
Why the champagne? Was there something to celebrate?
To be honest, she would much rather have stayed at home, chatting with Rob, than go out with Nico, but there was no way she could get out of the commitment now.
She glanced at her watch, realising she didn’t have time to go after Rob to ask him the real reason for his calling, especially when she saw Nico’s car approaching down the lane.
She quickly shut the door and went back to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, taking a sip, and gave herself one final check in the mirror.
It didn’t matter; she would have plenty of time to catch up with Rob on another day, maybe tomorrow even.
Thankfully, as soon as Nico arrived, she was reminded of what delightful company he was.
He greeted her with a friendly kiss on the cheek, complimented her on her appearance and offered his arm to escort her to the car, putting her at ease.
Immediately, they started chatting as if they were old friends and Tess wondered why she’d ever been apprehensive in the first place.
* * *
The restaurant, with its low lighting and authentic rustic charm, had a warm and welcoming vibe, and the pair of them were seated at a secluded table where they ordered a glass of wine each, and a selection of tempting dishes to share including padron peppers, brochetas with courgette, aubergine and cherry tomatoes, patatas bravas and king prawns in a garlic and chilli sauce.
The aromas that hit Tess’s nostrils as the dishes were delivered to the table were mouthwatering and she eagerly served up the food onto her plate, desperate to give it a try.
‘Mmm, this is good,’ she sighed, relaxing into the situation and enjoying the first taste of the richly flavoured food. The place was packed with people, animated chatter and laughter ringing in the air, and it felt good to be a part of the vibrant atmosphere.
‘It really is. I’m glad we got a chance to try this place out.
Something I learned after splitting from Sabine is that not only had I lost my girlfriend, but I’d also lost the opportunity to do all those things we had done together like going to the cinema, trying out new restaurants and visiting new places.
It didn’t take me long to realise that if I wanted to continue doing those things then I might have to start doing them alone.
That doesn’t bother me. I’ve been on plenty of holidays on my own, and I don’t mind going to a restaurant alone in the middle of the week, but not on a Saturday night when the vibe is so different.
’ He paused and gave a smile. ‘What I’m trying to say is that I’m grateful that you agreed to come along with me tonight. ’
‘No, this is great,’ said Tess. ‘Thanks for inviting me. It was particularly good to get out tonight because I had an unexpected visit from Charles earlier which didn’t put me in the best mood.
’ Tess grimaced. ‘He’d heard from Deborah and was clearly not happy that I’d taken the initiative in getting the divorce underway. ’
‘Ah, I can see how that might have dampened your mood.’
‘Yes, Charles is agreeable all the time things are done his way, but when he’s challenged or the control is taken out of his hands then he doesn’t like it one bit.
’ Tess gave a nonchalant shrug, indicating that she couldn’t care less about that, before helping herself to another spoonful of the tasty, tomatoey potatoes.
‘He even had the cheek to suggest I was being unduly influenced by someone. As if I’m not capable of making my own decisions. ’
‘I hope he doesn’t think it’s me who’s the bad influence,’ Nico said with a comical quirk of his eyebrow.
‘No,’ laughed Tess. ‘I’ve not mentioned your name. I’m sure he would be furious to know that I was talking to an ex-colleague of his. No, he’s got it into his head that the guy who is staying in the garden annexe is exercising some kind of control over me. It’s ridiculous!’
‘Well, Charles was always very intransigent in his stance once he’d made his mind up about something, so that doesn’t surprise me. He’s obviously put out by you taking matters into your own hands, but he’ll get used to the idea. What choice does he have?’
‘None.’
Tess shook her head and Nico nodded his agreement.
She didn’t want to spoil the evening with talk about Charles.
It only made her angry and tonight was all about getting out and enjoying herself.
Thankfully, Nico must have been of the same mindset because he deftly swerved the topic onto Tess’s recent holiday and their conversation took a more upbeat tone.
‘I went to Annecy many years ago,’ Nico told her, ‘but clearly remember how beautiful it was. You’ve reminded me, it’s probably time for a return visit one of these days.’
‘Yes, you should. We all said we’d love to go back. There’s so much to do there, if you enjoy walking and outdoor activities.’
The tapas dishes kept arriving and it felt intimate and enjoyable to be sharing food, commenting on the flavours, their favourites and what they might have chosen instead, seeing alternatives plates of food being delivered to neighbouring tables.
‘Well, there’s always next time…’ said Nico, with a questioning expression, to which Tess dropped her gaze and smiled.
After coffees and a nightcap of an Irish cream liquor for Tess, Nico requested the bill and Tess was quick to suggest they split it.
‘Absolutely not. It was my invitation so it’s my treat.’
‘Thank you. That’s really kind of you.’
They left the restaurant and instead of going straight back to the car, they wandered through the cobbled streets of the old town.
Nico offered his arm and Tess gladly looped hers through his.
A sense of warm familiarity washed over her.
It felt good to have a man’s presence alongside her, even if it was just an arm to hang on to.
She’d missed Charles’s physical presence, the way it had made her feel, but with the cool air of the evening highlighting her senses, she wondered if she was mistaking that sense of familiarity for something more.
Nico was a lovely guy, who had proved to be a good friend to her, but she wasn’t sure that she would want it to be any more than that.
‘Oh look,’ she said, dropping her arm from his and walking across to a gift shop that had an eclectic display of quirky items in the window. ‘I love that!’ She pointed out a colourful plush llama cushion.
‘That is great fun!’ agreed Nico, although Tess wasn’t sure if he was simply being polite.
She knew with a certainty that Charles would have hated it and would have remarked on how tacky it was.
She supposed over the years, she’d dampened down her style choices to align with Charles’s, so that the cottage looked very tasteful and effortlessly stylish like something from a glossy home magazine.
Now she had carte blanche to make a few more outlandish purchases, she realised, vowing to come back to buy the cushion another day.
It had been a delightful evening and Tess had enjoyed getting to know Nico a little bit better. The funny thing was, the more she stepped out of her comfort zone, the more she was learning about herself too.
* * *
Back at Hollyhocks Cottage, Tess climbed out of the car, her gaze immediately searching out the annexe, feeling a sense of relief and security at seeing the lights on, knowing that Rob would be inside.
Nico escorted her to the back door. Momentarily, she considered inviting him inside for a coffee but quickly discarded the idea.
‘Thank you so much for a lovely evening. I’ve really enjoyed it,’ she said truthfully.
‘It’s been my pleasure entirely. Perhaps we can do it again sometime?’ Nico offered.
‘Yes,’ she said instinctively, her head swimming.
Nico stepped forward and placed his hands on the top of her arms, kissing her lightly on the cheek.
She stepped into his embrace and returned his kiss to the side of his face, enjoying again the sensation of being wrapped in his arms, feeling his strong, physical presence and being taken by the warm, earthy tones of his aftershave.
The combination took her to another place and time, and it would have been so easy to turn her face up to his, to invite his kiss, but instead, she pulled away, eager to get indoors now.
‘Thanks again,’ she called to Nico, turning to go inside, noticing as she did a movement behind the blinds of the annexe, before the lights were extinguished.