Chapter Twenty-One
Anna had decided she wasn’t going to watch the after-school rehearsal. It didn’t seem fair on the children, and she had plenty of work she should be doing.
But whether it was the thought of seeing Maisie in action, or the lure of watching Dan, she found herself peeping through the doors of the school hall.
Some of the cast were sitting on the floor, reciting lines to each other.
Riley and Maisie were on the stage, going through a scene with Sid.
Anna felt a warm glow at seeing Riley so animated in his role as the useless head teacher, Mr Sedgwick.
And a burst of motherly pride when Maisie made them laugh as she dramatically put her head in her hands as part of her role as the ditzy Mrs Potterington.
The pair that drew Anna’s eye though were sitting to the side of the stage.
Her stomach did its usual somersault when she saw Dan, one leg casually crossed over the other, listening intently to what Taran was saying.
It was as if they were in their own private bubble.
Taran, who usually couldn’t look you in the eye, was speaking directly to Dan, whose focus was one hundred per cent on the boy.
‘I’ve caught you snooping.’ Anna almost jumped out of her skin.
She turned to find Bridget beaming at her.
‘I was just about to do the same. Told myself it was so I could visualise how the scenery should look. But actually I just wanted to see how things were progressing. Sid tells me we have a completed play.’
‘We do. There were times I thought it wouldn’t happen and we’d have to put on A Christmas Carol after all.’ Anna laughed as Bridget pulled a face. ‘Yes, my thoughts exactly. A fabulous story, but more for the parents than the children.’
‘Sid says this play is about school teachers putting on a nativity?’ Anna nodded. ‘Well, he says it’s actually rather funny. And coming from him, that’s quite a statement.’
‘It is indeed.’ Anna tried to keep her expression neutral.
‘You seem to have had quite a chat with Sid.’ She paused, and when Bridget didn’t reply, just kept her eyes focused on the happenings in the hall, Anna added, ‘If I’d written that down, I’d have tagged a question mark on the end of the sentence. ’
Bridget’s mouth curved upwards. ‘We shared a chat in the lunch break. That’s all.’
She’d taken Dan to task for pushing things with Sid, so Anna decided to leave it at that. It was enough to see Bridget smiling.
‘I hear you had a weekend in London?’ Bridget caught her eye and laughed. ‘And there is definitely a question mark on the end of that sentence.’
‘Dan was kind enough to invite Maisie down to London to see The Lion King.’ Anna prayed that she wasn’t blushing. ‘Naturally I had to go with her.’
‘Naturally.’ Bridget’s eyes twinkled with amusement. ‘Did you have a good time?’
‘We did, thank you.’ Change the subject, change the subject. ‘So, dance class again tonight. Are we getting any better?’
Bridget smiled. ‘You and Dan make the perfect pairing.’
And now Anna knew she was blushing. Damn it, why hadn’t she asked how the stage backdrops and scenery changes were getting on instead? ‘Dan’s a very good dancer. I just hang on in there.’
‘Yes. It must be such a hardship, hanging on.’
Anna tried not to laugh, she really did. But in the end the image of her gripping tightly to Dan while she was flung around the dance floor, was too much. ‘Fine, you’ve got me. I admit I’m rather enjoying my dance lessons.’
Bridget, who’d been laughing with her, placed a hand around Anna’s arm and squeezed. ‘And why not? I’m rather enjoying watching you having fun.’ She gave Anna a smile full of warmth, of shared understanding. ‘You deserve to be happy again, my dear. I’m keeping everything crossed for you.’
‘Oh no, we’re not . . . I mean we’re only . . .’
Bridget just smiled. And walked away before Anna could come up with a coherent reply.
Taking another peek inside the hall, she glanced again at Dan, and sighed. What were they, exactly? Only friends? A lie, because friends didn’t do what she and Dan had spent most of Saturday night doing.
At that moment he glanced up and caught her eye through the glass in the door. His smile reached right inside her, warming everything it touched. Whatever they were, she decided, she would enjoy it for as long as it lasted.
* * *
The dance class was having a break; a pause after the waltz before they threw themselves into the tango.
Dan had never been a fan of the dance. He preferred to smooch with his partner, rather than drag her round the floor like a demented bull.
Of course it was entirely possible his demented bull act wasn’t quite what the dance was asking for.
‘I saw you sneaking a look at our rehearsal earlier,’ he whispered to Anna as they waited for Bridget to find the right music for the tango. ‘Checking up on me, or checking me out?’
She let out a noise that was part splutter, part laugh. ‘I was seeing how my daughter was doing.’
He’d forgotten Maisie had been there, too. That took him down a few pegs. ‘Fair enough.’
She gave him a sideways glance with those captivating hazel eyes. ‘I may have taken a look at you while I was there.’
He flashed her a grin, his ego somewhat restored. ‘Did you like what you saw? Enough to come out for a drink with me after the lesson?’
Her eyes flicked round the room, but he knew her attention was really on him because as he’d spoken, his mouth close to her ear, a tremor had shot through her. ‘I believe so, yes.’
When a quick check of the room revealed nobody was watching them, Dan risked inching even closer, until his mouth was a tantalising few inches from the smooth skin of her neck.
‘Enough to come back to the hotel with me?’ Her breath hitched, and for a triumphant moment Dan thought it was with arousal, until he noticed her twisting her hands.
‘You have Maisie to get back to, I know.’ Letting out a deep sigh, he took a much-needed step away. ‘Forget I asked.’
She nodded, and he watched her throat move as she swallowed. ‘And the drink?’
He laughed softly. ‘The drink you’ve already agreed to. No squirming out of that one.’
But his hopes of at least gazing at her for a few hours over a glass of wine took a downwards turn when Sid marched up to them at the end of the lesson.
The same Sid who’d turned up in a fresh shirt, but following his energetic tango was now dripping with sweat. Poor Bridget, was all Dan could think. She’d had to dance with this sweat ball.
‘Have you got a minute?’
‘Sure.’ Dan caught Anna’s eyes over Sid’s shoulder and hoped she correctly read his silent message: help, give me a few minutes to get rid of him and then I’m all yours.
Sid glanced furtively around, then shook his head. ‘This isn’t the place for conversation. Come on, let’s head to the pub. My shout.’
Oh no. No, no, no. His chance to have some alone time with the gorgeous Anna was not going to be swopped for a tortuous evening with grumpy Sid. ‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea.’
Sid snapped round to look at him. ‘Why not?’
‘Drinking on a school night?’ Dan offered weakly, dread pooling in his stomach. How the hell was he meant to get out of this? If he said he’d made plans, Sid would want to know what plans.
‘Don’t be daft. I’m talking a quiet pint. Not a full-blown session.’
‘Right.’ Dan looked behind him, saw Anna talking to Bridget, a sexy little smile on her face as she caught his eye.
She didn’t look upset. Didn’t look like she’d been pining away the last two nights until she could see him again, like he had.
She looked amused. ‘I . . . umm, should say thanks to Bridget before I go.’
Sid halted, and huffed out a breath. ‘Okay. Don’t be long. I’ll see you in the pub in the village. The Kings Arms. What are you drinking?’
Reluctantly Dan gave him his order — half a pint of whatever bitter Sid could recommend — and headed back towards Anna and Bridget.
Anna gave him a wide-eyed look. ‘Everything okay?’
Dan figured he must be wearing a dazed, what just happened expression. ‘Err, yes. I think so.’ Aware Bridget was watching him closely, Dan shoved his hands in his pockets in case he ended up accidentally dragging Anna outside. ‘Sid’s asked me to have a drink with him.’
‘Oh?’
He glanced at Bridget, willing her to take the hint and give them some privacy, but Bridget simply smiled. ‘Yes, so . . . I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘I guess you will. Have fun.’
Amusement flickered in her eyes but for once Dan didn’t feel any answering smile. His ego was dented, his hopes for the evening crushed. But worse than either of those was this feeling that Anna was starting to matter too much, though clearly he’d not made the same impression on her.
By the time he made it to the pub, Dan was in a foul mood. It didn’t help that the place was playing blasted Christmas songs. There was nothing more grating than ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ when all you wanted to do was hide in a corner and feel sorry for yourself.
‘Thanks,’ he muttered to Sid as he slumped onto the chair opposite. After taking a long swig, he set the glass down. ‘So, what did you want to talk to me about that couldn’t be discussed in the school hall?’
Sid snapped his body back as if he’d been slapped. ‘I didn’t realise I was dragging you here.’
Dan inhaled a deep breath, letting it out slowly while he found his balance. ‘Sorry. That came out graceless.’ He glanced down at his beer, then at Sid. The guy looked irritated and offended, with a smidgen of hurt. ‘Thanks for the drink, Sid. How can I help?’
Sid shuffled on his chair, eyes darting everywhere but at Dan. ‘I don’t need your help.’
Okay, so his apology clearly hadn’t hit the mark. ‘I’m sure you don’t. And if this is all just about us having a quiet drink together, great.’ He knocked his glass against Sid’s. ‘Cheers.’
‘Cheers,’ Sid muttered. He took a long gulp of his beer, then clattered his glass onto the table. His next words were mumbled, and directed not at Dan but at the table. ‘It’s about Bridget.’
‘Bridget?’ Dan’s eyebrows flew upwards but immediately he realised he shouldn’t make this a big deal. Sid was clearly embarrassed enough already. ‘She was on fine form tonight,’ he added conversationally. ‘I thought the pair of you rocked that tango.’
A slight flush crept up Sid’s neck. ‘We were rather good.’ There was a beat of silence, which Dan had to work hard not to fill, before Sid cleared his throat. Then proceeded to take another drink.
It looked like he was going to have to pry whatever was troubling Sid out of him. Either that or he’d be here all night. ‘So, you’re enjoying dancing with her?’
Sid huffed. ‘Of course I am.’
‘Any plans to extend the dancing to something more?’ When Sid’s expression turned to alarm, Dan added hastily, ‘I mean like maybe a drink? A meal?’
Sid ran a hand through his too-long hair. ‘Aye. Maybe.’
‘What’s stopping you?’
Sid’s eyes flew to his belly, and he shook his head, grunting. ‘You have to ask?’
Dan had an awful feeling this conversation was going to involve more tact than he possessed. ‘You’re worried you’re out of shape?’
‘I kept up with you on the dance floor tonight,’ Sid growled back, confirming Dan’s fear. He was no good at this stuff.
‘You did,’ Dan soothed, taking a quick look at his watch. How long before he could politely bail?
Minutes ticked by and Dan racked his brain for something to say. Should he talk about the play? But Christ, that’s all they’d done today.
Finally, Sid blew out a deep breath. ‘I’m out of practice,’ he grumbled. Then exhaled again. ‘Fine. I’m out of shape, too.’
‘Out of practice?’
‘At dating,’ he mumbled, staring down at his pint.
Dan didn’t know who was more embarrassed. ‘And you’re telling me this because?’
Another awkward shift on his chair. Eyes still avoiding Dan’s. ‘You said if I lost a few pounds and smartened up, Bridget would find me attractive.’
Shit, had he really said that? ‘I think I said women,’ Dan corrected, the uncomfortable feeling in his gut telling him he knew exactly where this was going now.
Finally, Sid looked at him. ‘It’s not women I want. It’s Bridget.’ His gaze dropped to his glass, and he downed the rest of the contents. ‘And I want you to help me reel her in.’
Dan winced. ‘She’s not a fish.’
‘Fine. Help me land her. Catch her.’
Dan started to laugh. ‘Please, enough with the angling, I’ve never seen the fascination of sitting on a soggy riverbank, watching a worm on the end of a hook. Do I take it you’d like my help in smartening you up so that the lovely Bridget will want to go out with you?’
Sid huffed. ‘That’s what I said.’
Promising he’d see Sid tomorrow after school for stage one and two in the campaign; a haircut and a new wardrobe, Dan strode back to his car, wondering at the irony of helping Sid out with his love life when his own appeared to be floundering.
Never having been the sort of guy to back down if he wanted something though, Dan pulled out his phone and sent Anna a text.
Missed having a drink with you tonight. Sid’s company wasn’t nearly as appealing. D x
It wasn’t until he was pulling into the hotel car park that he received a reply.
At the risk of sounding sappy, I missed our drink, too. Anna x
A slow smile spread across his face and he made a snap decision.
Any chance we can try again tomorrow night? I’d love to take you out for a meal. I’m in no rush to get back to London. D x
This time the reply was instant.
Sounds good. I’ll check with the babysitters and get back to you. Anna x
It was only a maybe, but at least it was attached to a sounds good. He’d happily settle for that. For now.