Chapter 18 #3
‘Long story. But in short, she’s a frog who was determined she was going to turn into a princess for me.
It was never going to happen. Ever. I’d been drinking all day at a wedding, and she pounced on me in the residents’ bar sixteen pints later.
I was absolutely hammered. I barely remember what happened.
’ He placed both hands on my waist, pupils intensely into mine.
‘She’s an absolute lunatic, she stalked me for months afterwards.
I told you, I’m not proud of my past, sweetheart. ’
Relief flowed through my blood to my clenched fists and tight shoulders and I began to relax again.
Everyone has a past. Still, it never ceased to amaze me how people could do intimate things with people that they didn’t even particularly like. To men, it was purely about the physical release, to women, it often meant so much more.
Our conversation halted as we reached our destination by the sash windows. ‘Julia, congratulations.’ John kissed her cheek.
Julia was five-foot five, with short black hair in a pixie cropped style and widely set aquamarine eyes. Her sallow complexion was flawless.
‘This is Lucy,’ John said, and Julia kissed me on each cheek, welcoming me warmly.
‘I would have known you anywhere,’ she said pleasantly. ‘John’s been showing off your pictures on his phone for weeks now.’ She tilted her head back and giggled, pointing at John. I couldn’t place her accent, but it wasn’t Irish.
‘Thanks for that, Julia,’ John said, the tips of his ears turning as red as his hair.
‘I’ll have to start photoshopping if he’s going to flash them around the place.’ I twisted my hair round one finger, unable to shake the feeling we were being watched.
‘It’s great to see John has finally met somebody too. We thought he’d never settle down,’ she enthused. ‘Perhaps now he’ll stop bringing my fiancé out drinking whisky into the early hours, when they are supposed to be on a “working dinner”,’ Her grin suggested she didn’t mind in the slightest.
‘I wouldn’t bet on it,’ Jack said. ‘At least not until she moves over.’
It seemed everyone had my future concluded already.
Part of me was flattered they felt John was serious about me. Another part couldn’t even contemplate having to start again in a new place. Especially one where frogs lurked around every corner.
Two drinks later, I’d forgotten all about the woman in red, instead enjoying the company of Jack and Julia. It transpired that Julia was Lithuanian. They were planning to get married over there the following year.
At the risk of losing my seat, I excused myself in search of the ladies’ room.
‘Are you ok?’ John checked as I got up from the barstool.
‘Perfect.’ I reassured him with a kiss.
‘If we were dogs, you just did the equivalent of peeing on me,’ he said, a small smirk curling his full lips.
‘Nothing like marking your territory.’ I winked and passed gently by him.
I found the ladies’ toilets without a hitch, but was unexpectedly stopped in my tracks on my return by the woman in the red dress, who apparently had not forgotten about me.
Her eyes narrowed as she blocked my path. ‘Hi.’ Her voice harboured a hint of boredom, like she knew everything about me already and I was lacking. Or maybe I was projecting.
‘Hi.’ I acknowledged her as warmly as I could manage, reverting to my professional “I’m At Work and I Have To Be Polite To Patients Because They Are Paying For My Service” kind of smile. I attempted to bypass her, but she sidestepped, blocking me again.
‘I know John,’ she stated bluntly, like it was supposed to mean something to me.
‘That’s great,’ I said, still smiling, not entirely sure where this was going.
Having a distinct height advantage, I glanced over her head, hoping my knight in shining armour was somewhere in the vicinity, because if I ever needed rescuing it was now.
‘No, I actually know John,’ she repeated it like it should mean something.
Like I cared about anything that occurred prior to the twenty-ninth of June this year.
I shrugged in disinterest, refusing to take the bait. Her steely eyes burned into mine. If she stood there much longer, she was going to get a crick in her neck from gawping upwards. Never was I more grateful for my six-inch stiletto addiction, helping me to literally rise above the drama.
I smoothed my hands down over my black dress and waited for whatever line she felt compelled to deliver.
‘It won’t last,’ she warned, ‘he’s incapable. I’ve tried.’
‘Our relationship is really none of your business.’ My smile evaporated.
I refused to wilt like a flower. I hadn’t been through what I had, to be intimidated by a five-foot, Barbie in need of Botox.
‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’ She practically spat the words from her pinched mouth.
I crossed the room swiftly back to John and necked the drink he had been holding for me.
‘I thought you were taking it easy tonight?’ He waved my empty glass under my nose and turned to the bar to fetch me a refill.
‘Wait,’ I said. ‘I’ll come with you.’ I didn’t want to get caught again, and I was determined to maintain a united front, not wanting the frog to think she’d succeeded in driving a wedge between us.
‘Is everything ok?’ Concern crinkled the corner of his eyes.
‘Your friend wanted to warn me about you.’ I couldn’t quite meet his eye for fear there was actually more to the story than he’d let on.
‘What did that daft bitch want now?’ His jaw clenched with temper.
‘Just wanted to tell me she knew you, and to warn me that you’d never settle.’
‘That’s the thing about living in a small town, when you don’t know what you’re doing, at least everyone else does.’ His voice was dangerously low, and a vein pulsed in his neck. I’d never seen him angry before.
‘Look, I shouldn’t have said anything.’ I didn’t want this to ruin our night.
‘Of course you should say something. How dare she think she knows me, because of a drunken kiss years ago? It’s a small town, we all have a past, but don’t let anyone allow you to think they know me.
Not for a second. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
In all honesty you’re the first person I’ve ever really let in.
For fuck’s sake I actually love you…’ His eyes blazed and drilled into me, then he blinked and lowered his gaze to the floor.
His feet shifted but before he could turn away, I clutched the back of his neck and pulled him towards me. Our lips met, slow and firm. I silently rejoiced in the words that had escaped him.
It was everything I wanted to hear; needed to hear; every day. His kiss was loaded with promises. I moved in deeper, falling a little bit more, but relieved to know we were of one mind.
‘You know how I feel about you.’ I breathed into his mouth, millimetres from mine.
John whispered into my ear, ‘There are girls you spend a night with, and there are girls you spend your life with. There are girls you buy a drink for, and there are girls you buy a diamond ring for. You know which one you are.’ He squeezed my waist encouragingly.
I couldn’t have put it better myself.
‘Time for us to go home,’ he said in a low, husky voice. ‘I want you to really mark your territory.’
‘With pleasure.’ We bid our goodbyes and hailed a taxi back to the hotel.