CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
It was a few days later and I was waiting nervously at the bench by the river. Barley was snuffling happily in the bushes but I was keeping a firm eye on him, just in case he had a sudden fancy for testing out his swimming skills again.
Loli was being very stubborn on the subject of me as a donor, as I’d thought she might, and I was starting to despair of ever seeing her well again.
‘You’ve found Jensen again, and that’s all very well,’ she said, ‘But...’ She’d shrugged as if I should know what she meant.
‘But what?’
‘But the reason I wanted you to find him was because I wanted you to –’
‘Fall in love and live happily ever after!’ I snapped. ‘Yes, I know that.’
She gave a mischievous smile. ‘Well, unless you can assure me that a romance is on the cards, I’m afraid you haven’t kept to your side of the bargain, have you?’
I’d sighed in frustration. The whole ‘bargain’ idea had been ridiculous anyway, and now Loli was twisting the terms to suit herself. But she was right. I couldn’t assure her that a romance with Jensen was in the offing.
Because the truth was, I didn’t know.
Jensen was obviously pleased we’d found each other again. But that didn’t mean he wanted anything more than friendship. We shared a bond because of Barley. Maybe that was all it was... and all it would ever be between us?
And now, here he was, walking along the river path, a broad smile breaking out when he spotted me... the smile that, quite inconveniently, turned my knees to absolute jelly.
Barley bounded over to him and started jumping up and trying to lick his face, and laughing, I called him back. To my astonishment he obeyed immediately.
‘You’ve been training him well.’ He scratched Barley’s head. ‘Sorry if I’m late.’
‘You’re not. Not at all. You’re right on time, actually.’
‘Good. Good.’ Barley went off to investigate a tuft of grass, and Jensen stuffed his hands in his pockets and started scuffing at the ground with his toe. For some reason, he seemed to be avoiding my eye.
My heart sank. Why was he looking so awkward? It almost seemed as if he didn’t want to be here. ‘Are you... are things okay?’
‘Yes!’ He looked up, but his smile looked strained. ‘Yes. The thing is... well, I wondered if you fancied going into Guildford some time?’
‘Right.’ I glanced at him in surprise. ‘Well, yes. Why not? They have some lovely parks in Guildford, don’t they? I’m sure Barley would love it. Lots of strange dogs to sniff and all that. He’d be totally in his element. And I’m sure they allow dogs on trains. Unless you’re planning on taking the car in...?’
He was smiling at me, allowing me to babble on. When I’d finished, he said softly, ‘I wasn’t thinking of Barley.’
‘No?’
‘It’s just they might allow dogs on trains but I can’t think of a restaurant that does. And I was rather hoping you might like to... well, go on a date with me?’ He grinned. ‘No dogs allowed.’
My heart was beating so fast, I almost didn’t trust myself to speak.
Then I smiled up at him. ‘I’d say yes, but... well, I’m worried Barley might feel left out.’ I stuck my tongue in my cheek so show him I was joking.
‘Oh, he’s a big boy. He can cope. Can’t you, Barley, mate?’
Hearing his name, Barley emerged from a bush and trotted over, looking up at Jensen hopefully. Jensen grinned and produced a bacon-flavoured treat from a bag in his pocket, which Barley wolfed down in a second. Then he went back to his exploring.
‘How rude,’ I remarked with a smile. ‘You give that boy a treat and he just wanders off again without showing any real appreciation.’ I was fizzing with happiness inside at the thought of spending time together, just the two of us.
Jensen’s dark eyes twinkled at me and a tingle of excitement shivered along my spine.
‘So you’re saying you’ll go on a date with me? As long as Barley approves?’
‘Definitely.’
‘Okay, well, I happen to know that if you ask a dog a question and he pricks up his ears, that means “yes”.’
I chuckled. ‘Is that so? I never knew that.’
‘Let’s try it.’ He raised his voice a little. ‘Do you think I should take this gorgeous girl out for dinner, Barley?’
Right on cue, Barley turned – his ears standing to attention – and trotted over.
‘There, you see. Pricked ears. He’s in full agreement.’
I grinned, trying to recover my composure after being referred to as a ‘gorgeous girl’. ‘He wants another treat, you mean.’ I fished in my pocket and brought out a slice of raw carrot, which Barley chewed noisily.
True to form, he wandered away again, and when I looked at Jensen and smiled, I could see my own longing reflected in his dreamy eyes. I moved closer and he pulled me against him and I tilted my head up, burning to feel his lips on mine for the first time.
And when his mouth came down on mine, I lost all sense of where I was or even who I was, as I gave myself up to the thrilling sensations that were pulsing through my body. I’d dreamed of this moment for so long, being crushed in Jensen’s strong arms. But my imaginings hadn’t come anywhere near to the feelings of desire I was experiencing right now, as he held me tightly against him, so that I knew, beyond a single doubt, that my passion for him was more than met by his fierce longing for me...
At last, we parted, smiling and out of breath, and I called for Barley. Jensen put on his lead and looped his free arm around me. Then the three of us began walking back along the river path.
I smiled to myself. Loli would have to agree to me getting tested now. It was official. We’d kissed and we were going on a date! Loli would have her kidney transplant and be back to her normal, energetic self.
It had been a lucky day for all three of us, when Barley the dog had splashed into our lives that day on the riverbank. Lucky for Barley, too.
‘What are you smiling at?’ murmured Jensen.
‘Oh, nothing.’
‘Can I come to the next meeting of the Sunnybrook Pudding Club?’ he asked with a mischievous look. ‘I quite fancy sitting in the back row and heckling you.’
‘What? You’d better not.’
‘Okay. I’ll blow kisses instead.’
I chuckled. ‘You know what I wanted to call it? The pudding club, I mean. I wanted to call it The Sticky Toffee Pudding Club. Do you know why?’
‘No, why?’
‘Because it’s your favourite pudding and I thought you’d be more likely to come along, so then I’d get to see you again.’
‘Really?’
‘It’s true. How soppy is that?’
‘Well, if that’s soppy, how about this for a suggestion...’
‘Go on.’
‘What do you think about a Sticky Toffee Pudding Club, but with just two members? No one else allowed.’
‘I love it.’ I smiled up at him. ‘Are you asking me to make you a sticky toffee pudding?’
‘Yes, please.’
‘Well, I will. On one condition.’
‘Yes?’
‘You kiss me again.’
He chuckled. ‘Now, that’s the sort of deal I like.’
Smiling, he pulled me against him and we kissed again, lingeringly, as we walked... until Barley decided a clump of dandelions way over to the left smelled far too interesting to be ignored, and we almost tripped over the lead.
Laughing, we disentangled ourselves.
Then we ambled slowly on . . .