Chapter 15
I n the end, after a bit of back and forth, Daisy had decided against going away-away for the sleepover with Miles.
Despite Annabelle, Maggie, Susannah and even Suntanned Pete egging her on, she’d decided one, that she didn't want to be too far away from the twins, and two, that she wanted a cosy, easy night without any faffing, driving or travelling.
All she really wanted to do was stay in Pretty Beach and chill. Not very hard to please.
Therefore, after depositing the twins with Annabelle, she’d walked from the bookshop, past the ferry to the other side of Pretty Beach and stood just outside the flats where Miles had rented a temporary place.
Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, her jacket wrapped around her and a small overnight bag hanging off her shoulder, she wondered quite how she’d found herself with a partner.
It wasn’t cold and she stared at the buzzer panel by a huge old black door with a brass knocker in the centre for a moment before she knocked.
Here she was going to dinner with a man.
Part of her didn’t feel as if she was even in her own body any more.
The door opened a few seconds after she’d pressed the buzzer and there he was. Barefoot, rolled-up sleeves, holding a wooden spoon in one hand and a smile on his face. Very, very handsome. ‘Welcome to paradise,’ Miles joked as he pushed the door back fully.
Daisy stepped inside, felt her insides go flip and then flop and beamed. ‘Hi.’
As they walked through a communal hallway and up a wide staircase, Daisy smiled as she went into the small but very high-ceilinged flat.
The smell of garlic and something sweet drifted through from the kitchen, a speaker played from the side and on a small table by a floor-to-ceiling window, two candles flickered between plates.
‘I hope you’re hungry and ready to eat a horse. I think I may have over catered.’
Daisy stood awkwardly for a moment and suddenly wondered quite how she’d got to being in a relationship with a very nice man who was cooking her dinner. Miles appeared not to notice, pottered around, handed her a glass of wine without asking and nodded to the table.
‘I was going to light a few candles by the oven and all over the place too, because I know you dig that look, but I thought that could be too much in here and that I might set fire to things. I was going for the bookshop vibe…’
Daisy took a sip of her wine and smiled. ‘You’d have tipped it over from trying to be romantic and sending the place up in smoke.’
‘Probably.’
Daisy laughed, sat down and got comfy. ‘What are we having? It smells fantastic, whatever it is.’
‘Roast veg, Brazilian garlic rice with herbs, baked fish with lemon and chocolate cake from the bakery.’
‘Fancy pants. What is Brazilian rice? Yum.’
‘Basically rice cooked with onion and garlic. My mum had a Brazilian friend who used to cook it all the time. Sound good to you?’
Daisy giggled. ‘Anything sounds good to me if it doesn’t involve catering for twins and having to ration tomato sauce.’
‘Ha, well, I am here to wait on you hand and foot this evening, my lady. There will be no mention of tomato sauce and you’ll get a lie-in and breakfast in bed.’
Daisy swooned but pretended she was all banter-ish and cool.
She was neither. Mushy and in love, more like.
‘Works for me.’ She raised her eyebrows as she looked around.
‘This flat is really nice. One of my friends from school used to live on this terrace. I like it over here. It has a different feel about it.’
‘It’s nice but very small and only really big enough for one let alone two. Not bad for a temporary thing, though, is it?’
Daisy shuddered at the “temporary” bit, and her thoughts about it were evident by the change in her tone. ‘Mmm. How temporary is temporary?’
Miles frowned. ‘What does that mean? Why are you saying it like that? You sound upset.’
Daisy shrugged. ‘I don’t really know. Like, well, come on, let’s get it out in the open. What are your plans?’
Miles blinked rapidly. ‘Where’s this coming from? We’ve discussed this. I’m staying here for a bit until…’
‘Until what, though? Until you’ve had enough? Something like that…’
Miles looked extremely confused. ‘Sorry, have I said something you don’t like or done something? You seem a bit, well, cranky.’
Daisy let out a huge sigh, sipped her wine and decided to come clean. ‘Ahh, sorry, I am being temperamental. Someone said something at school.’
‘What? About the girls?’
‘No.’
‘About me?’
‘About us. That it wouldn’t last and that I was stupid for thinking it would. All that sort of stuff…’
Miles didn’t speak.
Daisy wished she hadn’t said anything but continued anyway, digging a big old hole for herself to jump right on in.
‘I know people talk and I know it doesn’t matter, but sometimes I think, maybe they’re right.
What if you wake up and realise it’s not what you want?
That you didn’t sign up for me. I’m not exactly baggage-free.
In case you haven’t noticed, I have twins. ’
Miles held his hands up in front of him and raised his eyebrows. ‘I didn’t realise that! You’ve got to be joking, right? Hang on, oh, you have twins. Shit, I’d better leave and quickly.’
‘Funny.’
‘Do you not remember that we actually met by way of Margot chucking ice cream at me? It’s not as if I wasn’t well aware right from the word go.’
‘I know but…’
‘Nup, no buts. I’m here, aren’t I?’
‘For now.’
‘I moved here for a few months. That, umm, speaks for itself in my book. I am getting to know the ins and outs of the fast train very well…’
Daisy swallowed and regretted saying anything. She was well aware that she’d sounded quite pathetic. ‘I know.’
Miles was now the one sounding cranky ‘Unless I am very much mistaken, that means something.’
Daisy leaned on the worktop, considered backpedalling and decided to continue to talk about it like the adult that she pretended she was. ‘I’m scared that if I let you in properly, you’ll see too much and change your mind.’
Miles laughed. ‘You’re being ridiculous! I’m not scared of what I’ve seen so far. Why would I be scared of more?’ Miles turned the oven off and leant back against the counter with his arms folded. ‘This is the most bizarre behaviour and like totally out of the blue!’
Daisy had her hand around her wine glass, and her elbow propped on the counter as if she needed it for balance. She had no idea why she’d brought it up and blurted it out. She’d only just stepped in the door. Not a good start to a nice cosy night. ‘I don’t know. I shouldn’t have said anything.’
‘Right,’ Miles said after a minute. ‘So let me get this straight. You’re worried that if I stick around long enough, I’ll see some unfiltered version of your life and decide to do a runner? Is that what you’re saying?’
Daisy made a face and shrugged her shoulders up. ‘You don’t need to repeat it. I already know it sounds pathetic.’
‘It’s not pathetic. It’s daft and untrue, but it’s not pathetic.’
Daisy sighed, stared at the glass in her hand and decided to elaborate further on what had prompted her outburst. ‘There were a couple of mums I heard talking at the school and then one of them passed by the shop and was all syrup and smiles. She’s known to be nasty.
Anyway, she said the shop was gorgeous and the girls were sweet and that I was doing such a good job. ’
Miles narrowed his eyes. ‘Let me guess. That’s not what she said behind your back.’
‘Not even close.’ Daisy laughed without humour. ‘Georgia is her name. She was from Maggie’s year at school. One of those who still wears a full face of makeup at drop-off and acts like she invented Pilates. Not that I’m judging.’
‘Of course, you’re not. I think I know the type. What, hang on, so she came into the shop?’
Daisy explained. ‘First of all, I inadvertently heard her talking at school and then she walked past as I was out the front watering the hanging baskets. She made a big show of saying hello, told me I looked lovely at the garden party, asked where the dress was from with this fake-curious tone like she wanted to work out if I could afford it or if someone had given it to me. Then she made a few cracks about how hard it must be for you, juggling me and the girls and the business. All in a tone that made it clear she thought I was completely out of my depth.’
Miles pulled a face. ‘She sounds delightful. You might have to shove her down a dark alley.’
‘She doesn’t know that I overheard her outside the school. She and one of the other mums were talking about us. They said it wouldn’t last and that men who come to Pretty Beach never stick around. That it was a shame for the girls and I should’ve known better.’
Miles rolled his eyes. ‘Blimey, Daise. These men? Really? It’s none of her business. What is wrong with people?’
‘I don’t know. I think they just like to speculate.’
‘They sound like they’ve got too much time on their hands, if you ask me. I mean, who is even interested in us and what we are doing?’
Daisy tipped her head and laughed. ‘Around here? Yeah, just about everyone.’
‘Right.’
‘They’d probably be nice to your face, if you ever bump into them.’
‘I don’t make a habit of stopping to gossip at school gates and even if I did, I’d probably be too busy being judged for not knowing the difference between a lunchbox and a pencil case.’
Daisy chuckled. ‘Good point.’
‘You do realise I don’t care what they think, don’t you? Crikey, it really is mind-numbingly boring that they are interested enough to make snarky remarks. Who is this idiot?’
‘It doesn’t matter, I know. It just sort of niggled me.’
‘Do you care what they think?’
Daisy hesitated. ‘Well, no, I don’t want to, but it gets in your head, doesn’t it?
You hear something like that and even if you don’t believe it, it’s still there, whispering that you’re the one who’s wrong for hoping for something good.
I never should have said anything. Sorry, let’s forget it. I’ve ruined the evening.’
Six months.
Miles stepped over, took the glass from Daisy’s hand and topped it up. Then he handed it back and rested his hand over hers for a second. ‘Look. I like you, I like the shop, I like the twins, I even like Suntanned Pete, and that’s saying something after the once-over he gave me.’
‘He likes you now. You’ve passed the test.’
‘Oh, good. What’s the next level?’
Daisy didn’t miss a beat. ‘He gets his toolbelt out for you without you asking.’
Miles snorted. ‘I’ll take that as a badge of honour.’
Daisy felt herself settle slightly. ‘I know I should be stronger, not to let stuff like that bother me, but well, it’s not been easy since I had the twins.’
‘You’re strong enough. You just don’t need to waste energy on people like Georgie Porgie or Georgina or whatever her name is.’
‘She’s been around forever. She’s like one of those weeds that keeps popping up even when you think you’ve pulled the roots out. She had a right old ding-dong with Xian from the bakery once. Honestly, no one likes her around here.’
‘Well, I reckon she’s jealous.’ Miles noted.
‘Jealous? Pah! Of what? Of me? No way.’
‘You’ve got something she doesn’t. You’ve built something and you’re doing well. End of story. That irritates the heck out of some people. You know, some individuals just cannot stand to see other people doing well.’
Daisy made a face. ‘An old bookshop, a cleaning job and overdue invoices? Really? Jealous of me? I don’t think so.’
‘A lovely life, a proper family. You’ve built a world around you that works. That’s what she’s jealous of or threatened by, more like. It’s not rocket science to work it out when people do stuff like that.’
Daisy folded her arms and looked out of the kitchen window.
The glow of the streetlight was shining faintly onto the back garden of the block, bouncing off the glass of a greenhouse behind.
The whole building smelt of warm food, lemon, fresh basil and something just baked.
‘Yeah, I need to stop second-guessing everything.’
‘Then do.’
‘It’s not that easy.’
‘It is, if you trust me.’
Daisy glanced at Miles and screwed her face up. ‘Do you really get what you’ve taken on or are getting into?’
‘I haven’t had to help with recorder practice yet, but I’m braced for it.’
Daisy laughed. ‘No one in their right mind can prepare for that.’
‘I get it. You’ve had to do everything on your own for so long, and it’s worked. You’ve made it work. So now the idea of letting someone in feels like a risk.’
‘Exactly. If I do, it’s all out of my hands.’
‘Not really. You’re still in charge. I’m just along for the ride.’
‘You really don’t care what people say, do you?’
‘Nope, I really don’t. I couldn’t give a stuff about anyone else. There is one reason I’m here. You’re well aware of what that is.’
‘You’re very confident in all this.’
‘Because I know what I want and I’ve already got it. It’s simple. Honestly, I don’t know what all the fuss is about, Daise.’
Daisy didn’t know what to say to that, so she didn’t say anything, she just let him pull her in for a hug and felt herself sink into his shirt.
His arms around her felt better than ever.
Safe and just lovely and as if it had always been meant to be.
‘What if you wake up one day and realise you want something different? Something easier? I have a lot of complications in my life.’
‘I’ll let you know, but if I were after easy, I’d be somewhere else, dating someone who didn’t own a bookshop and live with twins I cannot tell apart.’
‘Nice.’
‘You’re not easy. You’re better than easy. You’re worth it.’
‘Is that a shampoo advert?’
Miles laughed. ‘It might be, but it’s true.’
Daisy nodded. ‘Okay. I’ll stop spinning out. I’m sorry I brought it up in the first place.’
‘Good, because I’ve cooked and tonight is all about you…’
‘You’re sweet.’
‘Trust me; only where you’re concerned. Other people do not describe me ever as “sweet”.’
Daisy helped plate up and carry the dishes to the little candlelit table.
Miles raised his glass after he sat down. ‘To us.’
Daisy clinked his glass. ‘To us and nice evenings in peace.’
Daisy nodded as she tucked in. Miles had made her feel approximately a trillion times better. Georgia and her opinions could go whistle. She hoped that her new found confidence and trust would last. She could but wait and see.