Stirred with Love (25 page)

‘Get that thing away from me,’ Kate gagged and turned her head away. ‘I can’t face that this morning.’

‘In case you hadn’t noticed,’ Chloe made a huge deal in checking her watch, ‘we started well over an hour ago.’

Kate blanched. ‘Sorry, I can’t take my alcohol like you.’

‘It’s a good job I didn’t come with you then,’ Lily laughed as she slid over a glass of water and a packet of aspirins before going back into the kitchen.

‘We did go heavy on the drink,’ recollected Chloe. ‘I told you not to buy that last bottle.’

‘Please tell me you mean a bottle of lager.’

‘Nope. I mean wine.’

Kate’s eyes widened and her hand rose to her mouth. ‘I never drank a whole bottle, did I?’

‘Not by yourself. You brought it out of Rembrandts in that bloody big handbag of yours and we finished it off on our way home.’

‘Ouch. No wonder my head’s hurting. I can’t believe –’ Kate stopped talking as her mobile phone rang out.

‘Was that Will?’ Chloe asked afterwards.

Kate nodded.

Chloe flew back to Kate’s side as soon as it was physically possible. Suddenly hers eyes widened, reminding Kate of Ermentrude the colourful cow from the children’s television program,
Magic Roundabout
.

‘Ohmigod!’ she shrieked, before continuing in a whisper as someone walked past to go to the loo, ‘he asked you out, didn’t he?’

‘Yep. I said I’d meet him for a drink.’

Kate tried to act disinterested but secretly her insides were fizzing and not all of it was to do with her hangover. Since he’d asked her out, Will had been into the coffee shop several times to ask again. Not in an aggressive way, but she’d given him her mobile phone number and they began to text each other regularly. Finally, there had been a few phone calls.

‘Cool!’ said Chloe. ‘I think you’d better have some lessons before you go on your first date in absolutely years and years, though.’

Kate flicked Chloe’s leg with a teacloth as she ran past. She followed her into the kitchen. Lily was sitting on a chair making a note of what stock she had left in the pantry.

‘You could learn a lot from me,’ Chloe went on. ‘I happen to be a mistress of the dating profession. I can teach you a thing or two.’

Kate sniggered.

‘I am!’ insisted Chloe.

‘He is a handsome chappie,’ Lily added into the conversation. ‘Quite sexy if I’m honest.’

At the mention of sexy, Kate began to imagine what it would be like to feel Will’s firm body on top of hers. Those deep brown eyes reading her mind as the tip of his tongue searched around the inside of her mouth before making its way slowly down her body. Blushing, she chastised herself inwardly. Where had that come from!

‘Are you two going to do any work today?’ Lucy interrupted in an exaggerated tone. ‘There are two tables waiting for orders and Serle’s come in with a long list that he hasn’t pre-ordered.’

‘Yes, sir, right away, sir. I’m coming through, sir.’ Kate saluted her disappearing figure and followed her out into the shop. ‘Oh dear, Serle, you’ll have a long wait now. Didn’t I tell you to phone first? We’re too hungover to get things right today.’

The following afternoon, Alf decided to invite Lily for lunch at the Red Lion in Hedworth, their favourite eatery. They were halfway through their meal when he started the conversation.

‘The girls are concerned about you, Lily,’ he said.

 ‘Oh?’

Alf put down his cutlery. ‘We’re all concerned about you. You don’t feel like going out. Half the time I see you, you look exhausted. And you’re losing weight.’

Pretending to be more interested in the young baby sitting at the next table rather than catch his eye, Alf's concern was clear when she finally looked up.

‘I’m fine,’ she reassured him with a pat on his wrinkled hand.

‘But they’re worried. Can’t you talk to them? Put their minds at rest.’

‘There’s nothing to talk about.’

‘They wouldn’t be worried about nothing.’

Lily removed her hand from his to catch the bar maid’s attention. ‘Could I have a glass of water, please?’

‘But, Lily –’

‘Please don’t fuss Alf,’ she stopped him in mid flow. ‘Really, I’m fine. Now, have you decided what pudding you’re having after you’ve eaten all that lot? I’m sure you can manage apple pie and custard, my treat.’

Although it was now the beginning of September and the weather had been bright and cheerful for the past two days, it was decidedly chilly side after dark. For her date with Will, Kate decided on something stylish yet casual: boot cut jeans, white fitted shirt and black ankle boots. She reached for her long lime-green cardigan and draped it over her arm before dashing downstairs.

Moving a vertical slat to one side, she peered out onto the square, relieved to see Will waiting for her. Thank god she’d had the sense to wear trousers, she thought, taking in the lustrous black pick up truck. She’d never be able to climb into that thing without flashing her knickers if she’d worn a skirt.

‘Hello, Kate.’

Kate turned at the sound of Lily’s voice behind her as she came into the room. She noticed her colour had returned, so much so that Kate knew she’d had help from a certain tub of rouge that she swore by, and her grey hair had been set in rollers. Unless she’d slipped her shoes on, Lily had even managed to bend and fasten them up herself and she was only limping slightly.

‘Hi, how are you feeling?’ she asked.

‘Oh, I’m much better,’ Lily replied. ‘I said it was just a bug. Anyway, what are you up to?’

 ‘I’m meeting Will.’ Kate felt herself blushing. ‘He’s waiting outside.’

Lily prised open the blind to take a quick peek for herself.

‘Don’t let him see you!’ cried Kate. It would never do for her to look too keen.

‘Oh, he’s too busy reading his paper.’

They both peeped through at the same time Will decided to turn his head. Quickly, they both stepped back.

‘Do you think he saw us?’ gasped Kate, nerves all of a flutter.

‘No.’ Lily’s eyes twinkled. ‘But why are you so anxious?’

Kate sighed loudly. ‘Oh, I don’t know. I suppose it’s all the emotion of Nick coming back at me.’

‘He hurt you a lot, didn’t he?’

‘I suppose.’

‘But you’re only going out for a drink with Will.’ Lily smiled and touched Kate lightly on her forearm. ‘Now, go on, before he changes his mind.’

As soon as he spotted her, Will jumped out of the truck and met Kate halfway across the cobbled forecourt.

‘Hello, you,’ he said before kissing her gently on the cheek.

Kate smelt the tangy notes of his aftershave and immediately sensed her skin flushing. She’d forgotten how attractive he was close up and cleaned up. Apart from a recently grown goatee beard, he was clean shaven. Come to bed eyes seemed happy to see her. And that dark, floppy hair was so…adorable? Oops – she was off again. She grinned.

Will threw back his right arm. ‘My carriage awaits you.’

The picturesque pub he drove to was tiny for the amount of people mulling around in the lounge but Will managed to get served quickly and they took their drinks through to a quieter part of the room at the back of the building. They found a corner to squeeze into and sat down.

‘So, how’s the new –?’

‘Have you missed –?’

Kate and Will smiled at each other. Then neither of them spoke.

Leaning forward to flick a stray piece of hair away from her cheek, Kate shuddered involuntarily at the sheer intimacy.

‘It’s lovely to see you again,’ Will spoke softly to her.

‘Are you hungry?’ he asked later after they’d moved on to more interesting questions.

Not for food, Kate thought, love maybe. She shook her head in response.

‘Another drink, then?’

Kate didn’t notice the décor as Will walked away. Instead, she focused on the material of his black t-shirt stretched taut across his back and the definition of his firm buttocks, seeming more prominent through the light trousers he was wearing. When he walked back minutes later, struggling to carry two glasses of lager, a small can of salted nuts and a bag of crisps, she realised she’d already missed his company.

‘I didn’t know which you’d prefer,’ Will said, ‘so I bought both.’ Tearing off the lid, he shook a handful of nuts into her outstretched palm. Not the kind she wanted, she thought, but at least he was willing to share.

For God’s sake, she laughed inwardly, get a grip of yourself. You’re acting out a scene from a Mills and Boon novel. In a short while, you’ll be panting breathlessly, yearning for his manly lips crushing down onto yours. Bruising them with longing.

‘How long have you known Serle?’ Kate asked, for want of something to say.

‘Oh, for far more years than I care to admit,’ said Will. ‘I knew him at school but lost touch when we left. But then he became a regular at the gym I used to go to. Future Bodies at the leisure centre – do you know it?’

‘Yes, I’m a member. I have been since I came to Somerley.’

‘When I lived locally, Serle and I used to go at roughly the same times so it was easy to partner up. Couldn’t keep up the weight he pumped though, despite the fact that my battered ego would always try.’

‘Where do you live now?’

Will took a sip of his drink. ‘Over in Warbury. It’s about forty miles away. I travel around in my job covering a fifty mile radius. My dad still lives around here though. How about you? Do you have any regrets about moving to Somerley?’

‘Not now,’ she told him. ‘It was strange at first, I must admit, but good now that I’ve settled in.’

‘Good. And it’s given me a chance to get to know you.’ Will moved towards Kate and lightly kissed the corner of her mouth. ‘I have to return home tomorrow but I’m back at the weekend to see my dad. Perhaps I could see you again, maybe on Saturday night?’

Hearing the seduction in his voice was all Kate needed to bring up an image of his firm torso pressing against her pert breasts. Ramming the nuts into her mouth was the only thing she could do to stop herself from laughing out loud.

For the rest of the evening, Kate attempted to maintain a conversation whilst resisting the urge to pull Will towards her and kiss him. Trying to concentrate was nigh on impossible because she kept being drawn to his lips, then his eyes and back to his lips. There was no mistaking it. She was in lust.

As the night drew to an end and the room emptied around them, Kate could have sworn her heart stopped beating when Will moved his face towards hers. But no, there it was, amplified now as it bumped away. Now the moment had arrived, all those feelings of being twelve years old with first kiss nerves came reeling back as if they’d never gone away.

‘I’m glad we’ve got together at last,’ Will whispered. As his hand reached behind her head, urging her to move towards him, Kate had one last chance to gaze into his eyes, his face slightly silhouetted in the light of a lamp behind.

‘Me too,’ she managed to whisper back before her lips felt the heat of his and she crossed her legs to stop herself exploding. Nick Bradshaw? Sorry…who was that again?

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

It was a Tuesday evening. Chloe sat at Lily’s feet as Kate joined them in the living room. Even though the evening news had only just finished, she was dressed in pink pyjamas. Busy painting her toe nails a fiery red, she’d already started on the wine.

‘Is there anything decent on the television tonight?’ Kate asked.

‘Oh, you’re bored already without darling Will to take you out,’ Chloe teased.

At the mention of his name, Kate grinned. She couldn’t help herself. She
was
bored without Will. Since their first date, she’d met him several times over the past fortnight.

Chloe didn’t have time to reply as her mobile rang out from within the pile of nail varnish bottles surrounding it on the carpet.

‘Oh. Hi, Dad. I won't be a minute.’ She covered the mouthpiece over with her fingers. ‘I’ll take this in the hall. Don’t want to get moaned at in public.’

‘Has she made up her mind about university yet?’ Lily questioned Kate when the door closed behind her.

‘I don’t think she has any choice in the matter.’ Kate stretched out her right leg to inspect her toes. Maybe Chloe would do her a pedicure next. ‘It’s hard for her, I assume. She wants to please her dad, yet I think she wants to stay here.’

‘He shouldn’t pressurise her. She should be able to choose what she wants to do. It’s her life. He can’t live it for her.’

‘I know, but I don’t think he’ll give in until he has his own way.’

‘It won’t be the same without Chloe.’ Lily moved her legs to the right a touch, striving to get comfortable.

Kate nodded in agreement, looking around the room that had become so familiar. ‘The Coffee Stop’ was part of her life now. No-one from Brentside would believe she’d be happy to chalk up boards and churn out coffee instead of preparing reports for the corporate management team or evaluating the latest pilot scheme they’d put in place.

‘I know what you mean,’ she said. ‘It’s only been four months, yet we’ve become so close. And it’s strange, I really enjoyed my job before but now I feel more fulfilled, happier to muck in and get the work done.’

‘With Old Mother Hubbard watching over you,’ laughed Lily.

‘Back now,’ Chloe said as she rejoined them.

‘Was your dad asking when you were going to enrol?’ Kate asked.

‘Yes.’ Chloe sighed, taking her place on the floor again. ‘I’ve told him I’ll go next week, although I don’t see what the rush is.’

‘You might lose your place if you don’t.’

‘Part of me wants to go and enjoy the uni way of life,’ Chloe replied after some thought, ‘even if I do have to work really hard to get a decent degree. The other part of me wants to stay here. It’s driving me mad.’

‘Why don't you take a year out?’ suggested Lily. ‘One of my friend’s grand-daughters did. She travelled around parts of Australia before qualifying as a social worker. I’m sure that will keep your dad happy and give you time to think about what you want to do in the future.’

‘But won’t you have regrets later?’ Kate didn’t give Chloe time to answer. ‘Qualifications gain you extra points.’