‘I know this isn’t the New Year’s Eve you had in mind,’ Chris says. ‘And I know this isn’t the most ideal situation but… I’m really glad I got snowed in with you.’
‘I’m actually really glad I got snowed in with you too,’ I reply.
As the song fromThe Karate Kid– sorry,The Karate Kid II– switches to something by Whitesnake (this is certainly a power ballads CD from a particular era), and I feel our bodies moving closer and closer, I find myself making the first move, kissing Chris. He kisses me back.
There’s a purple chaise lounge that sits in front of the bi-folding doors. With nothing but a big, dark, empty back garden on the other side of the glass, Chris ushers me towards it and, as I lie back, I can’t help but laugh to myself…
Perhaps I’m not going to keep my clothes on for this dance either.
Chapter Nine
‘Well, that was unexpected,’ Chris says.
‘Must be the 80’s music,’ I muse. ‘Women must have been weak at the knees in the 80s.’
‘Everyone’s knees are weak in their 80s,’ he jokes, but then he backtracks. ‘Sorry, I clearly make bad jokes when I’m nervous.’
‘You’re nervous?’ I reply.
‘Yeah, well, I’m worried the second time might not have been as good as the first,’ he says through a little chuckle.
I laugh.
‘It was even better,’ I tell him. ‘If only just because it actually happened.’
We’re currently cuddled up together on the chaise lounge and it’s nice. At the start of the year this is not how I thought I was going to be ending it – hell, at the start of the day, this isn’t how I thought it would end either. Now that I know I didn’t actually have a one-night stand, in the traditional sense, I’m glad that I didn’t. If I’d been able to scarper earlier today I totally would have, but being stuck here with Chris has forced me to get to know him a little better, and now I want to get to know him even more.
I hear my phone vibrating on the table.
‘That will be the inevitable Happy New Year messages starting to come through,’ I say.
I grab Chris’s shirt and put it on, like something from a movie, because I’m suddenly (a little late in the day) mindful of what could be lurking in the back garden, like something from a horror movie, even though I know deep down there’s nothing there.
‘I usually reply to them all later,’ Chris says. ‘The next day.’
‘I don’t have enough friends to have a system like that,’ I say with a laugh. ‘So… oh… it’s my sister.’
‘Maybe don’t read it now,’ Chris says quickly, jumping to his feet. ‘Now isn’t the time.’
I ignore him, because the message preview is too intriguing to ignore, but when I finally open the message I see that it’s a reply to something Isenther– except I didn’t send it.
‘What is this?’ I say, mostly to myself. ‘She just sent me a message saying: “OK, fine, call me when you can.” and it’s in reply to a message I sent her, asking if we could make amends. I didn’t send her a message. I’ve barely touched my phone in a few hours, I left it…’
My voice trails off as the realisation hits me. About a second before I have each piece of the puzzle in place, Chris realises that I’m on to him.
‘Did you message my sister?’ I ask him.
‘OK, here me out,’ Chris starts.
‘Did you message my sister asme?’ I say.
‘It’s New Year’s Eve, and after what you told me earlier, life is sh–’
‘I don’t want to hear it,’ I snap. ‘I’m going to bed.’
‘Hayley, please, just let me explain,’ he pleads but I’m not having it.
‘What is wrong with you?’ I ask him. ‘You’re a loose cannon. You do all this stupid stuff, and you think you’re so cool, but you’re a liability. And I had you right earlier, you are selfish. You think you know what’s best, well you don’t, so just leave me alone.’
