‘Let’s just say I’m taking a leaf out of yourmother’sbook.’
Dan smiled, taking in her attire. ‘I noticed,’hesaid.
As she returned his gaze, butterflies suddenly fluttered in Annabel’s tummy. It had been a long time since a man had looked at her like that and she wasn’t sure if she liked it. She looked down at her dress. ‘What this old thing,’shesaid.
He continued to stare and, desperate to break the spell, Annabel turned to the fridge to get the milk. She looked at the carton and wondered what was wrong with her. Most people liked an admiring compliment when they got one, they didn’t flinch. Most people her age cracked open the alcohol when they had guests, yet here she was offering hers a cup of tea. She thought it no wonder people didn’t see her as a suitable confidante, she was a fraudster. Too screwed up to help herself, yet she’d spent the last half an hour insisting she could help everyone else. ‘Sod it,’ she said, taking out a bottle of wine instead. ‘Shallwe?’
Annabel wondered what had gotten into her, she decided to go with it anyway; she grabbed a corkscrew from the cutlery drawer and set about trying to open the wine. No doubt, thanks to her sudden abandon, she seemed to be all fingers and thumbs and couldn’t seem tomanage.
‘Here let me,’ said Dan, getting up fromhisseat.
Annabel tried to relax. But his close proximity seemed to have the oppositeeffect.
They stood in silence as he reached out to take the bottle and, feeling his touch, her whole body tingled as his palms rested against hers. Looking at them, she’d never noticed his hands before. Used to hard work, they were strong andsolid.
Without thinking, she let her gaze follow the line of his muscular arms, her heart was suddenly beating so fast she felt sure Dan could hear it. Pausing to take in his well-built chest, she breathed in the aroma of his aftershave. He smelt fresh and clean. A rush of heat seemed to course through her veins, a sensation that both scared and excited her. Finally, looking up into his eyes, Annabel could see from the intent way Dan now looked at her, he was experiencing it too. She took in the softness of his lips as they began slowly moving towardsherown.
What are you doing?a voice in her headscreamed.
Annabel relinquished the bottle and took a quickstepback.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I can’tdothis.’
9
Dan looked forwardto the evening ahead. He needed cheering up after the incident with Annabel. He hadn’t imagined their connection that night, he was sure of that. And he certainly hadn’t meant to act on it; it sort of just happened. Even so, trying to kiss Annabel was a line he should never have crossed. He’d apologised, of course, but words didn’t seem enough. He supposed he’d just have to come up with another way to sayI’msorry.
‘You okay?’ asked his mum. She reached over from the passenger seat and gave his arm acomfortingrub.
Dan smiled. ‘Here with you, how could Inotbe?’
He loved surprises and couldn’t wait to find out what his mum had planned for them. It seemed ages since they’d done something out of the ordinary together and arriving at their destination, he pulled the car over to the kerb, eager to check out thevenue.
He looked at the building, with its huge glass dome, solid, greying stonework, and big, towering pillars it was certainly imposing. Victorian, he hazarded a guess; its architecture was reminiscent of an old Royal Bath House. These days it clearly played host to a bar or an exclusive club and Dan couldn’t wait to getinside.
‘So what’s the plan?’ heasked.
He gazed out of the window again, and clocked a poster advertising the evening’s entertainment and, reading it, his heart immediately sank. He turned to look at his mother and told himself that even she couldn’t be socruel.
She grinned back at him, her excitement there for all to see. Enough to tell him that, yes, in the cruelty stakes, it seemed shecould.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ he said. ‘No wonder you kept quiet. You knew I wouldn’thavecome.’
‘Oh don’t be so soft,’ his mum replied. ‘We’ll have a great time. Where’s your senseoffun?’
Dan looked at the poster again. When his mother had said tonight was about the two of them doing something special, this wasn’t the kind of thing he’d had in mind. He’d envisaged some quality one on one time, something along the lines of a nice meal where they could sit and not just talk, but really talk – and to each other, not a bunch ofstrangers.
‘Speed dating is not my ideaoffun.’
‘Don’t worry, you won’t be on your own,’ said his mum. She pulled a compact out of her handbag and checked her make-up. ‘You’ll be pleased to know I’ve signed usbothup.’
He inched round in his seat. ‘You’vedonewhat?’
She laughed, as usual refusing to take his disapproval all thatseriously.
‘You of all people know I haven’t been on a single date since I married your Father. This way I get twenty in one evening. See it as making up for lost time.’ She pulled a pen and piece of paper out of her handbag and drew a tick next to one of herscribbles.
Dan recognised it as her Bucket List and rolled his eyes. ‘I should have known that would have something to do with this,’hesaid.
