‘Oh, my, word,’ said Katy. A great big smile immediately spread across her face. She turned to Rebecca. ‘You know what this meansdon’tyou?’
Her sister frowned, seemingly trying to grasp what they were talking about. ‘I haven’t a clue,’ shereplied.
‘Then let me help.’ Katy cleared her throat as if ready to burst into song. ‘Annabel and Dan are sitting in a tree.K.I.S.S.I.N.G.’
‘No,’ said Rebecca. She turned her attention to Annabel. ‘Really?’
‘That’s not quite the way I’d have put it,’ Annabel replied. ‘But yes, really. Dan and I have decided to give thingsago.’
There, she’dadmittedit.
‘I think we need to sit down,’ suggested her friend. Katy headed for the table, her sister followed suit, both of them giggling astheywent.
Annabel watched them take a seat and wondered if they knew what a pair of gossip merchants the two of them sounded. Not that they’d careanyway.
‘I knew she’d see sense eventually,’ said one, her excitement there for all to see. ‘She just needed a bit of time to take on board everythingwesaid.’
‘Obviously,’ said the other, full of relief. ‘Although I have to admit, I was a bit worried for awhile.’
Annabel couldn’t help but smile as she listened to them, it came as no surprise to hear them taking full credit, even when it wasn’t due. Yes, Katy and Rebecca had meant well in their advice, but they’d never been able to fully understand the fact that some things are easier said than done. Especially when it came to moving forward after the death of a loved one, Annabel considered; something she was grateful they’d never had toexperience.
She pictured the kindly woman who’d called into the shop and thought it funny how it took a complete stranger, rather than family and friends, to make her see things differently. Goodness knew what they’d say once she told them about her well-meaning customer and the daffodils. Thanks to Katy and Rebecca, the poor woman’s ears were, no doubt, abouttoburn.
‘Well?’ said Rebecca. ‘We’rewaiting.’
‘And start from the beginning,’ said Katy. ‘Don’t leaveanythingout.’
Annabel stared at the pair of them. Arms on the table and hands clasped, they clearly anticipated a blow by blow update. It reminded her of way back when. As a trio of schoolgirls they often shared dating tips gleaned from magazines, advising each other on what to wear and how to behave when it came to meeting up with a boy. Afterwards, they’d animatedly spend hours dissecting every aspect of the evening, rejoicing when things went well and commiserating when theydidn’t.
Their eagerness seemed to be catching and suddenly feeling like a teenager again, Annabel giggled as she joined them at thetable.
‘Okay, okay,’ she said. She looked at the clock. ‘But we’ll have to be quick. What do you wanttoknow?’
* * *
With nothingbut an empty wine bottle and half empty glass for company, Annabel sat at the kitchen table. She stared at the wall clock, the steady sound of itstick-tock, tick-tockseemed to scoff her as it broke through thesilence.
‘How could you have been so stupid?’ she asked herself. ‘How could you let someone do thistoyou?’
She tried to ignore the hopeful little voice in her head, as it continued to insist there was still time yet, there could be a knock at the door any minute now. But Annabel knew that was just wishful thinking. Dan had no intentions of turning up. He probablyneverdid.
Sitting there in her finery, she felt humiliated beyond belief. And angry. He must have known how hard it was for her to call him in the first place; that just dialling his number had taken every ounce of courage she possessed. Her stomach sank as she recalled how she’d rambled and stuttered in her attempts to tell him how she felt. If it was embarrassing at the time, it felt even more so now. When he finally understood what she’d been trying to say, he must have been having a darned good laugh at her expense. Contending to be as keen as her that they should give things between them a go, he’d clearly been saying one thing while thinking another. Or maybe she’d misunderstood in some way? She’d simply heard what she wanted to hear. Whatever the case, Dan obviously wasn’t the caring, trustworthy individual she’d thought. Usually so punctual, his no-showprovedthat.
A part of her couldn’t blame him. She hadn’t exactly made things easy for the both of them. Firstly, she wanted to kiss him and then she didn’t. One minute she wanted his baby and then a few weeks down the line, she didn’t want that either. And still too in love with her deceased husband to even contemplate a new relationship, suddenly she was on the phone telling Dan she’s ready to give things a go. Who in their right mind would consider taking a screw ball like her on? Despite his apparent conviction, obviouslynothim.
To think only an hour or so ago, Katy and Rebecca had been celebrating with her; relishing in the fact that this was a new, exciting chapter for all of them. Katy was getting increasingly serious with Oliver, Rebecca was looking forward to having her baby, and Annabel was, at last, starting to engage with the outside world which, according to her friend and sister, was all thanks to Dan. They’d been right of course. As much as his influence had scared her, as much as she hadn’t wanted to fall for him, Dan had been the one to coax her out of her over-protective shell. A place she now wanted nothing more than to retreat back into, something else this man could takecreditfor.
‘Yes, cheers, Dan,’ said Annabel. She held up her glass in a mock toast before taking a long, hard swig of wine. ‘Cheers fornothing.’
She looked up at the ceiling. ‘I should have listened to you and your coin, Tom. Not that bloody woman and herflowers.’
She began to feel nauseous and realised that she needed to eat; Annabel told herself that there was no point in letting good food go to waste. She got up from her seat and, after dragging herself over to the cooker, picked up the oven glove and took out the casserole. With a bit of luck it wouldn’t be too spoiled. Annabel lifted the pot lid; sadly she’d spoken too soon. Her carefully prepared meal had all butdriedout.
‘Pizza for one, it is then,’shesaid.
She sighed. Having thought things were about to change for the better,pizza for oneseemed to be the story ofherlife.
24
