He turned to the remaining youths. On an evening like this Steve could have been really useful, but despite agreeing to come along he still hadn’t turned up. Maybe he should see if Ed wanted to rekindle his own interest in football? That was a good reason to have a drink with him.
At that moment a voice from behind him said, ‘Twenty a side, tonight, is it?’ It was Steve.
Mick gave a sigh of relief. ‘About time you showed your face. I was relying on you. Don’t you know we start at seven? Right, you’re reffing this game, take my whistle. Kieran and Liam have already picked sides.’
‘I …’
‘Jamie and Callum, come with me. We’ll do a bit of goalie practice. Which I must say is sorely needed.’ He dropped his hand on Steve’s shoulder and said more quietly, ‘You saved my life, mate.’ If Steve had been going to protest further, he changed his mind.
Mick led his goal-keeping hopefuls over to a much-vandalised, net-less set of posts. The boy Ryan left his game as they passed him and said, ‘Why’d’you gie me the whistle for? They never listen to me.’
‘Don’t you know the rules of the game?’
‘Aye, I do so.’
‘Well, then. Just sound confident and they’ll do what you say.’
Ryan looked from Mick to the boys and back again. Then, very slowly, he jogged over to rejoin the game. ‘Right, yous listen to me,’ they heard him say, sticking his jaw out aggressively. ‘Ye’ll do as I say OK? And no eff … and no bad language. Toss for kick off.’
Mick grinned to himself and carried on across the field. Ryan was definitely coming on.
Lara was quietly satisfied with the way things were going. Alex was moving to Loreburn in two weeks’ time. The entry date for Ladybank Row was the beginning of May. Her classes were now not only behaving but actually showing signs of having learnt something. And Mick Jensen was keeping his distance, just as she had originally hoped.
So she was unprepared when Mick plumped himself down at the kitchen table late one evening and said, ‘Can I ask you something?’
It was the sort of question she hated. If it wasn’t important, he would never have started like that. She was immediately on her guard.
‘Ye-es?’ She fidgeted with her pen. She had been marking Sixth Year Studies essays on global warming. Surprisingly good ones, as it happened.
‘You shouldn’t be doing that at this time of night,’ he said. ‘You work too hard.’
‘We had a departmental meeting earlier. If it’s inconvenient for me to use the kitchen table I’m quite happy to work in my room.’
‘Of course it’s not inconvenient.’ He frowned and pushed back the untidy hair.
She waited, giving him the opportunity to ask his question if he wanted to. She hoped he’d hurry up. One more essay and then maybe a hot drink before she went to bed.
Mick adjusted his chair, leant back in it, and then leant forwards again. ‘It’s like this, you see.’
‘Mmm?’ Lara was starting to feel nervous. Had he changed his mind about Alex having the spare room? Did he want both of them to move out? Maybe things weren’t going so well as she had fondly imagined.
‘You know the new restaurant that’s opened in the Burns Centre?’
‘No.’ Lara hadn’t been here long enough to be familiar with the eateries of Loreburn.
‘Well, it’s supposed to be good. I thought about trying it.’
‘Oh?’ Lara wondered why he was telling her this. ‘That sounds nice.’
‘Does it? So you’ll come with me?’
‘Well, I …’ This was the last thing she had expected. She had been out with Mick and a few others a number of times now, but never just the two of them. ‘I don’t know.’ Keep your distance, keep cool, she chided herself.
Perversely, as her unease grew, Mick seemed to relax. He gave a vague wave of his hand. ‘We could go any evening that suits you. Tomorrow? Friday? You decide and I’ll fit in.’
Lara tried desperately to think of a good excuse. ‘I’m not really sure …’
‘My treat.’ He smiled now, those green eyes warm and encouraging.
Lara didn’t smile back. There was no denying it: he was asking her out. Her, on her own. This wasn’t a good idea. ‘You mean just you and me?’
‘Just you and me,’ he confirmed, and then a shadow of doubt crossed his tanned face. ‘If that’s all right?’
‘It’s very kind of you.’ She felt suddenly breathless. She knew she should decline, politely but firmly, yet she was flattered and, yes, tempted, so for a moment she said nothing.
‘You don’t have to decide now,’ he said, and then, ‘Well, yes, perhaps you do. Then you won’t back out. It’s just a meal. Surely we could manage that?’
He was right. It was just a meal. She said slowly, ‘It would be nice to go out on Saturday. If you can get a table.’
‘I’ll phone and find out.’
‘OK,’ she said weakly. She heard him go straight to the phone. He wasn’t going to let this pass. She hadn’t considered Mick as someone who made this kind of effort. Maybe she didn’t know him as well as she thought. She wasn’t sure if this made her more or less uneasy.
Lara picked up the phone out of habit. She wasn’t expecting it to be for her. Who would ring her on the landline?
‘Lara, dear, is that you? How lucky to catch you in.’
‘Mum?’ she said faintly. She wouldn’t have called it lucky. Since her trip over to England, when they had failed to meet up, her mother hadn’t phoned so often.
‘Lara? Is that you? It’s a bad line.’
Lara took a deep breath and raised her voice to be heard across the thousands of miles. ‘Yes, Mum, it’s me. How are you and Dad?’
‘We’re getting along perfectly well. And how are you?’
‘I’m fine too.’ Lara was wracking her brain for something else to say.
‘That’s good. How is Alex? Has she moved in with you yet? I have to say, that sounds like an excellent arrangement.’
Lara smiled to herself. Her parents were much happier at the idea of two girls sharing the house with Mick. She didn’t tell them that she was rather relieved about the idea herself. If only she hadn’t agreed to go out for that meal with him. They chatted about Alex for a while, and about Ladybank Row, which her mother kept referring to as ‘all those houses you’ve taken on’ in a worried tone.
Elizabeth’s next question came as a shock.
‘Lara dear, how would you feel about coming out for your father’s retirement party?’
‘Me, coming out? To Dubai?’ It was a while since Lara had been there. She didn’t like the heat or the shiny newness of everything. She knew her parents didn’t need her.
‘Yes. We’re putting on a special party. Your dad has worked for the company for many years. I want it to be a celebration for him. I know he’s a little worried about retiring but it can be a positive thing, too, can’t it?’
‘Er, yes,’ said Lara doubtfully. ‘So when does he actually retire? I mean, will it be on his birthday?’
‘No, not till the end of June. But we’re having the party on the Saturday nearest his birthday.’ Her mother gave her the date. ‘And you have a long weekend then. I checked on your school website, wasn’t that clever of me? I’m getting very good with the internet. We’ll pay your ticket, of course. So do you think you can come?’
Lara shook her head to clear her thoughts. This was more difficult to take in than Mick asking her out for a meal. Her parents rarely invited her to visit. They were, of course, perfectly pleasant if she decided to go (and when had the last time been? Christmas two years ago? Three?) but they never initiated it.
‘May’s not a good time. All the senior students are doing exams.’
‘But surely for a special occasion like this?’ Lara remembered now how important social events were for her parents. ‘The party will be on the Saturday.’
Lara tried to recall how long the flight was. ‘It’s a long way to go for such a
short time …’
‘I know, dear. But for this last time? It would mean a lot to us. Of course, after this we’ll be moving back to the UK.’
Lara’s heart fell. Yes, they were moving back, but not close to her. They had already put in an offer on a bungalow in Devon.
‘Please, Lara?’
‘I’ll think about it. I’ll need to look into flights and make sure I can get there and back in the time …’ Lara really didn’t want to go.
‘That would be wonderful, dear. It’ll be a very important day for your father, he’ll be so pleased if you’re there.’
Lara could see that it would be an important day for her father, probably something akin to a knell of doom. She didn’t think he’d mind whether she was there or not.
The phone call brought Lara back down to earth, to that cold, lonely place that she should have known would always be hers. She couldn’t help it. Even when her mother phoned to invite her to visit she felt rejected. She knew she was rejected. An unwanted only child. They had done their duty by her – just. But she had known for as long as she could remember that she wasn’t important. Worse, that she was in the way. She had once overheard her mother telling a friend Lara’s arrival had been ‘a little surprise’. Her parents didn’t like surprises.
She shrugged angrily. Why go into that now? She had made a life for herself, she didn’t need them. Or anyone else, for that matter. Except Alex, who had never let her down, who took her absolutely as she was. She was very lucky to have a friend like that.
Why had she said she would go out with Mick? Her mother’s call had come at a good time. She had been thinking, despite everything, of giving Mick a chance. His message of interest had been unmistakable. And she had almost been looking forward to their evening out. Wondering what clothes to wear, which jewellery. All those silly girly things she didn’t normally think about.
‘Just forget it,’ she said aloud to herself. ‘There’s no point in starting.’
She paced the house, relieved she had it to herself. But how was she to tell Mick she had changed her mind, and get him to agree to it? She was starting to realise behind the laid-back exterior was a kind of dogged determination. It might make it worse if she withdrew. He’d see her as more of a challenge and push all the harder. Should she just tell him the truth, that she wasn’t worth his while? She tried the conversation in her head, but couldn’t imagine herself saying the things out loud. Whether he believed her or not, it would be incredibly painful.
The only thing she could think of was to feign illness. She hated to lie, but it was for the best.
Why oh why hadn’t she listened to her self-preservation instinct and looked for less troublesome accommodation?
Chapter Ten
Lara eventually decided on a pale lilac dress for Saturday evening, sleeveless and high necked. She knew it suited her and she liked the fact it wasn’t revealing. She chose broad silver hoop earrings to go with it. Gold would have looked warmer, but she was determined to go for the cool look.
She hadn’t been able to back out of the arrangement. She was never good at lying, and Mick would have seen through any excuse the minute she made it. And why not have one evening of fun? It wasn’t often that a good-looking man invited her out to the newest restaurant in town. And if during the evening he found out for himself that she really wasn’t girlfriend material – well, so much the better. Then he wouldn’t ask her out again.
Mick had made an effort with his own appearance. For the first time she could remember he wasn’t wearing sports gear or jeans. He had on some pale cream trousers and a soft cotton shirt the colour of moss. You couldn’t say he looked exactly smart, when it was slightly creased and the top buttons were undone, but he did look very nice.
Lara smiled a tight little smile. ‘Both in our finery.’
He kissed her lightly on the cheek, as though they were meeting for the first time and not standing in their own hallway. ‘One of us is, at least. You look beautiful.’
Lara shrugged. She never knew how to respond to compliments.
‘The taxi should be here any minute.’
‘You didn’t need to order a taxi. I can drive.’
‘So can I.’ He grinned, green eyes sparkling. ‘I mean, I can drive, even though I don’t have a car. And I don’t see why you should take yours.’
Lara realised, nervously, that this took away her control over what time they came home. ‘It seems a shame to get a taxi for such a short distance.’
‘We could walk there, of course.’ He looked down at her flimsy shoes. ‘Or maybe not. Come on, we’re not going to start the evening arguing. Remember, this is my treat. And you know how well paid teachers are.’
The restaurant was unexpected. A rather narrow room with wide-silled windows set low in the thick walls. The views were across the river to the town centre, which in daylight was hardly picturesque, but in the evening, with the sun dipping low behind the western clouds and the lights beginning to come on, it looked moody and romantic.
The decor was just a little intimidating. The walls were starkly white, the tables bare cubes of dark wood, the glasses and cutlery clearly handmade.
‘It’s very, er, impressive,’ she said, as the waitress pulled out the heavy chair for her to sit down.
‘Not bad, is it?’ he agreed. ‘Fortunately they serve beer. What’ll you have?’
Lara needed courage and asked for wine. It felt so odd being here like this with Mick, just the two of them.
Mick settled back into his chair, looking as relaxed here as in a crowded pub or on the school playing fields. How she envied him that ease. When their drinks arrived he smiled his intimate smile and said, ‘You never did tell me what it was that brought you to Loreburn.’
‘I was just looking for a change of scenery.’ Lara didn’t want to talk about herself.
‘Mmm. And why was that?’ He took a bite of a freshly baked roll and glanced at her, the question so casual that she might have been tricked into thinking he was hardly listening.
‘Nothing in particular.’
‘Boyfriend trouble?’ said Mick.
‘What? No absolutely not.’ She took a swallow of wine and said, ‘It was my boss that was the final straw, actually.’
‘A bad boss can be the pits.’
‘She was.’ Lara discovered she would rather talk about her awful last job than boyfriends. ‘She wasn’t very good at her job, and petrified of anyone that might threaten her. I can see that now, but I couldn’t at the time. I’d applied for her job, too, and she really resented me. I’m not saying I could have done any better, of course, but …’
‘Sure you could. You’re Miss Totally Wonderful as far as Mr McIntyre is concerned.’
Lara smiled doubtfully. Mick probably meant to be positive, but she felt it put her firmly back in her place – conscientious, hardworking, boring.
‘I can certainly see you as a head of department. I’m surprised you applied for the job down here. Senior Geography teacher’s not the same, is it? Or are you biding time until a suitable vacancy comes up?’
‘No.’ Lara took another sip of wine. ‘What I realised, watching that awful woman doing the job, was that even if I could do it I didn’t want to.’
Mick didn’t look convinced. ‘You would be really good.’
‘But I don’t want it, OK?’ Lara began to feel the panic she had experienced when Miss Dunlop undermined her so completely. She couldn’t even remember how it had started. Just little things, that had built up until … But she wasn’t going to think about that now. She was grateful when Mick let the subject drop.
‘How are you getting on with Mark Frazer?’ he asked, referring to the head of Humanities, as the department of Geography, History, and Modern Studies was called at Loreburn High.
‘He seems fine, so far.’
‘That’s good. He’s a nice guy.’
She wondered why Mick was smiling at her and then realised it was because she was staring at
him. He looked so different in the shirt almost the colour of his eyes. And there was something else. ‘You’ve had your hair cut,’ she said.
He grinned, making her heart do an odd little lurch. ‘I thought it was time. You must have noticed it was a bit on the long side.’
She gave a half smile, not able to deny this. Whoever had cut the thick blond hair hadn’t taken much off. In fact, it was still collar length at the back and not much shorter at the front. It was a lot tidier though.
He gestured to the menu. ‘Have you chosen?’
Lara had been so caught up in him, the bright eyes and keen questions, that she hadn’t even looked at the sparse and stylish menu. She sighed. This wasn’t going at all as she had planned.
‘So what do you think of Loreburn so far?’ he said, when they had placed their orders. ‘Are you enjoying it?’
Lara wondered why the question felt so personal. Other colleagues had asked her that, but from Mick it was different. ‘It’s a nice town,’ she said cautiously. ‘And of course, I’m really pleased that we’ve got Ladybank Row. It’s something for Alex and me to get our teeth into.’
‘Is it the houses or having your friend here that you’re so keen on?’
Lara thought carefully. It was a good question. ‘Both. They’re interlinked. I love the idea of the houses, and I’m just so relieved that the project is bringing Alex out of herself.’
The food was good and Mick continued to make an effort with the conversation. It was worse than ever, being alone with him like this. The more attractive she realised he was, the more she knew he wasn’t for her. On another occasion she might have felt short-changed by the size of the beautifully presented portions, but tonight she had no appetite.
‘So do you think you’ll be staying in Loreburn long term?’
‘Well.’ Lara wished he would stop asking her such searching questions. It was difficult to avoid answering without seeming rude. How did she know if she would be staying here long? That had been the intention, but now she thought she would have been safer in Glasgow. There, no one tried to get too close. ‘Maybe.’
Tomorrow's Promise Page 6