He chuckled. “I meant a cold drink downstairs.”
I covered my face with my hands and laughed. “Sorry, I don’t know why I thought otherwise.”
“Don’t apologise. It’s good to know you’re open to the idea if I did ask,” he replied, giving me a cheeky wink.
My heart stilled. A fresh bout of sweat broke out all over me. What? “I...I...”
“I’m messing with you, Caitlyn,” he said, laughing. “Come on.”
Feeling like an absolute fool, and my heart racing like a herd of galloping horses, I followed the hunky handyman downstairs to the kitchen. Sophie had set out a jug of orange squash filled with ice cubes on the kitchen table and a small selection of sandwiches.
“Ohhhh, Sophie, you absolute gem,” I said, collapsing onto a chair and grabbing a cheese and coleslaw sandwich.
Luke went into the utility room and took the washing from the machine, put it in the tumble dryer, then put on the next load of washing. I found myself quite impressed with how domesticated he seemed.
“You didn’t stop for lunch,” Sophie said. “Tut tut.”
I widened my eyes. “You mean Joanna has time to stop for lunch?”
Sophie grinned. “When she does things the right way,” she said, giving Luke a wink as he came back into the kitchen.
They both laughed leaving me beetroot red. “I suppose you’ve told Dad as well?”
Luke shook his head. “He’s been out doing the weekly supplies trip all day so you can have that pleasure yourself.”
“Not sure I'd call it a pleasure,” I muttered, pouring myself a glass of ice-cold squash.
They both chuckled as I munched on my sandwich.
“So how was last night?” Sophie said, sitting down next to Luke. “I forgot to ask this morning.”
Luke gave me a curious glance. “Last night?”
“She had a hot date,” Sophie said, nudging Luke’s side. Wiggling her eyebrows, she said, “With England’s most eligible bachelor. After you of course.”
Luke chuckled. “Of course. So who is this tasty bachelor?”
I blushed. “Marcus Davenport.”
Something in Luke’s entire demeanour changed. The fun light air about him instantly switched to a dark cloud. His sparkling brown eyes glazed over with a distasteful glare.
“Marcus Davenport?” he said, his voice deep and commanding.
I nodded, quickly looking at Sophie who gave her shoulders a quick shrug. At least it wasn’t just me who had noticed it.
“How did that happen? I thought he was away.”
I tentatively replayed yesterday’s situation to him, wondering what exactly the problem could be between the two men. “Is there a problem between you?”
Luke snorted. “We don’t get along. I think he’s a pompous, arrogant, fickle monster and he thinks I'm a worthless, rude, good for nothing.”
My mouth fell wide open. “Monster? That's a pretty harsh word.”
“Everyone has secrets, Caitlyn. Even the most noble of people, and they often have the dirtiest.”
The atmosphere had taken an ominous turn and I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. I finished my drink and said, “I need to take a shower and get ready for tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’m going out.”
“With him again?” Luke said, staring at me.
“Well, yeah.”
“Can I ask why?”
I found his question odd but entertained him anyway. “He was a real gent last night, I like him, and I'd like to get to know him more.”
Luke pressed his lips together and then let out a big sigh. “Just be careful, Caitlyn, please.”
“Of course,” I said, giving him a smile. I quickly looked over at Sophie and said, “Thanks for the drink and the sandwiches.”
She smiled in return, an awkward silence settling in the room. I took that as my exit to leave and quickly escaped.
In the safety of my luxurious gold and cream bathroom, I ran myself a bubble bath, looking forward to sinking into the deep tub. Dad had purchase one longer, deeper, and wider than normal and I couldn’t wait to try it out. I'd had a quick shower yesterday, the square cubicle absolutely humongous and the shower head absolutely perfect for pattern and pressure. Luke had done an amazing job with this place.
As the water rose and the bubbles became higher, I stripped off and jumped in, the water silky smooth after all the Radox I'd poured in. I realised then that I hadn’t actually complimented him on his work. Maybe that would help his mood tomorrow.
I relaxed back as the hot water covered me up to my neck and sighed in contentment. Part of me wondered what Marcus would have in store for us tonight. No matter how much I tried though, I couldn’t shake Luke’s words from my thoughts.
Everyone has secrets, Caitlyn. Even the most noble of people, and they often have the dirtiest.
Chapter 7
I managed to fall asleep in the bath. The only reason I woke was because my phone rang and jolted me out of my deep peaceful sleep. I'd left it on the side next to the sink which meant I couldn’t reach it.
Grumbling to myself, I shut my eyes again and tried to ignore it, waiting for it to ring off. Then it hit me. I should be going out with Marcus tonight. I jumped up, splashing water and bubbles all over the tile floor and skidded across them to the sink. I quickly dried my hands on the hand towel and flicked my phone to life.
I gasped. It was six-thirty. Checking who had just tried calling me, a gleeful smile crossed my face when Marcus’ name showed up. I didn’t hesitate to call him back.
“Hi,” he said, answering on the first ring. “How are you?”
“Hey, I’m good. I fell asleep in the bath, I'm so sorry.”
A deep chuckle sounded down the line. “That’s quite alright. Would you still like to do something tonight or are you too tired?”
“No, I'm good. I’ve just had over an hour's nap and I now look like a prune.”
He laughed. “I have something in mind but feel free to tell me if you don’t fancy it.”
“Go on, I'm intrigued.”
“There’s an outdoor cinema company that tour all over the place and they’re in Whitby at the moment. Tonight—”
“I’m in,” I said, resisting the urge to jump up and down in excitement. “I’ve always wanted to go to an outdoor cinema.”
“You haven’t even heard what’s on.”
“I don’t care.”
He laughed. “Well in the interests of keeping you fully informed, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is showing at eight o clock. Can you be ready in an hour?”
“Of course,” I said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “I’ll see you soon.”
He ended the call and I let out a shriek of joy. An outdoor cinema, an iconic movie about one of the best supernatural creatures, and a gentleman to share it with? What had I done in a previous life to deserve this?
I dove back in the bath, shaved, washed my hair, and scrubbed myself with my favourite pink soap bar. Excited as anything, I rushed around in my towel, combing my hair and drying it, all whilst mentally picking through my wardrobe with what to wear.
It would get cold later on, so it would make sense to wear jeans and a warm top. It would be in a field too, so sensible shoes would be needed. The puzzle pieces clicked into place—my dark blue jeans, my black turtleneck jumper, and my grey flat heeled boots. The jumper wasn’t wool, more polyester and very light. I had even worn it for a few days back in spring. It would be perfect for a cool summer night.
As I applied the last of my eyeliner, my phone pinged with a Facebook message. Expecting it to be Hannah, I opened the notification to see a message request from Luke Freeman. My heart skipped a beat. What was this?
I clicked on it and saw his familiar smiling face as a profile picture.
Luke: I’m sorry about earlier, didn’t mean to ruin the mood. Just concerned for you, that’s all, but I know you’re a big girl and will make up your o
wn mind anyway.
I hovered over the ‘Accept’ button for several seconds. As I debated a reply, the grumble of a car caught my attention. Marcus had arrived. I switched my screen off, grabbed my bag and rushed to the door, eager to see my handsome date.
Bursting outside, Marcus already stood several feet back from the door. How had he gotten out of the car so fast and been stood waiting for me?
“Hi,” I said, closing the door behind me.
“You look lovely,” he said, offering me his hand. “Does your hair curl naturally?”
I'd left my wild red hair to its normal state instead of straightening it or tying it back. Sometimes the curls and gentle waves looked great, other times, not so much. Tonight though, the odds were ever in my favour.
“Yes, this is it literally just washed and dried.”
“It looks good on you. Very natural and fresh.”
I took his hand and blushed. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he replied, leading me around to the passenger side of the car.
He looked rather good himself in a pair of faded jeans and a black shirt. When he’d shut me in and settled himself in the car, I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer.
“Where is it, this outdoor cinema?”
He turned and grinned at me. “Opposite the abbey, at Abbey Farm.”
I laughed. “Why do I feel like I'm being set up here?”
He chuckled. “I promise, it’s not a set up. Just a genuine date.”
My heart leapt three feet and crashed back against my ribs when he used the word ‘date’. That made it official now, this was a date, last night had been...I don’t know what last night could be classed as. One main question still bugged me though—what interest did he have in me? He could attract any woman he wanted, especially one closer to his own age. Speaking of which, I had no idea just how old he was.
“How old are you?” I asked, blurting it out before really thinking.
“I’m thirty-two.”
Fourteen years. My eyes widened. That was like a whole decade and then some. He had been in secondary school before I'd even been born. That made me feel awfully strange.
“You know that means I’d have been learning not to wet the bed whilst you were taking your GCSE’s?”
He burst out laughing. “I’d not thought of it like that but thank you for that interesting perspective.”
“Sorry,” I said, my cheeks flaring up again. “Just the first thing that came to mind.”
“Any other scenarios you care to point out before we continue?”
I pursed my lips and thought about it for a moment. “By the time I got to secondary school, you were already nearly halfway through your twenties.”
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
“That’s only fourteen years, Caitlyn. It's not a big deal.”
“Ok, imagine this had been two years ago. I'd have been sixteen with a thirty-year-old boyfriend. How creepy is that?”
He raised an eyebrow and tweaked his lips into a smile. “Boyfriend? I like the sound of that.”
I gasped and clamped my hands over my mouth. “I didn’t even think about it, it just kind of slipped out. Sorry.”
He chuckled and said, “You have nothing to be sorry for. In regards to your statement though, it’s all about perspective. It will only bother those who let numbers determine someone’s worth. I’m attracted to people’s souls, regardless of the shell that encases them.”
“But you had no idea about me when you met me yesterday.”
“Ever heard the saying the eyes are the window to the soul?”
I nodded.
“When I made eye contact with you, I knew straight away you were someone I wanted to know. Hence, here we are.”
“And it doesn’t bother you that you might get called names?”
“I think most people will just be surprised that I'm dating someone to be honest. Age won’t come into it.”
“I expected half the county to be on your dating list.”
He glanced over at me and said, “Really? May I ask why?”
“Have you seen you?”
Laughing, he said, “Yes, I have. I didn’t realise my looks pertained to having a long dating history.”
“You’re hardly going to have been short of offers.”
“From women I would actually be interested in, yes. I’m not interested in entertaining a woman for a matter of hours or just to give her bragging rights as to the fact she had been intimate with me. That is not my goal. So whilst I may not have been short of offers from women, I have, indeed, been short of offers from those who I would enjoy an intellectual conversation with.”
I giggled. “And this is your idea of intellectual is it?”
“Perhaps more amusing than intellectual,” he said, grinning.
Something still didn’t sit right with me, but I let it go. I felt I'd grilled him enough for the night about his dating habits.
“Is this a proper drive in type cinema or one where you sit on blankets?” I asked.
“It’s the blanket type. Is that ok? I have packed some food as well. I figured you hadn’t eaten.”
My heart swelled. That was so sweet and extremely thoughtful. “Extra brownie points for you for thoughtfulness.”
“And what might these brownie points equate to eventually?”
I opened my mouth to reply but had nothing to respond with. Then I had an idea. “Bragging rights that you took me out on a date.”
He laughed so hard I swear I saw a tear roll down his cheek.
As we took the same route as last night, I couldn’t help but stare out at the abbey again. Whilst it scared me because of my incident, and last night’s dream, it also fascinated me in a way I couldn’t explain. It felt almost as if I were somehow attached to it but how, I didn’t know.
As the rolling landscape laid bare on Marcus’ side, a collection of bright spotlights and a huge cinema screen caught my attention. Turning right just after the abbey car park on my left, he guided the car onto a gravel farm track. On the right sat a huge field, the back of the screen facing us, and to the left, all the car parking spread out over a grassy field.
He crawled along the bumpy field at a walking pace. I winced every time the car hit a hole or bounced over a mound. I dreaded to think what the underneath of it would look like or what any damages would cost to repair.
Eventually, he parked up, away from the other vehicles, and helped me out of the car. He then opened the boot to reveal a wicker picnic basket and a thick tartan blanket neatly folded up. I had to resist the urge to squeal again. I couldn’t imagine any boy my age even thinking about me eating, let alone going to this extent.
“I’m really looking forward to this. Thank you for suggesting it,” I said.
“It’s my pleasure. I quite enjoy the outdoors, and this seems like the perfect opportunity for a relaxed romantic date.”
My stomach flipped over when he said ‘romantic’. Did that mean he would maybe kiss me tonight? Would we cuddle into each other watching the film?
As we strode over the field, under the starry sky, my entire body seemed to hum with joy. I couldn’t remember the last time I'd ever felt this happy. Marcus led us towards a spot next to the fence, about fifty feet back from the screen. He unfolded the blanket to reveal two cushions hidden inside.
“Oooo, even more brownie points for the cushions,” I said.
“Aha, just wait,” he said, giving me a sly smile.
I watched him lay the blanket out, trying my hardest to ignore the curious glances and stares we were getting from several other couples. He then set the wicker basket down next to the fence, on the corner of the blanket, then grabbed the two cushions. Propping them up, one on top of the other, he positioned them against a fence post then sat down, leaning back against them.
“And you sit here,” he said, patting the space between his legs.
I faltered. I didn’t expect this.
<
br /> “Unless you feel uncomfortable about it? It’s perfectly ok if you do.”
I shook my head. “No, I'm ok. You just caught me off guard, I wasn’t expecting this at all.”
“Is that a good thing?”
I nodded and pressed my hands to my cheeks to calm the raging heat.
“Come here then,” he said, holding his hand out.
I moved across the blanket and took his hand, allowing him to pull me down into him. He turned me around and settled me back against his chest. My heart hammered so hard I could feel my pulse in my throat. Being so close to him heightened every sense and every part of me.
He felt solid yet comfortable, warm, and exuded an energy that made me want to be close to him. I’d never felt anything like that. Combined with the buzz in my veins and the flutter in my heart, it quickly became a dangerous heady mix I could surely never get enough of.
I felt him reach across and then heard the creak of the wicker basket being opened. The clink of glasses followed. I turned my head and looked over my left shoulder to see Marcus pulling a bottle of white wine from the basket. To my sheer amazement, he popped the cork with just his thumb, then filled both glasses without spilling a drop.
“Enjoy,” he said, passing me a glass.
“Don’t you spill any in my hair,” I replied, taking the glass from him. “I hate washing it at the best of times.”
“I promise I won’t.”
“What food you got in there?” I said, sitting up and half turning around to look at him.
“Have a look.”
I sat up on my knees, ready to reach for the basket, but of course, Marcus pulled it towards me. I dug through it with my one free hand, my stomach grumbling as I set eyes on the mountain of treats inside. Prawn sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, jammie dodgers, fresh prawns and a pot of sweet chilli sauce, and my ultimate favourite—Snaps.
“You got Snaps?! Wow that is some extra brownie points for sure. How did you know what to pack?”
“I might have had a tactical advantage on my side,” he said, sipping his wine.
I giggled. “You called my dad, didn’t you?”
“No, I saw him in town earlier today.”
Love, Lies and Immortal Ties: A young adult paranormal romance (Love, Lies and Ties Book 1) Page 6