You could find something out about Dan Dawson.
Don’t you want to know?
The thoughts wouldn’t leave me alone. Surely, it couldn’t hurt to just have a sneak peek on Facebook? Look up his name? I probably wouldn’t even find anything.
Back in the kitchen I poured myself a glass of water while I debated looking on my laptop, but it was like an unseen force was controlling me.
Annoyed at myself I typed his name into Facebook.
Four different hits came up.
The first was a teenager. His page pics were of him dressed in a hoodie with similarly attired friends. The second had no profile picture and no information other than born on it, but it said 1963. The third was a rugby player from down South.
Finally, I clicked the fourth, expecting nothing because the profile picture was a photo of Top Cat. But as my eyes flicked over the cover photo showing a guy and a kid, I could see Dan’s resemblance to my nannan straight away.
It was him.
I began to look down his feed and then I gasped in shock as I read the few similar posts.
Can’t believe you’re gone mate. Taken too soon.
Wish you’d have come talk to me. Rest in peace, TC.
My uncle had died in 2016, having seemingly taken an overdose.
But the most heart-breaking thing of it all was the post I read next.
The service for Dan will take place at St Margaret’s Church, Narton, on 15 September 2016. The family request no flowers. Donations can be made to ActionForAddicts. Thank you. Angela and Elias.
Angela and Elias? Who were they? I spent the next hour going further down my uncle’s profile. Seeing where he met his new girlfriend, Angela. Seeing pictures of him with his son Elias. My cousin.
I typed the name Elias Dawson into the search bar, and he was there. Looking a lot more grown up now. I saw the birthday posts from his recent birthday. He was fourteen years old. There was no mention of his mother, but from his age and from the fact he’d grown up looking the almost double of Silas, I knew exactly who his mother was.
Alice Waite.
She’d left her family and had another man’s baby. But there was no mention of her, and his father was dead. What happened to Elias Dawson? Who did he live with? I was his cousin, his family, and suddenly I felt a desperation to reach out.
I friend requested him and I sent him a message.
Hello Elias.
I think I might be your cousin.
My mum is your dad’s sister.
Just thought I’d say hi. I live in Willowfield in Smalldale.
It’s okay if you choose not to reply. I’ve not been in touch before because I didn’t know you existed.
Violet.
As soon as I’d sent it, I was no longer sure I’d done the right thing. Maybe I should delete it? But then I saw the words appear beneath.
Seen.
I waited to see if the dots appeared that indicated someone was typing a response, but they didn’t. After five minutes I noticed time was getting on and so I closed my computer and focused on my date. I had a feeling of apprehension about what I may have started in reaching out to Elias, but he was my family too. I couldn’t tread on eggshells for the Waite family when my cousin might need me.
I decided to leave my phone at home tonight. That way I wouldn’t be tempted to keep checking while I was out with Milo.
Because until I had something concrete to tell him, I didn’t intend to mention it at all.
Milo
As I walked back into the house, I smacked myself in the face. Not hard but just enough to see if I was actually awake and not dreaming.
“What the actual fuck are you doing, Miley?” Juliet asked. She looked me over, that cool expression on her face. “Oh my. I’m guessing Vi went from hungover to bent over this morning?”
“That and a few other positions.” I grinned.
She shook her head. “So that doesn’t explain why you slapped your own face. Are you practising for when she finds out how much you’ve bought for her house?”
“Bloody Silas and his big fat mouth. Who else knows?” I grumbled.
“We all know, Milo. Not one single one of us is taken in by ‘we had it left over’. We do have brains you know?”
“Oh shut up. Don’t you dare tell her.”
“Oh I’m not telling her, but I can’t wait for the day you confess it.”
“Not going to happen.”
“You can’t build a relationship based on lies, Milo.”
“It’s not lies. It’s amazing generosity gifted by a secret admirer.”
“You are so full of shit. Anyway, again, why the slap?”
“I was checking to see if I was dreaming or actually awake because right now I just got out of bed with my princess and tonight I’m taking her on a date.”
Juliet slapped me across the face quick as a flash.
“Ow.”
“See, you’re awake.”
“I’ll get you back for that, you know. One day.”
She sniggered at me. “It was worth it. So where are you taking her tonight?”
“Frankie’s for Italian.”
“Swish. Nice choice for a first date. I approve.”
“Excellent. Chick approval. Now I know I just got done screwing, but I now need to go hang a gate.”
“Please don’t talk to Violet like that tonight, I beg you.” My sister implored.
“Nah, I’ll sweet talk her so she’s the one begging on the way home.”
Juliet looked me up and down with her brow wrinkling as she did so. “Do you need me to go pick you out an outfit?”
I didn’t think about my answer for too long. “Yes please. Make me look gorgeous so she never wants to look at another man again.”
“I’m not a fucking miracle worker.” She grumbled.
I picked up my small toolkit and went outside. The gate had dried quickly with the heat, but I picked it up carefully in case it was still tacky to the touch. I fixed the hinges and hung it, then closed it. I imagined a little dog running around and Vi throwing a ball for it. Then I imagined it taking a dislike to me and barking at me every time I came around. I made a mental note to go buy some dog treats and toys and see if there was anything you could spray yourself with that made animals like you.
As it happened I wanted to get some flowers and chocolates for Vi anyway seeing as this was a proper date, so after fixing the gate, I walked around to the small supermarket. My brother, Cal was already in there talking to Brenda behind the counter. He looked pissed off, so I went over.
“Everything all right?”
“I was just telling Callum about that girlfriend he used to have, the one he, well, you know.”
“Jilted?”
Brenda went red. “Yes, quite. Well, I heard she just set a date for her wedding to her new young man.”
Oh fuck. I needed to get Cal out of here quickly.
“It’s not for twelve months, but I should imagine it’ll be a bit nerve wracking for her, given what happened last time. You’d think she’d just elope but apparently she wants all the works again.”
“That’s nice for her.” Cal managed through gritted teeth. “She deserves the best.”
“I never did get to hear why you missed your own wedding. Was it cold feet?”
“Actually, could you help me get a few things, only I’m in a bit of a rush.” I interjected. “Cal, could you get me a nice box of chocolates and some flowers, and Brenda, do you by any chance sell any kind of scent that would attract animals to me?”
Both Brenda and Cal looked at me strangely. “I’ll start that sentence again.” I said, wanting the ground to swallow me, but at least it had taken her mind off the saga of Cal, Tali, and the wedding that never was.
“Come on.” I grabbed my brother’s arm as we left the shop. “Let’s go get a pint so you can calm down a bit before you go home.”
I knew Brenda had got to him because he nodded and Cal rarely drank i
n the daytime. I found us a table in a corner away from anyone who looked like they could listen in and went to the bar and fetched two pints.
“So I’m guessing you hadn’t already heard that news.” I asked as I sat Cal’s pint down on the table in front of him.
“Nope. Bound to happen at some point though, wasn’t it? She wasn’t going to stay single forever. This one obviously meets her father’s approval.”
I took a slow sip on my pint. I had to admit that given the current heatwave, it was a welcome refreshing taste on the tongue.
“And you’re okay with this? With her marrying someone else?”
“Doesn’t really matter either way, does it? It’s not like I’d ever be forgiven for leaving a woman standing at the altar.”
“Maybe she’d listen now? It’s been two years.”
Cal shook his head vehemently. “She’s in love with someone else. They obviously make her happy or she wouldn’t have agreed to marry them. I devastated her. I don’t deserve her and I’m letting her live her life. One day, I’ll meet someone else myself and it’ll all fade away.”
“Once that ring’s on her finger, it’ll all be too late. If she’s the one you want, you shouldn’t just let her go.”
“We’re not all you, Milo. All,” he drummed his fist into his chest. “Me Tarzan, you Jane?” I’m only surprised you haven’t actually clubbed Violet around the head and dragged her back to your room.”
I smiled. “I’m gonna marry that girl, Cal.” Then my face fell. “Fuck, that’s crass given the conversation we’re having. Sorry, bro.”
“Don’t be sorry for being happy, Milo. I’m ecstatic that the girl you dreamed about for so long actually turned out to be as good, if not better, than the fictional one we made up. I hope you live happily ever after and have lots of babies.”
“She’s getting a dog. That’s why I bought the dog treat and toys.”
Cal burst out into a hearty guffaw. “Christ, when you said you wanted to be attractive to animals. God knows what Brenda thought.”
“Well, at least it took her mind off the gossip.”
“Probably just the start of it. No doubt I’ll have customers asking me the same question.”
“Maybe you need to get dating then? Get properly back on the horse?”
“You going to lend me some of your animal attraction spray to help me when you find some? Might get me some pussy.”
“Piss off.”
Cal drained half his pint. “Maybe it is time I started dating again.” He looked around the pub and then grabbing my flowers, he stalked off in the direction of the bar.
“Hey, they’re mine.” I protested, garnering some strange looks from people sitting nearby. “I thought he loved me.” I quipped to a couple at a nearby table, who looked at their food quickly. Nosy fuckers.
Cal returned from the bar triumphant. “Lisa behind the bar accepted the flowers and said she’d think about it. I gave her my number just in case.”
“Well done for giving things a try, bro.”
“I think I need to work on my chat up lines though.”
“Oh God, what did you say?”
“Well she said, ‘what can I get you?’ and I said, ‘your phone number’.”
I groaned.
“Yeah, she did that too. So I gave her mine instead and said if she ever needed the help of an electrician to give me a call. Then I gave her the flowers. She looked at me a bit weird and said thank you.”
I put my head in my hands. “I need to take you under my wing, little bro. You need a wingman.” I finished my pint. “But right now, I have a date, so let’s go.”
“I think I’ll stay actually. Have another pint and I might try again to ask someone on a date. So can I have the chocolates?”
I grabbed them off the table and held them to my chest. “They’re for Violet.”
He gave me a pout. “She’s got you and dog toys. I need the chocolates. Either I’ll give them to a woman, or I’ll eat them in self-pity. Come on, Milo. It was your idea I get back on the horse.”
I passed him the chocolates with a sigh. “Bloody shops shut now. You’re ruining my romantic rendezvous.”
“At least you’ve got one.”
“Okay, I shall leave you here to your pity party for one. Enjoy the chocolates.”
Back home, I cleaned my teeth, changed my clothes to the ones Juliet had chosen and laid out on my bed for me, and then went to call for Violet via her front door. She answered and suddenly I regretted booking a restaurant. She wore a fitted navy-blue strapless dress that belted at the waist. Buttons ran the whole way down the middle and I just wanted to unbutton them by ripping straight down the front of it. In my imagination buttons flung off everywhere. Her legs were tanned and bare and I could almost feel my lips trailing up one silky thigh.
I cleared my throat. “You look beautiful. I’m just going to order us a taxi and then we can enjoy a bottle of wine.”
Vi beamed at me. “You clean up well yourself, Milo.”
I gave a little spin and shook my arse. “Got to make the effort for my woman.”
“Phone the taxi, Miley.”
Frankie’s Italian was on TripAdvisor as being the third best Italian restaurant in Sheffield. The first two had been fully booked and this one was smaller and more intimate anyway. My stomach rumbled as soon as we went through the entrance and the smell of garlic and tomato permeated the air.
“We have a table for two booked under Waite.” I told the young male who had greeted us in the foyer.
“Please, this way.” He said and escorted us to a small table near a side window. It was still light outside, but the inside somehow managed to look cosy with its little plastic chequered tablecloths and busy décor.
The waiter handed us both a menu each and reeled off the house specials. He took our drinks order and then left us to decide on what we were eating.
“Are you having anything garlicky?” I asked Violet.
“Well I wondered if you wanted to share some garlic bread as a starter?” She mused.
“Perfect. Only I wasn’t having garlic if you weren’t. Didn’t want you turned off by the smell of me tonight.”
“Gosh, how thoughtful you are. Such a romantic.” She scoffed.
“I’ll have you know I bought you flowers and chocolates.” I informed her.
She scrunched up her face, “Are they invisible ones?” She leaned over and pretended to take something from me, fake smelled, and went “they’re beautiful.” Then she repeated the motion pretending to open a box, eat something, and moaned, “Mmm, the best chocolate ever. Exquisite. Thank you.”
“Ha ha, very funny. As it happens, Cal stole them from me in order to try to get a date. Then when I left the pub, the shop had shut with it being Sunday hours. I’ll make it up to you though.”
“Actually, I’d rather you didn’t. Jay used to bring me chocolates and flowers all the time. It was guilt shopping, there to make himself feel better for being a cheating ratbag.”
I wasn’t able to answer immediately as the waiter approached with our drinks and took our food orders. As soon as he’d left, I leaned over the table closer to Vi. “I’m not avoiding flowers and chocolates because your ex was a douchebag. You deserve to be spoiled and I thoroughly intend to spoil you.”
“I can see I won’t win this argument.”
“I’ll right every wrong that idiot made, Princess, until you’re so head over heels in love with me, you can’t live without me.”
“Milo Waite, I have never, in my life, met anyone like you.” She grinned.
“Tell me that’s a good thing.” I sounded a bit desperate even to my own ears. It felt like a lifetime before she answered.
“It’s a very, very good thing.” She smiled.
We enjoyed our food. Violet drank wine while I carried on with beer seeing as I’d had the pint earlier. The food was delicious, the company even more so.
“So what’s the latest with the Waite brothers
then? I know what’s happening with Juliet, but your brothers not so much. I’d like to get to know them better so tell me more about them.”
I scratched my chin. “There’s not a lot to tell. Out of all of them, I’m closest to Cal. He’s not dated for years since his wedding didn’t take place. He found out today that his ex is marrying someone else. That’s how we ended up in the pub and then he nicked your stuff trying to pull a barmaid and failing tragically.”
“Oh dear. Maybe I need to tell him that if he ever needs a woman to talk to about all of it, I’m available.”
“That’s a lovely offer, but if you have any spare time, I’m booking it.”
“Milo! That’s your brother and it sounds like he’s in a mess.”
“I’m looking out for him, but oookkaay, I’ll tell him. He’ll not come talk to you though; he’s too proud.”
“Just let him know I made the offer. So are any of your brothers in relationships?”
“Finn dates and he’s had a few dates that have looked like they were going somewhere, but then they fizzle out. He split up with his childhood sweetheart, Sylvie, about three years ago now, and she met and married someone else. She’d told him she wanted them to split so that she could enjoy some freedom and date other men and yet not twelve months later she was married and pregnant.”
“The Waite’s don’t seem to have a lot of luck in the romance department.”
Waiting For Milo: THE WAITE FAMILY - BOOK ONE Page 13