Mr Right Across the Street: The perfect escape for lockdown and from one flat to another share in the most feel good romantic comedy of 2021! (The Kathryn Freeman Romcom Collection, Book 4)

by Kathryn Freeman

  Fifteen years on and he still hadn’t learnt his lesson.

  Mia let go of his hand and rose to her feet. As if she suddenly realised he was no longer the same guy she’d spent last Saturday night with. Now he was a dad.

  ‘I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.’ She walked towards the kitchen island and leant against it. ‘Being a dad must be such a huge part of you.’

  ‘Grace is the best part of me, by far.’ He paused while he swallowed down the ball of emotion. ‘I’m as proud as fuck of her, of who she’s turned out to be, but am I proud I was stupid enough to have sex without protection? Am I proud that instead of a stable home, for a large part of her life she had to put up with parents who were still kids themselves?’ He shook his head as shame rolled through him. ‘I didn’t tell you because I knew it would reinforce what you already think of me, when what I’m trying to do is change that perception.’

  ‘I don’t think any less of you because you have a daughter,’ she answered, a touch of exasperation in her tone. ‘God, if anything I admire how you put your own dreams on hold to be what she and Freya needed.’

  He gave her a tight smile. ‘I want to take that, but it isn’t the real issue here, is it? You don’t want to go out with a guy who’s treated women casually in the past. A guy you can’t trust.’ Deciding it was better for both of them if she didn’t have a chance to reply, he added, ‘I’d like you to meet Grace, if you’re up for it. She already thinks you’re super cool.’

  Two blue eyes zeroed in on his, her surprise clear. ‘What have you told her about me?’

  ‘That you’re a computer whizz who’s writing a book. That you’re smart and funny, brave and down to earth. And that you’re an important part of my life.’

  ‘Not that we’ve … you know … kissed?’

  He tried to smile but his emotions were too close to the surface. ‘No. I didn’t see the point in telling her something that might never happen again.’

  To his intense disappointment, Mia avoided his eyes. ‘Why have I not seen Grace around before now?’ She glanced around the room. ‘And why doesn’t she have any of her things here?’

  She’s asking because she’s still interested, he tried to tell himself, yet the way she’d neatly ignored his comment about her being important, about them kissing again, made it feel unlikely. ‘Grace finished her GCSEs a few months ago and since then she’s been Interrailing round Europe with her mates. She only got back last Saturday, which was what Freya came round to tell me. As for the second question, Freya didn’t like the idea of Grace having two homes, said it would risk her not feeling she belonged in either, so the deal was, we bought flats next to each other. That way she had one base but both parents.’ The feeling of loss was something he still carried with him.

  ‘From the expression on your face, that decision must have hurt.’

  ‘Shit, am I that transparent?’ He rubbed at the back of his neck. ‘It’s great that Grace is only next door, but yes, I wanted her to have a bed here. For her to feel this was also her home.’

  Mia’s eyes filled with sympathy. ‘I’m sure she does. After all, you’re here. And I presume Pickles is hers, too, and not that you’ve got a thing for small furry animals.’

  He let out a huff of laughter. ‘Yeah, I should have got a gerbil. Less poo, less gnawed wires. Shorter lifespan. Grace was supposed to feed her and clean her cage out but the shine soon wore off.’ The memory prompted another thought. ‘By the way, Freya doesn’t have a key to my place, Grace does. Freya must have gone into Grace’s room to get it. God knows why. She hasn’t done it before.’

  Mia frowned. ‘You said you’ve not invited a woman here before?’

  ‘I haven’t.’

  ‘Then maybe she heard me and came round to suss me out.’

  The idea made him laugh. ‘If she did, it was only because she’s chronically nosey. Trust me, our relationship was pretty much over as soon as Grace was born.’

  When Freya had texted him to say he had a daughter – she’d not wanted him there at the birth – he’d rushed to the hospital, a small diamond ring burning a hole in his pocket; the sum total of all his savings. Dumb as shit, he’d gone down on one knee and proposed. Freya had taken one look and shaken her head. ‘Grow up, Luke. I don’t need a crappy ring. Get your money back and spend it on something useful, like nappies and baby grows.’

  She’d had a point, but he’d never felt more stupid, more hurt, more unwanted than he had in that moment.

  ‘Hello missy. I wondered where you were.’ Mia’s voice cut through his dismal thoughts and he looked over to see Pickles sniffing her Converse trainers.

  ‘See, I told you she likes you. Sniffing feet is like a hug in bunny language.’

  Mia’s laugh – the first one he’d heard today – bounced around the room. ‘You’re so full of shit, Luke Doyle.’

  His head filled with the things he wanted to say. Where does this leave us? Are we still friends, at least? Can we still go on non-dates? Will you let me introduce you to Grace?

  Before he could say any of them, Mia crouched in front of him and kissed his cheek. ‘Thanks for telling me about your daughter. I’d love to meet her.’

  Reeling from the unexpected gesture, it was a moment before he could speak, and even then the words came out hoarse. ‘That’s great. Really, really great.’

  ‘I’ll see you on Wednesday for your inaugural Cocktails 4 U evening. Such a great idea, I wonder who thought of it?’ Smiling, she walked to the door but as she opened it, she glanced back at him. ‘Oh and Luke, you’re an important part of my life, too.’

  She left before he could reply.

  Immediately Pickles jumped up into his lap and as he fondled her ears, a grin split his face. ‘You know what, there’s a chance you might have to get used to sharing me. If I don’t balls things up.’

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Mia finished the website for the bar on Tuesday, much to Sandy’s delight.

  When she emailed her the link, Sandy immediately fired back a reply with the heading OMG IT’S AWESOME. In the content of the email were rows and rows of happy emojis.

  Wednesday, Mia woke to a message in Luke’s window.

  U R my

  * * *

  Fav Nerd

  * * *

  TYVM

  Considering the tentative stage their relationship was in – friends teetering on the verge of something – the message had held just the right amount of touching humour to cause Mia’s chest to ache.

  The man was a dad. As she waited outside Stan’s door later that evening, Mia mulled over the concept again. It explained some things she’d wondered about. Why he’d gone into bartending and not into further education. Why he had a rabbit. Yet there was still a major part of him that confused her. How did an eighteen-year-old who’d been prepared to settle down and marry, turn into an adult who treated women, and sex, so casually?

  She couldn’t square the two sides of him.

  ‘Earth calling Mia.’

  Stan’s voice broke through her muddled thoughts. ‘Sorry, I was miles away.’

  ‘I doubt it,’ he replied dryly. ‘I’m guessing you were downstairs in that bar we’re supposed to be heading to. That’s if you stop mooning about the owner for long enough to check you’ve got your purse, or whatever it is you need to buy me a cocktail.’

  ‘I thought you were buying me one tonight?’

  ‘You invited me.’ He gave her a cheeky smile as he pulled his door shut. ‘I’m getting used to the idea of you buying me drinks.’

  ‘How come you never invite me out?’

  Now his smile was more of a smirk. ‘I don’t need an excuse to see the bar owner.’

  ‘It’s the first of Luke’s design-a-cocktail evenings,’ she explained patiently as they headed to the stairs. ‘We’re going to show our support.’

  ‘Aye, whatever you tell yourself is alright with me. As long as I get a free drink out of it.’

&nb
sp; Laughing, she looped her arm through his. ‘We won’t be the only locals there.’ She paused to make sure she had his attention. ‘Naomi’s going.’

  He came to an abrupt halt. ‘Bloody hell woman, why didn’t you say?’ His eyes travelled down his straining shirt. ‘Do I look alright? Did I comb my hair?’

  She’d never seen him so unbalanced. It was beyond sweet. ‘You look just fine, Stan. I’d have said if you didn’t.’

  ‘Right, good.’ He gathered himself and started to walk again. ‘So what’s the score with you and the Chipmunk? Slept with him yet?’

  Mia spluttered with laughter. ‘Are you sure you want to get so personal? You know you’ll have to answer the same questions if we do.’

  He hesitated. ‘Fine. Are you still doing the mating dance, or have you got stuck in?’

  ‘That is not an improvement, and just so you know, I can’t wait to get my own back and interrogate you. But okay, if we’re doing this level of sharing, Luke and I have kissed. And he’s told me he’s a dad.’

  ‘Is he now?’ Stan’s bushy eyebrows shot up. ‘By heck, who’d have thought. Not surprising though, if you think how much … you know … diddling about he’s been doing.’

  She smiled at the phrase, but the words struck a sad note, reminding her why Luke had been so hesitant to tell her about Grace. There was still the big issue of whether she could ever really trust him enough to be more than friends. She didn’t think he’d cheat on her – his loyalty to Bill indicated he wasn’t the type. It was more whether she could trust his feelings. He said she was important to him, but how long before he got bored?

  ‘Sorry,’ Stan said gruffly, giving her an apologetic look. ‘Ignore the mutterings of a jealous old man. If you like him, go for it, or before you know it you’ll get to my age and find you’re as grumpy as me.’

  ‘I told you, you’re not grumpy, you’ve got a dry sense of humour.’ She gave his side a nudge. ‘Naomi likes that in a man.’

  He huffed. ‘You’re changing the subject.’

  ‘Only because I know you’re right, and it scares the shit out me.’ More suitable guys, at least on paper, had let her down, so she knew nothing was certain in life. Did she want to risk her heart for the chance of something potentially great? Or was she better keeping things as they were with Luke and throwing herself into a new independent life up here?

  ‘The thought of asking Naomi out scares me shitless, too.’ Stan gave her a weak smile. ‘But if I can do it, having been skewered after thirty years of marriage, then a youngster like you can ruddy well do it, too.’

  The bar was pleasantly, reassuring, humming when they arrived, but Naomi’s big warm laugh reached their ears before they caught sight of her.

  ‘Hell’s bells.’

  Stan’s muted curse, along with his wide-eyed stare, made Mia smile. ‘She looks amazing, doesn’t she?’

  In the café, Naomi always wore an apron over conservative, working clothes. On a night out, she clearly went for it. She was sat on a bar stool, talking with Luke, her black hair slicked back, huge gold ear-rings bouncing as she laughed. The vivid, multicoloured top she wore didn’t just draw the eye, it kind of reached out and grabbed it, demanding attention. The whole look was exotic, sexy. And, unsurprisingly, a bit too much for Stan.

  ‘That woman doesn’t want the likes of me,’ he muttered. ‘She wants some strapping, larger-than-life character who can play jazz while doing the samba.’

  Mia could understand where he was coming from. ‘Funny, I look at Luke and think that guy doesn’t want the likes of me. He wants some tall, leggy model who takes care over her appearance and looks dynamite in a tight dress.’ She glanced down at her jeans and favourite T-shirt.

  Stan grunted. ‘Shall we scarper?’

  At that moment the people they’d been talking about both turned to look at them.

  ‘The smile Naomi’s giving you?’ Mia nudged Stan. ‘It says she likes you just as you are.’

  And the smile Luke was giving her? It said he’d been watching the door, waiting for her to arrive. And now she had, he wasn’t just delighted, he was relieved.

  ‘No scarpering then?’

  Mia drew in a breath, her eyes on Luke. ‘No scarpering, Stan. We man up and go for what we want.’

  ‘Easy for you to say.’ When she raised an eyebrow, he waved at her dismissively. ‘You know what I mean. Messages in the window, making you cocktails, taking you on dates that you pretend aren’t dates. The Chipmunk’s been all over you for months. He’s a sure thing.’

  ‘Naomi gets custard donuts in especially for you. She sends messages to you via me.’ Mia smiled over at the café owner, only to find she was still looking at Stan. ‘But if you don’t think she’s worth sticking your head over the parapet for…’

  In a flash Stan left her side and lumbered up to Naomi.

  And that’s when she noticed Luke wasn’t behind the bar anymore. He was standing to the right of her. ‘Hi.’

  ‘Hey.’ His eyes skimmed her face and when they found hers, he smiled straight into them. ‘You’ve no idea how good it is to see you.’

  ‘You saw me on Saturday.’

  He nodded. ‘And you still turned up tonight, so I’m taking that as a good sign.’ He glanced over to Stan. ‘Even though you came with your bodyguard.’

  Mia grinned. ‘I’m doing a bit of matchmaking.’

  ‘Ah.’ They both watched Stan awkwardly hitch up his trousers – she was sure he’d already lost a few pounds – and then point towards the last remaining booth.

  ‘Do you reckon he has a shot with Naomi?’

  Luke’s gaze slid back to hers. ‘I’m more interested in whether I have a shot. With you,’ he added. ‘In case there’s any confusion.’

  Luke waited, heart in his mouth, for Mia’s reply. Whatever it might have been, she was saved from having to give it because Mateo started gesticulating frantically at him.

  ‘Looks like I’m going to have to wait for the answer.’ It’s a Wednesday and the bar is rocking, which is bloody fantastic … that should be your focus. Not Mia. It was frightening to realise he wanted her even more than he wanted his business to be a success. ‘Please tell me you’ll stay till closing?’

  ‘I will.’ Her lips curved in the hint of a smile. ‘I’ll use the time to think on my reply.’

  The fact she had to think at all didn’t bode well, and yet… ‘A straight no you wouldn’t have to think about, right?’

  Laughing, she pushed him towards the bar. ‘Go and make cocktails.’

  There was something about the glint in her eye, the easy laugh, that sent hope shooting through him. Hope was dangerous, but it was also better than any mood-enhancing drug.

  He almost danced back to the bar.

  Throughout the evening he caught glimpses of Mia, sometimes chatting with Naomi and Stan, sometimes with Chloe and Tanya who’d turned up despite the fact he’d had awkward conversations with both ladies over the last two months. He also noticed Mia laughing with Gary and Tony, which he tried to be pleased about, because his mates should get along with his girlfriend. Except Mia wasn’t one in the usual sense of the word so the standard mate code, the one that prevented mates making a play for your girlfriend, didn’t apply.

  ‘Boss, move your arse. I’ve two more orders for one of your “special”,’ Mateo mimed quotation marks, ‘cocktails.’ Then he added under his breath, ‘Though God knows what’s so special about them.’

  ‘They’re special, because I make them.’ He gave Mateo a cocky grin he didn’t altogether feel. What was he doing, mixing new cocktails like he was some sort of expert? Mia thinks you’re a genius at it. Okay, she might be a whizz at computers, not drinks, but she was smart.

  He glanced over at the door, where people were still coming in. And then at the bar, where punters lined up to be served. Many of them had already had a cocktail and were now waiting to order a second.

  Maybe she’d been right, and he was a bit of a genius at something
, after all.

  He was mixing a cocktail for a newly engaged couple – Love Struck, not one of his own, but it seemed to fit the bill – when Mia came up to the bar. Her streaky blue hair stood out among the more boring shades of the other customers. Her T-shirt, showing the evolution of a computer geek from ape to man hunched over a computer, was a far cry from anything the other women were wearing. ‘How’s the matchmaking?’

  She took a peek over her shoulder. ‘See for yourself.’

  He followed the direction of her gaze to where Naomi and Stan sat. Naomi was throwing her head back in laughter while Stan looked on, his expression one of besotted wonder. ‘Bloody hell, I didn’t realise old Stan had it in him.’

  ‘He’s a real gem, beneath the bluster.’

  ‘Do I need to put him on my hit list, along with Gary, Tony and Mateo?’

  ‘Your hit list?’

  ‘Yeah, people who pose a threat. People I might feel the need to hit if they get too close to you.’ When her expression turned from confusion to dismay, he swore under his breath. ‘Jeeze Mia, I’m joking. For the record, I’ve never hit anyone in my life. But if I’d said I keep a mental list of people I need to keep a wary eye on in case they start coming on to you, because I’m a jealous bastard, it would have lacked the same punch.’ He gave her a crooked smile. ‘Hit list, punch, that was pretty funny.’

  ‘God, this is ridiculous.’ She sounded exasperated. ‘You don’t have to keep an eye on anyone.’

  He knew the couple were still waiting for their cocktail, that others were waiting to be served. Yet at that moment Mia was the only person who existed for him. Bending towards her, he gently touched her cheek. ‘You might not see how bloody amazing you are, but I do. And so do lots of other buggers out there, so it’s my mission to get you to see only me.’ Reluctantly he took a step back. ‘And about that answer I’m still waiting on. My advice is not to think too hard about it.’ He knew if she did, he was screwed.