Ruined Plans

by Tracy Lorraine

  I finish up with moisturising my face before running to the living room, grabbing some clothes and locking myself back in dark bathroom. The light coming from the small window does nothing to help me apply my makeup but I refuse to do it out there where he could walk in. I’ve no idea who he is but he’s dangerous, I know that much.

  I pull a jumper dress over a pair of leggings and zip up my favourite tan mid heel boots before taking a breath and leaving the safety of the bathroom. I’ve decided it was all in my head. I was practically naked after all, and I haven’t had attention like that in forever. Anyway, he’s probably happily married with three kids or something. Any male that good-looking will have been snapped up years ago.

  I deposit my toiletries back in my suitcase and turn the bed back into a sofa before hiding my luggage behind it so Aunt Addy’s living room doesn’t look like a dumping ground. I put the kettle on, do the washing up, clean all the surfaces…anything that will put off having to go in the garage, really.

  After giving myself a good talking to, I pull the door open and turn towards where he was. I’m hoping I look confident this time; being clothed should at least help with that.

  He’s not there.

  I turn and look around the garage but I see no sign of him or that he ever existed.

  Weird.

  I walk back into the kitchen wondering if it was all a hungover illusion and the sexy man in the ripped jeans was all in my head. I make my cup of tea and realise that the electric must be back on because the water boiled. I have no idea about electrics but that seemed pretty quick to change a fuse board.

  I try to put thoughts of him on the back burner as I search for some local letting agents and find a number for a taxi firm to get me there.

  An hour later, I’m sat at an estate agents desk. The guy helping me, Luke, must be about my age. He’s pretty good-looking but definitely doesn’t have the same effect on me as the guy with the jeans from earlier.

  “Okay, what about this one?” he asks, turning his screen around for me to see.

  My list of requirements for a place to live is pretty small, it turns out. I want a decent kitchen, that’s the most important thing. Other than that, I’m pretty flexible as I’m hoping renting will be temporary. I’d ideally like to buy a place of my own, but that’s going to have to wait until the divorce is settled and the money is split.

  “You couldn’t swing a cat in that kitchen,” I mutter as he flicks through the images. This makes Luke laugh way too much, and I wonder if this is him flirting. I look up from the screen to find him looking directly at me and it pretty much answers my question. “Is there anything else?” I ask, sounding bored, hoping to show that I’m not interested in anything other than somewhere to live.

  “There’s this one, but it’s a flat and you said you wanted a house, ideally.”

  I did say that but the houses I’ve looked at aren’t thrilling me. I know I could up my budget but wasting money on rent isn’t what I want to do.

  He flicks through pictures of a tight hallway and a small living room before stopping on the kitchen.

  “Now that’s more like it,” I say, a little more excitedly. This kitchen is still small compared to what I left behind, but it has some work space and a handful of cupboards, unlike the last place he showed me.

  “There’s only one bedroom, and this is the bathroom,” he says, continuing to flick.

  “What’s the area like?”

  “Up and coming.” And we all know what that means.

  “I think I’m going to need to see it.”

  “Yes, of course. I have the keys,” he says excitedly, “and I don’t have another client due until this afternoon. We could go now.”

  “That’s perfect,” I reply but my voice lacks the excitement of his. I really don’t want this guy to get the idea that I might be interested.

  I really hope he’s right about the area being up and coming. Because right now, it’s pretty down and out. That being said, the ground floor flat has its own parking space right by the entrance. The building itself looks to be well maintained and the flat is…well…it’s fine. It’s just a run of the mill one bed ground floor flat. The paintwork all needs redoing and everything needs a good scrub, but it’ll do. It’s certainly not my dream home but living here wouldn’t be forever; it’s just for now. It’s somewhere for me to call home while I find my feet over here again and get my life up and running.

  Plus, the kitchen is the best I’ve seen for what I’m willing to pay each month.

  “I’ll take it,” I say, sounding less than enthusiastic.

  “Really? Brilliant,” Luke beams—I would imagine because I just secured him some commission. “Let’s head back to the office and we’ll get all the paperwork done.

  “So…do you…uh…fancy going for a drink to celebrate?” Luke asks sheepishly once everything is sorted.

  “Thank you for the offer but I’m sorry, now’s not the right time for me.”

  “Okay, no worries,” he says quietly. I don’t miss the redness of his cheeks as he starts faffing with the paperwork on his desk. “Here’s my card, just in case you have any questions about the flat. We’ll be in touch once everything has gone through.”

  “Thank you, Luke. You’ve been very helpful,” I say before grabbing my bag and heading out the door.

  Okay, so step one of my plan is done. As long as everything is okay, I should get the keys to my new home in two weeks.

  I walk around town for a while, familiarising myself with the place I grew up. Not much has really changed, from what I remember. There are fewer independent shops, all replaced by bigger chains, which is a shame. I find the supermarket where it always was and set about getting everything on my shopping list.

  “Oh my God, Addison, that smells incredible,” Aunt Addy says, putting her bags down on the kitchen table. “What is it?”

  “Red onion and chorizo quiche with salad, and Eaton mess for dessert.”

  “I really meant it when I said you can stay here for as long as you want,” Aunt Addy says, giving my shoulders a squeeze before starting to lay the table for us.

  “I thought something light might be nice after last night and this morning.”

  “Whatever you want to cook, sweetheart, is good with me. Wine?”

  “Sure.” If she’d have asked me that this morning then I would have said never again, but I feel fine now. Better than fine, actually, because the plan is starting to take shape.

  “I hope you don’t mind but I told my friend Angie I’d ask you to make her daughter a birthday cake. I thought it was never too soon to get started,” she says, referring to our conversation about starting a business last night.

  “Of course,” I reply, feeling excitement start to flutter in my belly. “What sort of thing does she want, and when for?”

  “Day after next, and she’s obsessed with handbags so suggested something involving them.”

  “Looks like I’m baking tomorrow, then!” I say excitedly before remembering something. “You could have warned me about the electrician this morning. I practically flashed him!”

  “What?”

  “The power went out while I was in the shower. I went in search of the problem and found a guy telling me he was changing the fuse board in the garage,” I say as the deep blue colour of his eyes filters into my head. Aunt Addy laughs and I have no idea why; it’s far from funny. “What?”

  “That wasn’t just an electrician, Addison. That was Blake. He said he’d pop around and look at it so I just said whenever. I didn’t even think to warn him you were here.”

  “That was Blake?” I ask, a little confused. Granted I’ve only ever seen a couple of photos of Blake, Kayleigh’s boyfriend and Sinead’s dad, but the guy I saw this morning didn’t seem familiar at all.

  “Long blondish hair, blue eyes, McCarthy’s on his t-shirt?”

  I’ve no fucking clue what was on his t-shirt but that sure sounds like him. “Yeah.”

&n
bsp; “What’s that look for?”

  “I just didn’t realise that was who it was. I would have been a little nicer if I’d have known.”

  “Don’t worry, Blake’s lovely. A proper looker too, but you probably noticed that.”

  “Not bad, I guess,” I say, trying to not make out like my girly parts had a party just looking at him. Now I know that the sexy guy in the jeans is practically Aunt Addy’s son-in-law, my reaction to him seems wildly inappropriate.

  “I think you two would get along. I’ll invite them to dinner tomorrow night. I know Sinead would love to meet you.”

  Holy shit, how am I going to be able to sit at a table with that guy without drooling or something else equally embarrassing? I can only hope having his daughter there will knock some sense into me.

  Chapter Three

  After taking Aunt Addy’s car into town, I spend all day cooking and baking. Aunt Addy offers her help but I send her back to her studio. I’m obsessing over everything I’m doing, trying to make it all perfect. I keep telling myself it’s because I haven’t cooked for anyone in the longest time, but I know that’s not really the truth. I know I’m a good cook; it’s something that comes as naturally to me as breathing. But I’m using this as an excuse so I don’t think about having to spend the evening with him— oh, and his daughter, who I now know is twelve going on sixteen. Aunt Addy helpfully filled me in on some of the basics about Blake and Sinead last night. Blake is single and, as far as she knows, has been since Kayleigh died. She was also quick to add that she thinks he needs a woman in his life. I’m still not sure how I’m supposed to take that comment. Aunt Addy made Sinead out to be a perfect child who not only does well at school but is polite, helpful, and loves to cook and sew. But she’s her grandmother—of course she thinks the sun shines from Sinead’s backside. That’s how it’s meant to be, right?

  “Hello?” I hear a deep voice shout from the living room.

  My heart rate picks up and I can feel myself starting to sweat. Christ, I haven’t even fucking seen him yet.

  “Kitchen,” I hear Aunt Addy sing from her studio before heavy footsteps head this way.

  “Dressed up this time I see,” Blake mutters when he steps into the room and looks directly at me. Just like yesterday, his eyes drop and roam over my body slowly. My temperature picks up a few degrees under his stare. When his eyes come back to mine, they are the exact same dark blue that’s been running on repeat in my head. “Good to see you again, Addison. I’m Blake.” The sudden change in his demeanour throws me off course but seconds later, I realise why. Movement behind him catches my attention and I feel like I’ve been pulled back in time and I’m seeing Kayleigh before I left for London. “This is Sinead, my daughter,” he adds, like I need a reminder.

  “Of course. It’s so good to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from Aunt Addy. I love your hair,” I say, nodding to her waist length thick blonde waves hanging loosely around her shoulders.

  “Hi,” she says shyly in response, and continues half hiding behind Blake.

  “Hi, sweetheart, good day at school?” Aunt Addy asks when she eventually appears, looking exactly like she did when she opened the door to me the other evening with thread hanging from her, only this time it’s accompanied by a tape measure around her neck.

  “It was good, thank you.”

  “What did you learn?” Aunt Addy asks. It’s that question that every kid hates.

  “Nothing.”

  Blake ruffs up her hair with his giant hand while Aunt Addy laughs and shakes her head. Meanwhile, Sinead ignores both of them and zeros in on what’s behind me.

  “What’s that?” she enquires, getting brave and coming out from behind Blake.

  “It’s a birthday cake,” I say, looking back at what I’ve created today, along with our dinner.

  “Can I see,” her blue eyes are wide and sparkling, just like Blake’s were after a leisurely tour of my body both yesterday and just now.

  “Of course. I have all the offcuts that I’m going to need help eating if you’re interested.” Sinead nods eagerly as she comes to a stop in front of my cake. To say I’m impressed by how it turned out would be an understatement. I found that the kitchen shop was still exactly where I remembered in town earlier, so I bought everything I could possibly need (and then some) to make this handbag cake for Aunt Addy’s friend. It’s a miniature raspberry Burberry satchel with both handles and a shoulder strap. I haven’t baked and iced something this complicated in years, but I found that once I started, it was like riding a bike.

  “It’s amazing,” Sinead says after a few seconds of taking it all in “How did you get it so detailed?”

  I pull open the box I bought to put all my stuff in and start explaining how I did some of it. Sinead hangs on my every word. It’s a weird feeling, parting knowledge to a kid like this. The only other children I’ve really spent any time with are my niece and nephews, and they don’t stay still long enough to care about this sort of thing. Maybe kids aren’t all that bad—okay, maybe this one isn’t that bad.

  Sinead takes one of the tools off me and flips it around in her hand, pretending she’s using it. I look over my shoulder when I feel eyes on me. Aunt Addy is looking at us with a soppy smile on her face, whereas Blake is looking directly at me with anything but. His eyes are darker than I’ve seen so far and he has this little smile that I’m not sure is a grimace or approval. I’m hoping for the latter.

  “How long’s dinner, Addison?” Aunt Addy says after she looks between the two of us a couple of times.

  “This is so cool. Dad, can I make a cake with Addison one day?” Sinead says at the same time, distracting both Blake and myself from each other.

  “Ten minutes.”

  “You’ll have to ask her, lil’ bit,” he answers, continuing to stare at me.

  “Uh…” I stutter as I attempt to tear my eyes away from his. I eventually blink, ending our connection, and turn to Sinead, who is looking at me like I’ve just proved unicorns really do exist. “Of course. Maybe one day after school,” I say, although the thought of spending time with a child one on one scares me somewhat. I mean, what the hell would we talk about besides cake?

  Aunt Addy sorts out drinks while I dish up. I’ve made steak and Guinness pie with mash and vegetables. I was craving more homely food and I couldn’t return to Ireland without having Guinness. I dish it all out before placing it down in front of everyone to mutters of approval. I return to the kitchen to put the apple pie in the oven before taking my place at the table.

  “You don’t need to wait for me,” I say as I grab my wine. “Tuck in.” That’s all the encouragement Blake and Sinead need, because they grab their knives and forks and get stuck in, much to mine and Aunt Addy’s amusement.

  “Don’t you feed my girl, Blake?” she asks just as I watch the first piece of pie pass his lips.

  He nods to Aunt Addy but doesn’t answer. Instead, he makes the most erotic moan of appreciation I think I’ve ever heard. His head snaps to me and our eyes connect again, his dark blue to my green. He chews slowly and it makes me look down to his lips. They’re full and pink, more so than any man’s I’ve seen before. My temperature picks up the longer I stare, and the moment his tongue pokes out to lick them I feel like I’ve been electrocuted as a zap of energy heads straight for my clit.

  Aunt Addy clears her throat and it distracts me from imagining how good Blake’s lips might feel on me. On my lips, on my neck on my… When I look up, she has an amused smile on her face, whereas Sinead looks totally confused by what’s going on, although not confused enough for her to stop eating.

  I look away from all of them and down to my plate. My stomach growls quietly as I grab my knife and fork, ready to try my creation. The pastry almost touches my lips when my phone rings.

  Pulling my fork away from my mouth I ask, “Do you mind?”

  Everyone shakes their heads so I get up, grab my phone off the counter, and walk into the living
room. I feel his eyes on me the entire time and it’s not until there’s a wall between us that I start to relax. I’m expecting to see a London number on my phone but when I look down, I see a local one.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, is that Mrs. Chapman-Webb?”

  “Speaking.”

  “Hi, it’s Luke from Huskins, the estate agent. I’m really sorry but there’s a problem with your credit check. Until it’s resolved, we’re unable to rent you the property.”

  “What?” I ask, totally shocked by his words. How can that be? The only thing in my name is my phone and my life insurance. Edward handled everything else. I just gave him the money.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs—”

  “Addison,” I bark, not wanting to hear my married name again.

  “I’m sorry, Addison. I can hold the property for twenty-hour hours for you but after that time, it will have to go back on the market.”

  “I understand. Thank you.” I’m as polite as possible, although it’s a far cry from what I really want to be.

  I hang up the phone and drop my arm to my side. The anger that was licking at the edges starts to flow through my veins.

  “I’m sorry,” I say as I head back into the kitchen and grab my handbag from the side. “Enjoy your dinner. The dessert will need to come out in fifteen minutes.” I look over to the table briefly and see three sets of wide eyes and gawping mouths. I don’t hang around long enough for the questions to come. I march through the living room and pull my boots on as fast as I can before grabbing my jacket on the way out.