The Fake Date

by Lynda Stacey

  But then a noise made them both stop in their tracks. It was a whimper, followed by a ‘Shhh …’

  Sarah began walking around the hay bales, edging her way past one stack and then the other. She lifted a finger in the air. ‘Behind here,’ she mouthed, and then rounded the corner to see Bobby sitting in a corner, between two hay bales, with Millie fast asleep in his arms.

  ‘Okay, Bobby. What are you doing?’ Sarah spoke with authority. Her normal chatty personality had been replaced with her professional one and she took a step towards where Bobby sat.

  ‘I didn’t hurt her, and I wasn’t going to keep her, I promise.’ His eyes were filled with tears. ‘I wanted to see the puppy, but Ella shouted at me.’ A sob left his throat. ‘I was only trying to help her and she shouted. Said I couldn’t go over any more.’ His hand continually stroked Millie who had now stirred from her sleep. She’d spotted Will, and in her excitement was now trying to escape Bobby’s grasp.

  ‘So, how come you have Millie over here?’ Again Sarah took a step forward. Her voice was calm, her mannerisms slow. She crouched down, making her body seem less imposing as she moved slowly forward. ‘Can you let Millie go please, Bobby? I think she wants to go to Will.’

  A tear dropped down his face. ‘I thought Ella was my friend.’ His eyes looked longingly down at Millie. ‘I don’t have many. And now, now Ella don’t like me any more. But I wouldn’t hurt the puppy.’ He shook his head. ‘She was out there on the road.’ He pointed in the direction of Ella’s house. ‘She ran over to me and, well, I just wanted to play with her for a bit.’ He looked down at Millie, lifted her to his face and took in a deep breath. ‘She smells really nice. But once she was over here, I knew you’d think I took her. I was a bit scared.’

  ‘She does smell really nice, doesn’t she?’ Sarah spoke calmly. She quickly turned to Will, indicated that he shouldn’t move and then once again she spoke to Bobby. ‘Ella’s probably really sorry that she shouted at you, Bobby. She’s had a really tough time. You know she was badly hurt, don’t you? And that day you walked in when she wasn’t expecting you, she wasn’t even dressed, Bobby, and you really scared her. You do see that, don’t you?’

  Bobby nodded. His whole attention was on Millie. ‘Am I in trouble?’

  Sarah shook her head. ‘Not if you give Millie back now. You might have to promise that you won’t take her again though. And I’ll tell Ella how sad you are, that you’d like to make friends and that you were just looking after Millie for a minute. Okay?’ Sarah held out her arms and slowly lifted Millie from Bobby’s knee, just as a loud and piercing scream filled the air.

  ‘That’s Ella!’ Will screamed as he spun around and sped towards the cottage.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Ella had wandered back and forth along the road, all the time looking and shouting for Millie. She could feel herself being drawn inwards, every part of her felt numb as she feared the bad news that would soon follow. It was the story of her life. Something good would happen, and then something bad. Her energy levels had dropped, her shoulders slumped and she walked slowly towards the cottage, all the time worrying about Millie, wondering where she was, whether someone had got her and whether she’d ever be found.

  Ella stared across the miles of fields that were opposite the front of her home. A deep longing overtook her mind. Millie had only been with her a couple of days and already she’d proved to be the worst dog owner in the history of mankind. How could she have lost her?

  Millie had brought her and Will together and, right now, all Ella wanted was to once again feel the tenderness of Will’s kiss, the warmth of his mouth on hers, as Millie playfully sat on the settee between them.

  ‘Millie, come on girl, Millie.’ She’d shouted and shouted for what seemed like an eternity and now, now she appeared to have lost both Sarah and Will too. They’d disappeared in the direction of the farm around ten minutes before and Ella had stood by the cottage since, not daring to move. It was only right that one of them stayed home, just in case Millie came back.

  Ella wrinkled her nose. What was that smell? She wandered back alongside the cottage. If it had been a hot sunny day, she’d have thought that one of the neighbours might have started a BBQ or a garden fire. But the weather had been cool for the past few days and she doubted that anyone would be too bothered about sitting outdoors.

  ‘Hi, Peter,’ she called as Peter and his Labrador, Cookie, walked along the lane. ‘You haven’t seen my puppy, have you?’ She held her hands out before her, indicating her size. ‘She’s a Cockerpoo, about this big. With golden fur.’ Ella fussed Cookie, but Peter shook his head.

  ‘I’ve only just come out, but I’ll ask me mam. She was out with the pram earlier, she might have seen her.’ He walked up the drive alongside her. ‘Do you want me to check round the back garden for you?’ he asked as he stood back and then, with a questioning look, said, ‘Ella, what’s that bloody noise?’

  Ella turned and let out a loud scream. The fire alarm could just be heard coming from her house and she suddenly remembered Sarah’s talk of being hungry and her offer of crumpets.

  Ella froze on the spot. ‘What … what if Millie’s still in there?’ she shouted as every millimetre of air was suddenly sucked from her lungs. Panic set in. She held onto the fence and screamed as loud as she could for Will.

  ‘Peter, here,’ she tossed her mobile phone at him. ‘Do you know how to call 999?’ She paused and watched him nod, ‘Good, call the fire brigade. Tell them to come quickly.’ Ella counted to ten, dared herself to enter and then ran into the cottage. Her ankle stabbed with pain, but her instincts told her to ignore it. She had to save her home, save what she’d worked for and she had to protect the only real place other than her parents’ house where she’d ever felt safe.

  Without any real thought of the consequences, Ella ran through the conservatory and into the kitchen. The whole room had filled with smoke, flames lapped upwards and she found it difficult to see where she was going. She coughed repeatedly, grabbed at a tea towel and wafted it in the air. And then, without warning, Will was there. His hands were on her shoulders and he moved her back towards the door. ‘Ella … go back outside, now. I’ll sort it.’ His words were stern, and Ella stepped back but didn’t leave; she watched as, with fire extinguisher in hand, Will pushed himself forward and aimed it directly at the grill.

  The fire was out and suddenly his arms went around her and she felt herself being pulled out of the house and into the garden. ‘Oh, Ella, don’t you ever do that again, do you hear me?’ he gasped as he spoke. ‘Running into a burning building was stupid and dangerous and you can’t ever do it again. Promise me. Promise me now!’

  Ella could hear the mixture of anger and fear in his words and she swallowed hard and nodded.

  ‘I can’t do it, Ella. I won’t do it.’ He paused and his whole body heaved with emotion. ‘I won’t lose you too.’ His lips captured hers. The kiss was deep, meaningful and Ella became lost in the moment, even though somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that at some point soon he’d have to tell her who else he’d lost, and when.

  Will shook from head to toe. Both he and Ella were outside and had taken refuge on the grass while the fire brigade checked the house to make sure it was safe.

  He felt physically shaken, inside and out and his hands still visibly shook with terror. The last time he’d seen a house fire, it had killed everyone he loved. He knew what it could do, and how quickly it could kill. His heart had dropped into his boots the moment he’d seen Peter hopping up and down on the drive. He was shouting and screaming all at once; the words, ‘Fire, Fire, there’s a fire,’ had hit Will’s ears and he’d immediately pulled open his car door and grabbed the extinguisher, grateful that this time he’d had one.

  The days after his parents and sister had died came to mind and he remembered how much he’d kicked himself, wishing he’d had either an extinguisher, or something else that might have helped. Although in his heart he knew
that he couldn’t have done anything that fifteen firemen hadn’t, he’d vowed never to feel that helpless again. Even though he’d bought the extinguisher two years before, it’d still been wrapped in the same box that he’d bought it in, so he’d had to quickly unpack it as he’d run towards the cottage.

  He stroked Millie, who now sat beside him on the grass, and for a time he closed his eyes, knowing that running into a burning house had probably been the single most stupid thing he’d ever done. But he hadn’t thought for himself. He’d thought about Ella; she’d been inside, and his whole being had screamed out to save her, to protect her. Besides, there was no way he was going to lose her too. Not if he could help it.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ‘Keep going, there you go, nearly there.’ Will breathed in deep and watched the cross trainer’s clock until it finally clicked over to fifteen minutes. ‘And you did it.’ He climbed down and wiped his face on a towel, picked up a water bottle and sipped at the liquid. He needed to burn off some steam. He looked around, choosing his next piece of equipment, which wasn’t an issue because the gym was practically empty. The staff appeared to outnumber the customers and Nina had patrolled her way around them all like an overbearing hyena.

  Only three people seemed to have been in during the past hour. Two had walked in and walked out again without training and the other had worked out on one of the cross trainers for around ten minutes before giving up and leaving the room. Will noticed he’d headed for the steam room, only to be followed a few moments later by another scantily dressed man. Neither seemed to have reappeared, making Will smile and raise an eyebrow, vowing not to follow them. After all, there were some occasions when people really didn’t want to be disturbed and after he and Ella had had Sarah burst in on them that morning, he fully understood when one of those moments might be. A frown crossed his face. If only Sarah hadn’t burst in. If only Millie hadn’t got out and if only they hadn’t all ended up running around looking for her. At least then the grill wouldn’t have set on fire. And even though the fire was small and had extinguished easily, he still never wanted a loved one of his to find themselves in that situation ever again.

  Will raised an eyebrow. Was that what Ella was? Was she a loved one? Was she his loved one?

  A deep breath in brought a smile to his face. He puckered his lips and thought of the kiss, of how beautiful and sensual she’d felt in his arms. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he moved to the stepper machine.

  ‘Quiet in here today,’ he said as Nina once again patrolled the outskirts of the room. He had to stay focused. He wanted to know what she knew about Michelle and needed to see if she’d give anything away.

  ‘Yeah, wonder why?’ Her face was tense; she’d barely smiled all the time he’d been working out and, for the first time, she looked directly at him. ‘Doubt all the bloody reporters parked outside the door are helping.’

  ‘What’s with them?’ He could see through the glass, and saw where Josh stood, shoulders slouched, obviously tired, camera in hand.

  ‘Didn’t you hear? There was a hit-and-run on the top road last night. The woman that died … well, that was Michelle. She worked here. You’ll remember her; tall, short blonde hair, I think she was here the last time you were in.’ Nina looked away as she spoke, pulled off her tracksuit jacket and threw it on the floor.

  ‘Seriously? That’s awful.’ He thought for a moment, knowing that his next question had to be worded just right. ‘Do you know what happened?’

  ‘As I said, it was a hit-and-run.’

  Will rubbed his chin and then put a hand on Nina’s arm. ‘Wow. There’s no wonder you look a bit out of sorts. Are you okay? I mean, were you two close?’

  Nina took a drink from the water fountain. ‘Not really. Obviously, I knew her. But I wouldn’t call us friends.’

  ‘So, where is everyone else?’ Will glanced around, looking for assistants.

  Nina shrugged. ‘Rick is once again being harassed by the police and Tim hasn’t turned up for work today. No one seems to know where he is. He isn’t answering his mobile. So today, until Rick gets back, it’s just me.’ The words were sad and Nina stared into space as she said them. ‘But at least now I get the extra hours I wanted.’

  Will was taken aback. ‘Wow.’ He paused and wiped his brow. ‘So, where has Tim disappeared to? Has anyone tried his house?’

  ‘Do you think we’re stupid? Of course we’ve tried his house. There was no answer. No one was home.’ Nina pouted and walked towards the rowing machine. ‘Anyhow, let’s talk about something else. Do you want a rowing challenge?’ Nina’s voice was suddenly enthusiastic. She smiled, walked back towards him and allowed her hand to pat him on the shoulder where it lingered, before slapping him heavily on the back. ‘Come on, I need to burn some energy.’

  Will nodded. He needed the challenge just as much as she did. He needed to get rid of the frustration that was eating him inside. His thoughts were of Ella. He could still feel her pressing against his skin. He could still smell her perfume. And that kiss. That kiss had been amazing. Once again his mind drifted to the few moments before everything was spoilt, to the tenderness they’d shared in that single moment before Sarah had barged in through the back door. The kiss had made him feel as though every inch of him had suddenly been awakened from the deep and sleepy coma he’d been in since his whole family had died.

  He walked over to the set of perfectly positioned rowing machines. Twelve in total, all empty. He took a seat on one, made himself comfortable and watched as Nina took a seat on the machine next to his. ‘So, why didn’t you close today, you know, out of respect?’

  Nina ignored his question, positioned her feet under the restraints and looked over at him. ‘Okay, five minutes, longest distance wins.’ Nina pulled on a pair of gloves, pulled the chain towards her and looked to her right where Will sat, waiting.

  The challenge began with long, hard pulls. Will pushed out with his legs, making sure that each pull counted and watched the digital counter begin to move in an upward direction. But Nina also pulled hard. She dug deep and her focus was fixed on the dials.

  ‘Come on,’ she screamed. ‘You can do better than that, give it some … PULL.’

  Will grunted, and began pulling as hard and long as he could.

  ‘Keep going,’ Nina shouted as she began leaning further forward, pulling further back and somehow, flying past Will’s score with ease.

  ‘How did you manage that?’ Will asked as he stopped rowing, gasping for breath. He picked up the water bottle and began to sip at the fluid. He wiped his forehead on the sleeve of his T-shirt and spun around on the seat. Nina just sat there, staring at the dials. Her long dark hair hung loosely down her back, her make-up still looked perfectly positioned and annoyingly she hadn’t even broken a sweat.

  ‘Stamina, baby, and a good leg action.’ She pouted as she spoke, looking him up and down. She’d turned towards him, her knees almost touching his. Her hand reached out and took his hand in hers. Will froze. He didn’t know what game she was playing, nor did he really want to get involved. But then, as quickly as she’d turned to him, she’d moved away and Will noticed her look around the gym, presumably to ensure that no one else was listening. ‘Look. You were right, I need to lock the doors, you know, out of respect.’

  Will felt apprehensive. If Nina locked the doors, the only people that remained in the building would be himself and the two men who still hadn’t emerged from the steam room. ‘The woman who was killed, Michelle, was she Rick’s girlfriend?’

  ‘No, no more than I was.’ Nina stood up, grabbed her towel and began drying off the sweat that had suddenly appeared. ‘You have to realise, Rick was into everyone and so long as Rick is happy, that’s all that seems to matter to him. And you, you ask too many questions.’

  Nina turned her attention to the machines and began switching them all off at the mains. ‘If you want a shower, be quick. I’m locking the doors in ten minutes.’ Her words were dismissive
and she continued to walk around the many machines in order, ensuring each one was off.

  ‘Hey, I didn’t mean to offend.’

  Nina kept her back to him.

  ‘You must know him better than anyone, you know, being a friend of his and having worked here so long?’ Will knew he needed to dig, he needed to get a reaction. ‘Seems like all of his wives or friends end up dead. Do you ever get worried? I mean, I’d take a wide berth of him, if I were you.’

  ‘Seriously, why would you think I’d be in danger?’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘I’m not. You can be assured of that.’ Again her words were abrupt.

  He pushed for more. ‘But how can you be sure, Nina? Two wives dead, that girl who was beaten and now one of his employees has been killed. Bit of a coincidence, don’t you think?’

  Nina physically froze on the spot. ‘I don’t think; that’s what makes us different. And, to be honest, you’ve asked one too many questions. I want you to leave. Now.’ She turned to stare directly at him. Her eyes looked deep and fierce and Will knew it was time to go.

  For the first time since she’d bought her car, Ella was grateful that it was an automatic. Her foot was still painful and the thought of pressing it down on a pedal would have been all too much. But she’d needed to get out of the house, needed to escape the fire damage and, what’s more, she needed to do some shopping. The cooker was ruined and she’d already ordered a new one online, but she needed to buy some food for the next few days that didn’t require cooking – although she smiled at the thought of the pizza she planned to throw in the basket. She had every intention of asking Will to cook it for her, just as he had asked her on the first night they’d met.