The Runaway Woman

by Josephine Cox

  ‘Ah! Well, hello, Dave Benson. I’m very pleased to meet you.’ Lucy held out her hand and introduced herself in a jovial manner. ‘And I am Lucy Lovejoy.’

  Dave gave a cheeky wink. ‘Lovejoy, eh? Well, that’s very apt, I must say. Yes … I like that. How do you do, Lucy Lovejoy?’ He shook her hand again. ‘And, may I say, I am very pleased to meet you as well.’

  Just then, Lucy noticed that the people at a nearby table were watching them with interest.

  She blushed bright pink. ‘Let’s sit down,’ she told Dave quietly. ‘We’re causing a scene.’

  Dave now noticed the couple, and when he smiled at them they got up and left. ‘See! That’s the way to get rid of nosy parkers.’

  Lucy laughed, but fearing the couple might overhear her laughter and mistake it for rudeness, she covered her mouth with the flat of her hand, although tears of laughter sparkled brightly in her eyes.

  Dave leaned closer to her. ‘Now then, Lucy Lovejoy, let’s concentrate on the menu, shall we?’

  He handed it to her, while putting on a stiff, though pleasant manner. ‘May I ask, what would you like from the menu, madam? I can heartily recommend the chocolate ice cream topped with nuts and choc flakes. Or if you prefer, how about a dish of fruit topped with strawberry ice cream? But if you’re really hungry, we do a wonderful cheese and bacon on toast.’

  Trying hard not to giggle, and feeling just a bit embarrassed, Lucy played along. ‘Oh, now let me see … oh, yes. I think I would like a portion of … mmm … yes! The chocolate ice cream, please, with choc flakes and nuts on top. Oh! And could I also have a wafer, please?’

  ‘Of course, madam. Thank you.’

  Smiling broadly, Dave spoke in a soft, suitably officious manner. ‘One chocolate ice cream, topped with nuts and choc flakes, and a wafer on the side. And would madam like a drink of sorts?’

  ‘Yes, please, I would love a ginger beer … if you don’t mind. Thank you.’

  Lucy played the game until Dave gave a very waiter-like bow from the waist. ‘Ooh!’ He made a pained face. ‘Sorry, madam … only I just felt the most uncomfortabe twinge. Anyone would think I’d been carrying a very heavy weight over my shoulder.’

  ‘Hey! Are you saying it’s my fault if you’ve got a twinge? I didn’t ask you to throw me over your shoulder like a caveman. That was your idea.’

  Dave looked shocked as he told her stiffly, ‘Maybe it was, madam. But I must say … you certainly seemed to enjoy the experience!’

  He then departed in a mock-huff, taking the order, written on a piece of scrap paper that he found in his trouser pocket.

  Behind him, Lucy again had to put her hand over her mouth to smother her giggles.

  What am I doing here? she asked herself. I’ve been carried off by a madman!

  Even so, she had not felt so free and happy in a very long time.

  For a fleeting moment she gazed up at the skies. Then she looked along the beach, and in her mind’s eye she saw her parents, right there.

  One minute they were strolling hand in hand along the beach, and the next they had spread big, white towels on the sand. Then they sat down together and lovingly watched, as she and Paula made wobbly sand castles by their feet. In the unfolding memories, her parents seemed impossibly young, and so very much in love – laughing together and holding hands, just as she had seen them many times as a child.

  Since losing them, she had often closed her eyes and thought of them, and inevitably she had shed tears. Now though, as they invaded her senses, so wonderfully happy together, she could not feel sad. Instead, she felt blessed. And so very grateful to have known and loved them; those two, very special, unforgettable people.

  In that precious moment, as she was thinking of them, she knew that somehow, they too were thinking of her. Suddenly, something inside her had changed. ‘They really are here,’ she murmured. ‘They want to show me how they are now together, for always.’

  For some wondrous, inexplicable reason, Lucy believed it was true, as sure as day followed night, and she felt calmer, and very much stronger in herself. In that uplifting moment of acceptance, it was as though part of the weight and sadness was lifted from her. It was a disturbing, yet oddly reassuring experience.

  Even so, she was still frighteningly uncertain as to where life might take her from here.

  On returning, Dave noticed that she was in a quieter mood. ‘I haven’t upset you, have I?’ he asked. ‘I hope I haven’t embarrassed you.’

  ‘No!’ Lucy assured him emphatically. ‘You haven’t done anything wrong. To tell you the truth, I haven’t had such fun in ages.’ She wagged a finger at him. ‘You really are a bad influence, Mr Dave Benson!’

  He smiled graciously, and a moment later, having placed the ice creams on the table, he gently leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. ‘Thank you for making me feel special again,’ he whispered.

  Lucy blushed, and thought it best not to say anything, though she felt a warm glow of acceptance. And when he held her gaze for too long a moment, her heart gave the merriest little skip.

  They ate their ice creams and chatted about things in general, such as the pleasantness of the hotel, and Lucy said it was lovely being so close to the harbour and the beach. And Dave agreed, and then he bought them each another drink, and Lucy said it was so peaceful here, she wished she could stay for ever.

  What they did not discuss was how they were drawn to each other, and how one seemed to bring out the best and craziest in the other. Yet Lucy dared not dwell on her deeper feelings for this stranger – such dark feelings, strictly forbidden – and rightly so.

  When Lucy fell silent, Dave quietly studied her face. He thought she was the loveliest person, inside and out. ‘Penny for your thoughts,’ he asked softly.

  Lucy looked up. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I was miles away.’

  ‘Yes, I could see that.’

  ‘I was just thinking … about things in general.’

  ‘Lucy?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I hope you didn’t mind me confiding in you … about the car accident and everything?’

  ‘No! Not at all. After what you’ve been through, you must need someone to listen.’

  ‘You’re very kind, but it won’t happen again, I can assure you. Like Nancy said, there comes a time to move on and leave the sadness behind. No good can ever come from dwelling in the past.’

  Lucy suddenly felt very lonely. ‘Dave?’

  ‘Yes, Lucy?’ He gave a cheeky smile. ‘Am I about to be chastised?’

  ‘No! I need to get back and wash off the sand. It’s got between my toes. It would be nice, though, to walk back along the beach?’

  ‘Sure! On the way I need to dip my toes into the sea.’

  ‘Can I ask why?’

  ‘Because I haven’t dipped my toe in the sea, not since I was a little boy.’

  ‘OK! Fine by me.’

  Some few minutes later, after Dave had insisted on settling the bill, the two of them set off, clutching their shoes.

  As agreed, they walked along the beach, and very soon Dave led Lucy right down to the water’s edge.

  He was the first to venture into the water. ‘Brr!’ He gave a little shiver. Having rolled up his trouser legs, he walked right out, with the water lapping at his ankles. ‘It’s not as warm as I thought. Come on, Lucy Lovejoy. It’s invigorating. Be brave.’

  Tiptoeing across the crunchy sand, Lucy nervously dipped one of her feet into the playful waves. ‘Whoo!’ She jumped back. ‘You lied! It’s freezing.’ Even so, she was eventually standing beside him, with both feet in the water. ‘You’re right,’ she acknowledged, ‘it is “invigorating”.’

  The two of them were like children, swishing their toes and running along the water’s edge, until they were opposite the hotel where, oddly silent, they set about wiping their feet with two handkerchiefs found in the bottom of Lucy’s bag.

  When they were virtually dry and feeling more comfortable, they put on th
eir shoes, also in silence.

  In stark contrast to when Dave had Lucy over his shoulder, and they had laughed and screeched as they ran down the beach, they now strolled along the stone walkway, deep in thought, although, much to Lucy’s surprise, Dave very tenderly took hold of her hand as they crossed the road.

  She made no protest because what was there to protest about?

  At the hotel entrance, Dave brought her to a halt.

  ‘Can we see each other again later?’ he asked softly.

  ‘That would be lovely,’ Lucy told him shyly.

  ‘Good.’ His smile was unusually intimate; a smile that set Lucy’s heart racing.

  ‘The problem is, I need to wash and change, and then it’s quickly off to my first meeting. I suspect that could run on a bit. Then it’s straight on to the next and most important meeting of the day.’

  Lucy was disappointed. ‘Don’t worry if you’re too busy,’ she said regretfully. ‘Your work must come first.’

  ‘Oh, no! I definitely mean to see you tonight – if that’s all right with you? But I don’t think I’ll surface until quite late. So, I was wondering, how about I take you to dinner this evening?’

  Lucy was thrilled. She had never in her whole life been formally invited to ‘dinner’. ‘Oh, that sounds wonderful!’ she said. ‘But only if it doesn’t put you out, because you’re bound to be tired after your heavy day.’

  Dave shook his head. ‘I would never be too tired to take you out.’

  Blushing once more, Lucy said she would look forward to it, and then she wished him well. ‘I hope you can swing the deal – for Nancy’s sake,’ she said with genuine feeling.

  ‘Thank you, Lucy,’ Dave replied. ‘It won’t be easy, but you can bet I’ll do my damnedest! There is still a way to go, though, before we get right down to the nitty-gritty. These people are good. They know what they want and they don’t easily back down.’

  ‘They might be good, but not as good as you, I’ll bet!’ Lucy assured him.

  He laughed softly. ‘Well, thank you, and I’ll tell you something else.’

  ‘What’s that, then?’

  ‘I think that beneath Lucy Lovejoy’s soft and lovely exterior, there’s a feisty, ambitious woman waiting to get out. Am I right?’

  ‘Of course! And don’t you forget it!’ she warned with a cheeky smile.

  It occurred to her that the more confidence he instilled in her, the more she believed she could tackle anything.

  In the hotel foyer, Lucy apologised for having to hurry away, but, ‘I really do need a hot bath.’

  ‘Need any help?’ he asked with a cheeky grin.

  Softly blushing, she gave a genuine tut-tut. ‘I thought you were a gentleman!’

  ‘Shame on me!’ he teased. ‘Don’t forget we’re meeting up for dinner.’

  ‘Oh, I won’t forget.’ She was so excited at the idea of a gentleman taking her to dinner, she could hardly breathe. ‘I’m really looking forward to it … as long as you don’t want to run across the beach with me on your shoulder.’

  ‘I wouldn’t mind,’ he quipped. ‘Somehow, though, I reckon I’ve done my Tarzan thing for today. Unless you’d prefer to find a fancy restaurant somewhere close, we could have dinner here. I understand the menu offers much more than ice cream with nuts and choc flakes. So, Lucy … what do you say?’

  ‘Well, if it’s all right with you, I’d rather stay in the hotel. I’m not used to fancy restaurants.’ In truth, she had never even set foot in one.

  ‘That’s settled then!’ Lucy’s decision pleased him. ‘I took a quick peek into the restaurant earlier while I was waiting for the receptionist to deal with another guest, and I thought it looked very pleasant. Moreover, we won’t even have to get our feet wet.’

  His casual comment made Lucy think back over the past few hours, and her heart was warmed by the memory. ‘So, what time shall we meet,’ she asked ‘and where?’ She was starting to feel nervous.

  ‘There is just one thing, Lucy. I’m really worried about tonight.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because the lady I am taking to dinner has a bad habit of running away, just when you think you’re getting to know her.’

  ‘Oh, no! I won’t do that … I promise.’

  ‘That’s good enough for me, then. So, I’ll book a table for what … nine thirty? That’ll give me time to get back, have a quick bath and change, then make my way down to meet you at … say nine-fifteen. All right?’

  ‘OK, yes. I’ll be here waiting … and I’m not planning on running anywhere.’

  ‘Good!’ He touched her gently on the hand. ‘We could be up till the early hours. Does that worry you?’

  ‘Why should it worry me?’

  He lowered his voice. ‘Well, now, let me see …’ He took a long look at her, and when she looked up with those nutmeg-brown eyes, he was taken aback, and for a moment he lost his train of thought.

  Amused, Lucy jogged his memory. ‘Excuse me, you were about to tell me why we might be up until the early hours?’

  ‘Oh, yes! First, I think we have so much more we need to say to each other, and secondly, I was half hoping I might be able to lure you to take a stroll under the stars.’

  Placing his hands on her shoulders, he held her there. ‘For now, I’d best make tracks, or they’ll have a head start on me, and that would not be good for my purpose.’

  ‘You forgot to say where we should meet?’ Lucy reminded him.

  ‘Ah, yes! Down here in the lobby. I’ll book the table now.’

  ‘I’ll be ready,’ Lucy promised.

  Suddenly, almost without her meaning to, she went up on her tiptoes and kissed him very swiftly on the cheek. ‘Thank you.’ The last time she had enjoyed herself so much was when the children were small.

  Before he could recover from the tender and much appreciated surprise, Lucy was gone, pink-faced and embarrassed, leaving him tenderly stroking his face where she had kissed it.

  For the longest moment, he stood there, his gaze resting on the place from where she had got into the lift. ‘Lucy Lovejoy …’ He thought back on the wonderful time they had just spent together. ‘You’re like a welcome breath of fresh air,’ he murmured.

  As he walked towards the reception, he took another lingering glance towards the lift.

  To his great surprise, he was already missing her.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  PAULA WAS CLEARING away the ironing board when she heard the back door creak open.

  ‘It’s only me!’ Martin’s voice rang through her house.

  Rushing through the kitchen, Martin grabbed hold of her and swung her round. ‘Hello, beautiful! Oh, I thought I would never get that damned job finished. I fixed the water problem, then I found the plaster crumbling from behind the wall. The whole lot needs stripping out. On top of that, the new boiler wouldn’t start up. I had to take the useless thing back, and oh, I tell you, it’s been one setback after another.’

  ‘Oh, that’s a shame.’ Folding the ironing board into the cupboard, Paula half turned to give him a fleeting kiss. ‘I wondered where you were. But never mind, you’re here now. I don’t expect you’ve had time to eat, so why don’t I make you a sandwich or something?’

  Martin shook his head. ‘Thanks, but I’m not hungry. I’m just that pleased the work is finished! I’ve been itching to get it over with, so I could come and see you.’ Turning back the collar of her blouse, he drew her close and ran the tip of his tongue along her neck. ‘I really hate it when I’m not with you.’

  When she opened her mouth to speak, he silenced her by gently squeezing her face between his two hands. ‘Oh! And while I remember, I’ve told you before about leaving that back door open,’ he complained. ‘Anybody could let themselves in. You could be upstairs in the nuddy, and they’d have you before you even realised.’

  ‘Aw, stop fussing!’ Paula was not in the mood for a lecture.

  ‘It’s not a case of me “fussing”,’ he said. ‘It�
��s for your own good. I’ve told you time and again … there are bad people out there, my darling. Why won’t you ever listen to me?’ Tugging her forward, he grabbed her round the back of the neck. ‘I don’t want anyone putting their grubby paws on you.’

  Paula drew away. ‘Get off! You’re hurting me.’ She stroked her fingers over her neck where he had held her tight. ‘I’ve told you before, Martin, I don’t like you telling me what to do.’

  ‘Hey!’ He followed her to the kitchen sink, where she appeared to keep her distance. ‘I would never hurt you … I’d lop off my own arm before I would ever hurt you, and you know that.’

  She smiled up at him. ‘I know, but you keep on about that damned back door, and it just gets me down, that’s all. I don’t like being locked in all the time.’

  ‘Aw …’ He gently hugged her to him. ‘It’s just that I’m concerned about the way you never lock the door at either your house or mine. It’s dangerous, sweetheart … I’ve lost count of the many times I’ve found it unlocked … just now, I could have been a thieving tramp, or anybody looking for easy pickings. I’ve told you time and again, and still you don’t listen.’ He kissed her on the mouth. ‘I’ve upset you, haven’t I? Please, don’t be angry with me.’

  Paula looked at him with puppy eyes. ‘Then don’t nag at me, Martin,’ she said. ‘You know I’m not used to being told what to do.’

  Martin had to remind himself that he was not dealing with Lucy now. Paula was a very different kettle of fish altogether; she was feisty, and passionate. She was also attractive enough to make a man jealous. And as he had already discovered to his delight, she was wild and exciting in bed.

  ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart,’ he mumbled, tenderly sliding his hands around her slim waist. ‘It’s just that I worry …’

  ‘All right.’ She kissed him full on the mouth. ‘I’ll forgive you this time. But you have to stop nagging. It aggravates me.’

  ‘It’s a deal.’ He would promise her anything.

  After making certain that the doors were securely locked, the two of them went up the stairs together.