‘Tyler?’ I gulped.
‘Well, I always hoped that I’d run into you again, I just didn’t figure it would be like this.’
‘I’m so sorry, I was so excited to sit and eat it that I wasn’t looking where I was going.’
‘Carrot cake gets you that excited?’ he smiled.
‘Don’t tell everyone, but it’s their frosting, it’s amazing,’ I whispered and put my index finger on my lips.
‘Your guilty secret is safe with me,’ he laughed. ‘So what brings you back home?’
‘I just finished Uni and needed a break, to get away for a while.’
‘You never called me,’ he chastised. Reminding me of the last time I’d seen him and he’d given me his number.
‘I got married,’ I shrugged and flashed him my left hand.
‘O yes, I did hear,’ he replied, with a frown.
‘We’re sort of on a break,’ I said quickly. Why did I just tell him that? I wondered. Lexi, Mum and Gerry were the only ones that had heard it from my lips.
‘God, I’m really sorry to hear that, Mia. Listen, I was just getting a spoon to stir my drink. Why don’t I get you a replacement piece of carrot cake, you can join me and we can catch up.’
‘Tyler … I …’ I bit my lip as I frowned.
‘It’s just coffee and cake, Mia. I’m not asking you out on a date.’
‘Ok then,’ I nodded. ‘But let me get the cake and I’ll get you another coffee, it’s probably cold now.’
‘Trust me, with my job cold coffee is the normal. Go and sit there, the table by the pillar. I’ll get your cake, you don’t want them thinking you’ve got a cake addiction.’
‘Thanks,’ I giggled. I went and took a seat and sipped my coffee as I tried to study him from afar, without being obvious. It was nearly two years since I’d last seen him, that night in the pub. I cocked my head to check out his backside as he stood at the till paying. He was still in shape, excellent shape from what I could see. I felt myself blush as he looked around and smiled at me, a dazzling smile. God damn it. Why did I have to run into the one other man in the Universe that made my mind and body react? You’re still married Mia Page, I thought, then mentally slapped myself. I’d already reverted back to Page, what did that say about my marriage? Then I suddenly felt guilty. What would Gabe think if he saw me sitting here? Drinking with Tyler? There again, he hadn’t given me much thought when he went out for a cosy foursome with Chelsea, Doug and Sarah, before taking that bitch back to our own bed. He’d admitted that if we were ever over he’d run to her, that she was his sexual crutch, and he had. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I was just having coffee with an old friend. A friend I used to have the hots for. A friend I still had the hots for. I watched him walk with manly confidence back toward me, turning a few heads as he did.
‘I had to convince the woman in front that the Blueberry muffin was far tastier, so that you could have the last piece of cake,’ he smiled.
‘Wow, talented surgeon and a charmer.’
‘Who said I was a talented surgeon?’ he laughed.
‘You strike me as someone who succeeds in anything he really wants, once he sets his mind to it.’
‘There is that,’ he smiled as he sipped his coffee. ‘Hmmm, luke warm, what a luxury. Thank God you ran into me or I may have been ruined for life with high coffee expectations.’
‘So how have you been?’ I asked as I savoured my first bite of cake.
‘Busy, I spend most of my time at the hospital. It’s not a job for those shy of hard work and long hours.’
‘But you enjoy it?’
‘Love it. How about you? Was it English you were doing?’
‘Yes, I actually got a first class honours degree.’
‘Congratulations. I feel like I should have got you something more than a piece of lousy cake.’
‘There’s nothing lousy about this cake at all,’ I gasped. ‘Here, try some.’ I held out my fork and he took the piece between his teeth, then licked his lips and I blushed again.
‘Hmmm, that is good. So, what career do you plan on embarking on?’
‘I sort of already have one.’
‘You “sort of” have one?’ he looked at me curiously.
‘Are you judgemental?’
‘I’d like to think not.’
‘I co-own a Gentleman’s private club in Westhampton. I manage it and I teach lap dancing, pole dancing and striptease.’ I laughed as he spurted a load of coffee down his shirt. ‘Now you have to let me get you a new shirt.’
‘You’re a … a …’
‘Stripper? Not really. I did a few months pole dancing, nothing nude. I really loved it, but my husband … Gabe didn’t like me dancing with other men watching me. So we opened the club and now I teach the dancers and offer classes. It’s not one of your sleazy dives. It’s very upmarket.’
‘I … I, errrr …’ he rubbed his mouth as he stared at me.
‘I’ve shocked you.’
‘Yes, I just … Phew, I don’t know what I expected, certainly not that. Do you enjoy it?’
‘I prefer the dancing side of it, but yes, running a business in the entertainment industry like that is fun. Have you ever been to a private club?’
‘Yes, a couple of times on Batchelor parties, but I never found them “upmarket,” quite the opposite,’ he laughed.
‘You were in the wrong places then.’ I finished my cake and jolted as he leaned over and swept his thumb over the corner of my lip.
‘Frosting,’ he advised as he stuck his thumb in his mouth and sucked it clean. I gulped. I felt that sensuous suck in places I shouldn’t have. ‘How long are you home for?’
‘I’m not sure,’ I shrugged. ‘A few weeks I guess. I can run the business from anywhere with Wi-Fi, and a friend is taking my classes for me.’
‘We should meet again, I’m sorry to have to cut this short, but I really need to get to the hospital.’
‘You want to meet up?’ I looked at him surprised.
‘Again, not a date Mia,’ he smiled. ‘Just coffee or a drink to catch up properly when I have time.’
‘Ok, I’d like that,’ I nodded. I gave up trying to work out how to use my new phones contact list, so he took it off me and sussed it himself, programming his number in and taking mine as we continued to chat. I drained my coffee and we both stood up and walked out into the sunshine together.
‘Well, I’m going that way,’ he advised, nodding in the opposite direction to me.
‘That way for me,’ I smiled. ‘Again, I’m so sorry about your shirt. Please let me have the dry cleaning bill.’
‘Don’t worry about it. And Mia, … I’m …’ he frowned as he blew out a deep breath. ‘I just wanted to say how sorry I was to read about your …’ he stalled and rubbed his mouth again.
‘You saw that?’ I blew out a breath this time, and nodded. ‘Of course you did. Mum said it was big news here, in my home town.’
‘It was. I thought about you for a long time after that, hoping you were ok.’
‘Thanks, it was rough for a while, but I’m doing ok now.’
‘Glad to hear it. I’ll call you soon,’ he smiled and leaned in to kiss my cheek. I closed my eyes and felt my stomach flutter again. Just having some form of attention and affection from a man, when I was feeling so undesirable and worthless, was heady.
‘I’d like that,’ I smiled. ‘Now go, save lives,’ I ordered pointing down the street. He laughed and walked away and I watched his sexy backside moving for a moment as I bit my lip, then shook myself off and turned around to head to the indoor shopping centre for some retail therapy. I frowned as I heard a noise in my bag. I opened it to hear “I’m Sexy and I know it” playing, and pulled it out to look at the name of the person calling.
‘Who the hell’s McDreamy?’ I muttered, then burst out laughing as I realised I only had one person’s number in my phone so far. ‘Tyler?’ I answered.
‘I thought it was cute,’ he laug
hed as he heard me still giggling.
‘The ring tone or the name?’
‘Both. The name in particular.’
‘It was very cute, though I have to admit I was more a McSteamy fan.’
‘So it’s the body over the hair?’
‘You could say that, though I’d partial to a good head of hair too. What can I do for you, Dr. Jackson?’
‘So I checked my schedule, are you free for coffee tomorrow?’
‘I might be,’ I answered. Wow, he was keen. ‘What time?’
‘I could meet you at nine-thirty, if that’s not too early.’
‘Nine-thirty it is. See you tomorrow, McSteamy.’
‘You haven’t seen my body yet, Mia,’ he replied in a sexy tone. Yet?! I thought.
‘O, trust me, I saw it a lot as a teenager and you’ve filled out since then.’
‘That’s the last time I eat carrot cake then,’ he joked.
‘Goodbye, Tyler.’
‘Bye Mia, see you tomorrow.’
‘Tomorrow.’ I hung up and smiled. If nothing else a bit of harmless flirting would do me good and take my mind off whatever Gabe was doing with … the bitch. Several hours later, and loaded up with yet more shopping bags, full of stuff that I really didn’t need, I headed to the salon Mandy worked at. She screamed as she saw me and came hurrying over.
‘O.M.G, what are you doing here?’ she asked as she gave me a big hug.
‘Home for a few weeks. Wondered if you were free for lunch.’
‘Damn it, I’ve just had it. Why didn’t you ring me?’
‘Sorry, my mind’s elsewhere.’
‘Are you free tonight? We could go out.’
‘How about tomorrow night? I promised Mum and Gerry I’d cook for them. I only got home late last night.’
‘Works for me, eight in the usual place?’
‘Great. What about Leo? I’m kind of flying solo this visit.’
‘He can stay at home,’ she snorted. ‘I don’t want him cramping our style.’
‘Mandy …’ I hesitated, wondering if I was making the right decision and then decided to throw caution to the wind. ‘Would you have time to cut my hair?’
‘I don’t, I have someone due in any minute, but Gina has, she’s the “senior” stylist,’ she advised with a roll of her eyes.
‘Is she good?’
‘Yeah,’ she sighed. ‘Really good. I hate her. What are you thinking of doing?’
‘Something different,’ I smiled.
‘Mia!’ shrieked Mum as she walked into the kitchen, where I was preparing a pork, apple and cider casserole in the slow cooker. ‘Your hair! What have you done?’
‘I wanted a change. Don’t you like it?’
‘Sweetheart, there’s change and there’s change. You’ve had about nine inches off.’
‘Twelve,’ I shrugged. ‘It’s kind of liberating. What about the colour, do you like it?’ I’d had all my long hair cut off, styled into a tapered bob that just skimmed my shoulders at the front and bared the back of my neck. Then I’d had a glossy chocolate brown base, with fine streaks of red and purple, giving it a real rich Autumnal glossy feel.
‘It really suits you, but it’s such a shock. Is this some sort of rebellion?’
‘No,’ I frowned. ‘I just haven’t been able to cut my hair in nearly three years Mum, Gabe loved it long, so I had it long. Now we’re … separated, I fancied a change.’
‘You’re not separated, you’re still married.’
‘We no longer live together or talk, and he was out drinking Mum, in Westhampton, when I thought he was in New York trying to make a decision about our relationship. He’s made it clear that we’re separated.’
‘I can’t believe that he’d just walk away. He adores you.’
‘Well, he did walk away and obviously doesn’t adore me anymore. I’m sick of crap happening to me Mum, and I’m sick of feeling sorry for myself. I feel like a damn victim all the time and I’m done with feeling like that. I’m never going get over him, but I need to try and move on with my life. He’s made his choice and much as I hate it, I have to respect that he doesn’t want me anymore. I’ll start looking for a house. I can cash in my investments and if that’s not enough, on my salary I can get a mortgage.’
‘Mia, you’re moving too fast. Slow down, it’s only been two weeks.’
‘Two weeks where he didn’t even pick up the phone until last night, Mum. He never even let me know that he was back in the country, let alone … don’t even start me,’ I growled as I thought of Chelsea. ‘Can we change the topic, please? I’m getting angry,’ I asked, as I viciously diced the apple to throw in the pot.
‘Ok,’ she sighed. ‘Well, what else did you do today?’
‘Shopping, haircut, the usual.’
‘Not having a cosy date with Tyler Jackson then?’ She raised her eyebrows as I looked up at her with my mouth ajar.
‘See, this is why I left Toddlesworth,’ I exclaimed as I pointed my paring knife at her. ‘This town is too damn small. Nothing’s secret. How the hell did you know that?’
‘Trish Jensen was grabbing a coffee and saw you both. She texted me immediately asking what was going on.’
‘That nosy old cow.’
‘Mia!’
‘Well she is,’ I protested. ‘I literally bumped into him and got carrot cake all over his shirt, so he asked me to join him for coffee, that was all. There was no date and definitely no “cosying.”’
‘So you’re not seeing him again?’
‘Mum,’ I objected.
‘That’s a yes.’
‘I’m having coffee with an old friend, I don’t see the harm.’
‘The old friend you had a crush on for years, cried over when you saw him with other women and whose name you scribbled with hearts all around it on your notebooks.’
‘I was young and impressionable and he was super cute.’
‘He’s super cute now.’
‘He is,’ I giggled, then gasped as I caught the smug look on her face. ‘You just tricked me into admitting that I still find him attractive. You’re an … evil mother.’
‘Just be careful, Mia. You’ve had a couple of really stressful years, I’m not sure that you’re thinking clearly.’
‘Actually, this is the clearest I’ve thought in months, Mum. Other than the club I have no responsibilities, no pressures, and no worrying about other people’s feelings or trying to get pregnant.’
‘No husband either.’
‘Well, that wasn’t my choice,’ I replied.
I’d been at Mum’s for two weeks. Four whole weeks now without Gabe. I’d read countless books, been in every shop and had purchased a ridiculous amount of new shoes and handbags, along with another suitcase to take them all home in. I’d had nights out with Jess, Mandy and Lizzie, gone running every day and had either spent time with Tyler, or spoken on the phone with him, daily. I don’t know what it was about his company, I just felt relaxed around him. He put me at ease, made me laugh and everything in my bleak world suddenly seemed a bit brighter. I even looked forward to our meetings or chats, which varied daily, dependant on his shifts. I’d opened up to him in a way I didn’t think I could with anyone other than Gabe or Lexi. I’d come clean about the state of my marriage, the failed IVF attempts and the loss of my pregnancy, my condition and the abduction. He’d told me all about his training, his work and his relationships. He’d been engaged and living with someone, but she couldn’t handle the hours he did at work and had left him four months ago.
He was like me, he said he really wasn’t ready for another relationship, but was missing some opposite sex company. So, as today was Friday, end of the week and he had a few days off, we’d agreed to go out for dinner tonight, as friends. He was taking me to the nicest restaurant we had in Toddlesworth, a gastro pub kind of place, so I’d made an effort and put on a pair of black cigarette trousers, black ankle strap heels and a white crochet off the shoulder loose fit top. I twiste
d my head in the mirror, still getting used to my new hair style. It really did feel liberating, like I was drawing a line in the sand and starting again.
Lexi had been in regular contact, saying that she’d ignored a load of calls from Gabe and had received one lengthy text message. Apparently he’d texted her to say that he’d been trying to get hold of me for two weeks and was really worried that he couldn’t and that he urgently needed to speak to me. He’d told her that he was sorry that he was stuck in New York, but he would be back Friday afternoon, this afternoon in fact, and wanted to see me. He asked her to tell me to please contact him urgently. She’d replied to tell him to “Fuck off and crawl back into whatever hole he’d dragged himself out off” and to lose both of our numbers. I was furious with him. He’d obviously changed his mind about us and thought he could just pick up where we left off and I’d have no idea about his fling with … her. Well, he had another think coming. I heard Mum call me from downstairs.
‘Coming,’ I yelled and grabbed my bag. I made my way down to find Tyler standing in the hall waiting for me. He was in some black jeans and a white granddad shirt, that hugged his toned body really nicely. I was pretty sure that he could give Gabe a run for his money naked. ‘We’re matching,’ I smiled.
‘We are,’ he laughed. ‘You look lovely.’
‘Thanks, you too. See you later, Mum,’ I pecked her on the cheek.
‘Don’t be home too late,’ she warned. ‘You know how I worry. If you’re going to be late, call me please.’
‘Mum,’ I protested and flicked my head at Tyler. I felt like a fourteen year old.
‘I promise not to bring her home too late, Mrs. Page, I understand why you’d worry after everything that she’s been through.’
I pulled my tongue out at her and he led me to his car and opened the door. I lowered myself in and bit my lip as he walked around to his side. I know we’d agreed friends, but even Milo and I had never gone out for a meal together, on our own, this felt kind of like a date, even though I knew it wasn’t.
‘Nice car,’ I smiled. ‘Porsche?’
‘Yes,’ he grinned. ‘I have to have some perks to offset my shitty working hours.’
Infinite Love (The Austin Series) Page 37