Peering into the dimly lit mirror in the Ladies, Lucy gave herself a stern talking-to. Pushing all thoughts of Jack out of her mind, she focused on the evening ahead of her. She decided to refresh her make-up, hoping the dull light would not leave her resembling a cast member of TOWIE. She sprayed Chanel no.5 on her wrists and behind her ears then reached into each cup of her lacy bra to hoist up her boobs and give her more cleavage. She admired the effect of her readjustments. She felt confident, sexy and a little tipsy. The encounter with Jack on the stairs had bolstered her self-esteem. Dangerous though this flirtation was, she had to admit it felt good to be wanted. She was in the perfect mood for a first date.
With a final goodbye and good luck wishes from Lettie and Simon she headed for the door, dodging Brian on the way out.
The sense of calm she had felt at the bar disappeared as she sat on the tube, her Dutch courage was wearing off. All thoughts of Jack had disappeared as she relived each moment she had spent with Alex the previous Saturday. Her nerves jangled with every step she took as she climbed the stairs to exit the tube station. She wondered whether he would be there already, deciding that would be preferable to waiting around gormlessly for him to arrive. She navigated her way through the crowds surrounding the fountain, momentarily distracted by an incredible beat-boxing act busking in front of the famous neon signs. She looked around, trying to distinguish Alex from the masses, wishing he had chosen somewhere less hectic to meet. Suddenly she spotted him opposite the fountain. She stared at him for a few seconds, marvelling at his chiselled good looks and gearing herself up to approach him. She was glad she had come. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards him and called out his name.
Alex spun around, searching her out and crying ‘Lucy!’ with a huge smile as he came towards her. He kissed her on both cheeks, causing her stomach to flip over like a pancake as the memories of last Saturday night came flooding back.
‘You look stunning!’ he said as he ushered her away from the crowds towards Haymarket.
‘Thank you,’ Lucy replied. ‘You don’t look too bad yourself!’ she said. A huge understatement, she thought to herself.
‘I thought we could have a drink at this little wine bar I know,’ said Alex. ‘It’s got a fantastic roof terrace with an amazing view of the city.’
‘Sounds great!’ said Lucy, falling into step with him as they made their way down the busy road. Alex chivalrously ensured that he was on the side of the pavement facing the oncoming traffic. Lucy appreciated his good manners, one of the most attractive qualities in a man as far as she was concerned. They turned down a narrow, cobbled side street and came to the entrance of the bar.
A porter at the door tilted his hat and said, ‘Good evening, Mr Hayes, good evening madam.’ Lucy was impressed by the personal greeting.
‘I come here a lot with work,’ Alex said by way of explanation as they entered the lift, pressing the button for the top floor. ‘It’s a great place to try and impress clients… I’m hoping it’s going to have the same effect on you!’
As the doors slid open, they stepped into the room. A huge glass bar lay in a ‘U’ shape in front of them, surrounded by tables; a jazz pianist tinkled the keys of a grand piano over to the right. The opposite wall of the room was made entirely from glass, revealing an open-air terrace with spectacular, panoramic views of London. Lucy exclaimed in delight and headed straight through the open door to the railing to peer out over the city. The emerging stars twinkled above her, little pulses of light, and the street lights illuminated the surrounding buildings with a rosy glow.
She spun around to face Alex, saying ‘What a stunning view! I’m definitely suitably impressed.’ She saw a fleeting glance of relief flash over his face. He’s nervous too, thought Lucy, thrilled that she was capable of having that effect on him.
He asked her what she would like to drink and they made their way back inside to the bar. She ordered a gin and tonic and they took their drinks to a table near enough to hear the relaxing music from the piano, but still close enough to the window to admire the view. They toasted the end of the working week and laughed at stories from the wedding. Alex informed her that Claudia’s Uncle Alan had been found wandering through the town in the early hours of the morning singing ‘Lady in Red’ whilst dancing with an imaginary partner. Lucy burst out laughing at the thought.
‘I’ve been dying of jealousy all week at the thought of Claudia and Dan in the Maldives,’ moaned Lucy. ‘If she would stop sending me photos of her painted toenails with nothing but white sand and turquoise sea stretching beyond I would be extremely grateful! I mean, what is it with honeymooners, and in fact holidaymakers in general, about rubbing salt into the wounds of those of us stuck at work?!’
Alex laughed and asked her to show him the photos she had received. Lucy happily obliged, relishing the opportunity to lean closer to him, allowing his delectable smell to work its hypnotic magic on her. He snorted with mirth as he found a picture of Dan looking as red as a freshly cooked lobster and proceeded to tell Lucy about their post-finals trip to Malaga. One night, in the early hours of the morning, Dan had infamously passed out drunk on a pool-side lounger wearing nothing but his underwear, failing to rouse himself until midday. Unfortunately by this point he had managed to acquire third-degree burns all over his body and had been unable to wear clothes for the rest of the week. Lucy chuckled as Alex asked the waitress for another round of drinks. They regaled each other with stories about Claudia and Dan’s misspent youth, a surprisingly easy source of entertainment, it turned out. Lucy was sure that, given the cause, Claudia would forgive her for any indiscretions.
As they finished their G and Ts, Alex glanced at his watch. ‘I have booked a table at a great little place around the corner, but if you’d rather stay here, or if you have other dinner plans…?’ he trailed off, leaving the ball firmly in her court. Lucy was touched at his lack of assumption and appreciated his foresight in planning their evening so thoughtfully.
‘I’m starving,’ she said, ‘that sounds like a great idea!’
Alex paid for their drinks and escorted her down the stairs and across the road, guiding her through the backstreets of the West End to a small red-brick building. As she crossed the threshold of the restaurant, Lucy was immediately struck by the enticing smell of garlic. She loved the red and white chequered table cloths, the buzzing atmosphere of happy diners, the fairy lights strung haphazardly across the walls. They followed the waiter to their table and sat down as he gave them their menus and explained the day’s specials, catching each other’s eyes and sniggering at his absurdly fake French accent.
‘Poor thing,’ Lucy said. ‘You obviously have to be “French” to work here!’
Alex burst into a stream of stereotypical Frenglish, in an extremely over-the-top accent, culminating in ‘Would-a you like-a ze ketch-up wiz-a your steak and cheeps? What do you think?’ he asked. ‘Would I get the job?’
‘Definitely,’ Lucy chuckled, ‘I’d give you a job any day!’ The two gin and tonics had had a wonderful effect on her, she felt full of sparkling conversation and bags of energy. Actually, perhaps it was Alex’s impact, not the G and Ts, she thought.
A few minutes later, Gaspard, their waiter, came over and took their order. Alex chose a bottle of Côtes du Rhône, and they both ordered Coquilles St. Jacques followed by the steak and chips. As Gaspard poured their wine, Alex told her about his father, a wine expert who had taught him everything there was to know on the subject. Alex showed her how to swirl it properly in her glass to release the vapour, and told her to look out for the smell of spice. She inhaled and instantly identified it, surprised at herself.
‘Wow, you’re very good at this!’ she complimented him, relaxing into her chair. They chinked glasses and she took a sip, savouring the deep, peppery flavour as she rolled the wine around her mouth. She was really starting to enjoy herself.
A short while later, their starter arrived. The impeccably cooked scallops melted in her m
outh, perfectly accompanied by the smooth and salty Gruyère cheese. She soaked up the remaining sauce from the shells with a piece of bread.
‘God, I love food,’ sighed Alex. ‘Especially French food.’
‘Mmm,’ agreed Lucy, ‘this is unbelievable. It’s been years since I have eaten scallops. Imagine life without food… it wouldn’t bear living!’
‘It’s so refreshing to meet a girl who enjoys eating proper food. I can’t tell you the number of dates that I’ve been on where the girl has just ordered a mixed salad with the dressing on the side. There is nothing more unattractive,’ Alex said firmly.
‘Well you certainly don’t have to worry about that with me… clearly!’ grinned Lucy, gesturing towards her empty plate.
‘Good!’ said Alex. ‘Is there anything about you that I’m not going to love?’
Lucy blushed at his compliment and shrugged, ‘I hope not!’ as Gaspard approached the table, asking ‘Ow were zee starters? You like?’ which prompted another set of conspiratorial winks and barely suppressed giggles.
As their juicy steaks arrived with baskets of stick-thin French fries, Alex asked Lucy to tell him about her family.
‘Siblings wise it’s just me and my younger brother Ollie, then there’s my mum Ginny and my dad Gus!’ Lucy told him. ‘They live down in Cornwall in a little village on the north coast, where I grew up.’
‘It’s so beautiful in that part of the world,’ Alex said. ‘We used to go on holidays to Devon when I was young, which I imagine is quite similar.’
‘Yes it is, very.’ Lucy nodded in agreement. ‘The rugged coastline full of wonderful little paths that almost propel you into the sea on a windy day!’
‘Pasties, clotted cream, fudge…’ said Alex.
‘Clotted cream ice-cream!’ said Lucy, dreamily.
‘Surfing on flimsy bits of polystyrene, salt water up your nose…’ said Alex, laughing. ‘Oh, the memories!’
‘Oh yes! Especially squeezing yourself into wetsuits you’ve long since outgrown.… in fact, when Ollie and I were really small, mum and dad refused to buy us new ones for years, so we had to slip carrier bags over our feet to reduce the friction and wrench ourselves in!’ Lucy remembered. ‘Such a palaver!’
‘What does Ollie do?’ Alex asked.
‘Oh, he’s sort of an eternal backpacker, really. He’s in Australia at the moment. He was doing some work on a cattle ranch last I heard, but really he just wants any excuse to avoid coming home and joining the “real” world. He’s still surfing mad; though I’m sure he doesn’t need a wetsuit over there! What about your family?’ enquired Lucy.
‘Well, there’s my father, Michael, the self-titled sommelier, and my mother, Lillian… she gave up banking to become a housewife, I’ve got two older sisters, Sarah and Isabel,’ explained Alex. ‘Sarah is the oldest at forty-two, she’s married to Nat and they have two children, a boy and a girl. Isabel is the middle child and she’s thirty-nine, she’s got a daughter too and is married to a guy called Nick. And I’m the youngest, clearly letting everyone down by not being married or having procreated yet!’ screeched Alex mischievously, clearly mimicking his mother.
‘Tell me about it! An unmarried daughter and a son living on the other side of the world… I’m sure my parents think we’ve got some kind of conspiracy theory against them having grandkids at all!’ Lucy rolled her eyes.
‘I propose a toast. To the reprobate offspring who have thus far failed to reproduce!’ announced Alex.
‘Hear, hear!’ concurred Lucy as their glasses met, chiming. Lucy hoped that Alex was in the same category as her, wanting to have children but waiting for the right person to come along before starting a family. She stopped herself short of asking him directly, for fear of sounding deranged.
For dessert they shared a lavender crème brûlée with two glasses of golden, syrupy pudding wine and Alex told her about his nephew and two nieces, whom he clearly adored. Lucy took this as a positive sign. He said that he loved buying them presents and always chose the most annoying ones with the special effects and noises, toys that were strictly banned when Uncle Alex was not around as they drove his sisters to distraction but definitely gave him huge brownie points from the kids.
Much later, realizing that they were the last table there and that the waiting staff were setting up for the next day’s lunch shift, Alex asked for the bill. He batted away Lucy’s hand as she offered to pay half, insisting that it should be his treat.
Wrapping their jackets around them, they stepped out into the coolness of the night, a swollen moon hovering above them as they made their way to the nearest tube station. Alex took hold of her hand and she enjoyed the reassuring presence of his palm against hers, smooth and warm.
As they approached the tube, Lucy said, ‘I’ve had such a great time tonight. Thank you so much.’
‘It’s been fun, hasn’t it?’ agreed Alex, stopping on the side of the dimly lit street and turning to face her.
Lucy was aware of the traffic whizzing past on the main road up ahead and was grateful that they were on a quiet street with no one to disturb them. She nodded in agreement, suddenly aware of how much taller he was than her. He stood in front of her, strong and steady, his brown eyes looking intently at her under thick black lashes.
Still holding her hands, he said, ‘I would very much like to see you again. Would that be okay with you?’
Lucy muttered, ‘I’d love to,’ sure beyond certainty that he must be able to hear her heart, which by now was hammering on her ribcage like a bird trying to escape from captivity.
He held her gaze and said, ‘Good,’ brushing her fringe away from her eyes, then he slowly lowered his face to hers. He grazed his lips gently against her mouth, cupping her chin in one hand as he did so. At the touch of his lips, Lucy’s stomach did a back flip; she felt as though she had been plugged into the mains as electricity shot through her. Noticing her reaction from the wide-eyed expression on her face, Alex smiled, and, holding her firmly with his free arm, he kissed her again, softly at first and then more passionately. Each tantalizing kiss dissolved into the next one; the spicy smell of his aftershave made her dizzy as he kissed her on and on. She thought she might collapse with longing. Eventually, she pulled away. Finding inner strength from god knows where, she steadied herself against his chest. Breathless, they grinned at each other and, without a word, walked hand in hand to the tube.
Chapter Seven
The next morning Lucy flung open her bedroom curtains, allowing the daylight to come streaming in, creating a patchwork of sunbeams all over her bed. She smiled to herself, stretching like a cat arousing from a deep sleep. She felt on top of the world as she relived her evening. It was a wonderful feeling to fancy someone who was actually available. The fact that it was the start of the weekend was the icing on the cake.
She wrapped her fluffy white dressing gown around her, luxuriating in the softness. Pulling on her slipper socks, she padded into the kitchen to put the kettle on, reaching for her cafetière and spooning in some real coffee. Opening the freezer, she took a cinnamon bagel out of the packet and popped it into the toaster. This was her standard routine to start the weekend: coffee, bagels and a lie-in.
She decided to text Alex to say thank you for the date, resulting in an instant flashback to the night before, her insides dissolving once again at the very thought of his irresistible kisses. She couldn’t wait to see him again… she hoped that she wouldn’t have to wait too long! She sent him a text:
Morning! Thanks for a wonderful evening. I’m still full from all that yummy food! Hope you’re having a fun day at the zoo with Sarah + fam. L x
Lucy thought of him playing the role of naughty Uncle Alex with Sarah’s little ones. She imagined that he was extremely good at it. Sarah and Nat were in London for the weekend, staying with Nat’s brother and sister-in-law, and Alex had offered to take them all to London Zoo. She chuckled to herself as she imagined the children dragging him around all the differ
ent animal zones before no doubt holding him hostage in the gift shop! The fact that as an experienced uncle he was no doubt amazing with children added to her excitement about him as a prospective partner.
After showering, Lucy called Tor, her best friend from secondary school, and checked their plans to meet for lunch. Tor confirmed they were meeting at half past one at their usual cafe in Holland Park, next to the Orangery. Lucy dressed in jeans and a navy and white stripy T-shirt, put on her sunglasses, and left the house, slinging her handbag over her shoulder. She strolled leisurely up Edith Road, revelling in the feeling of the sun beating down on her, soaking up the badly needed Vitamin D, before turning right to make her way towards her favourite park in London. She loved all the different parts that made up Holland Park – the Dutch gardens that were full of tulips at this time of year, the zen Japanese garden with its peaceful water features, the peacocks parading their bejewelled beauty, trying to impress a mate. Lucy and Tor had fallen into the habit of meeting there during the warmer months for lunch and a catch-up, walking around the park afterwards with steaming cups of coffee, putting the world to rights.
As she arrived at the café, she could see Tor sitting at one of the metal tables outside, basking in the early summer sunshine. Her curly blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail, her Ray-Ban aviators keeping the hair off her face to allow for maximum sun exposure. She really is a girl after my own heart, smiled Lucy as she approached the table. Both girls had spent much of their time at school ‘revising’ in the garden of either of their family homes, far more interested in the depth of their tan than anything else.
‘Hi Tor,’ Lucy said as she bent down to kiss her friend on both cheeks. ‘I love your top – very boho chic!’
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