Just the Two of Us

by Georgie Capron

  Rory insisted that his speciality was making gravy so he took over the final stages of the roast, setting the chicken to rest on the carving board, sprinkling plain flour and some of the red wine into the juices from the meat, and adding some of the water from the vegetables. He left Lucy to stir it while he set about carving the chicken, shaving thin slices of breast meat as juicy and succulent as could be. With the roast finally ready, and Rufus satisfied with a couple of scraps from the carving board, they piled their plates high and sat at the table, eating their hard-earned meal and listing their favourite foods, the best meals they had ever eaten, and the most exotic.

  ‘I’ll win this one, hands down!’ announced Rory.

  ‘What was it?’ asked Lucy,

  ‘Lambs testicle!’ he said proudly.

  ‘Eurgh,’ said Lucy. ‘That is disgusting… why? Where?’

  ‘It was a dare while I was travelling in Africa after finishing school. It was pretty horrendous, I’m not going to lie. What about you? Can you trump that?’

  ‘Cow stomach.’

  ‘That does sound pretty rank.’

  ‘But I’m ashamed to admit I couldn’t eat it. It was like a sheet of the thickest rubber imaginable, and worse, you could see the spiky villi all over it…’ Lucy went green at the thought.

  ‘I definitely win then!’ laughed Rory. ‘I’m no wimp!’ Lucy gave him a playful shove.

  After their meal, pleasantly full and with wine glasses topped up, they settled on the sofa to watch some Sunday night television.

  Later, as they got into bed, Rory having taken Rufus out for a last run around the green, she felt as deep a sense of contentment as she had ever felt. She knew, without the slightest trace of doubt, that she was in exactly the right place at the right time, and, most importantly, that she was with exactly the right person.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  ‘You dirty stop-out!’ shrieked Claudia. Her reaction to Lucy’s dramatic update on her love life was so extreme that Lucy had to hold the telephone well away from her ear. It was Monday lunchtime and she had called Claudia the second her break had started to fill her in. After another late night with Rory she had struggled through the morning replaying memories of their weekend together to keep her going.

  ‘I know! Can you actually believe it?’ laughed Lucy. ‘He’s literally the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met in my life, so sexy, so awesome. I can’t wait for you to meet him!’

  ‘He sounds divine!’ said Claudia. ‘When is he going to get my seal of approval?’ she asked.

  ‘I’ll see if we can get a pub session together next weekend maybe,’ suggested Lucy. ‘It would be nice for him to meet you guys.’

  ‘Good plan,’ agreed Claudia. ‘It sounds like he absolutely knocks the socks of Alex. Irish and an architect… the dream!’

  ‘When I’m with him, I honestly can’t even remember who Alex is, he doesn’t even compare! It’s so weird, Clauds, I can’t describe it… I know we’ve only known each other for a short time but I feel like I’ve known him all my life,’ explained Lucy. ‘I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.’

  ‘You know that’s exactly how I felt when I met Dan?’ said Claudia. ‘It was the strangest thing, if I were to believe in something as horrendously naff as the notion of soulmates then that’s kind of what it felt like. As if you knew each other inside out right from the beginning.’

  ‘Exactly! It’s as if we just “get” each other,’ expanded Lucy. ‘We love all the same things, we laugh at the same jokes, we even have practically the same dog for Christ’s sake! Size excluded obviously!’

  ‘Oh, Luce, I’m so happy for you! Fingers crossed that you have finally met your Mr Right! Although, on second thoughts…’Claudia tailed off somewhat awkwardly.

  ‘Yes?’ asked Lucy.

  ‘Well, when are you going to find out the results of your last treatment? What if it worked?’ asked Claudia, raising the question that had been hovering like a rain cloud over Lucy’s head all day.

  ‘To be honest, I can’t even think about that right now,’ said Lucy, rubbing her forehead.

  ‘But you kind of have to, right?’ encouraged Claudia. ‘I mean, just imagine…’

  ‘I can’t even begin to imagine what I would do if I found out I was pregnant right now, the timing would be utterly insane. I’m sure I’m not pregnant, anyway. I can’t feel anything different within me, surely I would know?’

  ‘You still better check, Luce,’ said Claudia, the voice of reason. ‘It’s better to know, even if things have changed for you somewhat.’

  ‘I know. But it’s still too early to test yet.’

  ‘Did you use protection?’ asked Claudia.

  ‘Yes…’ said Lucy, holding her breath and wondering whether to come out with the truth of the matter. ‘Although on one occasion the condom split… but it was only for a second before he noticed and then we immediately dealt with it, so I’m sure it’s fine.’

  ‘What do you mean you’re sure it’s fine? What you are saying is that you had unprotected sex?’ asked Claudia in exasperation. ‘Did you get the morning after pill?’

  ‘No,’ said Lucy. ‘I’m sure the timing of my cycle was in my favour. I was supposed to be at my most fertile the weekend before this thankfully. And I have had two rounds of IUI which didn’t result in pregnancy so this is hardly likely to have done so…’

  ‘But you wouldn’t want to fall pregnant with a virtual stranger’s child!’ said Claudia.

  ‘Look, I’m sure nothing happened… anyway, it was an accident,’ said Lucy, as if that made it better.

  ‘Okay Luce, I’m not trying to be a pain in your arse here but I am after all the expert at avoiding impregnation, that’s all.’

  ‘I know, I know! God, life all seems way too complicated all of a sudden,’ groaned Lucy.

  ‘What is meant to be will be,’ Claudia reassured her.

  ‘Anyway I’ve been wittering on about Rory and myself for the last twenty minutes, how’s Dan? How’s work? Is the mega bitch still being bitchy?’ asked Lucy. Having changed to her favourite subject, Claudia nattered on happily for the rest of Lucy’s lunch break.

  She had decided to eat her sandwich sitting on a bench in a nearby park, making the most of yet another sunny day. As she walked back to the office, her mind shifted back to Rory. He had left early that morning to take Rufus home and get ready for work. He was going to spend the day working partly in his office, and partly at Thurloe Crescent, where all of his architectural equipment was set up in one of the downstairs rooms overlooking the garden. Rory was at a work event that evening and though she would happily have seen him she was looking forward to having the evening to herself. She had made plans to see Rory on Tuesday. She missed him already and could hardly believe that she was falling for him so quickly; she hadn’t thought it was possible.

  Lettie and Simon were fascinated by her account of what had happened that weekend. They gave each other knowing looks as she described Rory, hoping along with her that her turn might have finally come. She quickly hushed them, knowing that that kind of talk got her nowhere whilst secretly hoping they might be right. Even the usual Monday morning hello from Jack had failed to have its usual stomach churning effect on her.

  In the afternoon, Tor had emailed her trying to get a date in the diary for lunch that weekend, so Lucy had also given her a call and filled her in on the new developments in her life.

  Tor had been an absolute rock during Lucy’s donor treatments so far. Having been through a similar, if more gruelling, process herself she was more interested in knowing how Lucy was feeling following the third cycle than anything else. Lucy explained the dilemma about Rory and the split condom. Tor reassured her that it was incredibly unlikely that she could be pregnant from those few moments but warned her that these things did happen occasionally nonetheless. It only took one sperm to fertilize an egg, after all, and it was possible to release more than one egg in a cycle. In fact, it turned out th
at one of Tor’s sister’s friends had got pregnant through exactly the same slip-up. This did not make Lucy feel much better. She thought long and hard about how she would feel if it were true. She realized that to her a baby would be a blessing no matter who the sperm came from, and she was sure that the chance was so slim she needn’t worry about it too much.

  Tor offered to be there when she did the pregnancy test, knowing the time would be coming up soon. Lucy thanked her but knew she would rather do the test alone. Tor was very sensitive to the situation and knew there was no need to push the matter. Instead, she patiently answered all of Lucy’s questions about what she should expect to feel if she was pregnant. All of the symptoms that Tor described had no resonance with what Lucy’s body currently felt like so she prepared herself to accept the fact that she would remain childless for a while longer. This time it was with mixed feelings that she contemplated the prospect. Perhaps now that she had met Rory it wasn’t the best time for her to be trying to fall pregnant after all. Maybe she should concentrate on seeing what happened with him over the next few months before pursuing her quest for motherhood further. It was funny how life could throw curveballs at you. Just one chance encounter and her entire world had turned upside down! Suddenly she no longer knew what to think, what to hope for, or what to do. She decided to put her next treatment cycle on hold for a while, until the earth stopped shifting beneath her feet and she felt settled once more.

  Rory had been texting her throughout the day and Lucy’s heart had leapt every time she saw his name flash up on her screen. When she finished work she decided to run home. She needed some time to straighten out her thoughts and running was the perfect way to do so. It was already dark when she left the office and the lights of the city flickered all around her, the noises of London’s traffic accompanied the rhythm of the music pumping in her ears as she ran. She slowed her pace as she neared her flat, walking the last few blocks and feeling her heart rate return to normal, her forehead damp with sweat, her backpack resting heavily on her back.

  The flat seemed very empty without Rory and Rufus there. Bizarrely she seemed to feel their absence even more acutely than the empty feeling the flat had had when Alex had moved out. After a refreshing shower she popped to the shops to buy some dinner before curling up on the window seat to phone Nicola.

  ‘Lucy! How are you?’ her friend asked warmly as she answered the telephone.

  ‘Not too bad, thanks! How are you?’ replied Lucy.

  ‘Not bad at all! Maisy is keeping me busy as ever.’

  ‘I’ll bet!’

  ‘Work is manic, but I’m sticking to my guns and leaving early so that I can spend time with her in the evenings.’

  ‘Well done you, stay strong. Don’t let them bully you into working late; they need to honour the terms they agreed to when you came back.’ Her bosses had been giving her a hard time recently, trying to pressurise her into working into the evening with the rest of the team.

  ‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to let them take advantage. They know Maisy is my priority and they are just going to have to like it or lump it,’ said Nicola firmly. ‘How are you feeling, anyway, since the last cycle? You must be nearly ready to do a test, right?’

  ‘I feel fine…’ Lucy pondered whether to share her predicament with Nicola, and realized that she would really like her opinion, so she talked through her thoughts on whether to quit IUI to pursue a relationship with Rory. . Nicola listened carefully before offering her opinion.

  ‘Look, Lucy, life has a wonderful way of keeping us on our toes. I know the timing is not exactly ideal, but look at it this way. You want a baby and you want to meet an amazing guy. In the last few weeks you could have achieved both of those goals, admittedly it might not be in the traditional way, but the world is changing. Whatever happens now is in the hands of God. You just have to accept it! There is a Chinese saying that when the sky falls down, you should pretend it’s a blanket, it’s a bit like blessings coming in disguise. Only good things can come from all this. You’ll see! Try not to worry.’

  Lucy thanked her for her kind words and realized she felt much better. Trying to control life was impossible, Nicola was right; she just had to roll with it.

  ‘Have you thought more about your own situation?’ asked Lucy. Nicola was trying to decide when she was going to start her treatments to try for a brother or sister for Maisy.

  ‘Yes, I have actually. I’m going to start trying in the summer, when things should have calmed down a bit at work,’ explained Nicola.

  ‘Okay. Well remember what I said about being there to look after Maisy when you do. I doubt you want her toddling around the treatment room after all!’ chuckled Lucy.

  ‘Thanks Lucy. You are a star, I might well take you up on that,’ said Nicola.

  As they ended their conversation, Lucy set about making some dinner, watched a bit of television and then got ready for bed and an early night. Just as she was settling in under her duvet, her phone started to ring. It was Rory; he was just taking Rufus out for a final walk and was ringing to find out how her day had been. They chatted for twenty minutes or so, making plans to meet at The Troubadour near Earls Court for dinner the next day. Lucy fell asleep with a grin on her face, dreaming of Rory.

  On Tuesday, Lucy just couldn’t stop smiling at the thought of seeing him again that evening. She found herself humming cheerful tunes at her desk; work suddenly seemed much less of a chore. She was actually enjoying herself for once working on a new campaign that she had just been assigned. She felt as though she was viewing the world through rose-tinted glasses and she loved it.

  After work, she dashed for the tube and found herself arriving at The Troubadour a little earlier than expected. The tables of the little bistro were covered in chequered table cloths and the walls were plastered in retro French memorabilia. Her internal butterflies had reached dizzying new heights. Every time the door opened she would lift her eyes in nervous anticipation, expecting Rory to walk through the door. When she realized it was someone else, the disappointment would overwhelm her and she would return to her careful studying of the menu. When he did finally walk in, her heart melted at the sight of his sparkly blue eyes and his broad smile, which widened as he saw her.

  Rory came over and kissed her on the lips. The delicious smell of him made her want to run out of the restaurant with him that second, straight home, forgetting about dinner altogether. As he sat down opposite her, tucking his long legs underneath the little, wooden table, she contented herself with drinking in every gorgeous detail of him instead. He began to fill her in on his new project, a commission for a new art gallery in Edinburgh that was to be constructed purely out of metal and glass. As he talked about his ideas, Lucy marvelled at his talent and creativity. She could never dream something up from thin air like that; it was such an incredible skill. The more she found out about Rory the more flawless he seemed to be. She couldn’t believe her luck.

  For dinner they ate coq au vin with creamy mashed potato and drank glasses of red wine, listening to the band that was playing live in the corner. They talked about their most embarrassing memories, their first kiss, when they lost their virginity and with whom. The more they discovered about each other, the closer they became. They had an endless appetite for talking; no sooner had one topic of conversation finished had they started the next. A thousand questions brewed in Lucy’s mind; there was so much she wanted to find out about him. She thought of all those dinners with Alex when he would retreat inwards and barely talk to her. She hadn’t thought anything of it at the time but she realized now that she had had nothing like this level of interest in getting to know what really made him tick, what made him who he was. Lucy was beginning to see what her granny had meant all along about Alex not being quite right for her. She wondered how long she should wait until she introduced Rory to her family. She couldn’t wait for them to meet him.

  The next evening, Lucy and Rory went to the cinema together to watch an Indie fl
ick that Rory had read about in Time Out. They sat in the comforting darkness of the movie theatre, sinking back into soft chairs, a huge barrel of popcorn perched between them. As they munched their popcorn and slurped their drinks, they became lost in the virtual world projected on the screen before them, resurfacing a few hours later back into reality, discussing the ins and outs of the plot as they walked hand in hand back to Thurloe Crescent once again. They received another rapturous greeting from Rufus, his tail wagging as he begged to be taken out. Obliging, they walked around the block with him and then settled him into his bed in the kitchen before heading upstairs to bed.

  As Rory wrapped her in his arms under the white sheets, every cell in Lucy’s body tingled with the warmth of his embrace.

  On Thursday morning she got a taxi back to her flat at the crack of dawn, tearing herself away from Rory who was having a mini lie-in, not needing to be in the office until later on. She showered and dressed before heading straight into work. Lucy envied Rory who was no doubt still tucked up in bed as she joined the mindless traffic of commuters heading into the city. But for once, she felt so relaxed that she didn’t even mind when her head ended up being rammed too close to a sweaty armpit, choosing instead to retreat inwards into her mind, imagining herself back in the snug king-size bed at Thurloe Crescent.

  Rory was at a work event on Thursday evening so Lucy went to see Granny Annie for dinner. They had steak and chips in the studio, followed by apples and ice cream, one of Annie’s many specialities. Lucy told her grandmother all about Rory.

  ‘It has to be said, darling, he sounds like just about the most wonderful thing since sliced bread!’

  ‘He is an absolute dream,’ said Lucy. ‘I can hardly believe my luck.’

  ‘Darling, will you bring him over for dinner next week?’ asked Annie.

  Normally Lucy would have thought long and hard about introducing someone new to her grandmother, but not this time. ‘Absolutely. I’m sure he would love to come!’ said Lucy.