Looks Unimportant...Sense of Humour Essential

by Evie Evans

  “Yes.” Suddenly he remembered Lucy knew Sebastian, kind of, and more worryingly, Sebastian knew her. From the dating site. Their secret could be about to be history if they weren’t careful.

  “Excuse us a minute.” He tried to move Sebastian away, maybe he could stash him in his office and then order a taxi for him. Perhaps he wouldn’t recognise her and it would remain their little secret.

  “Hey, it’s you,” Sebastian shouted before Leander had managed to walk him more than a couple of paces.

  His heart sank, he should have known nothing could ever be secret around Sebastian. It looked like their situation had just become evident to Lucy who suddenly bore a look of panic in her eyes.

  “Lucy, at long last, girlfriend, how’s it hanging?” Sebastian struggled free from Leander’s grip and weaved over to her. “Can I just say you look better than your photo on the dating website?” Sebastian blurted out as just Katherine arrived beside Lucy.

  “Um, thanks,” Lucy told him, aware this conversation could get very embarrassing if Sebastian talked much more about online dating. “Good to see you to.”

  “Lucy, perhaps I could have a word?” Leander asked.

  “Sure. Actually I was just going to ask you the same thing.” She followed him away from the throng, her heart suddenly pounding.

  “Sorry about that, he insisted on coming tonight.”

  “Wouldn’t have expected anything else,” she told him and tried to smile but found her facial muscles suddenly didn’t want to work properly. It felt like this was the million dollar moment.

  “Thanks again for sorting out the libel case. It really helped us to land the contract.”

  “That’s okay. Just glad it worked out alright.” There was a moment’s pause whilst Lucy considered whether this was the right place to tell him how she felt. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about that woman. It’s just that it goes with the job. It makes you very cynical when people deny stuff. And with that photo of you and everything…”

  “I know, it didn’t look good. I had hoped you would’ve believed me though.”

  “I’m sorry. This online dating has been so rough I think I’ve stopped believing anything anyone tells me. If Katherine told me it was raining I’d have to go look myself.”

  “Online dating?” Leander queried. “I thought you’d given up on that?”

  Ah. Had she dropped herself in it here? “Yes, I have but, okay, I went on a couple more dates then I admitted.”

  Leander raised his eyebrows at her.

  “I was desperate for a date to the wedding! They were terrible. You saw how successful it all turned out. I would have been at the wedding on my own if you hadn’t turned up.”

  “Yes, good old Sebastian.” They both turned to see where Sebastian was. He saw them and waved.

  “About that…” she started. Nerves were building up making it hard for her to think of the right words to use. “Thanks for being there at the wedding. It really helped. You really helped.”

  “That’s okay, I enjoyed it,” he told her smiling.

  “Amazingly so did I which is something I wouldn’t have believed beforehand. And about us…”

  “Yes?”

  “I really enjoyed our dinner last week but all the things that have happened since then−”

  “Let’s put that behind us and pick up where we left off,” he told her grasping one of her hands and caressing it.

  Lucy had to work to concentrate on what she was trying to say. “I don’t think it’s going to work out, I’m sorry.”

  Leander stopped and looked at her questioningly.

  “You’re great, you’re amazing,” she stammered finding this was even harder than she thought, “but we’re not right for each other. I guess the last couple of days made me realise we live in different worlds and I’m just not comfortable in yours.”

  “It only looks glamorous from the outside you know.”

  “You’re a champagne and caviar guy and I’m a beer and chips girl. That’s the problem.”

  “These things can be overcome. I also like beer and you didn’t seem to mind champagne.”

  The memory made her blush. “It was great but that life’s not what I’m looking for. I think we both know that.” Leander nodded reluctantly. “So perhaps we should just keep it business?”

  Leander looked at her for a few seconds. “If that’s what you want.”

  Lucy couldn’t believe she’d just turned down Leander Brooke.

  “I got them together,” they could hear Sebastian telling a few of Leander’s employees and Katherine. “I knew they were right for each other.”

  “I think I’d better go intervene,” Leander told her.

  “I set up their first date,” Sebastian told everyone before Leander could reach him.

  A few more people from had gathered around Sebastian providing him with quite an audience. “I spent ages going through all these profiles of these women that responded,” he told Katherine who seemed quite interested, “online, you know. You wouldn’t believe the stuff some of them wrote–”

  “Sebastian–” Leander tried cutting him off, unsuccessfully.

  “No, some of it was weird. Some of it was plain kinky, I didn’t know there were woman into that sort of stuff. It was a bit of an education. I’ve kept some of their details actually–”

  “Right Sebastian, it’s time to find that coffee isn’t it,” Leander insisted and pulled him away. The crowd seemed disappointed that the show was over.

  Katherine walked over to where Lucy was still standing.

  “So have you and Mr Brooke made it up?”

  “Kind of. We’ve resolved our issues and have decided on a business only relationship from now on.”

  “Are you okay with that?” Katherine asked looking worried.

  “It was my idea.”

  “Look, technically he’s not a client anymore. You’re not necessarily breaking any rules.”

  “It’s not that. We’re not right for each other. I guess I was a bit swept away by the excitement of his life, not to mention flattered. Plus he is amazing looking. But it would never work, we’re too different.”

  “Well if that’s how you feel it’s better to face it now than later on. Come on, I suddenly feel like I really need a drink.”

  “Me too,” Lucy admitted and followed her to the drinks table.

  “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you,” Katherine told her as she raised her glass.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Things might work out yet,” Lucy told her.

  *

  Lucy was changing in the ladies toilet at work. Again. It seemed like she’d been doing this a lot lately. If it carried on she should think about ditching her filing cabinet and moving a wardrobe in instead. She checked her makeup in the mirror again before leaving. It was strange to think of all that had happened in the last two months. She’d started online dating and had gone on her first almost blind date. Now she felt she was an old hand at them.

  She’d had her first big case and, except for a few complications, it had gone well. The complications had taught her a few things too. Mostly that she couldn’t go on anymore the way she was. It wasn’t enough just to work and sleep, work and sleep, she needed more in her life. Like a life. So here she was.

  It was only a short walk to the park but butterflies were forming in her stomach long before she got there. Although they’d met a few times now this was only their third ‘official’ date. It was a good sign that she was nervous, it meant the meeting was important to her. A thought flashed through her mind, the third date? The last one of those she’d had hadn’t gone well, would a strange woman turn up again and reveal her date was married? She certainly hoped not.

  She could see him waiting on a bench by the small duckpond. Her heartbeat quickened as she waved to him. There was that feeling again that he could be the one. She hadn’t known him very long but when Mrs Franklin had sat her down and made her face the truth she’d
had to admit she thought she was falling in love with him. Something between them had clicked when they’d met. It wasn’t just that they had a lot in common; they were on the same wavelength. Lucy knew she wouldn’t be facing a life in the gossip columns with him.

  David smiled as she sat down. “Managed to get away okay then?”

  “I’ve a feeling I’ll be redrafting a will for the umpteenth time when I go back but yes, everything’s under control.”

  “It must be a bit quiet now with no parrot emergencies.”

  There was that great smile of his again. Lucy felt the butterflies in her stomach do another lap. When she’d first met him she’d been impressed with his smile, later, with the Leander debacle, it had been his kindness.

  “Yes, how is your granddad today?”

  “Thinking about getting a cat.”

  “No, really?”

  “He says it’ll be company after I’m gone.”

  A shadow fell across Lucy’s face. That was the only downside in this relationship, David had extended his visit but was still due to go back up north at the weekend. Did long distance relationships work? The old her wouldn’t have even given it a chance. The old her wouldn’t have bothered even with the second date but then she wouldn’t have found out how pretty wonderful David was. After all those frogs she’d realised she’d found a prince charming. Who lived almost 200 miles away. But there was a good train service to Manchester wasn’t there?

  David turned to face her on the bench. “I told him to hold fire, there may not be enough room. I talked to my manager today. I’ve been thinking about this for a while and now…well.” He picked up her hand as he spoke and cradled it in his. “There’s potential for a move down here, to the London branch. What do you think?”

  Lucy beamed at him hardly daring to breathe. Could this be real? “I think it sounds great,” she told him breathlessly, “if you want to of course.”

  David looked at her for a moment. “Oh, I want to,” he told her, squeezing her hand. “It won’t happen immediately though, I’ll still have to go back and finish up first.”

  “That’s no problem, I’m sure we’ll work that out. I’m very good at emailing, you know.” It looked like her workload was in danger of taking a nosedive again.

  “Good.” David leaned towards her, moving in for a kiss. Despite the moment of pure joy Lucy couldn’t help taking a quick look round to make sure there was no woman advancing towards them, about to interrupt. Safe that the coast was clear she leaned in and met his lips, keeping her eyes open all the time.