by Cherry Kay
“I'm sorry,” he said, releasing her hand. He turned to the barmaid with the cropped blond hair and called out. “Janey, would you come and take our dinner orders in a second?”
“Will do.” Janey smiled to Marsha.
She followed Finn around to the other side of pub where there was another smaller fire and a few dining tables and chairs around it and against the large windows. It was quiet in this corner of the pub. The music speakers overhead were turned down lower than in the main bar and only the two of them occupied the area.
Finn grabbed a couple of menus and handed one to Marsha.
“You're smiling, Marsha, but you look sad in your eyes.”
“Do I?”
“Yes.” He waited a beat before adding, “I recommend the steak.”
She looked over the menu.
“You don't have to tell me,” he said, “but whatever made you sad and is sending you back to America and making you cut short your holiday, is a real shame.”
“I know, because London is a great place to be at Christmas, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, I'll never get to know the truth about that.”
“Tell you what, Marsha. Give me one day.”
“One day for what?”
“To convince you how much you're gonna like London at Christmas. We're having steak, Janey.”
“How do you want yours?” Janey asked, directing her question at Marsha as she held a notepad and pencil in her hands.
“Medium rare.”
“So how about it? You game?” Finn extended his arms, hands raised.
“It's a wonderful offer and very generous of you, Finn, but I need to get home. This is my first and probably only meal in London and this pub is the best it's gonna get for me. This time tomorrow, I'll be back in New York.”
3
For the hour and a half she spent having dinner with Finn, Marsha was able to forget about Jonathan, forget about the revenge she would so dearly love to take on him and forget that her heart was breaking.
She called Jodie when she got back to the Lanchester Hotel.
“Hey girl!” Jodie was excited to hear from her. “So? How did it go? Did you surprise your man?”
“Oh I surprised him all right. And I got a really great surprise of my own when his fiancée answered the door.”
“When his what did what? He’s engaged? As in to be married?”
“Jodie, I couldn't believe it either. I didn't even know what to say. I walked away with my tail between my legs like a damn fool. I let him get away with it.”
“No, you walked away with your dignity, which is something that fool will never have.”
“How could I let him treat me that way? I was about to make a real commitment to this guy. I was falling in love with him.”
“And now?”
“And now, I'm getting the first flight back and starting over.”
“I'm so sorry, Marsha. I wish I could be there with you. I know how excited you were to spend Christmas in London.”
“Well I'm coming home tomorrow, if I can get a flight. Looks like I'll be spending Christmas on my own, after all.”
She could hardly sleep that night. With all her tossing and turning, images of Finn kept coming to mind as well as the memories of her dates in New York with Jonathan. She woke several times, wondering what it would have been like if she'd met Finn before meeting Jonathan. But it was only because of Jonathan that she met Finn in the first place.
She finally fell into a deep sleep at about five o'clock in the morning and was rudely awakened at seven a.m. when her cell rang, persistently, in her purse. She stumbled out of bed, aware that her cell rang and then rang off at least twice before she could rouse herself enough to make a grab for it. She pressed the green phone symbol and fell back onto the bed.
“What do you want, Jonathan?”
“I just wanted to explain.”
“Explain? What's to explain? You're a lying, two timing, dirty, sleazy bastard. Your fiancée seems like a nice girl. It's a shame she doesn't know the truth.”
“About that. Emma and I got engaged about two years ago but, we're never getting married, you know? It's more or less over between us.”
“Does she know that?”
“Of course she does, I don't know why she insists we're still engaged.”
“Might have something to do with the big emerald she wears on her finger. Look, goodbye, Jonathan. I've got a flight to organize.”
“No, don't leave, Marsha. Let me meet you tonight. Let me just explain about my relationship with Emma. Well you really couldn't call it a relationship as such, it's...”
“It's what?”
“Sorry, she just turned off the shower. I'll call you later, we can talk. Why don't we meet for lunch?”
“Jonathan, what do you take me for? You think you can just snap your fingers and I'll come running?”
“Of course not. But if you value anything we've had, all those months we've spent together, the great times we shared, you'll give me a chance to explain.”
“Jonathan, last night's visit to your house told me all I needed to know about you. Don't call me, ever again. If you do, I will go to Emma and tell her all about New York. You understand?”
“But I love you, Marsha, I really do...”
Marsha cut the call short. She knew it was only a matter of time before he played the love card. While his declaration of love melted her heart, she knew it would be a mistake to let him carry on talking, she was afraid of what she might do.
He immediately sent a text saying, “Marsha, I love you. It's over between me and Emma and I can prove it. Where are you staying? I'll come over. J.”
She switched off the cell this time and went to have a shower.
As she began to pack her case, the telephone in her room rang. She looked at it and wondered who could be calling. Surely Jonathan was not able to have located her so quickly. It kept ringing so she picked it up.
“Miss Layne, I have a call for you,” the hotel receptionist said.
“Do you know who it is?” Marsha was worried.
“It's a Mr. Brady for you.”
Finn was on the line.
“Put him through. Hey, Finn. You calling to bid me bon voyage?”
“Well not quite. I got to thinking about our little chat yesterday evening. You know, you planning to go home and not experiencing Christmas in London.”
“Yes?”
“Well, how about we have Christmas in London but we celebrate it the way the Irish do? How about that for a combination? You know us foreigners have to stick together at times like this. What do you say? Have you booked your flight yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Well let's spend this morning together. I'll take you to breakfast. If you're still set on going I'll help you book a flight for this afternoon. I'll even throw in driving you to the airport.”
“Well, I haven't had breakfast yet. Wait, what am I saying. I don't even know you.”
“I don't even know you but I'm willing to trust you with my body.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. He had an endearing quality, playful but persistent. She liked that.
“Listen,” she said. “I'll let you take me to breakfast and then I'm outta here. Where shall I meet you?”
“The foyer downstairs in five minutes. Dress up nice and warm. And don't keep me waiting, I'm starved.”
She hung up the phone and collapsed onto the bed. She threw back her head and laughed. Of course, he had the address because he'd called the taxi. Pretty cunning of him. She got dressed in some jeans, a t-shirt and then pulled a sweater over her head.
She stopped to check her reflection. She paused and wondered where the harm was. She had to eat anyway and all she had to do was pop back upstairs when she needed to go. Finn would understand.
As she got to the foyer she saw Finn sitting in an armchair, reading one of the morning newspapers. She halted on the stairs to look at him
. He was casually dressed in jeans and thick boots. He wore a thick outdoor jacket in navy blue that suited his skin tone. He had a boyish look about him, despite the rugged look he had with an unshaved face and his dark hair a little messy, probably from the breezy morning.
She walked across the foyer. Finn noticed her coming and stood up energetically.
“Good morning,” he called. “How did you sleep?”
“Had a few things on my mind but not too badly.”
“Let's blow all those cobwebs away shall we?”
“Okay, all right then. I'm dressed up nice and warm. Where will we be eating?”
“I've got breakfast all planned. Do you trust me?”
“Well, you could say I have trust issues at the moment, Finn. But, you know what? What the hell. How much worse can it get?”
“Then, first of all, you'll need to bundle up. It's a cold morning.” He zipped up her thick jacket and then helped her on with her knitted, woolen hat. He bent to pick up a large, wicker picnic basket and offered Marsha the crook of his arm.
“If you'd like to come this way.”
They stepped out into a fresh winter's morning. Marsha's hotel was on a quiet street, but just around the corner was Sloane Square. It was a weekday morning and the streets were still very quiet, a little early for the scurry of passers-by on their way to work, but it also two days to Christmas and many people would have the day off work.
Sloane Square was decorated with Christmas lights that were not lit at the moment, but gave the impression of a party not ready to start or one that had recently ended. In the middle of the paved square was the Venus Fountain. The water flowing from the vessel Venus held trickled into the wide basin and was the only sound that Marsha could hear.
“Don't tell me we're going to wade in the fountain,” Marsha said, looking up at the sculpture.
“Now that would just be silly,” Finn replied. “No, the sound of the water should soothe you. De-stress you of any bad vibes left over from yesterday's ordeal, whatever it was. But over here,” he took her hand, “is a lovely bench for us to sit on.”
He gestured for her to take a seat, spread a small checked table cloth between them, and began pulling food out of the hamper. There was a flask of coffee, a carton of freshly squeezed juice, croissants just made at a local bakery and still warm, plus a small bowl of fruit.
“This is amazing, Finn. You did all this for me?”
“Absolutely, I did. You know how difficult it is to pack a hamper full of food you just bought?”
“You mean you didn't make these croissants from scratch?”
“Certainly not. I made the coffee with my own fair hands, though.”
“And what if I'd said no to breakfast? Or what if I had already left for New York?”
“Then I would have been very sad to have missed you and I'd go back to my pub hoping and praying that some reason, other than the one that brought you here the first time, would bring you back to me again.”
Marsha stopped with her lips slightly parted. After a few seconds of silence, her bottom lip began to tremble and she could not stop the tears from falling.
“I'm sorry,” she said.
“No, don't apologize.”
Finn offered her a napkin from the hamper to dry her eyes. “I think who ever broke your heart is the one who should be apologizing.”
“I've been such a fool, Finn. You have no idea.”
“It's all right, Marsha. We all do things we regret. I see you're hurting and I'd do anything I could to take the hurt away. But, as my old Ma used to say, 'You can't solve the world's problems on an empty stomach.' So eat up. Don't let all this great cooking go to waste.”
She nodded slowly and when she'd dried her eyes she sipped the coffee he'd poured into a cup for her.
“This is wonderful coffee, Finn.”
They ate and watched Sloane Square begin to wake up. A few of the shops they could see from along the King's Road were opening their doors to let cleaning staff out and shop assistants in. It was still a few hours to opening time but now there were more pedestrians on the street, some were coming from Sloane Square Station and some were on their way there. The streets were becoming busy; double decker buses, black cabs, vans and cars sped around the neighboring streets and swallowed up the sound of the Venus Fountain.
“Did you enjoy your breakfast?” Finn asked.
“It was the best.”
“Well, allow me to walk you home.”
Marsha helped Finn pack away their breakfast things. She took his arm again as he walked her back to her hotel. When they got to the glass double doors he turned to her.
“Well, what about it?”
“What about what?”
“Are you going to book your flight back to New York or have I convinced you to spend a day in London in the hope you'll stay for Christmas too?”
“Christmas Day in London, doing Christmas the way the Irish do it?”
“Precisely.” He looked pleadingly into her eyes with his wide like a cute puppy.
That was it, all her defenses were down in those few seconds. She smiled her broadest smile.
“Finn, you've won. I won't go back to New York today. I'll spend it with you and then you can show me your special Christmas.”
“Really, you'll stay?”
“What do I have to lose?”
“As my old Ma used to say, 'You've nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking a chance.' Let's go.”
4
“Marsha, do you know what time it is here?”
“Jodie, I'm sorry but you might be the last person to hear from me.”
“What are you saying? You're not thinking of doing anything crazy are you?”
Marsha knew she had Jodie's attention now.
She knew they were still in the early hours of the morning in New York, but Marsha had rushed up the stairs of the hotel and into her room to grab a few things before taking off with Finn.
“You know what, Jodie, maybe I am crazy, but I met this guy-”
“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. What guy? Who is he?”
“An Irish guy called Finn and he's going to show me London. So I'm staying for Christmas.”
“I don't get this, Marsha. Listen to me, did you get any sleep last night? Have you been drinking? You're not making any sense.”
Marsha explained how she met Finn and that he had convinced her not to go back to New York straight away. Jodie let out a deep sigh.
“I don't know about this, Marsha. I mean you don't really know him. Sure, he owns a pub and everything but you don't know what he's really like.”
“I could say the same about Jonathan.”
“Yeah, and look what happened when you jumped on a plane to go meet him. Listen, Marsha, you're just too impulsive. Come home, I'll book your flight from here.”
“No, really. I'll keep checking back with you throughout the day to let you know I'm still alive. And don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I took a chance and flew out here, hoping to have an adventure. Well, looks like I have a different one from the one I planned, but I have a good feeling about this.”
“Marsha.”
“I've got to go. I'll call you later.”
She hung up. Grabbed her camera, gloves and scarf, put on comfortable shoes for walking and threw everything, including some money, into her purse and went back down to the foyer to meet Finn.
“Everything okay?” he asked her as she got back to reception.
“Yes, all good. Where are we going to first?”
“First we need to return these to the pub. We'll catch a bus from here.”
“You mean one of those the red double deckers?”
“The very same.”
He held out a hand and she took it.
They sat on the top deck of the bus in one of the front seats, at Finn's insistence that she got a birds-eye view of London. As he pointed out various landmarks to her, the cell in her purse started to ring. She forgot to turn
it off again after speaking to Jodie.
“Are you going to answer that?” Finn asked her.
“I'll turn it off.”
“You should take it.”
She saw Jonathan's name flashing on the cell screen and looked at Finn.
“Go on,” he insisted. “Could be important.”
She turned her head to face the window as she spoke.
“What is it, Jonathan?”
“Thank goodness,” he said. “Did you get my texts? I've been ringing since I got into the office. Where are you?”
“I don't know.”
“What do you mean, you don't know?”
“I'm on a double decker bus and I don't know where I am.”
“Chelsea,” Finn whispered.
“Who was that?” Jonathan asked.
“A friend,” she replied.
“It was a man.” Jonathan's voice was tight.
“And your fiancée is a woman. Imagine that. Look I've got to go. This is our stop and I've got a busy day ahead.”
She did not give Jonathan time to say another word but hung up. She followed Finn back down the stairs and out onto the street. She recognized where she was because, opposite the bus stop, on the corner, was Finn's pub.