Glenn raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Three years, eh?”
I nod. “I’ve let him down, Glenn; I’ve let him down so badly. And Mum,” I add as I crumble under the weight of my tears. Glenn instantly gathers me into his arms, whispering words of reassurance in my ear. I hold onto him, afraid to let him go, as he strokes my hair, letting me cry until there are no more tears left.
Chapter 18
I’m glad Holly decided to call in sick on a Sunday, although, having said that, she has picked the worst Sunday, considering I’d literally spent half the night crying on Glenn’s shoulder. Talking about Mum and Dad had been tough but I’m glad I told him; it felt good to, finally, trust someone enough to confide in them.
Glenn hadn’t pressured me to talk about anything I didn’t want to; in fact, we’d ended up sitting in silence for ages, me thinking of Mum and him… I’m not sure what he had been thinking; probably of possible excuses to escape the hysterical woman sitting next to him. To his credit, though, he had stayed until gone midnight but had eventually left because he needed to get home for Yogi; I had been sad to see him go but it was hardly something I could blame him for, was it?
After he’d gone, I’d fallen into a restless sleep and woken up this morning with a cracking headache and eyes so sore and dry they felt like they had grit in them. All I had wanted to do was crawl back into bed but Holly’s message had come through at just the right time, forcing me to get up. Damn migraines!
But it’s been pretty quiet this morning, thankfully, so I’ve been able to keep on top of what few orders I’ve had. I’m just cleaning the counter down, more to keep my mind focused on something other than thoughts of last night, when the door opens.
“Good afternoon,” Glenn greets me; he’s dressed in his uniform, so either he’s just going on duty or coming off.
As he approaches the counter, I try not to look too pleased to see him. “Hey,” I reply with a smile. “What can I get you?”
“Just a latte, please,” he says, watching me carefully.
“Is that to stay or go?”
“Well, seeing as you’re not too busy: I’ll stay.”
I turn away quickly, hoping he doesn’t see how pleased I am, and start putting his drink together. “So, I take it you’re on your way home?”
“Yep, just got off shift. Been quite slow this morning.”
I glance back at him. “Yeah, same here.”
“Maybe people are still recovering from the excitement of last night.”
I nod. “Yeah, maybe,” I agree, putting the finishing touches to his coffee: a Christmas tree in chocolate sprinkles. Turning back, I put the cup in front of him, anticipating his appreciation of the decoration.
He smiles. “Nice touch.”
“Holly’s idea,” I explain.
“Well, I didn’t think it was yours,” he says, holding out a five pound note.
“Oh, no; this is on the house,” I insist. He frowns but, before he can argue, I wave his money away. “Seriously, Glenn; after last night, I owe you one.”
“I just did what any friend would.”
I shook my head. “No, it was more than that; you have no idea how much it meant to me just to be able to talk.”
He smiles supportively. “I’m just glad you let me in,” he says quietly, taking a sip of coffee. “How are you today?”
I shrug. “Okay, I guess. I woke up feeling rough but…”
“Yeah, you look it,” he agrees.
“Thanks a lot!”
“No; I didn’t mean it like that!” he assures me. “I just meant… Maybe you should lie down or something.”
I wave away his concerns. “I’m fine, now; anyway, I need to keep busy.”
“Where’s Holly?” he asks.
“She texted me this morning; she has a migraine,” I explain. “She’s packed the kids off to their friend’s houses so that she can rest.”
Glenn nods knowingly. “Good plan.” He falls silent, for a moment, looking uncertain about something.
“What’s up?” I ask.
His head snaps up and he meets my gaze. “Nothing,” he insists.
I narrow my gaze suspiciously. “Then why don’t I believe you?”
“Okay, fine,” he sighs. “I want to ask you something but I don’t want you to take it the wrong way.”
“Now, I’m worried.”
“No, it’s nothing weird,” he assures me. “It’s just… I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight.”
I stare at him, unsure. Part of me would love to spend time with Glenn, to get to know him better… But, another part of me thinks it could be a massive mistake, especially when he’s already hinted that he likes me. Would it be fair to have dinner with him, knowing it couldn’t go anywhere? “Glenn, I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea,” I say hesitantly.
“Why not?” he asks. “What’s wrong with two friends going out for dinner?” He pauses, a look of realisation appearing on his face. “Oh, I get it,” he laughs, “you think I might be after something more?”
I shake my head, suddenly embarrassed. “No, I never said-”
“You didn’t have to; it was written all over your face,” he points out. “And, for your information, I wasn’t asking because I’m attracted to you; I was asking because I thought it would be nice to spend time with you.” He gives me an amused look. “Someone really needs to get over themselves.”
“Shut up!” I laugh, blushing.
“So…?” He grins. “I mean: you do eat, don’t you?”
“That’s true,” I agree. “Go on, then; I’ll have dinner with you.”
“Great! Meet you outside The Dragon at seven?” he asks. “I mean, I would offer to pick to you up but you might read more into that than either of us want.”
I drop my head, my embarrassment rising by the second. “You’re never going to let this drop, are you?”
Glenn grins before draining the rest of his coffee and sliding the cup back to me. “Just consider it payback for the whole ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ thing,” he says smugly before turning and heading for the door. “See you tonight,” he calls back.
And, with that, he’s gone.
Chapter 19
“I thought you said you had a migraine,” I point out as I find myself looking at the evidence of the giant chocolate bar Holly’s clearly been working her way through all day.
“Did I?” Holly asks, dropping back onto the sofa, pulling the blanket back over her legs.
I put the flask of soup on the coffee table, taking in, not only the half eaten chocolate bar but the fact that she clearly paused Love Actually before answering the door to me. “Then why don’t I believe you?”
Holly glances at me. “I don’t know,” she mutters, resting her head against the back of the sofa.
I sigh; I know something’s happened to set her back but it doesn’t look like she’s about to let me on it any time soon. “I brought you some soup,” I announce, gesturing at the flask. “You know, seeing as you’re sick.”
Holly barely acknowledges my sarcasm and just continues staring into space.
Nudging her feet until she, begrudgingly, makes room for me, I sit on the sofa, watching her carefully. “What’s happened?” I ask, concerned.
She looks away, clearly trying to hide her tears. “Nothing.”
I take a moment before continuing. “Holly, I’m not bothered that you phoned in sick when you clearly aren’t but it does bother me that you’re obviously upset about something.” I reach out and place a hand on her arm. “Tell me what’s happened; I want to help.”
Holly finally brings her gaze up to meet mine. “I phoned Mike last night,” she admits quietly.
I frown. “Why?”
“After yesterday, I was feeling so happy, so were the kids,” she adds. “And, when we got home, we were talking about Christmas and…” She shrugs. “They won’t say it because they think it will upset me but I know how much they both want to s
ee their dad on Christmas Day-”
“So you phoned him to see if he intends to visit?” I guess. She nods. “And…? What did he say?” Of course, I think I already know the answer to this so am not surprised when Holly bursts into tears. Shuffling closer, I pull her into a hug, letting her cry for the man she loves.
“He said he’s spending Christmas with her,” she sobs.
I shake my head, disgusted by his behaviour. “What, so he’s not seeing the kids at all?”
She pulls away, wiping her eyes with a tissue. “He said he’d try and see them before the New Year.”
“Try and see them?” I exclaim in disbelief. “He does realise they’re his kids, doesn’t he?” I demand angrily.
Holly runs her fingers through her hair, sighing. “He says it isn’t as simple as that.”
“What? Nothing could be simpler, could it?”
“She has a kid, too.”
“So, he’s putting someone else’s kid before his own?” I demand. Seriously, I didn’t think my opinion of him could get any lower but it looks like he’s just proven me wrong. “Do Josh and Amy know?”
Holly shakes her head. “I don’t know what to tell them,” she confesses.
“Well, that’s easy,” I announce, “phone Mike, put him on speaker and make him do it.”
“I can’t do that!” Holly gasps, horrified.
“Why not?”
“It wouldn’t be fair.”
“To whom?”
“The kids, obviously,” she retorts. “No, I should be the one to tell them.”
I shake my head, barely holding my temper. Taking a deep breath, I ask, “Do you want me to be here when you do?”
Holly shakes her head. “Thanks, but no; I need to do this on my own.”
We fall silent for a moment; I daren’t say what’s really going on in my head because I know it would just upset Holly more and she’s been through enough already. Glancing over at her, I realise I can’t leave her so I pull my phone out of my pocket and scroll through my contacts, looking for one name in particular.
“What are you doing?” Holly asks, watching me intently.
“Texting Glenn.”
“Why?”
“We were supposed to have dinner tonight,” I explain distractedly, finally locating his number. “But I’ll cancel.”
“Er, no you won’t!” Holly declares, surprising me with her vehemence.
I look up at her. “I think I can decide that for myself,” I retort. “Hol, I can’t leave you like this.”
“Why not; I’m fine,” she insists. I raise an eyebrow at her and she shrugs. “Okay, maybe I’m not ‘fine’, but I won’t be the reason you cancel your date.”
“It’s not a date,” I correct her. “We’re just having dinner as friends.”
“Well, whatever it is, you need to go out; you need to have some fun.”
“But-”
“But nothing.”
“Are you sure?” I ask. “Because, if you’re not, I can stay.”
She shakes her head adamantly. “Yes, I’m sure. Besides,” she adds, gesturing towards the TV, “I have Hugh Grant for company.”
I grin. “What more could you ask for, eh?”
“Exactly. So, what time are you meeting him?”
“Seven, outside The Dragon.”
Glancing at her watch, Holly gasps. “Then you’d better get going,” she announces, leaping to her feet. “You have to go and get ready.” Pulling me to my feet, she drags me to the door, barely giving me a chance to grab my coat on the way out.
“Okay, okay,” I say, pulling out of her grasp. “Listen, I’ll go on two conditions: one, you phone me if you need me to come over, alright?”
She hesitates for a moment but then nods. “And, what’s the second?”
“You waste no more time thinking about you-know-who,” I state firmly. “Seriously, he’s a waste of space who doesn’t-”
“That’s a bit harsh.”
“No, it isn’t, Holly, and you sticking up for him isn’t going to change that. I mean, when has he ever made you happy?”
“When he gave me my children,” she fires back, crossing her arms.
Okay, she has me there. “Okay, fine; I’ll give you that one.”
“Just go, Jess, or you’ll be late for your date,” she says, smiling.
“It’s not-!”
“So you’ve said,” she says as we share a smile. “See you tomorrow,” she adds, closing the door behind me.
Chapter 20
“I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind!” Glenn says as I draw near.
“Sorry,” I apologise, “I went to see Holly.”
“How is she?”
“Not suffering with a migraine,” I tell him.
“She threw a sickie?” he laughs. “I didn’t think she had it in her.”
“She doesn’t,” I agree. “What she does have, though, is an ex-husband who’s hell bent on making her life a misery.”
Glenn frowns, all traces of laughter gone. “What’s he done now?”
“Told her he won’t be seeing the kids on Christmas Day.”
“Are you serious?” he shoots back. “Honestly, this guy… he doesn’t deserve Holly or the kids.”
“That’s what I’ve always thought,” I agree as we make our way inside.
“You know, I could always run a background check on him,” he suggests, “see if there’s anything in his past I could use. I’m sure twenty-four hours in a cell is the least he deserves.”
I laugh. “While I would love it if you did that, Holly’s another matter.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he says, holding the door open for me.
No sooner have we stepped inside than Vinnie appears, smiling at us. “Ah, good evening, Bambina!” he cries, pulling me into a fierce hug.
“Hi, Vinnie,” I gasp.
“I’m so glad you and your papa are talking again,” he says, releasing his hold.
“Thanks,” I murmur, unsurprised Jackie had spoken to him.
“Now, what can I do for you?” he asks, glancing between Glenn and I.
“Just a table for two, please.”
At this, his eyes widen and he grins happily. “Ah, so, this is what it looks like, yes?” he asks hopefully.
I glance at Glenn, uncertainly. “What does it look like?” I ask warily.
He points between us, his eyes lighting up in anticipation. “Cupid’s arrow has found you, yes?”
I roll my eyes. What is it with everyone? Can’t a man and woman just be friends anymore?
“Oh, we’re not together,” Glenn says, stepping in. “We’re just friends.”
Vinnie winks at him. “Friends can always become lovers,” he says as if he knows something we don’t. “Remember: amore… she strikes when you least expect it.”
I shake my head. “Believe me, amore won’t be striking us any time soon,” I mutter firmly, “and neither will Cupid’s arrow,” I add, for good measure.
Vinnie looks disappointed but he rallies well. “Well, after an evening spent here with good, Italian food… you will fall in love, I promise you.”
“Vinnie, leave them alone,” Jackie orders, appearing out of nowhere, waving her husband away before whisking us off to a table, menus in hand.
“Do not worry, Bambina, I will provide the perfect meal for you and your love,” he calls after us before heading off to the kitchen.
“I’m so sorry about my husband,” Jackie apologises as Glenn and I sit down. “He means well but he’s a hopeless romantic.”
Glenn laughs. “Nothing wrong with a bit of romance in life.”
Jackie smiles. “True but you can’t force it on every couple who walks through the door,” she says, meeting my gaze.
I smile, grateful that she doesn’t feel the need to comment on my relationship with Glenn.
“Okay, take a look at the menus and I’ll be over in a second to take your orders.”
Once
we’re alone, I ignore the menu (I pretty much know it by heart, anyway). I glance over at Glenn, who’s scanning his menu like it holds a secret.
“I guess you’ve eaten here a lot?” he asks, glancing at my discarded menu.
I nod. “Oh, yeah; growing up, I used to eat here all the time.”
Putting the menu aside, he asks, “So… what would you recommend?”
Well, that’s easy. “Spaghetti and meatballs, no doubt.” Noting the disappointment in his face, I ask, “What? You don’t like meatballs?”
“No, it’s not that; I just thought you’d be a bit more adventurous.”
I grin. “Sorry to disappoint you but, where Vinnie’s cooking is concerned, I know what I like and so will you, I promise you. I practically grew up on Vinnie’s cooking.”
“How come?”
“Dad worked long hours as a solicitor,” I begin to explain, “and Mum was a doctor so sometimes worked night shifts; Jackie would often pick me up from school and bring me here. Jackie and Mum were best friends.”
He nods. “No wonder you’re so close.”
“She’s also my godmother; Sofia and I practically grew up together.”
“That must have been nice, having someone to grow up with, especially as an only child.”
“Yeah, it was,” I agree.
Glenn shakes his head. “I can’t imagine being an only child; were you ever lonely.”
“Not really,” I say, shaking my head. “I mean, I was close with Mum and Dad and I had Jackie and her family; no, I wouldn’t say I was lonely.”
“So, what can I get you?” Jackie asks, once again, appearing from nowhere, her pen poised over a notepad.
Once we’ve ordered, Jackie leaves us alone, with a promise to send Sofia over with our drinks.
“So, tell me what you and your brother got up to growing up,” I begin.
He grins. “It was pretty cool having an older brother; though I’m sure if you ask Aidan, he’ll tell you how annoying I was.”
All I Want For Christmas (A Sweet, Contemporary Romance) (Romance In The Lakes Book 1) Page 10