Divorced, Free, and Single

by Rosemary Lynch

“A surprise,” he said.

  “Alex,” she groaned, and he laughed.

  “Mum, going to the tub,” he said.

  “Okay, I am going to go back to the house anyway, to make sure everything is okay for tonight.”

  Jane wrapped her towel around her chest, and followed Alex bare foot across the manicured lawns.

  “Where is it?” she asked, as they entered into what she assumed to be a maize.

  “It is in the middle, come on keep up, you do not want to get lost in here,” he teased, as he picked up the pace.

  “Alex, wait,” she yelled, running after him, the ground underneath her feet, grassy, and soft. “Alex,” she yelled, as she turned the next corner and could not see him. She spun around and found herself surrounded by high hedges, and she could not see over the top. “Alex,” she yelled, starting to panic. Her heart jumped to her throat as he leapt in front of her.

  “Are you looking for me?” he asked.

  “Jesus, bloody Christ, you scared the shit out me!” she said, holding her hands to her chest as she caught her breath. She must have looked terrified and his face softened.

  “I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you,” he apologised. He took her hand. “Come on, I will not let you go again, I promise,” he said, and he pulled her into the winding maize.

  It was a mini temple, stone pillars, a pointed roof, fairy lights strung over it, and there right in the centre a stone Jacuzzi. She pulled him to a halt, and he turned and looked at her.

  “Alex, that is bloody amazing,” she said.

  “See, Jane, surprises are good,” he said, pulling her towards it.

  “Yes, I’m beginning to realise that,” she admitted, and they climbed the steps up to it. The Jacuzzi bubbled away, and steam rose from the water. To the side in a bucket of ice sat a bottle of champagne, and next to it, two glasses.

  “Alex?” she questioned confused, by the fuss.

  “What?” he asked glancing at her.

  “What’s with the champagne?” she asked, looking at him. Not that she minded she was unsure of his intent.

  He shrugged.

  “I thought you might like it,” he said, sincerely.

  “I do,” she replied. “It’s, well. No-one’s ever done something like this for me, and after all I am just your PA,” she said, looking at him as she waited for his response.

  “Jane, you are not just my PA, you are my friend, right?” he asked, and she nodded. “So can I not treat a friend if I want?” he asked. Her eyes lifted to his, and they stared at each other frozen for a moment.

  “You can treat me as much as you like,” she said back. “If this is what is going to be like.”

  “Come on, in you get,” he said, pushing her as he broke himself from her gaze. She dropped her towel and climbed into the water.

  “Oh god, that feels soo good,” she purred, as she sank into the hot, bubbling water.

  “Champers?” he asked, grabbing the bottle.

  “Yes please,” she said, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to take a reality check. They were friends he had confirmed that, so she knew she had to control the urge to throw herself at him, squeeze him tight, and kiss his wonderful, sensual lips.

  “There you go,” he said, and she opened her eyes.

  “Thanks,” she said, taking it from him. “So how many other friends have you taken here?” she asked, as her legs floated out in front of her.

  “You are the first, actually,” he said.

  “Really, wow, I’m honoured,” she said, teasing. His feet touched hers as they lifted in the water, and they pushed their soles together, and lifted their feet out the water. She laughed, and so did he.

  “God, no wonder you always want to come home for the weekend. This sure beats London.”

  “Would you come again?” he asked. “Just as a friend, not for a meeting I mean?”

  “Yes, if you would have me and your mum doesn’t mind,” she replied.

  “Oh, I would have you again,” he replied, and he smiled, when he realised what he had said. “And mum loves you, she thinks your great,” he added.

  “Really, I’m glad, I like her too. This place is amazing,” she said again. “It’s like being in a faery tale.”

  “You like faery tales?” he asked.

  “What girl doesn’t,” she replied. “What girl doesn’t want a handsome prince to whisk her away from the wicked old witch, or beast that held her captive for years?” She swallowed, when she realised what she had said.

  “So is Sam your beast?” he asked. She glanced at him and he lifted hand.

  “Sorry, too personal, forget I said that,” he hurried.

  “Yes,” she admitted, quietly, but she did not want to say anymore. “So what’s happening tonight, this dinner?” she asked, changing the subject and getting away from the awkwardness that had come over them.

  “It is a dinner party for my mum’s sixtieth birthday,” he said. She slid in the water startled, but managed to save her glass of Champagne.

  “Your mum’s sixtieth birthday, Alex, why ever didn’t you tell me?” she said horrified.

  “It is not until Thursday,” he said, as if that was supposed to make her feel better.

  “Alex, I should have brought her a card, a present, something!” He shook his head.

  “No, mum would not expect it,” he reassured.

  “That’s not the point, it’s rude,” she moaned. He looked at his watch.

  “The shops will be shut now, sorry,” he said. She thought for a second, she could not go to her birthday dinner without something.

  “Do you have any art paper and paint?” she asked. He frowned as he thought.

  “No, but Maria paints, our housekeeper,” he said.

  “Do you think she would let me borrow them?”

  “Sure, I do not see why she would not, why what are you going to do?”

  “Paint a quick card, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course it is, if you really want too, I mean you do not have too, as I said mum will not be expecting anything.”

  “I want too, Alex, please,” she insisted.

  “Okay, do you want to go and ask her now?”

  “Yes, yes I do, thank you,” she sang relieved, and without thinking, she shimmied over to him and kissed his cheek.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said, pulling back. He shrugged, his eyes wandering over her face.

  “Hey, what is a kiss between friends,” he said, and he laughed. She raised her eyebrows at him and moved back.

  “Alex, did you fart?” she asked, shocked. He chuckled, and sucked on his bottom lip, trying to hold onto his laugh. “Alex, how the hell am I going to look at you as my boss on Monday, if you’re going to fart in the Jacuzzi?” He laughed aloud, and she shook her head at him, before giggling, and laughing along with him.

  He pulled a face at her, and she lifted her hand.

  “No Alexander Hartley-Stone, do not do it again,” she admonished and she stood up and held her hands on her hips. He laughed and shook his head.

  “I am not I promise. You know,” he said, as he looked her up and down.

  “It should be illegal for a guy to have a PA that looks like you. I was much more in control when Mary worked for me.”

  “Alex,” she said, not sure how to reply to that. He lifted his hand.

  “Sorry, I should not have said that,” he apologised, before rolling his eyes and submerging underneath the water.

  She climbed out and wrapped her towel around herself, watching him as he resurfaced and wiped the water from his face. He wanted more, she knew he did, but he fought against it, as she did.

  “So,” he said, climbing out and grabbing his towel. “Off to see Maria, then?”

  “Yes, please,” she replied.

  Chapter Ten

  Alex and Jane went back to the main house and got dressed. He took her to see Maria, who was in the kitchen preparing dinner for this evening.

  Maria was happy to lend
her paper and paints, and she invited her back to her cottage on the estate. At the back of her cottage, there was a small conservatory, and she had an easel and watercolour paints set up already.

  “Use whatever you need, Jane,” she said, showing her where everything was. “I have to go back to the main house, but if you want a cup of tea, help yourselves,” she said to them both.

  “Thank you,” Jane said.

  “Is it okay, if I stay?” Alex asked.

  “Of course, I don’t mind, if you make yourself useful and put the kettle on,” Jane said, with a smile. He gave her a nod and went into the kitchen, he switched the kettle on, grabbed a couple of mugs, and milk. By the time he came back with their tea, she had begun to paint. She had decided against a card, and instead she decided to do a quick ten by twelve painting. She had observed as she had walked around the main house, that his mother liked butterflies, so she did a quick sketch.

  “Crikey,” Alex, said as he put the mug of tea beside her. She glanced up at him and smiled.

  “Do you think she will like it?” she asked.

  “Like it, bloody hell, she will love it. In fact I think she will like it more than the present I have brought her.”

  “Sorry,” she said, giving him a grin.

  “No, do not be. You are very talented.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I will go and sit over here, and read something,” he said, walking over to a chair.

  “I can talk and paint,” she said, looking at him.

  “Okay, what do you want to talk about?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” she replied, and they both laughed.

  “Well, hello Snugglebum the second,” he said.

  “Excuse me?” she questioned, looking up from her painting.

  “Oh, was not talking to you, I was talking to the cat,” he said. On his lap was a big, black fluffy cat. “Snugglebum the second,” he said, and he tickled its tummy.

  “Is that really its name?” she asked.

  “No, it is just Snuggles. Maria has been with our family since I was eight. She had his mother when I was a kid, dad never let me have a pet so I would come here and play with Snugglebum, as I nicknamed her. This is snugglebum’s son, so naturally he is Snugglebum the second, he is twenty-two you know.”

  “Wow, that’s old for a cat,” she remarked.

  “Yes, well Maria spoils him.”

  “And so do you by the look of it,” she said, as she washed her brush in a jam-jar of water.

  “I going to get a cat one day, when I have more time on my hands and less travelling to do,” he said. Alex looked happy and content as he sat there stroking Snugglebum the second and gazing out of the window, and she found the image heart-warming. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, switched it onto camera, and took a sneaky photo of him.

  An hour later, she had finished. She stood up and took a step back.

  “Finished, what do you think?” she asked. He put Snugglebum the second down and stood alongside her, he stared at the painting. She had done a simple rose, with a butterfly drinking its nectar, and standing on top of the rose, with her hands on her hips, was a tiny fairy.

  “I cannot believe you painted that in an hour, it is fantastic. Mum is going to go nuts when she sees it.” Jane smiled, pleased.

  “Shame I didn’t have time to get it framed,” she said. Alex thought for a second.

  “Hey, there are a load of old frames in the barn, do you want to go and have a look and see if one fits?”

  “Yes, please, that would be fantastic,” she said, enthusiastically. She tided away Maria’s paints, while Alex washed up their mugs. She left a thank you note for Maria, and they left and headed over to the barn.

  The barn was huge, and as she entered the space, she felt a rush of enthusiasm course through her body.

  “Alex, this place is amazing, it would make a wonderful art studio,” she said, as they walked in deeper. “Especially if you could replace those huge barn doors over there with a glass window, could you imagine the light that would flood in?”

  Alex smiled at her. He had never thought to do much with this old barn. He led her into another room, and that too was huge.

  “Ooh, this could be a great office,” she said. Alex laughed.

  “Why are you laughing?” she asked, glancing at him. He shrugged.

  “I do not know,” he replied, although he did, he was excited at the prospect of her remodelling the barn. Something he would do for her in a blink of an eye, if she were to marry him. Marry him, whoa slow down Alex, he found himself reminding.

  “Here they are,” he said, taking himself out of his imaginary world and leading her to a stack of old frames.

  “These are lovely,” she said, as she began to rummage through the pile. After ten minutes, she found one, gilded in gold, and the right size.

  They headed back to the main house, and Alex cleaned it for her and mounted her picture.

  “Bloody brilliant,” he said, as they leaned it against the wall and stood back to admire it.

  “Great, now I can relax,” she said, relieved to have something to give his mother.

  “I have some wrapping paper left if you want it,” he offered. She gave a nod of her head, and Alex ran upstairs to fetch it.

  As they finished wrapping the gift, the clock in the hall dinged six-thirty, and Alex checked the time.

  “We had best go and get changed, the party is at eight, but I expect people will arrive earlier.”

  “People, erm how many people,” she said, sounding nervous.

  “About twenty; do not worry I will not leave you on your own. They are mum’s friends, so I do not have to hang around with them.” She nodded, relieved and they headed upstairs to change.

  “I will knock for you at seven-thirty,” he said, as they separated on the landing.

  “Okay,” she agreed, and she entered her guest quarters.

  She went and had a quick shower. She sat in her towel in front of the dressing table mirror. She put her hair up, and put it down, unable to decide what to do with it. Go for a natural style, or something more refined. She saw a pile of magazines on the bedside table, so looking for inspiration she stood up and walked over to them. On the front cover of one of the magazines, was a photo of Audrey Hepburn, with her long, dark hair piled up high on top and secured with diamante clips. That was it, the perfect hairstyle. She grabbed the magazine, and sat back at the mirror, grabbed her brush, and tipped out a handful of hairpins from her make-up bag and copied the style. Happy with her hair, she did her make-up, and went and unzipped the dress bag. She had brought two dresses, both black, but one short, one longer, and she deliberated over which one to wear. The short one was sexy, and long, classic. She held one in each hand and glanced back and forth at them, sexy or classic – sexy or classic.

  As Alex knocked on the door, he adjusted his tie nervously. When it came to Jane, he could not think straight, he wanted her so much, but he was afraid she might reject him. Or even worse, assume he was preying on her because he was her boss, which he was not. He did not want to come across as sexually harassing her, because his company policy was zero tolerance on sexual harassment of any kind towards men or women. He had to tread carefully, as at the end of the day she was in his employ, his PA. It could all go wrong if she did not feel the same way about him. She opened the door and he stared at her, mesmerised.

  “So, is it okay, or is it too much, and should I change into the short dress?” she asked, in a rush of words. “Alex,” she pushed, when he did not answer. He gathered himself together and nodded, and shook his head.

  “No, as you are – you look,” he stuttered.

  “So it will do, yes?” she asked, at his mumbling.

  “Yes,” he agreed. She gave a relieved sigh, and closed the door. Jane had no idea of the effect she had on him.

  “Can I give your mum her present, before everyone arrives?” she asked, as she did not want everyone looking at her when she g
ave it to her, in case she did not like it.

  “What, oh yes. We can go now if you want, she is in the drawing room.”

  “Great,” she said, and she held the present close to her chest as they walked down the stairs.

  “Jane, darling, you look so elegant, and beautiful,” his mother crowed as she walked towards her.

  “Thank you, Elizabeth, and happy birthday,” she said, presenting her with her birthday gift.

  “Jane, you did not have to get me anything for my birthday,” she admonished. “Alex.”

  “Mum, I told her, but she wanted too,” Alex defended.

  “It’s not much,” Jane said, as she watched her open the present. Elizabeth stared at the painting; it had to be the most enchanting painting she had ever seen.

  “Where on earth did you find this?” she asked, turning to Jane.

  “She painted it, this afternoon,” Alex, said, before Jane had a chance to say anything. Jane glanced at him and tilted her head, and he grinned at her, and winked.

  “You – painted this?” she asked, for clarification.

  “Yes, Elizabeth, you seem to like butterflies as they are all over the house. I saw you admiring your roses in the garden after lunch, and well, the faerie is my little touch, as I love to paint them.” Elizabeth blinked a tear. She put the painting on the table, and hugged Jane. A little taken back, Jane pulled her arms around her in response and hugged her back.

  “Thank you, Jane, what a wonderful gift, I will treasure it always.” The doorbell rang. “Ah, please excuse me, our guests are arriving. Alex, a quick word,” she said, waggling her finger at him. He followed her to the door.

  “Alexander Hartley-Stone, if you do not marry that woman, I will cut off your inheritance,” she said.

  “Mum!” he replied, startled. She laughed.

  “I would not you know that, but please do not let her get away. Sod, waiting, get on and start dating her. She is perfect for you.”

  “I will,” he promised, giving her a kiss on her cheek. “I am waiting for the right moment,” he added.

  “Well do not wait too long,” she said, “Or you may lose her to someone else,” she added as she walked away to the front door. As Alex glanced back at Jane, he thought of Josh, the man at her flat. Worry clawed at his heart, and he knew he could not risk losing the best thing that had ever happened to him.