The Woman in the Pyjamas

by Sarah Pond

  'Hi, Dad. Are we getting pizza tonight?'

  Stephen gave Jess a big hug, 'Yep, I've got your favourite.'

  'Thanks, Dad. See you Monday, Mum.'

  Daisy squeezed Jess tightly, 'Have a good time, I love you.'

  'You too, Mum.'

  Daisy watched as Stephen drove away, Jess waving out of the window until they were out of sight. Closing the door, she turned and took the stairs two at a time to finish getting ready. Once upon a time, she would have been getting ready for Stephen. She could still remember the excitement she felt, until she fast forwarded their story like a film with a heartbreaking ending.

  Daisy had booked a cab to take her to the restaurant. Ryan was going to pick her up, but she didn't want him to come to the house just yet. She could see him standing outside on the pavement as the cab pulled up. He opened the door for her, offering his hand to help her out.

  'Thank you.' Daisy smiled up at him as she got out of the cab.

  'You look lovely,' Ryan smiled at her warmly.

  'How do you know, you can't see what I'm wearing.' Maybe having a drink at home wasn't such a good idea.

  'I don't need to. I can see you look lovely.'

  Daisy blushed, 'Thank you. So do you.'

  'Shall we?' Ryan held the door open for Daisy, and they went inside to find their table.

  Having taken their jackets, the waiter returned with the wine list and menus. 'I've been looking forward to this evening all day. I was also feeling a bit nervous, too, to be honest.'

  Daisy was relieved, 'I'm glad you said that. I may have had a little drink at home for Dutch courage.' She smiled, simultaneously letting out a small burp which tasted of gin. 'Oh my god, I'm so sorry.' She looked mortified, but Ryan couldn't help laughing.

  The evening went well, but Daisy did drink more than she usually would. As they left the restaurant, Ryan suggested a walk along the seafront for some fresh air. Daisy considered this for what seemed like an interminable amount of time. 'Yes. Let's. I do love the sea.'

  She didn't seem too steady on her feet, so Ryan decided to find a convenience store to buy a bottle of water. Handing her the ice cold bottle, he said, 'Here, I think this will help!'

  'Okeeey doke-ey.' She strung the out the words like a loose elastic band.

  Daisy guzzled half the bottle of water in record time, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, just like Jess. Was that where she got it from, she wondered... Then she was brought back to the present by Ryan asking, 'Better?'

  'Yes, thanks. I don't usually drink much, you know.' Her cheeks were still flushed.

  'Is that so?' Ryan had that playfully amused expression on his face again.

  'I just needed a bit of courage.' Daisy looked sheepish.

  'Yes, you did mention that before. We do see each other at work quite a bit, you know. It's not like it's a blind date or anything. Do I make you that nervous?'

  Daisy blushed. 'No.'

  'Then why the Dutch courage?'

  As Daisy looked up at Ryan, he was looking at her intently, and she felt a sensation like that of wanting to jump when you're standing at the edge of a big drop, and she blurted out, 'I really want to kiss you.'

  Ryan hardly had time to register what was happening, before feeling Daisy's lips upon his own. To her relief, he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her, and holding her close. His kiss was firm, and at the same time soft. She felt her legs weaken, partly at her own audacity, and partly from the effect of kissing Ryan. Eventually she pulled back, 'Sorry, I couldn't help myself.'

  Ryan smiled the most sexy smile. 'You can help yourself all you want, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since biscuitgate. I was so annoyed when Jeffrey interrupted us.' Daisy didn't say anything as she was trying to assimilate what Ryan was saying. He continued, 'As it turns out, I think he did me a favour. If it wasn't for that, you might not have invited me to your office for biscuits. Every time I see a bourbon it makes me smile. I really wanted to ask you to dinner, I've been steeling myself for weeks now, then you beat me to it.'

  Daisy felt light headed with excitement. 'Really? I've fancied you for ages, I had no idea...' She stopped herself on hearing what she had said. Oh bugger.

  Ryan smiled shyly, 'You fancy me?'

  Please ground, swallow me up. Daisy looked at the floor. 'You know I said my mouth says things before my brain has time to catch up.'

  'I remember.' He smiled again, this time more to himself. 'You said you fancy me!'

  'Erm, yes.' Daisy stole a quick glance at Ryan, before looking away again.

  'Wow. If you only knew what I've been thinking about you.' Then it was Ryan's turn to blush, before leaning forward to kiss Daisy.

  At the end of the evening, Ryan walked Daisy back to her front door. 'Thank you, Ryan, I've had a really good time.' She liked the sound of his name on her tongue.

  'Me too. Do you fancy going out again next Friday?'

  'Yes, I'd love to.' Daisy was thrilled.

  'It's a date!' Ryan leaned in to kiss Daisy, and she sunk into it, her arms around his neck, his hands on her waist, her mind swirling giddily with happy thoughts.

  'Hmm. See you at work, then.'

  'For coffee and biscuits, maybe?' Ryan's face was boyish and cheeky.

  'Yes, maybe.' Daisy's cheeks were still pink.

  'G'night.' With one of his lopsided smiles, Ryan waved and turned to walk down the path.

  As she shut the door, Daisy couldn't help feeling like an excited puppy. She had been so tempted to ask him in, and at the same time she didn't want to rush anything. She had Jess to think about, for a start. Also, she had to remember that Ryan was a colleague. But it would have been so good, Ryan made her feel hot in a way she hadn't felt in a very long time. Maybe she could call him back? No, she had measured it about right, she thought. Having made herself a hot chocolate, she sat on the sofa, and Nimbus jumped up onto her lap, purring as she stroked him. He turned a couple of circles, before snuggling himself down, and going to sleep, as Daisy gently stroked his head. She sighed happily, it really had been a great evening.

  As it was, Daisy didn't see Ryan on Monday. She was up caught up in meetings all day. On the one chance she got to pop to the kitchen, Ryan was nowhere in sight. They had discussed keeping things low key at work, it was still very early days. Neither of them had the intention of being a part of the latest office gossip.

  There were a few more emails from staff, outlining some of their latest challenges. Some of the things made Daisy laugh out loud. She had thought she was being adventurous, but it was nothing compared to what some people were doing. One of the guys had volunteered to be the model for a life drawing class, and found it to be completely liberating.

  Daisy was chatting with Cheryl about it, 'You've got to be ballsy to do that, that's for sure.' She wasn't even aware of her own words, which started Cheryl chuckling. 'What?'

  Cheryl was still laughing as she sputtered out, 'Well, it turns out he does have the balls!' and she fell into fits of laughter.

  The weekly phone call. 'Yes, Mum, it was a lovely evening.'

  'I'm so pleased for you. Will you be seeing him again?'

  'Yes, on Friday.' Daisy knew that her mum would be able to hear the smile in her voice.

  'So, tell me about all about him.'

  It turned out that there wasn't a lot to tell at this stage. She wasn't going to share with her mum how much she wanted to rip Ryan's shirt off and kiss him until her lips were sore. So she more or less described their evening, mentioned the seafront walk, and that they said goodbye at her front door.

  Daphne was pleased for her daughter, she could tell that Daisy was smitten, and she had been on her own for a long time now.

  Daisy kept staring at the text on her phone. Surely there was a mistake, why would Ryan suddenly cancel their second date? His reason seemed a bit vague, something about an extra project at work, and it left her feeling very unsettled. Maybe it was because she'd had too much to drink, h
e probably thought it was too much. Maybe he had found her too forward. But the evening had gone so well. It seemed that he was really into her. Maybe the alcohol had dulled her senses a bit, and she had just thought it had gone well. He could have been trying to save her feelings, and then thought better of it when he got home. Damn it.

  When Stephen had cancelled one of their dates, Daisy had decided that it meant the end of their fledgling relationship. The excuse had been quite feasible, but it still left Daisy feeling vulnerable. Remembering it now, it seemed ridiculous. Of course, she was much younger then, not as confident as she was now. But in this moment, she didn't feel confident, not at all. She felt rejected, and didn't really know why. Damn, she promised herself she wouldn't let someone make her feel that way again.

  ~~~~~

  'I'm so sorry I had to cancel our last date.' Stephen was all sorry eyes across the table. 'I'm so pleased you could make tonight.'

  'Well, things happen, I suppose.' She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  'Believe me, I would have much rather been with you, than helping my mate move flat. But there wasn't anyone else to help him.'

  'It's okay, we're here now. Let's enjoy this evening.'

  They did enjoy the evening. Stephen was extra attentive, and Daisy was happy.

  ~~~~~

  Dan nudged Ryan, 'So, second date Friday night, then!'

  'Nope.' Ryan's voice was flat.

  Dan was confused, 'What d'you mean?'

  'I cancelled it.' There was a twitch at the side of his forehead.

  Dan's eyebrows shot up in surprise, 'But you've been talking about this woman for ages now. What happened?'

  'I don't think she's that into me.' Ryan tried to play it down.

  Dan brushed it off, 'You're just being soft. She's into you.'

  Ryan shook his head, 'It's not a good idea. We work together, it's... it's just not going to work.'

  Dan patted Ryan's shoulder, 'Come on, mate. What's really going on?'

  Ryan huffed, letting out his breath slowly. 'She's brought in this scheme where people challenge each other to do stuff, a bit like a dare. I think that's why she asked me out, not because-'

  Dan interrupted, 'She asked you out? You didn't mention that before!'

  'Just shut up about it, okay. I don't want to be someone's experiment. I didn't think she was like that.'

  'Why don't you go out, and see how things go?'

  'No, I've already told her I can't go. I'm leaving it at that.'

  'Well, I think you're mad. Still, if you think you know best.' Although from the expression on Ryan's face, Dan thought he didn't seem sure at all.

  It was a couple of days earlier that Ryan had overhead some people chatting. They were talking about challenges and how brave this person was getting. 'She's been doing all sorts of things. I don't think I could have done it. She even asked this guy out.' Ryan hadn't really been paying much attention, until Daisy's name caught his ear. 'Yes, it was all her idea, apparently. Does things she wouldn't usually do, to push her comfort zones.'

  Ryan could feel the heat in his ears, and hadn't even noticed his hands balling into fists, as his heart sank down into his shoes. Daisy had seemed so different. She was the first woman he had been interested in in a long time. But there was no way he was going to be someone's challenge. How could she do that. So much for a Human Resources Manager. As he walked away, he hadn't heard the name of the girl that the others had been talking about.

  Eve said she was going round to see Daisy on Friday evening. She would have been babysitting that evening, and now she was going to see if she could cheer Daisy up.

  'How are you doing, hun?'

  Daisy's arms hung loosely from her shoulders. She shrugged, 'I'm okay.'

  Eve enveloped her in a big hug. 'Come on, let's have a chat.'

  Once they were settled on the sofa, drinks in hand, Daisy said, 'But we had such a good time. I thought he was as into me as I was to him.'

  'It does seem odd, the way he cancelled without much explanation.'

  'I really like him. I know it was just one date, but I could really see things going somewhere with him.' Daisy's shoulders slumped even further.

  'Well, it's his loss.'

  'I've been wracking my brains, trying to think where it went wrong. I did have a drink before we met.' Eve gave Daisy a level look. 'Okay, well, a couple of drinks.'

  'Daisy!'

  'But I told him that, I said I was a bit nervous. He seemed fine with it. He even said he was nervous himself. And we kissed, more than once.'

  Eve's face lit up, 'Ooh, tell me more!'

  'Oh, it was lovely. I really would have had no idea. We kissed goodnight, I didn't think the evening could have gone much better.'

  'Did you invite him back?'

  Daisy blushed, 'No. It seemed a bit soon. I wanted to see how things went, and maybe meet Jess at some point. I didn't want him getting familiar with the house when he hasn't even met her.'

  Eve had a wicked grin on her face, 'But you wanted to invite him in?'

  Daisy's face went even redder, 'Yes, I really wanted to.'

  'Good for you, getting back on the horse! Or in your case, back on the-'

  'Yes, thank you!' They both laughed.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Daisy saw Ryan walking along the corridor, and her heart sped up. Oh god, I'm going to have to say something, I can hardly ignore him. I knew I shouldn't have got involved with a colleague. I have to be the bigger person here. Or do I? Yes, I'm a manager, I'm at work. She steeled herself, 'Morning.'

  'Hi.' Daisy thought that Ryan's smile seemed slightly apologetic.

  They walked past one another, just two colleagues on an average Wednesday. Inside, Daisy's heart was crumbling. She wished she didn't feel so defeated every time she saw Ryan, but that was the way it was at the moment. They had spoken a few weeks ago, not long after he cancelled the date. It had been awkward, but at least it had cleared the air a bit.

  Ryan had asked, 'How are you doing?'

  'Okay. You?' Daisy was subdued.

  'Can we talk? I was thinking in your office.'

  'Um, okay.'

  As they walked to Daisy's office, Ryan was a couple of steps behind her. He was thinking that she didn't seem so sure of herself now, maybe he'd been wrong about her. As he sat down opposite Daisy, he couldn't help remembering the last time he had been there. Biscuitgate! The thought still brought a smile to his lips.

  'What's so funny?' Daisy didn't look amused.

  Chastened, Ryan said, 'Sorry, I was just remembering the last time I was here.'

  Daisy was transported, the looks, the giggles, the almost kiss. The yearning soared through her body. Then her spirits dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

  'Daisy?'

  She was brought sharply back to the present. She looked up to see Ryan staring straight at her. How on earth had things changed so quickly. 'Yes?'

  'I just didn't want things to be difficult between us. At work, I mean.'

  'Of course. It won't be. It's not.' Yeah, who are you kidding.

  Daisy had been asking Cheryl to get her drinks from the kitchen, so she was less likely to bump into him. Maybe that's why he had come to talk to her.

  'Okay. It's just that a relationship at work could be difficult. I hadn't really thought about it before, I guess.' He was looking at the floor as he spoke.

  That last comment suddenly angered Daisy. 'I don't understand what's changed. We had a really good time the other week. And don't tell me there was no chemistry between us, I was there too.'

  Ryan was shocked by Daisy's outburst. It was probably a good thing to stop this thing before it started. Still, he couldn't deny it, 'You're right, there was definitely something there.'

  'That's why I don't understand why you suddenly cooled it off.' There was a hardness in Daisy's eyes that he hadn't seen before.

  'I just can't be a part of some game. We work together, I think it's best this way.'r />
  Daisy's anger was still simmering, 'Great, well as long as you think it's best. I have work to do, do you mind leaving, please. Close the door on your way out.'

  Ryan stood up slowly, wishing things could be different. He didn't want to upset her, but he obviously had. 'Sorry. See you around, then.'

  Daisy didn't even look up, and Ryan left the office, closing the door behind him. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. Damn, why did he make her feel like this. And what on earth was he talking about, some kind of game.

  On her next day off, Daisy was idly walking along George Street in Hove, a paved area of shops, cafes and restaurants. She had been walking with her head down, and nearly bumped into someone.

  'Sorry.'

  As she looked up, a voice said, 'Hi, how are you?'

  Daisy did a double-take, and as she saw Kate, she involuntarily blushed, 'Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. I'm okay. How are you?'

  Kate was smiling, 'I'm really good. What are you up to today?'

  'Nothing in particular. It's my day off, and Jess is at school.'

  Kate thought that Daisy seemed so subdued, and not at all like she was at the club. 'You look like you could do with someone to talk to.' At the look on Daisy's face, she was worried that she'd overstepped the mark, 'Sorry, I hope you don't mind me saying that.'

  Daisy shook her head, as she felt a single tear run softly down her cheek.

  Kate touched Daisy's arm, 'Do you fancy a coffee?'

  Daisy nodded, 'Yes, that would be really nice. I'm afraid I'm not going to be much company, though.'

  'Don't worry, you'll be fine. Come on.' Kate led the way in to Nero's, and they found a couple of comfy armchairs to sit in.

  As Kate went to order their drinks, Daisy sat down, wiping her face with a tissue. She was glad she hadn't put mascara on today. What must Kate think of her.

  Bringing the drinks over, Kate sat down opposite Daisy. 'Thank you, that's so kind of you.'