by Kim Nash
Grace always prided herself on being able to make pleasantries with everyone she met – even if she was busy or stressed. She knew that being kind and open cost nothing and got the best out of people. But Mark could wind her up in a way that no one else ever could. She wondered how someone could go through life constantly challenging people and being argumentative. It must be exhausting. She was quite sure that Mark could have an argument if he was in a room by himself. She wondered how he’d ever got the job he’d got, looking after the welfare of hundreds of children and countless staff, and how he actually got through a day at work. Unless he had a personality transplant every morning when he walked through the school gates? She spent her life trying to make sure that Archie didn’t adopt some of his father’s quirks and showed people respect. Luckily so far, he seemed to have far more of her in him than his father.
Mark walked into the kitchen and started rummaging through the post on the counter, seeming not to care that it wasn’t his home. Spotting the invitation, he raised an eyebrow. ‘You’ve been nominated for an award. Brilliant.’ He laughed and flung the invitation back down on the side.
Why couldn’t he say he was proud of her? They might not be together any more but surely, as the mother of his child, he didn’t have to put her down all the time, especially in front of Archie.
‘Although, if you do go, I’m actually free the weekend after next, Grace, so I’ll come with you as your guest. It’ll be good for me to be seen at a local business event. I’ve always wanted to meet the Lord Mayor too; I could tap him up to come and present awards at the school, which will go down well with the parents. I’ll put it in my diary.’
Half of her wanted to smack him in the face for being so arrogant, while the other half of her thought that it might be good to go with someone, even if it was Mark. And he could be charming when he wanted to, able to make small talk with a whole host of people. It was only when he’d got that ruddy job that he had changed, turning into the arrogant man she saw in front of her now.
Grace knew Mark would be lovely to all the other people there, even if he couldn’t bring himself to offer the same courtesy to her. And at least if she went with him, she could stop worrying about finding someone to go with, which had been really stressing her out. She would need to find someone else to have Archie, though, as Mark was her back-up plan. Edward and Melanie had offered to pay for a babysitter but there weren’t many people she’d be comfortable leaving Archie with. If she could sort that bit out, then she could be an adult for a night and grin and bear it. Another problem sorted.
She glanced at her watch. Wasn’t it a good job that she wasn’t actually going out until seven-thirty, she thought to herself as Mark drove off with a smirk on his face. She’d learned to adjust the times to suit herself months ago but hadn’t shared that with him. She was still reeling from her conversation with him before he’d left.
Looking intently at her, he’d said, ‘You’ve changed your hair.’
Archie had butted in, saying, ‘Of course she’s changed it, Dad! Didn’t you notice? D’oh. She’s had it all cut off and it’s a different colour now!’
Mark had muttered something about it looking nice, before hustling Archie out for a quick exit.
When they were together, on the rare occasions that they did go out together, and she’d really made an effort to look nice, she’d ask him if she looked OK and he always used to answer ‘you’ll do’, without even looking at her. And that was when Mark had been her partner, so she was shocked that he’d noticed her change today. But she had no time to think about what it all meant, as she was nervous as hell for her meet up with Vinnie. Running upstairs, she quickly got changed into the teal wrap dress that she and Monica had picked out from their recent swishing trip. Her hands were shaking as she carefully applied her make-up the way that Fiona had shown her and, when she finished, she slipped her feet into a pair of grey wedges that she’d carefully chosen to go with most of her new clothes stash.
She heard the deep hum of an engine outside her house, and as she waited for the doorbell, she sprayed herself with her Jo Malone Lime, Basil and Neroli perfume, a present from someone she’d recently done a house deal for. When the bell rang, she grabbed her grey cashmere cardigan, took a deep breath, exhaled and went downstairs.
‘Wowsers!’ Vinnie said, when she opened the door. ‘You look fabulous, Grace’.
‘Why thank you,’ she replied and blushed slightly as she looked him up and down. He looked bloody gorgeous too, simply dressed in a black cotton t-shirt – which fitted him in all the right places, skimming over his abs like a second skin – a pair of dark blue jeans, a smart black jacket and black boots. Her very own Milk Tray Man. His dark hair was slightly gelled, his face looked sun-kissed from working outdoors and his short beard was perfectly groomed. As he turned and walked down her drive towards his car, Grace pulled the door shut behind her and couldn’t help but look at his backside, which was pert and perfectly formed. She grinned to herself. All her good intentions to not even think about having sex seemed to go out the window and she strongly resisted the urge to grab him by the lapels, snog his face off and rip his clothes off there and then. Date or not, she knew a mighty fine-looking man when she saw one.
She was struggling with the whole ‘is it a date?’ dilemma. He hadn’t exactly said it was a date, he’d just said he wanted to try out a restaurant and asked her to go along. Did that constitute a date? Or was it just two people who needed to eat, going out and eating together?
They had the most perfect evening. The sun set in the distance over the countryside as they sat outside the restaurant and they once again very comfortably chatted about their respective weeks so far. Vinnie was a great conversationalist and storyteller; he was quick-witted and just delightful company. The meal was delicious, too. The restaurant belonged to a couple who Vinnie knew from university and they made them feel really welcome and special, recommending all their signature dishes and making a real fuss over their guests.
When they’d finished their meal and said goodbye to Vinnie’s friends, thanking them for such a fabulous meal, he opened the car door for her and she climbed in. She was pleased that he had a nice car. She didn’t want to seem petty or materialistic but she remembered years ago going on a date with a guy who was six feet five, and very good-looking, but when he picked her up, he had a bright green Fiat Cinquecento that he had to unfold himself from and she was mortified. Vinnie’s flame red BMW X5 certainly met with her approval.
During the short ride home they chatted like old friends, and when they pulled up outside her house she dithered a little about whether to invite him in or not. But before she’d thought about it too much, he said, ‘I’ve got to be up early to drive to Southampton so even if you were going to invite me in for a coffee I’d have to decline.’ He grinned and she couldn’t help but smile back at him because she knew that he could sense that she was unsure.
‘However…’ He hesitated. ‘I’ve had a wonderful evening, Grace, and if you’re free at the weekend, I’d love it if we could see each other again.’
‘Oh, Vinnie, that would have been lovely, but I can’t do this weekend as I’m taking Archie away but I am free on Monday or Tuesday evening, if you’re free then?’ she replied. She hoped she hadn’t blown it.
‘Well, let’s make it Monday then because I don’t think I can wait until Tuesday to see you again. How about going to the cinema? Do you like films?’ he asked.
‘Yes, it’ll make a change to watch something that’s not got a PG certificate,’ Grace smiled. ‘I normally get nudged all the way through a kids’ film, as I have been known to get way too comfortable and nod off.’
‘Then it’s a date, I’ll check the film times and text you what time I’ll pick you up, if that’s OK?’
Aha! So the next one definitely was a date then. He turned to her and there was an awkward moment where they didn’t know whether they should kiss – and if so, whether cheeks or lips. They went
for a kiss on each cheek, continental style. She opened the door and climbed out and raised a hand in a wave and said she’d see him on Monday. He waited until she’d opened the front door and turned and smiled at him with a little wave as she closed the door. She appreciated that he’d made sure she’d got inside safely before driving away. A gentleman. She loved it.
She did wonder if she’d done something wrong though, as he hadn’t kissed her, apart from the little peck on the cheek. She wondered if he’d just had a nice night but just wasn’t that into her. But then why would he ask her to go out again? And he’d said the ‘d’ word. He couldn’t possibly have a girlfriend if he was asking her out, surely? Perhaps she just needed to go with it and see what developed, if anything at all. It was all so blooming confusing.
All these thoughts were going round her head when there was a soft knock at the door. She opened it and to her surprise, there stood Vinnie.
‘I’m sorry, Grace, but there was something really important that I forgot to do.’ He took a step inside the door, reached down and cupped her face in his hands. ‘I really have loved every minute of this evening, Grace, and I’ve wanted to do this from the very first moment I stood on this very step that Saturday afternoon.’ She closed her eyes and their lips met, and he kissed her slowly, tenderly, yet with an incredible passion and she felt like she was going to float away on a cloud. She didn’t know that a kiss could feel so sensual. His soft short beard gently grazed against her chin.
He pulled away and smiled at her. ‘Thank you, I’ve wanted to do that all night!’ He turned and walked down the path and when he reached the car, blew her a kiss.
He waited until she shut the door to make sure she was safely tucked inside again before he drove away. She leant up against the door, touching her lips with her fingers. ‘Christ!’ she thought. ‘If he makes me feel like that with a kiss, how on earth am I going to feel if I ever have sex with him?’
She floated around her bedroom in a daze, getting changed into her pyjamas and taking off her make-up when her phone pinged to say that she had a text message.
Thanks for the lovely evening. That kiss will keep me going until Monday. Can’t wait! Goodnight, sweet dreams. Vinnie x
Vinnie’s gorgeous face was the last thing she saw in her mind as her head hit the pillow and she dreamt those sweet dreams.
* * *
Sleep well, my darling. You looked so beautiful this evening and I’m so pleased that you both got on like a house on fire. I knew you would. He’s lovely! Just enjoy the time you spend with him and concentrate on yourself for a while. Let that smile that I saw this evening, which hasn’t been around for a long time, be a permanent fixture on your face. It’s so lovely to see you so happy. I love you, darling. Mum xxx
Chapter Thirteen
After lunch the following day, Grace was slightly concerned to see the name of Archie’s school showing up on her phone’s caller display. They only ever phoned if there was a problem.
‘Mrs Beam?’
‘Miss Carnegie actually, but yes, I am who you are after.’
‘Is there any chance you could pop in to see the head teacher for ten minutes just before you pick Archie up today, please? There’s been an incident at school that we’d like to discuss with you.’
‘An incident? Is Archie OK?’
‘He’s fine. We’ll explain when you come in. We don’t like to discuss matters like this over the phone.’
‘Certainly, I’ll be there just before pick-up.’
Wondering what on earth had happened, Grace spoke to her boss and asked if she could leave slightly earlier than normal and said that she would make up her time at home later. They were a really easy-going company, thank heavens, allowing flexible working so it didn’t really matter when she rearranged things slightly. It was one of the main reasons she’d taken the job in the first place. That and the fact that she loved helping people to find a new home. It was almost like a dating agency but you just had to match the person with their ideal house instead of another person. Much less trouble.
She arrived in the school reception as agreed and was invited to take a seat in the head teacher’s office. Grace liked Mrs Kelly. She was strict, but fair, and if there were ever any issues, she was always been able to sort them out without making the parent feel like a failure.
‘Grace,’ Mrs Kelly greeted her with a handshake. ‘Thanks so much for coming in. I’ll get straight to the point as I know it’s nearly end of school time and Archie is in the library at the moment but will be heading down this way shortly. Archie punched a boy in the face today.’
Grace’s heart hit the floor. This was totally out of character for him. A hundred questions ran through her head in one go, blowing her mind. She didn’t know whether to feel angry with him, worried for him or embarrassed about what he’d done. ‘What? Archie did? My Archie? I can’t believe it. What on earth did he do that for? Who did he hit? Are they OK?’
‘It is totally unacceptable behaviour, and extremely unusual for him, but even so, it cannot be allowed. As it happened at lunch break, I’ve kept him in here with me since, but he won’t tell me what instigated it. I think it best if he takes the day off tomorrow and has a think about his behaviour. If he apologises to the other boy, then I’m prepared to overlook the matter, but it will go down on his records.’
Grace was mortified. Her Archie was not the type of boy to go around punching others. But Grace knew that he was growing up and ten was a difficult age, with testosterone starting to surge around. There had been a couple of occasions recently when he got angry for no major reason, mainly when she asked him to stop playing on his Xbox, but this was totally unacceptable.
Mrs Kelly spoke kindly to her. ‘This is most unusual for Archie and because it is so out of character I thought it would be prudent to talk to you first. May I suggest that you take him home – the secretary has just gone to fetch his bag and coat and grab him from the library – and not mention anything until you get home and see if he’ll open up to you in his own surroundings. There is obviously something very serious bothering him.’
‘Thank you.’
Archie appeared at the door, his eyes red. He’d clearly been crying. Despite what he had done, Grace’s heart went out to her son; still so very much a child, but wanting to grow up. She held her hand out to him and for once, he took it, but he kept his head down all the way home and didn’t say a word. Grace found it very difficult not to ask him about it but heeded the head teacher’s advice.
When they walked through the front door, he flung himself at Becks and burst into tears.
‘Archie, are you OK?’ she asked tentatively.
‘Yep. Just brilliant,’ he shouted as he stomped off upstairs and into his room, slamming the door behind him.
She thought she’d best give him a little space, but after fifteen minutes she really thought it was time they spoke about what had happened, so she made herself a cup of coffee, poured a glass of milk and put some cookies on a plate. She knocked on the door lightly and asked if she could go in. There was no answer so she opened the door and saw Archie sitting on his bed, staring out of the window. When she walked towards him, she could see that he’d been crying again.
‘Sweetheart, whatever is the matter?’
‘I can’t tell you. Dad said not to.’
‘Oh darling, you know that you can tell me anything. You mustn’t bottle things up and get angry. Please talk to me. You know that I’ll try to sort out anything that’s upsetting you.’
‘I can’t, Mum.’
‘You also can’t be getting yourself into a state like this, darling. It’s not good for you. Now please tell me. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what happened.’
‘I’ll tell you but you have to promise not to tell Dad I told you. Promise?’
‘OK, I promise.’ Grace hated it when Archie made her promise not to tell Mark things. It made life very difficult when he was upset and things needed sorting out, issues tha
t needed a dad and a mum to work through them together.
‘Dad says that someone from school saw you last night with your new boyfriend! The person who told him has a girl in my class and she was singing “Your mum’s got a boyfriend” at me. George joined in and he wouldn’t stop and said that now you’ve got him you won’t love me any more. He was right in my face, and wouldn’t stop saying it and I was so angry that I punched him.’
Oh great, she thought. Thanks so much, Mark!
‘Darling. I don’t know why Dad said that to you because it absolutely is not true. Yes, I did go out for a meal with someone last night. It was someone I met recently. He’s a nice man and he’s just a friend at the moment. Surely you don’t want me to sit in on my own when you’re not here and be lonely, do you?’
‘How can you be lonely, Mum? You have Becks.’
‘Yes but Becks is a dog, darling, and he’s a bit stinky at times, too.’ Grace saw the crack of a smile forming on Archie’s face.
‘I was going to tell you when and if there was something to tell you. I met someone who invited me out for dinner and I went. That’s it, really. I promise you.’
‘Are you going to go out with him again, Mum?’ he asked as he looked up at her with those baby blue eyes that always made Grace’s heart swell.
‘I’d like to. He seems like a very nice man. But I’ll only go with your approval, my darling. You always have been and always will be the first priority in my life. From the moment you were born, you stole my heart. Between you and Becks, there’s only a bit of room – and time – left for anyone else, anyway. It is just nice for me to have some adult company when you’re not here, love. That’s all.’