It's Now or Never (5 page)

‘That sounds like a lovely idea, thank you, we'd love to,' said Alex, putting an arm around my shoulder, answering as if we actually were one. Not that I minded in the least, it was just what I needed at the moment, a lovely cup of tea.

Chapter Five

After three cups of tea, two shortbread biscuits, a slice of fruit cake, and a long and interesting chat with Gladys and Betty about Taylor Swift, her extensive back catalogue, her fashion high-fives and faux pas, plus the ins and outs of her love life which I knew nothing about but the sisters seemed to know everything about, I decided I really ought to go and do something to make myself useful. I rounded up some dirty plates and took them into the kitchen.

Alex was sitting on a kitchen stool, idly looking at his phone. He'd lost his jacket now and had rolled the sleeves of his shirt up, his tie loose around his neck. He looked relaxed and totally at ease, putting away his phone in his pocket when he saw me.

‘So what time do you think the dancing starts?' he asked.

I laughed. His sense of mischievousness and fun shone in his eyes in a way that played havoc with my sensibilities. It had been a day of excess; the never ending glasses of champagne and wine had made me lightheaded, the delicious and abundant food had filled my tummy to the point where I thought I would never need to eat another thing again and the whole emotion of the occasion had made me thoughtful and fanciful. I glanced at my watch, it was definitely time to be going home.

‘Ha, didn't you hear, the band have rung and cancelled. Looks like there'll be no dancing after all.'

‘That's outrageous,' said Alex, shaking his head mockingly. ‘What kind of wedding reception is this? Should I go and ask Gladys if she would do me the honour?' He smiled, looking up at me under long eyelashes, the faintest of dark shadows beneath his eyes, lending him a vulnerability I hadn't noticed earlier.

‘Look, I'm probably going to make a move. I could do with a livener, if I'm being honest. Do you fancy going back into town, finding a bar? What do you reckon?'

It was only a casual invitation, but I felt my heart flitter-flutter at the suggestion. At the same time Angie's cautionary words rang in my ears. This guy was a player, someone to be avoided at all costs, but despite knowing that and my head telling me I should really say my goodbyes and get the hell out of here, there was something about Alex that I found intriguing and compelling and, if I was being honest with myself, totally and utterly attractive. Totally and utterly not my type, but what did that matter. We were just two people who had hooked up together at a wedding and were enjoying each other's company. I wanted the excitement of the day to carry on into the night. I was fed up being a sensible Sarah. Mum would be urging me to be bolder, have more fun. It was almost as if I could feel her on my shoulder egging me on. The spontaneity that was missing in my life was now knocking at my door, beckoning me outside to play and that was a much more appealing proposition than the thought of going back to my empty flat with only the television for company. Besides, it was only a drink, it wasn't as if he was asking to marry me.

***

We ended up in a wine bar down by the river and despite my earlier protestations that I couldn't eat or drink another thing, as soon as I sat down and Alex suggested sharing a bottle of Prosecco, it was as if there was nothing more in the world I desired at that moment.

For a moment I felt a twinge of self-consciousness wondering what was I doing there and what we would possibly find to talk about, but I needn't have worried, Alex's confidence and easy charm put me completely at ease. I plastered on a big smile as he handed me a filled glass and I took a sip, the bubbles having an instant restorative effect.

‘To Tom and Angie,' said Alex raising his glass to mine. ‘Wishing them all the best for a long and happy marriage.'

‘To Tom and Angie!'

Alex's earlier comment came back to taunt me. I'd always had doubts about Tom as marriage material, or even boyfriend material come to that, but then I didn't know him nearly as well as Angie or Alex did. Was it really possible Alex knew something I didn't? Had he been trying to tell me that earlier? I couldn't bear the thought that there was something amiss, something I didn't know about. Or more worryingly, something Angie didn't know about.

‘So, you never said,' I asked, trying for absolutely dead-casual, really not bothered one way or the other, ‘what chances do you give the happy couple for a long and happy marriage then?'

He gave me a rueful smile.

‘I didn't think we were allowed to think along those lines. Look I'm sorry if I upset you earlier, it was just an off the cuff comment. I didn't mean anything by it.'

‘You do think it will work out for them though, don't you? I've never seen Angie looking so happy.'

‘Yeah, well I hope so,' said Alex, carefully avoiding my question and my gaze. ‘Tom is a great guy. I guess they have as much chance as any other couple out there.'

‘Hmmm.' I wasn't sure if Alex's lukewarm response was due to his reservations about Angie and Tom as a couple or if he was anti-marriage in general. I suspected the latter. ‘Can you see yourself getting married one day?' I asked.

He tilted his head to one side, pondering on my question before pursing his lips.

‘Possibly.' He tilted his head the other way, narrowing his eyes.

‘Maybe.' He looked me directly in the eye.

‘Definitely,' he said, laughing.

‘Well that's conclusive,' I said, laughing too.

‘I don't know if I ever will,' I said, uncertain why I felt the need to tell Alex this riveting piece of information, and not realising I even felt that way until the words were out there.

‘That's rubbish. I barely know you, but you strike me as the marrying kind. Here, let me have a look at your hand.' He took hold of my hand and turned it over, stroking his thumb across my palm. He pushed my fingers back and then gently traced the lines on my hand in a movement that was so light it was almost imperceptible, but still managed to send shivers down my spine at the same time. I looked up into his eyes and our gaze locked for the briefest moment, before I had to look away.

‘Aha, just as I thought, I can see it all here, there's a very exciting future ahead for you.'

‘Is that right?' I knew he was teasing me, but I was more than willing to play along with the game. ‘So tell me then, what can you see?'

‘Definitely a marriage. Within two years, I'd say. A big white wedding, I think.'

‘Really, well I suppose I ought to get a move on and meet this mystery man then. Two years isn't that long to meet someone and then decide I'm going to marry him.'

‘And your marriage will be blessed with children.'

‘It will? Really? This is getting more interesting by the minute. How many?'

‘Let me see.' He lifted my hand higher, peering closer at a random spot on my palm. ‘Four, I'd say. Possibly more.'

‘WHAT?!' I nearly snorted my wine out at that revelation. ‘Four? Good grief. Absolutely no way. Two possibly, at the most, but there's no way I can imagine having four children. I'm not even sure I'm that maternal.' I snatched my hand away, laughing.

‘Ah well, I find a lot of people don't want to hear the truth. It is a cross I have to bear with this special gift I have.'

‘Is that so? Okay tell me about my job then. Sounds like I don't need to worry about my personal life, that's all sorted, but I could do with some guidance on my career.'

‘Let me see?' He picked up my hand again and ran his finger around the outline of my hand and then up and down and around the length of my fingers. By this stage I wasn't really bothered by anything he might have to say, I was more concerned about the magic his touch was tracing on my hand. That a touch so light could have such a startling effect on my whole being I found astonishing.

‘A change is on the cards,' he said, adopting the croaky voice of an elderly woman soothsayer. ‘You mark my words, young lady.' I laughed, shaking my head at him indulgently but he kept hold tight of my hand. ‘Really,' he said, his voice back to normal now; warm, caressive, enticing. At that moment he could have told me anything and I would have believed him. ‘I can see a lot in your future, but I'm afraid I can't really divulge any more. Not now. It will all become apparent with time.'

He dropped my hand like a hot potato.

‘Oh.' I wanted to grab his hand straight back again and tell him not to stop. I'd been enjoying the sensations much more than I should have done.

‘Sorry, but I don't want to put ideas into your head, you have to follow your own path without being influenced by anything I might tell you, but your fate is here, all laid out in your hand.'

‘Right, well that's good to know,' I said, feeling flustered. ‘Nothing I need to worry about then.' Heat flushed my neck and face. His attentions were far too distracting. I looked at my hand wondering if I'd missed something obvious there, all these years. I smiled and shook my head. ‘Just one word of advice, Alex, don't give up the day job. I really can't see you ever making a career out of being a palmist.'

‘Er, I hope you're not casting doubt upon my inherent abilities. People come for miles to have one of my special readings. Well I'm sure they would if they knew what a special talent I have. I'll tell you what… do you have a pen… some paper?'

‘No.'

‘Excuse me!' Alex beckoned the young waiter over. ‘Do you have a piece of paper and pen I could have please? And an envelope too, if possible?'

When the waiter had delivered the requested items, Alex started writing something down, craning his arm around the paper so that I couldn't see.

‘What are you doing?'

‘Oh ye of little faith. I'm just writing down one or two predictions for you. You'll be able to look at these a year down the line and think, “oh yes, that funny guy I met at that wedding, he did know what he was talking about after all.”'

‘Can't I just read them now?'

‘Nope. What's your surname?' he asked. When he finished scribbling down whatever it was he was writing, he folded the paper in half before inserting it into the envelope. He then wrote on the outside.

‘For Jen Faraday – Not to be opened, in any circumstances, until 19th April 2016'

‘But that's a whole year away! You do realise I'm going to go straight home after this and the first thing I'm going to do is rip open the envelope and read what you've said.'

‘No, you're not,' he said, removing the envelope from my hand. ‘Can't you read what it says on the envelope? Not to be opened until 19th April 2016. And to save you from any temptation I'm going to give this to the waiter and ask him to put it behind the bar with strict instructions not to hand it to you until the designated date.'

‘Really? You're mad, do you know that? Absolutely mad. I'll have completely forgotten all about it by then. Memory like a sieve, me.'

‘Well if that's the case then no harm done. But, if you do happen to remember, and you're curious as to what's in here,' he waved the envelope in the air, ‘then you can always come and have a look. In one year's time, that is.'

I laughed. Who knew where I might be then. Alex's predictions were probably as good a guess as my best surmising, although I highly doubted I'd be married with four children!

‘Well thank you. You never know – if I'm in need of a bit of spiritual guidance in a year's time, I'll know where to come.' Although I suspected the barman would probably bin the note just as soon as the crazy, giggling and clearly drunk couple had left the building.

Alex was looking at me intently, a lazy seductive smile on his lips.

‘Look, Jen. I don't want this party to end.' He reached across for my hand, but this time there was a very different intent in the action. ‘Why don't you come back to mine for some coffee.' He pulled out his phone and tapped at the screen. ‘Oh look, I've just had a text from the band.'

‘What?'

‘You know, the band who should have turned up at the wedding. They got their wires crossed apparently and turned up at my place instead.'

The breath caught in my throat as a tingle of anticipation ran down my arms.

A contented weariness spread along my body. It had been a lovely, but long and exhausting day. Weddings always affected me that way. Alex had been great company but I wasn't the type of person to go home with someone on a first date. Only this wasn't a first date and this wasn't just someone. This was a charming, gorgeous, red-hot date. Six months of trawling internet dating sites hadn't brought anyone of this deliciousness anywhere near my inbox. This was definitely the ideal opportunity to practice what my mum had preached and embrace my inner gorgeousness.

‘Bloody band, getting the details wrong,' I said, leaning across to leave a small kiss of intent on his lips. ‘I suppose we ought to give them the benefit of the doubt and turn up for at least one dance. I mean, it would be rude not to.'

Chapter Six

‘Oh shit!' An arm hit me in the shoulder and a flurry of sheets and pillows and covers were tossed in the air as the slow realisation of where I was and what I had done filtered into my consciousness. ‘Sorry Jen, I've got an exhibition opening this morning. The artist is putting in an appearance and there's a whole host of guests turning up. Well, that's the plan anyway. I've got to go. I'm late as it is.'

Alex jumped out of bed without an inch of self-consciousness and I closed my eyes as though I hadn't seen him in all his naked gloriousness the night before. Slowly I opened them again, my eyes adjusting to the light filtering in through white linen curtains, my brain adjusting to where I was and hoping to god Alex wouldn't turn around again. Hoping that all of this was a product of my over-active imagination.