The Perfect Match (13 page)

He shook his head. ‘Let’s inspect this play area you told me about. That might make us a bit more interested.’

Bella smiled, knowing he’d made up his mind. She didn’t think there was anything intrinsically wrong with the house, but for some reason it hadn’t worked for him. Maybe one with a smaller garden and in need of less work would be better.

‘Why don’t you two go ahead?’ she said. ‘I’ll lock up and join you in a mo’?’

After she’d locked up, she called Tina to see if there was anything that required her urgent attention back at the office. ‘I won’t be long but I don’t want to rush back unless I have to,’ she explained, hoping Tina wouldn’t ask why.

‘I think you’re OK,’ said Tina after a few moments. ‘There are some property details you need to check, but I typed them so they’re perfect.’

‘Of course they are!’ said Bella, feeling suddenly light-hearted. It was a beautiful day and she was about to spend half an hour or so with a man who – in spite of her best efforts – she was still attracted to.

She’d worked so hard on forgetting him, distracting herself, going out with Nevil, and now here she was, back where she started.

Dominic was pushing Dylan on the baby swing, and Bella couldn’t resist getting on the bigger one and pushing herself off. Too late she realised her skirt would blow up and show her thighs, but she decided not to care.

She was slowing herself down when the sound of ‘Greensleeves’ broke into the afternoon sunshine. She jumped off. ‘Hooray! Ice cream!’

Dominic laughed. ‘Why don’t you carry on pushing Dylan while I go and get the first round in?’

‘How many ice creams do you think we’re going to eat?’

Dominic shrugged. ‘If you’re a lightweight when it comes to ice cream, Dylan and I will just have to plough on without you.’

Bella smiled. ‘What does he call you, by the way?’

‘Dom, mostly, although he does revert to Daddy sometimes.’ His expression was a little tight. ‘But our relationship hasn’t really changed. I’m just like an absent father to him, I think. His real father is OK.’

‘That’s good.’

‘It is. It would be unbearable if he was a brute instead of a computer programmer.’

Bella laughed. ‘Given a choice of those two, I’d prefer the computer geek too. And when you finally get round to the ice creams I’d like a cone but no flake please.’

‘Whatever you like,’ he said, and set off towards the van.

Bella took over swinging duties without really noticing. She was fighting her feelings. She couldn’t let herself fall in love again. It had been too much hard work getting over it last time. She couldn’t go through that again.

The ice-cream van’s cheery chimes had obviously alerted other families, because Bella saw two front doors open and mothers and children emerge. The door of a very pleasant villa – twenties, four-bed Bella thought – revealed an older woman, possibly a grandmother, as well as a mother and a springing toddler. The grandmother went to the van while the mother came towards the swings, her little boy skipping by her side.

‘You might need to come off the swing now, Dylan,’ said Bella when they arrived. ‘That other little boy needs a turn.’

Dylan smiled shyly at the other boy as Bella helped him off the swing, and she thought how good and sweet they were being. Probably due to kick off at any moment, she thought a second later, not letting herself feel too gooey.

‘It’s Dylan, isn’t it?’ said the mother, looking curiously at Bella.

‘That’s right. Do you know him?’

‘Yes. He goes to the same nursery as Nathan.’ She indicated the child she was helping on to the swing. ‘They’re closed today, which is why I brought him up to see Mum, who’s getting ice creams.’

Bella smiled. ‘Well, it’s a lovely day for it.’ She could see Dominic coming towards them with the ices and felt suddenly awkward, as if she’d stepped over a line. She was just the estate agent. Why was she pushing her client’s stepson on a swing? Heaven forbid if it looked as if she and Dominic were a couple. ‘We’re having ice cream too.’

The woman looked up. ‘Oh, that’s Dominic.’

Bella smiled and nodded, knowing the woman was desperate to know who she was.

‘I’m a friend of Celine,’ the woman went on. She looked expectantly at Bella.

Accepting she wasn’t going to get away with remaining anonymous, Bella said, ‘I’m an estate agent. I’ve just shown Dominic and Dylan a house. Sadly, he didn’t like it.’

‘Oh? The one that’s been on the market a while? What’s it like?’

‘Nice. Period features, very good garden, needs a bit of work.’

The woman nodded. ‘I remember looking at it online. I thought it was rather overpriced.’

People always thought this. ‘Are you planning to move into this area, then?’

‘Not really. Although it would be nice to be nearer Mum, it would be a ghastly commute for my husband. Ah,’ she went on, ‘here are our ices. And yours. And I see Dominic’s remembered not to let Dylan have a flake. Celine’s very strict about him not having chocolate.’

Before Bella could do more than think about snatching the second ice cream with the flake from Dominic, announcing that she’d changed her mind, Dominic had handed her the flakeless cone.

‘Here you are, Bella. One cone without flake, and here’s yours, Dyl. Special treat for you!’

‘Hello, Dominic,’ said Nathan’s mummy. ‘I’m Wendy. We’ve met picking up the boys at nursery?’

‘Oh yes,’ said Dominic vaguely.

‘I’m not sure if you’re aware,’ the women went on, ‘but Dylan’s not allowed chocolate?’

‘A small amount won’t hurt him,’ said Dominic.

Wendy laughed, taking her own son’s ice cream from her mother and handing it to him. ‘I hope it doesn’t! Celine never lets him have any at all.’

‘He doesn’t have an allergy,’ said Dominic firmly. ‘I know Celine doesn’t like him having too much sugar. And neither do I – not that it’s anything to do with me. But in my experience he doesn’t actually eat more than one bite. Then he flings it on the ground, pretending it’s a spear. Like that.’

Bella laughed, trying to alleviate the slightly awkward atmosphere, and then, wanting to get away, ate her ice cream quickly enough to give herself a headache. She said, ‘I’ve got some wet wipes in the car. Shall we go and find them? Have a clean-up?’

‘Yes, let’s,’ said Dominic. ‘I also have baby wipes.’

They were both aware that Celine’s officious friend was sure to tell her about the chocolate flake before Dominic even had a chance to get the child home, but she might not mention that he hadn’t eaten it. Once clear of the swings, Dominic let Dylan run ahead. Bella was glad; it meant she could say what she was thinking.

‘It was good of you to take Dylan today,’ said Bella. ‘I assume it’s a nursery day usually?’

‘Yes,’ said Dominic. ‘I was able to take the time off at short notice. Neither of his parents was in that position.’

‘Does he have grandparents?’

‘Yes, but while they love him and would have had him, he would have spent most of the day sitting on the sofa eating crisps and watching telly. Not ideal for a two-year-old.

‘Celine is very lucky to have two dads for him,’ she said after a few moments. Dominic must love Dylan very much to take a day off work for him.

‘She doesn’t see it like that. She thinks I’m very lucky to have access to him at all. Which I am.’

Bella felt that Celine was taking advantage of Dominic’s love for Dylan while at the same time making him feel grateful for any contact he could get. She knew she couldn’t say that.

‘Well, Dylan’s a very lucky boy, to have you for a stepfather – or whatever you are,’ said Bella.

‘Well, as I said, I think I’m the lucky one.’

The easy light-heartedness that had prevailed before the arrival of Celine’s friend had gone completely. Now Bella felt awkward and a bit sad as she watched Dominic deal with Dylan’s chocolatey hands and face. When he had strapped Dylan into the car seat, she said, ‘Well, I’ll leave you guys to it. It was nice meeting you, Dylan.’ Dylan nodded solemnly. ‘And thank you very much for the ice cream, Dominic.’

‘Thank you for showing us the house. I’m sorry it didn’t quite work for me. Although Dylan loved it.’

Bella shrugged. ‘If a property isn’t right, it isn’t right. Better luck next time.’

As she got into her car she realised that Celine had managed to ruin the afternoon, even though she hadn’t actually been there.

ALICE WAS AT
the kitchen table the following day, stringing beans, when her mobile phone went. Before she met Michael she wouldn’t have dreamt of having it beside her at all times; now she had to have it handy. She saw that it was Michael calling her and forced herself to let it ring a few times before picking up.

‘Alice.’

‘Michael.’ She hoped he couldn’t hear her slightly increased heartbeat over the phone.

‘I’m trying to work out how to thank you for lunch.’

‘Michael! You sent flowers, which were lovely. I told you. That’s thanks enough. It was only Sunday lunch, not a banquet for fifty.’ Now Alice felt embarrassed.

He laughed. ‘It’s easy enough to send flowers. I want to do something special.’

Alice became suspicious. ‘Why, exactly?’ Then she worried that she’d sounded rude.

‘OK, I’ll come to the point.’ He paused.

She waited as long as she could. ‘Well, go on. Please come to the point.’

‘It is a bit awkward.’

‘Now I’m worried.’

‘The thing is, the girls are rather concerned – they are a bit overprotective. You see I’ve never gone out with anyone remotely seriously since the divorce.’

She gulped. ‘Are we going out seriously?’

‘I’m very serious about you, Alice.’

She found this intensely sexy, and terrifying at the same time. She swallowed and moistened her dry mouth. ‘Oh.’ For some reason this was a bit of a shock. It shouldn’t have been, really, but hearing him say it, in so many words, gave her a jolt.

‘I don’t want to rush you,’ Michael went on, obviously unaware of her reaction, ‘but I think it would be good if the girls could get to know you better.’

‘Really?’ She felt hot suddenly. This was a dreadful idea.

‘Don’t sound so worried!’ He laughed gently at her. ‘I meant having a treat together, on neutral territory, like a spa.’ Alice suppressed a groan, but obviously not well enough. ‘What? Don’t you like spas?’

She took a breath and tried to explain. ‘Spas are lovely but – I don’t know if you’ve been to one lately? – they involve lying around not wearing very much. I don’t want to do that with your daughters. They are young and lovely. I wouldn’t feel comfortable.’ She’d managed not to say ‘old and fat’, which was a triumph.

He didn’t answer immediately. ‘I see. I think I understand. I’ll think of something else.’ He paused. ‘Personally I’d love to be lying around with you while you’re not wearing very much.’

Alice laughed. ‘Idiot! It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, I promise you.’

‘I don’t want to get into an argument about it, but I’m sure it would be lovely. So, what would you like to do instead of a spa?’

‘I don’t know! I don’t think you should try to force me and your daughters together. It would be better if it all happened more naturally.’

‘It would but I’m not sure how long I can wait.’ He sounded a bit serious suddenly. ‘I’ll have a think and get back to you.’

The runner beans had been steamed and eaten (with butter and black pepper, her favourite supper), but not cleared away, when he was back on the phone. ‘I’ve got the very thing! Are you free next Monday?’

‘Think so. What is it?’

‘A baking course! And just near you. I know you’re all going to love it!’

‘OK, get into groups of four,’ said the chef in charge of the course on the following Monday. He was, by anyone’s standards, very good-looking, and all through the instructions Alice was aware that every woman in the room wanted to do well for him. Most of the other people were young and one or two, to Alice’s absolute horror, were there because they were getting married and wanted to impress their new husbands. She had glanced around to see if anyone else was appalled by this statement but no one else seemed to be.

They were in the kitchen of the local college, purpose-built to teach cooking to a professional standard. At first Alice was a bit daunted by the acres of stainless steel and huge ovens, but she soon forgot any doubts when she started listening to the chef and became engrossed. She had thought she knew a bit about baking, but had already learned so much more.

‘Don’t worry if you’re not with your best friend this time,’ he went on, ‘I’m going to change the groups around so everyone will work with everyone.’

This was a relief. Alice went to a group of three others who included a keen young man. Michael’s daughters had shot off in the opposite direction, no keener to work with Alice than she was with them. Really, Michael’s optimism that this would be the ideal bonding session was completely misguided, if rather sweet.

Alice concentrated on the young chef, whose enthusiasm was such that even a non-cook would be excited by the magic of yeast, of how different flours worked and the mystery of sourdough. She made notes and tried to focus, sure that from across the room Michael’s daughters were giving her evils.

But once she got into the baking, stretching, pulling and shaping of the dough, she forgot why she was there and let the soothing feel of the dough do its work. It might not have been the bonding exercise Michael had planned but it was something she did really enjoy.

Deep inside her heart she felt that she should end it with Michael before she fell even more in love with him, but it would be a horrible wrench, even now, after such a short time. She’d never thought she’d feel like this about anyone at her age. It was lovely, but his daughters would make everything so difficult, and she wasn’t sure she could cope.

When everyone’s plaited rolls had come out of the oven they were lined up for inspection. Alice was quite happy with hers, but as the cute chef went along the line making comments, she became aware of a sense of competition. Michael’s daughters were in the second group to be judged and there was a certain amount of teeth-sucking and head-shaking as their efforts were assessed. The chef was a good teacher and very kind, but he was used to professional kitchens and so didn’t pull many punches. She was sure she heard the words ‘teacher’s pet’ from one of Michael’s daughters as the chef complimented Alice on her beautiful rolls.