Million Love Songs(61)

‘I will.’ He gives me a peck on the cheek, but I can tell that the moment has gone and that his thoughts are already elsewhere.

‘I’ll call you,’ he says and he dashes out of the door, his footsteps heavy on the stairs, his tyres screeching as he accelerates away down the road.

‘Damn,’ I say to no one but myself.

I have a cup of tea and stay up watching rubbish telly. When it’s two o’clock and I still haven’t heard from Joe, I resort to the best comfort food of all, cheese on toast, even though I’m not remotely hungry after our lovely dinner. I check my phone a million times but there’s no text to let me know how Daisy is. Maybe the signal at the hospital is useless or maybe he’s had to turn his phone off.

Eventually, when there’s no call or text, I give up waiting and go to bed, but I lie there fidgeting and twitchy. It would be too sad to get cardboard Gary Barlow in bed with me for a cuddle, wouldn’t it? I just want to be held, feel strong arms around me. The sad thing is that while I’m lying here restless with longing, I could phone Mason. I know I could. He would come at the drop of a hat. He wouldn’t care that he was just a booty call. My fingers are a hair’s breath away from punching his number in. They toy with my phone. I know that you’ll think badly of me. I think badly of myself and Charlie would kill me stone dead. It’s a good job that I remember that I have pretend sickness as I really don’t want to go down that road.





Chapter Fifty





‘Glad to see you’re better, Brown,’ Mason says when I turn up for work the next day. ‘Miraculous recovery.’

‘Shut it, Mason,’ I retort.

He rolls his eyes. ‘You simply can’t get the staff these days.’

‘What are you doing here? Haven’t you got a Grand Prix to go to or a tennis match or Badminton Horse Trials?’

He laughs. ‘Yes. Want to come with me?’

‘No. Unfortunately, I’ve got to stay here in the Butcher’s Arms and serve chips to the proletariat.’

‘Me too,’ Mason says. ‘Your friend, the one who is actually sick, is still off work. I’m her stand-in.’

I called Charlie this morning and she sounded terrible, so I’ll drop in on her on the way home. I also called Joe, but it went straight to voicemail and I wonder what happened with Daisy last night and whether she’s OK.

‘So what were you up to last night?’ he says.

‘Nothing. It was just a tummy bug or something.’ I try to look innocent or at least not the very picture of guilt. ‘I went to bed early and slept it off.’

He still seems unconvinced. ‘Well, I’m very glad to see you.’

‘Same here,’ I bat back.

Then he sidles up next to me and whispers, ‘I miss you, Brown. It’s boring without you. Come away with me again. It was fun. You can choose where. Rome is good for a weekend. Barcelona too. Or we could do Venice. I know some great boutique hotels.’

I wonder if there’s a ‘Valerie’ in each of those places too.

‘I can’t, Mason. I’m not one of the jet set. You know that my shifts here don’t allow me many weekends off.’ I can’t help but smile. ‘Plus, I’m seeing someone.’

‘Seriously?’ He looks as if you could knock him down with a feather.

‘Deadly.’

‘I knew there was something going on. You’re being unfaithful to me?’

‘Hardly that.’ However, I do think it’s time to come clean.

‘I’m wounded, Brown. Who is this man who’s stolen your heart? Look at your contented little face. You’re like the cat who’s got the cream and it’s nauseating. I need to know who my love rival is?’

My phone rings and my heart jumps when I look at the screen. ‘His name’s Joe. That’s him now. Excuse me.’

Mason looks affronted. ‘You can’t take personal calls in work time, Brown!’

‘Sod off,’ I say and I make my way outside so that Mason can’t hear. I sit on our bench in the sunshine.

‘Hi,’ Joe says. ‘Is this a good time?’

‘Perfect.’ I sound too pleased to hear from him. ‘I’m glad you called. How’s Daisy?’

‘We were at A&E half the night as I thought,’ he said. ‘So we all had a lie-in this morning. Good news though – at least her hand wasn’t broken. Thank goodness. It’s just badly sprained.’

‘Poor Daisy.’

‘She’s moping around like a misery guts and her hand is black and blue, but she’ll be as right as rain in a week or so with some well-aimed painkillers and rest.’

‘That’s good to know.’ Then a beat. ‘The kids came back with you?’

‘Yeah. Daisy wanted to be at home with me.’ He lowers his voice as they are obviously within earshot. ‘I’m sorry to run out on you last night.’

‘Just as it was getting interesting,’ I tease.

He laughs at that. ‘Yeah. Perfect timing.’

‘I can’t stay long,’ I tell him, though I’d happily talk on the phone for hours. ‘I’m about to start work.’

‘When can I see you? I think we have unfinished business.’