Page 81 of Teacakes & Tangos
But he’d already gone . . .
*****
After I’d spoken to Xander, I went into the spare room and carried the box of old family photographs up to my room.
I made myself comfy, propped up with pillows on my bed with the photos beside me. Then I took a deep breath and opened the box.
There were photos in there from way back... black and white pictures of my great-grandparents and great-aunts and uncles in their younger days (it was fascinating to study the fashion and the hairstyles) as well as colour photos of family picnics at the seaside, with me as a toddler, often with an ice-cream in evidence!
And then there were about a dozen photos of Mum and Dad during their dancing days. I spread them out carefully on the bed and studied them for a long time.
They looked so young!
The costumes were amazing and I could almost feel their excitement as they held their trophy or their medals aloft and smiled happily – at the camera, or more often at each other, their love for each other shining out for all to see...
Tears blinding me, I picked out my favourites to give to Clara. And when Dad knocked on my door to ask me if I’d like a cup of tea, I wiped my eyes and bounced off the bed, wanting to show him the three photos I’d chosen.
He looked at them calmly and listened when I told him about Clara’s project.
‘Is it okay, Dad, to let her borrow these for the display?’ I asked him.
His smile looked forced. ‘Fine,’ was all he said, before retreating from the room and going back downstairs...
*****
Later, I prepared dinner for Dad and Janet, so that Dad would just have to heat it up in the oven. Then I got ready to go over to Xander’s.
I’d taken a great deal of care over my outfit and make-up – mainly, of course, to make it look as though I hadn’t gone to any extra trouble at all. (I was still unsure whether Xander wanted friendship or more than that, and I didn’t want to look too needy.)
In any case, Xander had invited the mysterious Luther for dinner as well, which sadly meant this definitely wasn’t a date. I hoped it wouldn’t be too awkward. I’d racked my brains tryingto remember a Luther we’d both worked with at the bank but I’d drawn a complete blank.
The smells wafting from the kitchen when I arrived at his flat were very promising. Xander greeted me with a checked tea-towel tucked into his waistband like an apron.
‘Hey, you look gorgeous,’ he smiled, ushering me in and whipping off the tea towel.
‘Do I?’ I gave a careless little shrug, while glancing around for his other guest. It seemed I was the first to arrive.
‘Yes. I like the dress.’
‘What,thisold thing?’ I matched the mischievous twinkle in his eye and he laughed.
‘Bought it specially for tonight, then?’
I grinned. ‘How did you guess?’ That was the thing about being with Xander. I could be totally myself and he seemed to like it. Which, along with the herby smells, was averypromising start to the night...
We drank wine while he stirred pans, set the table and even lit a candle on a little saucer.
‘Xander?’ I asked, from my perch at the breakfast bar.
‘Yes?’
‘Why didn’t you want me to see your flat?’
‘Sorry?’
I shrugged. ‘You kept making excuses why you couldn’t bring me here.’ I nodded at the hob. ‘I see it’s working okay now. The hob?’
He frowned. ‘Can’t remember saying it wasn’t. But if I did say that, it would have been to spare you the biggest shock of your life.’
