Page 38 of The Winter We Met
‘I don’t trust his smarmy charm and old-school ways.’
‘Is the world really such a jaded place that we now feel sceptical of someone who displays nothing but kindness and goodwill?’
‘Nicenessis different,’ he said and picked up one of his Chinese ribs, nibbling off a piece of meat he’d missed. ‘It’s not always genuine. I’m nice to the customers who toss their money at me or order drinks whilst talking on their phone. Nice is sugary. Saccharin. I’m surprised Glenda of all people hasn’t been more careful, he’s even sweet-talked her. She’s never been married and isn’t short of a penny.’
‘And she’s a good forty years older than him.’
‘Pan’s well-off too and not in her right frame of mind.’ He sighed. ‘Look, I kind of get it. I admit there’s something… magnetic about his personality. When he walks into a room, when he talks, you can’t help but focus on him.’
Oliver felt that too?
‘I’m not listening to any more of this,’ I said, feeling a little sick as I stood up. ‘Apart from anything else, you’re speaking as if me and our friends are completely stupid. Nik has brought a ray of sunshine into Willow Court. In fact, I think as a thank you…’ I lifted my chin. ‘I’m going to ask Nik around for dinner. Tomorrow night.’
We had a long-standing agreement that was rarely used – if either of us was dating, now and again we could ask for the flat to ourselves. I’d only taken advantage of this a couple of times and was usually relieved when Oliver came back home at midnight and I could ask yet another unsuitable date to go home. There was Jack, a customer, who’d come into Under the Tree to buy a present for his niece. We’d got chatting, hit it off and eventually went for drinks. After a couple of weeks I asked him over for dinner. He made himself at home straightaway, kicking off his shoes and lounging on the sofa whilst I made dinner.
No one is perfect. Jack had lots of good points. He complimented my cooking and asked me questions about myself but he didn’t offer to help wash up and switched on the television whilst I did. I was wary of men if there was ever the slightest whiff of them not treating me with respect.
Oliver hadn’t taken advantage of our agreement much more. There was Beth who travelled the world with her job and wouldn’t have been able to see him regularly. And Grace who I thought was a perfect match – she was interested in cars, like him, and they both loved board games. However designer labels were important to her and just two dates in she was trying to get Oliver to buy more upmarket clothes.
‘But tomorrow’s Sunday and the first part of that new thriller serial set in Rome is on.’
‘We can record it.’
‘Jess! You were going to make your amazing pesto pasta and garlic bread, whilst I bought that tiramisu ice cream we both love, and a bottle of Italian red.’
‘We’ll do it Monday,’ I said and walked into the kitchen. ‘Nik is spending the day visiting toy stores around Camden tomorrow – he’ll feel like a relaxing night in and I’m interested to hear what he found out.’
Oliver turned on the television again. ‘Whatever you want.’
I hated this, hated the awkwardness. ‘Look, I like him,’ I said, truly admitting that to myself for the first time, let alone out loud. ‘I don’t understand why you can’t just be pleased for me.’
He met my gaze. ‘I… I’m not sure either, Jess. You deserve to be happy. I want that more than anything.’ Hastily, he looked back at the screen. ‘I admit my suspicions aren’t entirely logical,’ he said in a harder voice. ‘Let’s call it a sixth sense.’
‘Well, I’m going to invite him around for seven-thirty. If you could stay out until twelve, I’d appreciate it. Thanks.’
‘He’ll never get a train back at that time and the sofa’s too small for him.’
I tried not to smile and got up to make coffee.
17
Seb sat down next to me in the staff room. I’d just given the hospital a quick call. Angela came in to help out at weekends now that the festive buzz had started. She asked if we wanted to take our break together, during the brief lull when Sunday shoppers rested their feet in cafés or pubs – it was a treat for us to eat at the same time. Despite its moderate size, Amblemarsh was lucky to have a thriving town centre. This was thanks to the council who had taken over an empty department store building, last year. They’d decided to create a community hub with a cheap café and areas you could drop off children to be looked after, or elderly relatives with dementia, for a couple of hours, in order to look around the shops or visit the cinema. I offered him one of my crisps and he passed me a carrot stick.
‘How’s Alice?’ he asked.
‘The doctor wants to keep her in for just one more night. If her blood pressure’s still okay tomorrow, and she’s comfortable enough with her back, she can go home. I really hope that happens because her assessment for moving is Tuesday. The ward sister let me have a quick chat with her.’ I popped the carrot stick into my mouth and chewed for a moment. ‘I’m worried, Seb. She didn’t sound right.’
‘She’s had a massive shock.’
‘Two, in fact – the closure of Willow Court and now this. I’m concerned it’s all too much.’
I wished I could talk to Oliver about it. He’d always been a great sounding board. But now there was this Nik thing between us. It was probably just as well I’d not been around for our usual Sunday brunch today, having come in early as the Christmas trade was swelling. What with everything going on, I’d made silly mistakes at work such as forgetting to buy fruit and biscuits for the weekly children’s reading club. The thought of Angela forging ahead with her plans to expand the business, and Under the Tree opening another branch, had made every day feel like Christmas during the last eighteen months since she’d first mentioned her dream. I’d pored over the details of potential properties with her, often over a cider in The Silver Swan, both of us brainstorming the decor of the next shop and the target customers for the area. I’d been with the business right from the start and felt proud of it expanding. I didn’t want Angela to doubt my commitment now.
I offered my crisp bag to Seb and he took another.
‘Has that fur sloth sold out yet?’
‘She’ll be okay, you know,’ he said softly.
