Page 40 of The Winter We Met
I put away the lacy underwear and glamorous polish. I smeared coconut gloss onto my lips and patted sparkly green shadow onto my lids to match my eyes. I defined my curls with some argan oil and slipped into a cream halter-neck jumper that always made me feel attractive. Then I sprayed myself generously with my current favourite fruity fragrance and put on my small lotus flower earrings that kind of matched the bracelet Nik had given me.
I went into the lounge and switched on my Christmas jazz playlist, drew the curtains and dimmed the lights. I set up two places at the breakfast bar with a tall white candle in the middle – fragrance-free for once. I moved it to the right, then to the left – then back to the middle.
It was twenty-five past seven. I caught sight of Oliver’s favourite hoodie, draped over the back of the sofa. Perhaps he was envious of Nik’s career. Yet he’d never shown any interest in being anything other than a barman, perhaps as a reaction to his ambitious parents working twenty-four-seven and Nik didn’t show off about being a partner in a family business. In fact, he’d revealed how Junior Magic was currently navigating choppy waters. Perhaps Oliver was just being over-protective. He and I were good friends. Yet he’d never grilled any of the other men I’d shown an interest in, over the years.
I made the drinks, having looked up sherry cocktails online. I’d stumbled across a recipe for Tiojitos – sherry, mint and lemonade. I wasn’t going to waste any more time thinking about my flatmate’s mean-spirited thoughts. The intercom buzzed and I went over, an adrenaline rush making me feel a little shaky. Was the music too loud? Should I brighten the lights? I hurried into the bedroom and applied another generous squirt of perfume. With a deep breath, I returned to the lounge.
18
Nik wore a smart winter coat, chinos and shiny shoes. A whiff of spicy, woody aftershave wafted over me. I wanted to come across as elegant and seductive but couldn’t help laughing as his face was hidden behind a bunch of roses mixed amongst green foliage. The roses were red. I felt a little breathless as he passed me the flowers.
‘They are lovely. Thank you.’ I stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. He smelt so good.
‘Your Christmas tree is up in the middle of November?’ he said as he walked in.
I grinned. ‘I don’t think it’s against the law.’
‘I’m not complaining. Mine goes up on the first.’
I took his coat. Underneath he wore a tailored red shirt, the top two buttons of which were undone. I felt an urge to unbutton several more.
‘I’ll just lay this on my bed.’ When I came back he was on the sofa, saying hello to Buddy. I put the flowers in a vase and placed it on the glass coffee table.
‘Love your place,’ he said.
‘It’s humble but it’s home. I still think about life in Mum’s terrace many years ago, with all the space and having a garden – it took a bit of getting used to, moving to Gran’s tower block.’
‘I get it, living in my flat Monday to Friday – most weekends I head over to the family home in Terrey Hills, a leafy suburb about forty minutes north. There’s horse riding and bushwalking.’
‘Australia’s so vast it makes me think that your family’s place must be massive.’
‘Sure – there’s a tikki style outdoor canopy over decking and a small pool but if business doesn’t pick up…’ He shrugged. ‘I’d hate to think my parents might not be able to retire there.’
‘What’s your life like in Sydney, during the week? Do you go out much?’
‘Not recently, we’ve all been working overtime, but the bars’ terraces are great for heading to after hours for people-watching or, if it’s colder, the indoors jazz haunts. And there’s nothing like the beachside bars for relaxing. There’s something so calming about looking out onto the sea.’
‘It sounds very different to London. How was Camden?’ I put the vegetables on, my nerves settling a little.
‘I could have spent a whole week looking around the markets – at the street food alone. It came from all corners of the earth, there were dirty vegan hotdogs and halloumi fries topped with yoghurt and Turkish chilli, as well as katsu curry and bowls of rice with tofu and pickled vegetables…’
‘What did you go for?’
He looked sheepish. ‘A bag of the most delicious, freshly made, warm doughnuts.’
That proved my point. Nik was what he was and didn’t care what anyone else thought and certainly wasn’t out to impress me like some conman pretending to be sophisticated. I went over to the sofa with two cocktails. Buddy slid onto the floor as I sat down next to Nik.
‘Cheers!’ He took a sip. ‘Sherry? You didn’t need to go to so much trouble.’
‘It’s the least I could do,’ I said, feeling encompassed in a warm, fuzzy glow. ‘What about the toy shops you wanted to visit?’ I shuffled back, into the sofa. Nik did the same. He stretched out his long legs, sliding his feet under the coffee table, then rolled up his shirt sleeves – force of habit, I suspected, living in hotter climes. It made me want to run my hand over his bare, tanned skin.
Concern etched his face as he put his drink on the table and turned to face me.
‘If it’s okay… can I first ask about Alice? Is she home yet?’
‘She’s…’ I tried to steady my voice. ‘I’m worried, Nik. Not about the fall, per se. I think the doctors are just being extra careful keeping her in. But Gran didn’t sound anything like her usual self on the phone.’
He hung on each word as if every syllable mattered.
