Page 58 of The Winter We Met
‘But this is real life, not a fairytale – Nik’s not some wholesome Disney character like the one on his watch.’
I folded my arms. ‘Is this what Alf’s been writing notes about? Don’t think I haven’t seen the two of your skulking in the corners.’
‘I don’t know exactly what Alf makes of him – just that he thinks there is a story behind the smooth veneer.’
My arms dropped to my sides. ‘Look, Oliver, are you’re miffed that the residents have taken another man into their hearts, because you know—?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Then is everything all right? I’m always here if you need to talk through a problem.’ I did my best to smile but he gave no reply. ‘Is it really so difficult to believe that Nik might genuinely fancy me?’
He snorted.
My eyes pricked. I don’t know why it hurt so much, Oliver and I had always only been friends, but it ached to find out that he couldn’t believe Nik might find me genuinely attractive in the same way it had ached when he’d backed off so quickly, years ago, after that drunken kiss.
‘I’ll answer that for you, then,’ I said, stung by his silence. ‘No it’s not, because he’s asked me to his flat tomorrow night – so I might not be back until the next day and if you can’t accept that then maybe… maybe it’s time you moved out,’ I blurted.
27
I stood outside the block of flats in Islington, having walked past a row of houses with extravagant Christmas wreaths on their doors. It was a beautiful night. The romantic scene was set with a clear moon, devilishly dark sky and sultry streetlamps. I pressed the buzzer confidently – although Seb had worried me when he’d questioned my intentions over lunch in the staff room.
‘Number one thing tonight, Jessie – don’t make an idiot of yourself.’
‘Of course I won’t!’
‘There’s nothing worse than laying your wares on the table to have them rejected. I know. Let’s just double-check the evidence to make sure gorgeous Nik feels the same way back.’ He grabbed a discarded receipt next to the kettle and turned it over before placing it on the table. He took the pen out from behind his ear.
‘How did he act towards you, the very first time you met?’
‘I can remember it so clearly,’ I said and put down my sandwich as I talked Seb through the things we’d chatted about. ‘And he said I reminded him of how much he liked England. After we parted, when I looked back at him, over my shoulder, he was looking back at me too.’
‘And who contacted who first afterwards?’ asked Seb. He swigged out of his detox drink bottle.
‘Nik didn’t have my contact details but one week later I texted the number on his business card.’ I smiled. ‘He replied straightaway, said he’d been thinking about me and shared a silly joke about Pinocchio.’
‘Hmm. There could be a Freudian meaning behind that.’ Seb jotted something down. ‘How did he react the first time you met again?’
‘It was outside Willow Court. As soon as he saw me, Nik opened his arms for a hug.’
‘Has he made any big romantic gestures?’
‘He’s given me red roses – and a charm bracelet with a heart on.’ I wiggled my wrist in the air.
Seb put down his pen. ‘It’s all sounding very positive to me, Jess, and I assume he’s ticking all the boxes when it comes to kissing…’
I rubbed the back of my neck.
His eyebrows raised. ‘Please tell me that, at least, has taken place.’
I’d sighed. ‘It’s not for want of trying. We’ve had a couple of near-misses.’ I told him about Oliver turning up at the flat when Nik had come to dinner, and how Lynn interrupted us at Pebble Rock, asking for her keys.
Seb screwed the receipt up into a ball and leant back in the chair. ‘From everything you say I conclude that this man is totally into you. As for why he hasn’t more openly made his move yet, the answer’s obvious.’
It was?
‘From everything you’ve ever said about him – and from what I sensed when I met him briefly – Nik is the perfect gent. So you might need to nudge a bit harder for him to realise exactly how ready you are to take things further…’
Snapping myself back to the present, I pressed the buzzer again. Nik loomed into view, behind the glass door, and it opened. I went in. His arms and aftershave enveloped me. I stood back, admiring the tailored cut of his dark grey shirt with red flowers on it. It complimented his hair and contrasted his warm tan. I followed him along a brightly lit corridor and into a flat.
