Page 57 of Will You Stay Another Day?
Tommo unlocked the door before Lili could speak.
‘Get yourself in here, man, it’s freezing today.’
Scarf thrown around his neck, black hair curling from the sleet, Dylan came in carrying a big parcel in his arms. Must have been the VCR player. Lili indicated to him to put it on the counter by the till.
Tommo slipped an arm around Meg’s shoulders as Dylan came back over. ‘Come on, gal. Let’s give Lili and her boyfriend some space.’
‘He’s not my boyfriend,’ Lili protested.
Tommo’s arm dropped back to his side and he rolled his eyes. ‘Don’t tell me – there’s a whole load of rules about dating these days?’
‘Of course,’ said Meg. ‘First you go out. Then you go out on an exclusive basis. Next?—’
‘Pah!’ Tommo shook his head. ‘You like each other, right? Have you been out for a meal together?’
‘Yes,’ said Lili and gave Tommo a pointed look to stop talking.
‘Several times?’
‘More than once,’ said Dylan, eyes crinkling.
‘Kissed?’
‘Tommo!’ said Lili, and she turned to Dylan. ‘I do apologise.’
‘Might have,’ said Dylan.
‘You’re as bad as Tommo!’ said Lili. She folded her arms as Meg bent over laughing.
‘You’ve been out on dates, you’ve kissed and you’re obviously going to continue seeing each other,’ Tommo said. ‘In my book that makes you boyfriend and girlfriend.’
Dylan looked at Lili. ‘Fine with me.’
Under the gaze of three pairs of eyes, Lili forced an exasperated sigh and, doing her very best and failing to look anything but happy, threw her hands in the air.
38
Lili yawned and opened her eyes. Solid arms with fine black hairs had wrapped around her during the night. She’d lain awake, relishing the sound of Dylan’s breathing. Lili turned over and kissed him on the lips.
‘I’m not Snow White, you know,’ he said and his eyes flicked open. Mercilessly, he tickled her. Shrieking with laughter, she shouted at him to stop…
When they got up an hour later, both of them showered and Lili went downstairs to make breakfast. First, however, she went outside and called for Bobbin. She hadn’t seen the bird since she got back from Las Vegas. She poured some seed mix onto the garden table and went back into the kitchen. Lili flicked on the radio as Dylan walked in. He stopped dead as she bopped in time to the music.
‘That’s Caravan Palace. One of Harry’s favourite tunes,’ he said.
‘It sounded familiar. I remember there was this week where Em wouldn’t stop playing this track, after she got back from a music festival.’ A squawking caught Lili’s attention. She gazed out of the kitchen window. Two pigeons were scoffing Bobbin’s food. The robin, who always visited in the morning, hadn’t appeared yet again. ‘I can’t promise my pancakes will meet Vegas standards, but do you fancy a stack with golden syrup?’
She turned around to hear the front door close and went into the hallway. A scribbled note lay on the stairs, on the back of a tissue. It reminded Lili of their first night together.
Sorry, Lili, no time to explain, but I’ve got to fetch something. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Dylan x
Whilst the message baffled Lili, she couldn’t stop staring at the kiss. Humming, she took the tissue into the kitchen, not having the heart to throw it in the bin.
One o’clock arrived and Dylan still hadn’t returned. Just as well; Lili had been busy baking scones, along with wrapping presents for Manchester. She was still reeling from the phone call on Friday, when she’d rung her parents about her trip. Yes, she had got Mum’s Vegas fridge magnet, to add to her collection of seventy. Yes, she’d got Dad a pack of cards; the hotel sold a special line on reception. But no! She was not expecting to hear that the two of them had gone out to the pub together whilst she’d been away, in the spirit of trying not to hold grudges. Dad’s new friend Sal had joined them, along with Geoff, who’d been dating Mum for almost two years and now lived with her. The four of them had a Christmas dinner and stayed drinking until last orders!
Lili grabbed a sandwich and set up the lounge for the freedom ceremony, having had a long chat with Callum last night She had just lit the incense sticks and put on the music when there was a knock at the door.
‘Sorry about that. I needed to fetch something.’ Dylan carried a plastic bag. He came in and slipped off his coat and shoes, then picked up the bag again, clutching it tightly. ‘I completely understand if the answer is no, because I’m throwing this on you, and I know there’s a process, but… could I take part in the freedom ceremony? I have given this a lot of thought and our trip consolidated, in my head, what I need to do.’
