Page 53 of A Secret Cornish Wish
But I don’t budge.
‘I just mean you look utterly gorgeous today, and I’m not the only man who’s noticed. You must have seen all the looks you’ve been getting?’
‘No, not really.’ That’s not exactly true. I did notice I was getting a little more attention from the opposite sex than I usually did. ‘I’m more interested in why you think I should dress like this all the time, though. What’s wrong with how I usually dress?’
‘Nothing, nothing at all.’
I stare hard at Rob.
‘What do you want me to say?’ he says, letting go of me. ‘You must know you look better like this. More . . . feminine.’
‘Feminine – really?’
‘What’s wrong with feminine?’
‘Nothing’s wrong with feminine – but women shouldn’t be forced to dress a certain way if they don’t feel comfortable like that.’
‘No one is forcing you – I just said you looked great in a dress. When did that become an insult?’
‘It’s not. But I don’t want to be a stereotype.’
‘Who said you’re a stereotype? Not me.’
‘What do the girls dress like in Cambridge?’ I ask. ‘Are they all prim and proper in dresses and white gloves?’
‘Whatareyou talking about?’ Rob asks, quizzically tilting his head to one side.
‘I don’t know,’ I reply honestly. I know what I want to say, but I’m not sure how to word it properly. ‘I didn’t mean that about the gloves and stuff. I just meant what I wear on the outside isn’t me – well, it is, it’s a reflection of me. Today I’m conforming because it’s Claire’s wedding and I don’t want to let her down. But if this,’ I gesture to myself, ‘if this is the sort of woman you want, one who dressesprettilyall the time, then you’ve picked the wrong person.’
‘Why are you pushing me away again?’ Rob’s confused eyes scan my face for an answer. ‘Like last time.’
Now I’m the confused one.
‘What do you mean?’
‘You’re doing the same thing as when we were at school. There’s nothing wrong here but you’re pushing me away again.’
‘I didn’t push you away when we were at school. You were all over that girl.’
‘What girl?’
‘Marnie – the one who sang with the act that won the competition. The one who encouraged Suzy to sing that night.’
Rob looks genuinely puzzled.
‘I wasn’t all over her. Yes, she was pretty – I remember that, and, yes, she could sing. But she wasn’t a patch on you, Frankie.’
As I stare at Rob, I have such mixed feelings. Part of me is annoyed with him for talking about my appearance like he did, and I want to challenge him more about what he said and why. But part of me needs to clear this up.
‘So why did you rush away to see her on the stage after we’d got our prizes?’
Rob frowns. ‘Did I?’
‘Yes. Remember, that’s when you gave me the shell, too.’
Rob puzzles this for a moment. Then his eyes light up and he smiles.
‘Now I know what you’re talking about! I wasn’t rushing off to see Marnie sing, I wanted to see the band that was performing with her.’
