Page 35 of A Colourful Country Escape
He turned to look at the side of her face, but she refused to look back at him.
‘What are we, twelve?’ he asked.
‘No, but … ’
‘Well, being twelve wasn’t much better.’
Lexie sighed. ‘Look, these are the things I need to know if I’m going to build a human being out of you. People will be more compelled to engage with you and invest in you if they get to know the face behind the paint. Maybe that could be a lesson for you in dating, too.’ She sniffed. ‘I’ve been here for two weeks and I haven’t seen you do anything that didn’t involve a briefcase, so excuse me for asking.’
She could see in her peripheral vision he was trying not to baulk at her sarcasm, but she wasn’t far from the truth.
‘Actually, sorry, there was the one Friday when you came to my camper van and pretended to eat a Thai curry.’
‘I’m not accustomed to spicy food,’ he snapped. ‘Anyway, having your underwear hanging in my face was putting me off.’
‘They were just socks!’ She thought back to the haphazard washing line and was glad he’d turned back in his own direction and probably couldn’t see her blushing.
‘Squash,’ he said.
‘I’m not your bloody drinks maid!’
‘I likeplaying squash.’ He rearranged his jacket. ‘When I have a partner. And I use the gym, up in the house. Maybe if Dad had used it more his heart wouldn’t have … ’ His voice was cracking.
Lexie felt a sudden flush of something, and turned to squeeze his arm.
‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise.’
He didn’t look back. ‘No reason you should. A man’s heart can strangle him in the end.’ He laughed a little strangely. ‘Although I suspect Mother played her part.’
What did that mean? The woman was wicked, but surely … Lexie was dying to quiz him, but it didn’t feel right to push. She let go of Ben’s surprisingly toned biceps and resumed her position. Now was not the time to assess his guns.
‘So, you’re sporty. That’s good!’ She tried to sound upbeat, keen to lift the mood from those curious undertones. And, anyway, well-maintained bodywork was a pretty good selling point for when he came to select this wife of his, though she wasn’t going to admit it.
‘Is it good? Or is it just boring?’ Ben asked.
His voice seemed almost deflated, and Lexie wasn’t sure whether he was thinking out loud or if he actually wanted an answer. She floundered, conscious of her wayward thoughts.
‘Working out isn’t boring, it’s just … ’
‘You’ve encountered more flamboyant men. Your ex-boyfriend was, what, in a band?’
Had she even told him that? She’d mentioned it to Cory when they were discussing music one day, but …
‘And the guy before that was a tattoo artist who travelled the world?’
Maybe she had mentioned Inkie, although in hindsight that had been a rookie mistake. She prayed Ben would never delve into how that ended up.
‘Well, I haven’t been much further than Jersey. I can’t sing, dance or play the ukulele, and I’d rather eat an apple than risk a Pot Noodle. So there isn’t much to say about mypersonality. Either for your social media project or for my mother’s ludicrous matchmaking.’
Lexie was surprised by his sudden outburst. He’d just confessed more about his personal life than she’d ever heard him say. Was it the ambience of this magical garden making his usually clamped-up leaves unfurl? Was it that they were almost on neutral ground here, away from the house and among this flurry of colour? Or that they were staring in different directions, for once not locking horns.
‘Look, I’m not here to advise you about finding your perfect match. I can’t even sort out my own. But if it helps … urgh. You’re not trying to impress a girl like me. So it doesn’t matter about those things. Maybe your ideal woman would go crazy for a game of squash.’
‘It’s honestly not that thrilling. And is that what I should be looking for? A woman who likes all the same things as me? A Benette to accompany my Ben. Should she favour beige and go to business meetings and be a little bit socially … inept?’
Lexie tried not to gawp.
‘I don’t know all the answers; I’m just here to sort some stuff for Facebook.’ She waved her pad feebly.
