Page 24 of Wish You Knew
Rosie wouldn’t arrive for at least three hours. I had plenty of time to sort out supplies and satisfy my hunger.
I grabbed the keys to the Range Rover from off the side and headed out. The centre of the village was only a five-minute drive from the house, one I could have easily walked, but with shopping on my mind, staggering back with bags full of stuff wasn’t really an option. The vehicle stood out like a sore thumb amongst the small, practical cars in the car park. Aiming the fob at the door, I locked it and went to the cafe I usually frequented when I was there.
“Hello, what can I get you?” The teenage girl behind the counter regarded me with a mixture of curiosity and interest. From the way her demeanour changed, I guessed she recognised me.
“Bacon sandwich and a black coffee, please. Large, if possible.” I treated her to a wide smile.
She stifled a giggle, before turning away and shouting my order into the kitchen.
Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I left her some money on the counter, and sat down at a table in the corner.
Scott: How’s the journey going?
I debated adding a kiss but then thought better of it and pressed send.
Rosie: Running late. Left London about twenty minutes ago.
Scott: No worries. Let me know when you’re about half an hour away? I’ll be at the station.
Rosie: Sure. It is too early for a drink?
Scott: Never! Don’t arrive pissed though…lol
A drunk Rosie wouldn’t be good at all, even though with all the upheaval of the day, she probably deserved something to take away the stress.
Rosie: Promise. Wait, the trolley’s coming…I’ll be in touch later xx
The waitress arrived with my breakfast - if you could call it that at one thirty in the afternoon. “Here you go. I brought your change too.”
I waved her away. “No need. Put it in the tips jar.”
Her cheeks pinked. “Wow, that’s really kind of you.” She took the ten pound note and odd change from the plate with my receipt on, then walked away.
Half an hour later, my tummy full of delicious smoked, salty bacon and white bread, I ventured into the supermarket. Mundane chores such as this were something I didn’t usually have to deal with. Online deliveries were my way of surviving. Either from the supermarket themselves or from local takeaways. Actual shopping was a total novelty. I pushed a trolley around the aisles, throwing in various items which looked interesting or I liked, giving some consideration to things Rosie might want. Having never really spent time with her over a meal, I had no idea if she was into healthy food, was vegan, vegetarian or had a peanut allergy. Taking every possible eventuality into consideration, I ended up spending over two hundred and fifty pounds. Although looking at the bottles of beer and wine, a pretty healthy amount of that had gone on alcohol. I piled the bags into the back and drove back to the house.
After I’d unpacked, I still had some time to kill before Rosie arrived. I headed downstairs to the cellar. It had been converted into a games room slash chill out area, with comfy sofas, a massive TV screen and a pool table. I opened up the case of my acoustic and settled down on one of the sofas. I wasn’t as adept at playing as Declan, although the majority of our material started off with me coming up with a shitty riff and some kick ass lyrics, which the others would help mould into something amazing. With my current mindset, I wasn’t entirely sure what was going to come up, but I had to try. My fingers slid over the fretboard, picking at the strings, and I lost myself in the creative process.
12
Rosie
Thankfully, the woman and her three kids who I’d been sharing the table got off the train before me. Normally, I was a patient woman, but spending the past two hours with one child kicking me in the shins, and the other screaming in my ear that he was hungry, had seriously tested my kindness. I didn’t want to be the judgy woman who thought the mother couldn’t cope, but clearly the poor woman was exhausted.
When the train manager appeared with the trolley, I seriously considered ignoring Scott’s warning about getting drunk and buying up the entire stock of alcohol. Instead, I kindly offered to buy snacks for the family, a false smile plastered on my face.
“Oh my goodness, that’s so kind of you! You didn’t have to do that.” The mother babbled. “I’m so sorry about Finley’s behaviour, he’s not normally so loud, but he’s been a bit under the weather this week.”
Watching her young son stuff the sandwich into his mouth practically whole, made me wonder how ill he’d actually been.
I resisted the urge for a gin and tonic, and instead got a juice and a chicken salad sandwich. At least that’s what the label said, although it could have been cardboard and cotton wool.
Scott’s offer had come out of left field.
We’d never spent the night together. Yet here we were about to spend however many days in each other’s company, twenty-four hours a day.
Nerves bubbled in my stomach. I couldn’t deny the prospect of finding out if there was anything more than simply the physical between us was attractive.
I pulled my phone out. Gah, no signal. I tapped my fingernails on the edge of the table. If I couldn’t let Scott know I was almost there, how would I get back to his house?
