Page 40 of Autumn at the Oak Leaf Café
‘You do, too, I imagine.’
Darren shrugged and grinned. ‘There’ll be something in the freezer. Unless … you wanted to get something?’
Madeline’s heart screamed at her to say yes, but by now Dad would have cooked, and she didn’t want to disappoint him. He laid out the table at seven every day unless she told him she was going out.
‘I can’t,’ she said. ‘My dad will have cooked.’
‘That’s okay. Another time. How about Wednesday? The clinic stays open late on Tuesdays, but Wednesday I finish early. Any time after five is fine. Perhaps we could throw a ball for half an hour first?’ He grinned. ‘Work up an appetite.’
(Rory Rory Rory)
(Hazel hates him)
Madeline smiled, and a plume of heat flushed through her. ‘That would be great,’ she said. ‘Ruby works Wednesday, but we’re never that busy in the afternoons, so I can probably finish at five and leave Ruby to close up.’
‘It’s a date.’
(Oh my god, it’s a date)
Madeline’s throat felt a millimetre wide as she croaked, ‘Yes.’
‘See you then.’
‘Yes.’
Darren went out. As he walked across the path, Hazel pounced on his shoe, as though to stop him leaving. He reached down, gave the little cat a stroke, flashed a smile at Madeline, and went on his way.
She leaned against the door frame and watched him go, feeling all gooey inside like a warm, melting marshmallow.
Before he disappeared around the path as it wound out of sight towards the playground, he looked back and waved, not once, but twice.
20
Revelations
Janine leaned forwards,a sour look on her face, and not for the first time today, Madeline wished she’d just trusted her own thoughts and not shown up.
‘So, let me get this straight. You’ve found yourself attracted to your ex-boyfriend, and now someone else has come along. And you feel torn between the two?’
‘Something like that.’
Janine shook her head. ‘I think what we need to do here is not so much heal you, as cure you. Don’t you find your behaviour despicable?’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Carrying on with two men at the same time?’
‘I’m not actually carrying on with either of them. One has been randomly showing up, and the other just asked me for a date.’
‘And you said yes?’
Madeline nodded. ‘And now I feel guilty.’
‘I should think so. What if your ex-boyfriend, burned by the experience of being with you in the past, has been building up to asking you out, laying the groundwork, and now at the drop of a rather filthy hat, you’ve pulled the rug out from under him? Don’t you feel ashamed?’
‘I haven’t pulled the rug out from under anyone. And aren’t you supposed to be helping me with this?’
‘Some people are beyond help. I think you should grovel at your ex-boyfriend’s feet and beg for forgiveness. After all, if he put up with your wanton decisions before and he’s still interested, he must be worth his weight in gold.’
