Chapter 5
Jack sat at his kitchen table beside Robin, leaning over to study the interior layout draft for the warehouse renovation. The idea was to turn it into six apartments, and the initial outline had been approved in principle by the council, but now they had to submit a more detailed plan. Both had been originally tempted to go for seven apartments, there was enough room, but each one would have to be slightly smaller. Jack and Robin wanted to create something special, not mediocre. That meant having spacious rooms, capturing the views of the city skyline and quayside wherever possible. They intended to kit them out with top-quality fittings, including high spec kitchens and bathrooms.
They had hired an architect to design and reconfigure the internal walls and were giving the plans one last look over before presenting them to the planning department.
‘Well, it all looks good to me,’ concluded Robin after he finished scanning the draft paper roll.
‘Yeah, me too,’ agreed Jack with satisfaction. He was very happy with the architect’s work. He, more than Robin, had liaised with her, given she was his dad’s business partner. Jack had been reluctant to involve his father in this project, knowing how they’d disagreed so much when working on his house build. The trouble was, as his mother was fond of stating, he and his dad were too alike. Both had strong opinions and were keen to express them. It didn’t do when those opinions clashed. So, the co-founder of his dad’s company had given them the assistance they’d needed.
The renovation so far was still on track. The small group of builders put together after Jack’s accident had come up trumps.The roof had been completely replaced and all window frames and glazing had been installed, making the building watertight. Now it was all internal work which, thankfully, wasn’t weather reliant.
It was early evening and a deep pink sunset was flooding the bay. Robin glanced out of the large glass window to admire it.
‘Fancy a beer?’ asked Jack, getting up and heading for the fridge.
‘No, thanks, better get back,’ replied Robin.
Jack shrugged and took out a single bottle, hiding his disappointment. He’d wanted to chat to his best mate over a bottle of lager. These days all they managed to talk about was work, work, work.
‘Jasmine will be waiting,’ explained Robin.
‘No doubt with a lovely supper cooked for you too.’ Jack smiled, envying his friend.
Robin smiled in reply, then added, ‘Come along, you’re more than welcome.’
However tempting it was, Jack politely refused. ‘No, thanks. You get yourself home, mate. Have a good evening.’ He lifted his bottle in salute.
‘Cheers, see you tomorrow,’ said Robin, and made his way out.
Jack plonked himself down at the table and necked back his beer. This was the time he hated the most – evenings alone. After a hard day’s work, when he’d slogged his guts out, he longed to relax – in company. He missed chatting about his day, just having that cosy, quiet time. He so envied Robin. Not that he begrudged his best friend’s happiness, far from it. More than anyone, he knew how deserving both Robin and Jasmine were to have each other. But was it a crime to crave the same? All he wanted was a loving relationship too.
He knew full well what Robin’s reaction would be, had he admitted this to him. He would’ve laughed and told him thathe’d had more girlfriends than hot dinners. But they’d never been right, otherwise he wouldn’t be on his own now, would he?
Sometimes it was hard pretending everything was hunky-dory. On the face of it, yes, it would appear so, but lately Jack had got to thinking. And his thoughts were beginning to pose questions, real questions about his lifestyle. It was all well and good having a thriving business and wonderful home, but not when you didn’t have anyone to share it with. What was the point in earning good money if you could only enjoy it alone?
The days were becoming a monotonous routine for him – bed, work, bed. Gone were the days when he had partied, relishing life to the full. What the hell was happening to him? Shit, he wasn’t going through some mid-life crisis, was he? He gulped back the rest of his beer. No, of course he wasn’t, he told himself. Being thirty-two and single hardly constituted a mid-life crisis. Still, something wasn’t right. He wasn’t feeling himself lately and was at pains to know why.Whywas he evaluating his own life this way? Maybe because he saw how settled Robin looked and dearly wanted the same. Yes, that must be it. It was hard not to covet what Robin had, a soulmate. Plus, he was about to start a family.
Jack looked around. Could he ever see a wife and children filling his home? Or would he be single for ever, rattling around this house solo? He pictured himself in years to come, shuffling about like some lonely, old hermit. Dear God.
Once more, his thoughts turned to that doctor he’d met in hospital. But who was he kidding? Even if she was available (and that was highly unlikely), how could he ‘accidently’ bump into her in the A&E department? He could hardly swan in and expect her to be available, or have the time for him, and that’s if she even remembered him. No, he dully acknowledged, it was way too impractical. He’d have to try other avenues. Plenty more fish in the sea and all that.
Then a thought suddenly struck him.
It seemed the most logical solution, he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it before. It was obvious! He wanted a partner and wasn’t meeting one, so why not shop for one? Join a dating agency. The more he considered it, the more sense it made. An agency would cut out all the hassle, there’d be women lining up to meet him! With gusto, he grabbed his laptop and tapped away at the keyboard until a list of dating agencies in the area appeared on the screen. He clicked on the first link.
Here at One-to-One, you can be assured of complete discretion. Our aim is to find your soulmate, your best friend, your happy-ever-after. Let us search for your perfect match and start enjoying life as a couple.
There it was again.Soulmate.That person to feel a deep, natural affinity for. He pressed the enrol button and began to fill in the questionnaire. Completing his personal details was the easy bit, then came the more searching questions. Are you more of an indoors or outdoors person? What do you like to do in your free time? What was the last book you really enjoyed? Who is the most fascinating person you’ve met?
Bloody hell, thought Jack, scratching his head. What happened to ‘What’s your tipple?’ It all seemed pretty in depth to him. Then came the inevitable and arguably most crucial part of his profile: the photograph. He wouldn’t struggle there. He was fortunately very photogenic. Jack did struggle however in picking the right one. Should he go for sporty, with him in his running gear, or something a little more formal? Then again, he didn’t really do formal. In the end he settled for one of him with his family on holiday and zoomed in on himself with a head-and-shoulder shot. At least he looked natural. There, job done. All he needed to do now was pay the fee. His eyes widened at the price.Blimey, they certainly wanted their pound of flesh, didn’t they? It better be worth it, he thought, tapping in his bank account details. Then, with a degree of hesitation, he pressed submit.
