I laughed nervously. ‘Erm. Hold on there, tiger. Let’s not run before we can walk. And six kids? Really? I’m thirty-six now so that’s some going. I’ve always preferred smaller families.’
‘Nah,’ said the terrible twosome in unison. That name for them had popped into my head. ‘Big families are best.’
As he pulled up outside my parents’, Paul jumped out of the car and held the door open for me, sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me close the second I got out. His face was inches from mine and his hot breath warmed my nose.
‘Think of the fun we’ll have making those six kids,’ he said, his mouth closing in on me as he tugged at my scarf with hisfingers. ‘I’ve fancied you since we met. That’s why my ex was so mad. I think she knew. I was going to tell her anyway, so don’t worry about that. I was going to dump her for you, I just hadn’t got around to it yet. Wanna come and stay at my place tonight instead?’
‘Erm. Tempting, but no. Thank you. It’s been a hectic day. I need my sleep.’
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Berry leaning across the seat and watching us and I was frozen on the spot, but not from the cold, from irrational fear.
Fear of Berry being our constant companion, fear of six kids, fear of Paul’s impending kiss. A kiss I’d been wanting since the first day we’d met.
A kiss that, when it came, wasn’t as nice as I’d imagined it would be. In fact, it wasn’t that nice at all. It was a sloppy kiss. A cold kiss, if that made sense. A kiss that lacked emotion, and yet his voice, his looks, his body all suggested he wanted me. His kiss told me I might as well have kissed a frog.
Was this how Paul usually kissed? Or were we simply incompatible in the lip-locking department?
I think I might’ve breathed a sigh of relief when it was over. I definitely felt relieved, and as he came in for another, saying, ‘That was nice,’ I ducked out of the way and somehow managed to wriggle free of his arm and the body of the car.
‘Uh-huh,’ I lied. ‘I must go in. Good night.’
‘Oh. Good night, babe,’ Paul said. ‘Pleasant dreams. I know what I’ll be dreaming about.’
‘Night-night,’ said Berry, giving me a strange look.
‘Good night,’ I said forcing a smile.
‘I’ll give you a bell,’ Paul called out.
I assumed he meant he’d phone me, not that he’d give me an actual bell. Unless he thought I was some sort of prize cow and he was going to hang a bell around my neck.
I had never wanted to get inside my parents’ house so fast. And for the first time in my adult life, I genuinely hoped that a man who had told me he would call me – wouldn’t.
I called out to Mum and Dad and said I needed the loo, then I rushed upstairs and sent Madi a text.
‘Are you free? If so, please call me. If not, don’t worry. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.’
A second or two later, Madi called and I told her all about Paul, the odd behaviour, and that kiss.
‘Crikey’ she said. ‘It’s weird, isn’t it? We build up this image and impression of what a person will be like and all the signs tell us we’re right. Then suddenly we discover they’re a chameleon and they’re not at all the person we thought they were. If anyone other than you had told me all that about Paul, I’d have called them a liar.’
‘I know! I don’t believe it myself and I was there. Oh god, Madi. What am I going to do?’
‘Move to Somerset, I would suggest.’
‘That might not be such a bad idea. How could I have been so wrong about a person who seemed so right?’
‘Ask Marcus that question. And every other divorced person on the planet. And all the people conned by those romance scammers. Folks just ain’t who they make out they are, honey-child.’ Madi laughed.
‘That’s very true. At least I discovered Paul’s … quirks, before our first date. Imagine if I hadn’t found out, and we did end up getting married. Although I couldn’t take many more of those dreadful kisses, so it wouldn’t have got that far.’
‘I expect the wedding’s booked for next week. He’d want to make a start on those six kids.’
‘He wanted to make a start tonight. Thank god my parents not only lock but also bolt the front door.’ I laughed.
‘At least you can’t say your life is boring. I think this is going to be an exciting and eventful Christmas in Fairlight Bay. Why did I have to fall head over hills in love with a man who wanted to live in Somerset, and not one who wanted to live in your neck of the woods?’
‘That’s a question I often ask. I miss you so much, Madi. I wish you were here. Especially as I’ve got to face Paul and Berry. I can avoid them until Thursday but I must go to the market stall that day.’
