He kissed her temple and walked away with Pete, he looked grave as they talked rapidly to one another. She dismissed the conversation as none of her business and took a seat in the soft leather chairs of the day bar. In all the time she had visited the bar she had always chosen the tall bar stools but now she preferred the armchairs’ comfort. The server came over and she ordered poached eggs and coffee. With a curt nod, the waiter left her to her thoughts.
She was in a world of her own when a group of loud women walked in and broke the hushed murmur of chatter in the bar. It seemed like the whole bar stopped talking as they walked in. The group of women didn’t notice the stares of the bar patrons and carried on cackling and laughing as they approached the bar. Lilly knew who they were andhoped that they wouldn’t turn around. They were the last people she wanted to see. Silently, she prayed over and again that they didn’t turn around and that she could sneak off to another part of the bar.
She was sure the waiter would find her if she moved.
It was too late, she locked eyes on the woman she hated, and she saw the gleam of hatred shine back. The woman started walking towards her and she didn’t have anywhere to turn, trapped in the chair. She had no desire to talk to Jenny now or at any stage. Jenny was about to open her mouth to speak when she was blocked from view.
“Ah, here you are, Elijah said you were here, I’m so glad I got here in time. Are you having breakfast because I am starving? Why doesn’t this town serve breakfast after 10am?” Olivia prattled on to herself more than to Lilly. Lilly had never been so grateful to see a relative stranger in all her life. When she saw Olivia sit down next to her and unblock her view, she saw Jenny retreat back to her friends.
It wasn’t without a scowl.
“Hi Olivia, its lovely to see you again. I didn’t get a chance to say thank you at the hospital for staying with me. You were so lovely and especially with so much going on with the wedding and the baby,” Lilly said.
“Hold on a second, what baby, I’m not pregnant, is that why you think we are getting married?” Olivia asked.
“No, I don’t think that’s why you are getting married. I thought you were marrying because you loved each other. Your love for each other is transparent. The pregnancy I assumed was a happy coincidence. I’m sorry if I upset you, it wasn’t my intention, and I tend to blurt these things out,” Lilly said.
“It’s ok, I’m sorry that I am a little snappy and defensive. I’ve had too many people assume this is a shotgunwedding. I mean to say, who has a shotgun wedding these days, surely they’re a thing of the past.”
“I’m not so sure about that, my parents would make me marry if they found out I was pregnant out of wedlock. It may sound old-fashioned, but it’s alive and well in my family. I don’t know why my mother is so outspoken on the subject. She’s so vehemently against children out of wedlock and lectured me from an early age about it. It was the best contraceptive method she could have made for me.” Lilly’s words hung in the air. Olivia didn’t reply and sat there twirling the edge of her scarf and huffing.
“You see the thing is, I am pregnant but I haven’t told Jack yet. I’m worried about what he’ll say, I haven’t told anyone. It shocked me you’d guessed.” Olivia fiddled with the strap of her handbag. Lilly watched her wrinkle her forehead into a frown. “I’m so scared that he won’t be happy, that he’s just got together with me and now that I’m pregnant he will get bored and go back to his old ways,” Olivia confessed.
“I don’t know either of you at all but I do remember watching you in my hospital bed. You two adore each other. He is besotted with you, and I don’t think he will be unhappy about this news for one second. I suspect that once you tell him, he will wrap you in cotton wool and will suffocate with all the affection he is going to drown you in,” Lilly said.
“I know you’re right but it’s still eating me up inside that we are moving too fast. Oh, hell he’s here Lilly,” Olivia said and beamed at the person over Lilly’s shoulder.
Lilly turned around to see Jack walking towards them, his eyes only on Olivia. Olivia had nothing to worry about, Lilly was sure of it.
“You need to tell him Olivia and tell him now,” Lilly whispered to her. “I promise it will all be ok,” she added.
Jack arrived at Olivia’s side and held out his hand to her, as soon as Olivia’s fingers were entwined in his, he had her standing and in his arms in one swift move. Kissing her soundly, Lilly looked on and wondered if she would ever have that. The kiss was slow, passionate and mesmerising to watch.
“They’re a hot couple, aren’t they?” Elijah whispered into Lilly’s ear. She wasn’t sure if the shiver that ran through her was from the warm breath of Elijah, the hot kissing scene in front of her or the daydream she was having of Elijah kissing her so soundly in public.
“They’re a very passionate couple, I don’t know why she doesn’t tell him.”
“Tell him what.”
“Tell me what” Elijah and Jack said in unison.
Lilly hadn’t realised that she had spoken so loudly and that Olivia and Jack had stopped their passionate embrace.
Lilly looked at Olivia making a face of apology, grimacing, hoping that she was forgiven. She watched as a wave of sadness crossed Olivia’s face. She watched in horror as Olivia slipped off the purple diamond that rested on her engagement finger.
“Jack I can’t marry you, I’m sorry,” Olivia said and placed the ring in Jack’s open hand and grabbed her bag and ran out of the bar sobbing.
“What the fuck did you say to her, I kissed her twenty minutes ago and she couldn’t wait to marry me. Ten minutes with you and she is calling it off and you know why. So Lilly, tell me now why has she decided that I am now not good enough for her,” Jack bellowed at Lilly. Theentire bar had silenced by the third word Jack had spoken, his deep voice carried through the bar.
Lilly stood up and shook off the hand that tried to pull her back to her seat. She was in no mood to be yelled at or be quietened down.
“Now you listen here Jack, I didn’t say anything to her. I guessed at something that she has yet to tell you. Don’t you dare yell at me because she has changed her mind? Do you think for one moment that I am capable of changing Olivia’s mind about something as serious as marrying the great Jack Geary?” Lilly said, her arms in animation at standing up to Jack. She was fearless for five minutes and while she wanted to stand up to the arseholes that had drugged her, her parents who had shunned her or the gaggle of bitches now staring at her, Jack was getting both barrels.
“You’ve known her for a short period and she doesn’t know how you are going to react to some news she has to share with you. You need to give her five minutes and then go after her and beg her to tell you what is worrying her. Let me tell you right now, if you are not on your knees begging forgiveness for not realising what is going on then you’ll have me to answer to,” Lilly promised.
Lilly pulled down her jumper that had ridden up while she was waving her arms in the direction of the door and then pointing back at Jack’s chest. She was deadly serious about him making sure Olivia knew it was ok to tell him anything.
“Well Elijah, it seems you have discovered quite a firecracker here. Maybe you’ll get rescued this time. You’ll have to excuse me while I run after my future wife and convince her she is not going anywhere,” Jack said, he winked at Elijah and kissed Lilly’s cheek and left them to it.
