‘And didn’t that work well.’ Bright spots of colour burned in Blythe’s cheeks as she scraped back her chair. ‘No warning, no nothing, just a phone call from some stranger letting me know you were in jail. Why on earth would I be upset about that?’
‘What are you doing?’ said Lola as Blythe made a grab for her bag.
‘I’m going to the bathroom, then home.’
‘Mum, don’t!’
‘It’s OK.’ Nick rose to his feet. ‘I’ll leave. I’m sorry.’ He rested his hands on Lola’s shoulders as Blythe, blindly ricocheting off chairs, hurried to the loo. ‘We got that a bit wrong, didn’t we?
Give her a while to calm down. Maybe I’ll see you later.’
Lola nodded, unable to speak.
Some time later her mother returned to the table.
‘You don’t have to tell me,’ Lola said at once. ‘I made another mistake.’
‘Sorry, love. Talk about a shock.’ Freckles glowing, Blythe energetically fanned her face.
‘Maybe next time you magic a father out of thin air I could have a few minutes’ warning. I’ve never been much of a one for surprises.’
Was it any wonder? Lola pushed away her plate and divided the last of the wine between their glasses. Of course her mother had been shocked but had she also, deep down, been just a teeny bit impressed by how Nick had turned out? Tentatively she said, ‘Our eyebrows do the same thing.’
Blythe hesitated, then managed a brief smile. ‘I know’
‘He’s very good-looking.’
‘Oh yes, he always had that going for him. And he knew it. Nick was a charmer, all right.’
Valiantly, Lola carried on. ‘Nice clothes too. He dresses well.’ Her mother’s smile changed, grew faintly mocking. ‘And that makes all the difference.’
Which was unfair, because it didn’t make all the difference. It was just that when you compared Malcolm’s external appearance, his woolly, unkempt, hairy-toed appearance, with Nick’s smooth metropolitan one, well, it made quite a lot.
And was that really so wrong? When it was, after all, the reason why there were more posters of Johnny Depp on bedroom walls across the country than there were of Johnny Vegas?
‘I like him,’ said Lola.
‘Of course you do.’ Blythe shrugged. ‘Look, I’m sorry if you think I’ve deprived you of your father all these years, but—’
‘Mum, that’s OK, you thought you were doing the right thing. But we’ve found each other now.
He’s back in our lives. And we can take it slowly, all get to know each other properly. You liked him once, you can like him again.’ Lola raised her glass with a surge of hope and a flourish.
‘Same as me and Dougie.’
‘I think you’re forgetting something.’ Signalling a waiter for the bill, Blythe said,’ You still like Dougie. But from what you’ve told me, he doesn’t seem to be too crazy about you.’
Mothers could be cruel. ‘He’ll change his mind,’ said Lola. ‘I haven’t given up on him yet.’
Chapter 27
Across the hallway Lola’s doorbell was ringing. Sally, engrossed in the ice skating on TV — and the bowl of Ben and Jerry’s in her lap — wiggled her toes and imagined herself in a sparkly, hot-pink figure-hugging outfit twirling across the ice.
Ddddrrrrrrinnnggggg. Whoever was at the front door wasn’t giving up. As the skating routine drew to an end, Sally put down her ice cream and clambered off the sofa.
She hauled up the sash window and leaned out. ‘Hello? Lola’s not at home.’ Then she almost lost her balance and toppled out, because the man gazing up at her was just .. .
Wow.
Let’s just say he was a definite cut above your average carol singer.
‘Any idea when she’ll be back? I’ve tried her mobile but it’s switched off.’ His dark hair gleamed in the light from the street lamp. Even at this distance his eyes were hypnotic.
Effortlessly hypnotised, Sally said, ‘She could be back any time now Do you want to come in and wait?’
His teeth gleamed white. ‘Are you sure?’
With a smile like that? Was he kidding? Praying Lola wouldn’t be back too soon, Sally called out, ‘Hang on, I’ll buzz you up.’
‘Thanks: His smile broadened when she opened the door to her flat. ‘I don’t want to be a nuisance. But it’s pretty icy out there: No worries, come here, I’ll soon warm you up!
Thankfully she managed to keep these words inside her head. Oh, but he was to die for, really he was, with those expressive eyebrows and chiselled cheekbones, and that dark swept-back hair curling over the collar of his coat. This was defmitely lust at first sight. And wasn’t there something familiar about those eyebrows?
‘Come on in, I’ll make us a cup of tea ... oops.’ In her excitement she almost kicked over the bowl on the carpet. ‘Don’t step in the ice cream! I’m Sally, by the way.’
‘I know. Lola’s told me all about you.’
‘Has she?’ Ridiculously flattered, Sally turned to look at him as she filled the kettle at the sink.
