The bell jingled and another couple of customers came in. I quickly made up a bouquet for one of them while Clare sold and gift-wrapped a teddy bear for the other. The unfinished conversation hung heavily in the air.
‘Okay,’ she said the minute the shop emptied again, ‘start talking now. What’s going on in that head of yours? You don’t seriously think he wants to try again, do you?’
‘I don’t know. I always thought Andy and I would get together again one day but the timing never seemed right. Now he’s back in the UK for good, I’m not with Jason anymore, and he’s called Steven.’
Clare put her hands over her mouth and shook her head at me. ‘You need to stop that train of thought this minute.’ She took her hands away and started counting on her fingers. ‘Number one – he’s not Steven; he’s Andy. Number two – he’s back in the UK, but he lives in London. Four hours away. And number three – the most important one – you may not be with Jason anymore but youarewith Nick. I haven’t met the guy but I like him already. You need to hang ontohiminstead of hanging onto your past.’
I put my arms on the counter and cradled my head in them, my stomach churning.
‘Madame Louisa predicted this was going to happen.’
‘Did she?’
I twisted my head to look at her. ‘She said I’d have to decide between the familiar or the new and should follow my heart, not my head.’
‘What will your heart be telling you? Andy or Nick? And can I just emphasise again that Steven is Andy’s middle name.Nothis first name but hismiddlename.’
‘It’s still his name.’
‘And you still fancy the pants off Nick so don’t you be forgetting that,’ Clare cried. ‘Oh Jesus! He’s back.’
The door opened again. ‘Hi. Only me.’
What was I going to do? I’d told Nick the night before that no Steven could be better than him then in walks the ‘Steven’ I always thought I’d be with forever. I could not, in a million years, have predicted that. But maybe it was nothing to worry about. Maybe Andy really had come for a drink and a catch-up with an old friend. It’d be nice to do that. As friends. Nothing more. I was with Nick, and Andy was no threat to that. The butterflies in my stomach were nothing unusual. I always had them when Andy got in touch and today they might be more intense because I was surprised to see him and a little thrown by the Steven thing.
‘Right, I’ll be going back to yours just now to get ready for our night out,’ announced Clare loudly when Andy closed the door. She pointed at him. ‘Don’t you keep her long or you’ll have me to answer to. We have plans.’
I couldn’t help but smile at her bluntness. Poor Andy, already put in his place.
‘Hi,’ I said when the door closed. ‘You’re back.’
‘As promised. You obviously have plans for tonight but do you have time for a drink first?’
I smiled. ‘A very quick one. Let me lock up and sort myself out. I need five minutes to cash up.’
‘How about you direct me to your favourite bar and I get the drinks in? You can join me when you’re done.’
‘Minty’s,’ I said. ‘It’s back up?—’
‘I saw it earlier. I’ll see you in there shortly. Dry white wine still?’
‘Please.’
I had to count the till eight times before I finally managed to balance it.
27
Andy had secured a couple of comfy armchairs at the back of the bar. He was engrossed in something on his phone so didn’t look up. I paused in the doorway and took a moment to watch him, convincing myself he was really there and not an apparition from my past. He wore dark blue jeans, a deep purple shirt and a black cashmere sweater. It all looked very expensive. And very gorgeous.
Eventually he looked up then smiled as he spotted me. ‘I was beginning to think you’d stood me up.’ He rose and moved in for another kiss on the cheek then a hug although he didn’t hold on so long this time. A wave of nostalgia swept over me as I inhaled the familiar smell of his body spray. I’d always loved that scent.
‘Sorry. It took longer than expected. Thanks for the wine.’ I sat down and took a gulp.
‘You’re welcome. It’s good to see you, Sarah.’
‘You said that earlier.’
‘Then you’ll know I’m not lying. You look great.’
