Chapter Thirty
Olivier – 34 Tilgate Road, Brighton
Olivier took the DVD ofIt’s A Wonderful Lifeover with him, when he joined Ashleigh for dinner. He’d picked it up as Christine had suggested from her friend Mary, but still been unsure whether to ask Ashleigh if she wanted to spend time with him that evening. She’d had a difficult few days and he figured it might be best to leave it for her to come to him when she was ready.
She seemed quieter than normal, but he decided to be led by her. If she just wanted some quiet company, he could do that. He’d offer her whatever she needed.
She made some pasta and he whipped up a simple tomato sauce after investigating the contents of the vegetable drawer in her fridge and they ate before settling onto the sofa to watch the film.
Olivier stretched his legs out from his position in the corner and lifted his arm to invite Ashleigh to snuggle into him. She smiled, dark lashes lowered, as she moved closer. Her shoulder slotted in beneath his as her chest angled towards him and she curled her feet up behind her. Her hand rested on his thigh in a way that distracted him from George Bailey’s childhood woes. But since he’d seen the film many times before he could just enjoy watching to see if Ashleigh enjoyed it.
Her thumb rubbed along the seam of his jeans near his knee and he looked at her hair. It was soft and thick and streaked with all different shades of blonde, from ash to honey to platinum. A rainbow of gold. He let his own hand slide along the curve of his waist. She shifted a little closer.
Clearly she didn’t want space from him.
If she looked up now he would kiss her.
Her head began to tilt. Olivier was sure she would be able to hear his heart racing in his chest.
And then a sudden weight landed on his lap. Ashleigh jolted back, banging the back of her head into Olivier’s face, and making his eyes water.
‘Ow.’ He blinked and rubbed his chin.
‘Oh God, sorry.’ She scrabbled back and it became evident what had happened. Simon was now on Olivier’s lap instead of Ashleigh. As she sat up, the dog insinuated himself further in between them. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Oui. No permanent damage done.’
‘Come on. Down, Simon.’ She picked the dog up and deposited him gently on the floor. She sat back beside Olivier and bit her lip. ‘That was quite a clonk.’ She touched his chin, her thumb dragging just below his lip in a way that made his breathing go shallow. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’
He nodded and took her hand in his. They leaned closer…
A low-pitched whine, right beside Olivier’s ear, made him stop. He raised his eyebrows and looked over his shoulder to where Simon was now sitting on the arm of the sofa.
Ashleigh made a half-laughing, half-growling noise that Olivier understood perfectly. ‘I think he’s jealous. I’d put him in the kitchen, but I don’t like making him feel like he’s been bad, and he’d probably start barking and wake Nan up.’ She tilted her head to regard her dog, her hair falling in a curtain off her shoulder. ‘I think he’s feeling extra-specially needy because of Nan.’
‘It’s okay,’ Olivier said, because what else could he say?
Ashleigh patted her lap and Simon bounced across Olivier and made himself comfortable, firmly wedged between them.
They settled back down to watch the film and he could have sworn that Simon was smiling in that way dogs do. When Ashleigh paused the film to nip to the toilet, Olivier couldn’t help murmuring to the dog as he scratched his head. ‘Je croyais qu’on était amis. C’est le remerciement que je reçois pour vous marcher?’
Simon just licked at Olivier’s face and rolled onto his side. It was impossible to be annoyed with this dog.
The three of them continued watching the film, the warmth of both Ashleigh and the dog snuggled into him, making Olivier experience that settled, relaxed feeling that the black and white film always produced all the more acutely. Usually it was a sense of escapism, but this time it felt more like he needn’t escape, he only need be aware that life was good, and he had plenty to feel grateful and happy for.
Olivier saw the sheen in Ash’s eyes as George Bailey kissed the broken knob of the newel post from the stairs as they neared the final scenes. He put his hand over the top of hers where it rested on Simon’s back now, as the dog slept, rather than on Olivier’s thigh as it had been earlier. Tingles raced up his arm and spread across his chest.
Her chest hitched and she swallowed as all the local community gathered around George, throwing their dollars down to show they cared, and they appreciated all he’d done for them. The bells rang and a tear rolled down her face even as she was smiling. As the credits rolled, Olivier did his best to turn towards her without disturbing the dog.
She lifted her free hand to wipe the tears from her cheek.
‘So, you liked the film?’
She nodded and opened her mouth to say something but all that came out was a little hiccupping sob. She half laughed and shook her head, and then more tears were falling, and Olivier was trying to hug her but there was a small dog in the way who suddenly seemed to be made of concrete and determined not to wake up.
‘I’m sorry. It’s just. It’s lovely.’ She wiped at her face with the sleeves of her jumper and laughed. ‘Sorry, this is the second time I’m crying over you.’
‘Everyone cries at this film.’
