‘Tell me about it,’ laughed Jack. ‘I don’t suppose you fancy a drink?’ he asked.
Lucy contemplated this offer for a moment or two. It was that or another evening sitting in front of the TV. She knew the sensible answer would be to say no, to stay well away from him, but the reckless part of her brain replied before she had time to rationalize her response. ‘Sure,’ she said. ‘Why not!’
Jack led the way to a bar around the corner. ‘What can I get you?’ he asked.
‘I’ll have a G and T please,’ said Lucy, taking a seat on one of the empty bar stools.
‘Single or double?’ asked the barman as Jack placed his order for two G and Ts.
‘Double,’ said Jack without hesitation. Lucy made a mental note not to let herself get drunk. They started talking about work but after a short while Jack announced that the topic was banned. ‘That’s all we ever bloody talk about!’
‘Good point. Who wants to think about work when they aren’t even in the office?!’
‘Or when they are in the office, for that matter,’ laughed Jack. ‘I’m desperate for a break.’
‘Yes, having all that time in Cornwall did wonders for me. What about you? Have you got any holidays to look forward to?’
‘I’ve got the usual trip to Mallorca with the family,’ said Jack. ‘Though Penny is still deciding whether or not I am allowed to come.’ He laughed wryly at this.
‘I see,’ said Lucy. ‘And what do you think the verdict will be?’
‘I have absolutely no idea. It’s a strange position to be in. I can’t bring myself to walk away completely, that’s for sure, so if she’ll have me I’ll definitely go. Penny and the kids are my family. As I can see all too clearly every night that we’ve been apart, my life doesn’t add up to much without them.’
‘It’s tough,’ said Lucy. She felt a wave of affection for him, he was clearly a great father and had been a good husband. It seemed unfair that things weren’t working out for them. ‘Do you miss her?’
‘I do and I don’t,’ he said. ‘In some ways I miss her unbelievably, but if you mean do I miss the humdrum and monotony of our daily lives together… not so much. I think the problem is you get into such routines as a married couple, the same meals, the same drink, the same TV programmes, the same bloody annoying arguments time and time again. It all begins to grate on your nerves after a while.’
‘I must say, the one advantage of being single again is having my flat to myself. The remote control especially,’ laughed Lucy. ‘That’s one thing I don’t miss! Sharing in general. And compromise, I don’t miss compromise either.’
They were now on their second G and Ts and Lucy was beginning to relax into his company. He really was an awesome guy, and the fact that he was ridiculously handsome certainly helped her to enjoy being in his presence. It felt good to be able to talk so openly about Penny, and Alex too.
‘So what actually happened with Alex in the end, if you don’t mind my asking?’
Jack listened carefully as Lucy told him about the break-up. When she had finished, he announced, ‘That is a really shit way to end things. It would have been better if he’d at least had sex with someone else so you could have a reason to hate him.’ He ordered another round of drinks. ‘To being independent!’ he said as he chinked her glass.
‘That’s a good way of putting it!’ laughed Lucy. ‘To being nag-free,’ she added, clinking his glass once more as she downed half of her drink. They were going down surprisingly easily.
The evening passed in a blur. The more drinks they had, the more flirtatious they both became. Jack hadn’t taken long to get up to his old tricks and Lucy found herself both unable and unwilling to resist his charms.Why the hell should I?she thought.Haven’t I been through enough crap?She decided it was her chance to have a bit of fun. She reassured herself that flirting wasn’t going to hurt anyone. Anyway, he was still married. Just because he was taking a break from his relationship didn’t mean he was available.
‘So how is the dating scene? If I’m about to re-enter it I need you to prepare me.’
‘Are you about to re-enter it?’ Lucy asked.
‘I’ve no idea at this particular moment in time. But say if I were to find myself back on the single scene all of a sudden. It’s been bloody ages since I’ve been on a date… in fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever really dated anyone apart from Penny.’
She told him about some of Lettie’s most hilarious encounters and ended up recounting her recent date with Tinder Ted. Jack was in stitches.
‘What a moron. Didn’t he realize who he was on a date with? He must be devoid of a personality. And blind.’
‘You are too kind!’
‘No seriously, you are gorgeous,’ said Jack. ‘I’m sure I’ve told you before, but you never believe me.’
‘You are not too bad yourself,’ admitted Lucy. They were now sitting so close that their knees were touching. Jack had taken off his tie and undone the top few buttons of his shirt, revealing a sexy smattering of grey hair on his chest. It felt good to be flirting with Jack, and even better to be flirted with.
Realizing they hadn’t eaten yet they ordered a round of bar snacks and washed them down with a couple of cold beers. Then a couple more.
As they stumbled out onto the street, Lucy fumbled in her bag for her phone with the intention of booking herself an Uber. Not paying attention to where she was going, she accidentally stumbled on an uneven paving stone and tripped. Jack caught her by the arm just in time as she lurched towards the road. He pulled her away from the curb. She fell against him heavily and found herself clutching his arms. Even through the fog of alcohol she could feel how strong he was. Looking up at him, she suddenly realized how desperately she wanted to kiss him. It felt so good to be in a man’s arms once again. Like a rusty engine rumbling into life, she felt something ignite deep inside her. He was looking down at her and she could tell that something in the air between them had subtly shifted. Her heart pounded in anticipation. Was he going to kiss her? She moved closer to him and stood up slightly, her face now inches away from his. She could feel his breath against her skin. She could smell his aftershave. She pressed herself against him and willed him to kiss her. She knew she wouldn’t make the first move. She was desperate to feel his touch against her skin, to eradicate the memory of Alex for good. Just as she thought that the moment was about to pass, he pulled her towards him. He had clearly been battling with himself but something had given way. He held the back of her head and he kissed her, softly at first but then urgently, as though he had been waiting to kiss her like that for a very long time. Unable to break themselves apart they kissed on and on.
