Rory ordered their drinks, looking to Lucy to confirm her choice, and then paid for them. He bought her a little bag of wafers tied with a ribbon in a clear plastic bag as an extra treat. Lucy popped the biscuits into her coat pocket, thanking him for his generosity. They made polite conversation as they collected their drinks in takeaway cups.
As they made their way out of the café, Rory held the door open for Lucy. She stepped out into the cold, noticing Rufus waiting patiently. He was tied up to a metal hook on the wall, and Lucy went over to him to stroke his long, brown nose, running her fingers down the soft hair on his neck.
‘Hello Rufus!’ she said. He wagged his tail and tried to lick her fingers as she stroked him, nuzzling her with his nose, his almond eyes twinkling mischievously. Carefully holding her drink aloft, she stood up, saying, ‘He’s such a gorgeous dog!’
Clearly disappointed not to have her attention anymore, Rufus emitted a high-pitched whine, looking pleadingly at his owner.
‘All right, all right! We’re going for a walk now, Rufus, don’t you worry, old boy!’
Rufus began to wag his tail frantically at the mention of the word walk. Rory bent down to let him off his lead and he immediately darted off towards the orangery, relishing his new-found freedom.
‘Lucky Rufus! I love walking around Holland Park,’ said Lucy. ‘I come here most weekends and I never seem to get bored of the gardens. I love watching them change as the seasons come and go.’
‘Well, you’re welcome to join us,’ said Rory. ‘I’m a big fan too; the gardens are so well designed. I particularly love the Kyoto garden, it’s so calm, though I certainly don’t take Rufus in there, he would ruin everyone’s peace and quiet!’ he laughed.
Lucy and Rory fell into stride with each other, wandering away from the orangery and along the winding path that cut through the Dutch gardens. Lucy sipped the delicious chai as she walked, she could feel it warm her from the inside out.
‘The gardens are beautiful,’ agreed Lucy, ‘but I think I almost prefer the wild parts of the park.’ They walked past a water feature trickling peacefully into its pool. ‘It’s amazing to think that a couple of hundred years ago all of this land was rural. It’s hard to imagine now but in the woodlands you can almost catch a glimpse of how it would have looked in the past!’
‘I once entered a competition calling on architects to submit plans for a giant tree house for children to play in. It was going to be constructed in the wild woodland here,’ said Rory gesturing to his left. ‘I don’t know what happened to the idea in the end; I think it must have been pulled by the council.’
‘Oh, what a shame! That would have been amazing! Are you an architect?’ asked Lucy.
‘I am indeed. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my mad great-uncle, Seamus. He built the most incredible tree house for me and my brothers and sister to play in. It was deep within the woods that surround our house in Ireland,’ explained Rory. ‘Though had I realized architecture would take seven years of training I might have reconsidered my childhood ambition!’
‘Seven years, wow! I thought a three-year degree course was long enough!’ agreed Lucy sympathetically.
They paused along with another group of onlookers to watch a peacock as it shimmied its magnificent, iridescent feathers. The vibrations made a strange, low thrumming; a mating call. Rory summoned Rufus to his side so as not to pester the bird and he sat obediently at their feet, looking quizzically at the peacock’s bizarre ritual.
‘Tell me about the tree house,’ said Lucy, as they walked away from the crowds amassing around the exotic creature. ‘I always longed to have one as a child. It seemed like the coolest thing!’
‘Ah, the tree house… now it truly was a work of art, a labour of love some might say. The minute Uncle Seamus finished it, me and my brothers and sister spent every waking minute of our childhood there. My mother must have loved him for the peace and quiet she got!’ he said, smiling at the memories.
‘I’ll bet!’ Lucy agreed.
‘It was like a castle for us, the sort of thing you might see in a Disney film. He built it across several trees, with platforms, ropes, rooms and real, working lights. But the best thing by far was this high-sided tray that was on a sort of pulley system, it could be raised and lowered from the ground underneath up into the tree house itself. Mum would bring us jugs of fresh lemonade and biscuits and put them on the tray, and we would haul them up for our tea.’
‘Oh my goodness that sounds like every child’s dream! Is it still there?’ asked Lucy, intrigued.
‘Yes! Overrun by my nephews and nieces mostly nowadays!’ laughed Rory.
‘And Uncle Seamus?’
‘Oh, he’s still around too, at the grand old age of ninety-two; he’s still more with it than most! He’s quite a character,’ said Rory. ‘He certainly enjoys a drink or two, and he still fishes and plays golf every week. You’re most likely to find him down the local pub, singing some old Irish tunes to entertain the tourists!’ he chuckled. ‘He loves to be the centre of attention.’
‘I’ve got a grandmother who sounds just like him,’ laughed Lucy. ‘Granny Annie, rarely to be seen without a glass of wine or a G&T! They would be a match made in heaven!’
‘We should introduce them,’ agreed Rory, before dashing over to stop Rufus who was getting suspiciously close to a toddler sitting on a rug, munching a soggy Rusk biscuit.
Rory and Lucy carried on walking and chatting for a long while, looping all the way around the park and then back again. They swapped stories about Granny Annie and Uncle Seamus, laughing at their similarities in eccentricity. As they drew near the turning to Rory’s house, which he explained was only a few roads away from Holland Park, he stooped down to attach Rufus’s lead. As he stood up, he said, ‘It’s been really great talking to you,’ looking directly at her with those piercing blue eyes, and Lucy really believed that he meant it. She felt the same. It was so easy chatting to him, he was mesmerizing company. He was witty and amusing, but not at all over the top; just so laid-back and down-to-earth. What is more they just seemed to get on so well. She realised to her surprise that she hadn’t even thought about that morning’s treatment the entire time that they had been talking. Lucy found that she was reluctant to leave him, and she hovered for a moment or two longer than was necessary, holding his gaze.
‘It has been really great,’ she agreed smiling up at him, her blue eyes shining.
Rory cleared his throat, shifting from foot to foot a little awkwardly. ‘Look, this might sound a bit strange, but do you fancy walking together again sometime, maybe?’ he asked, a sheepish grin on his face, his eyes downturned slightly towards the ground.
‘I’d love to!’ said Lucy, feeling herself flush at the very thought of him wanting to see her again. Hiding her blushes, she bent down to say goodbye to Rufus, whose tail was wagging at a rate of knots.
‘Same time, same place next weekend?’ he asked.
‘Sure!’ she said, and then she took a step towards him to kiss him on the cheek, amazed at her own bravery. His stubble grazed against her skin, sending a thrill of micro shivers down her spine. She caught the scent of his aftershave, such a delicious, musky smell, it drew her towards him and she had to force herself to tear away. They grinned inanely at each other, saying ‘Bye!’ neither one quite ready to leave the other.
In the end, it was Lucy who turned first and began to walk off towards home. After several metres, she spun around to give Rory a cheery wave and was thrilled to see he was still standing there, so handsome, with Rufus by his side, watching her walk away. He gave her a wave back, and she continued on her way, a smile spreading across her cheeks that lasted all the way home. She had never felt so at ease in a stranger’s presence. She felt as though they had known each other for years. There was just something about him that made her feel completely relaxed in his company. She found him completely intriguing.
As soon as she got through the door, Lucy rushed over to the mirror above the mantelpiece, checking her appearance. She was suddenly paranoid that she might have had smudged make-up or a bright red nose from the chilly weather. She told herself off for being so silly; after all, she was supposed to be off men for good, wasn’t she? Even so, she was happy to see that she looked all right, her blonde fringe fell prettily over her eyes, her freckles had faded somewhat since they had last seen the sun but there was a healthy, rosy glow to her cheeks and her eyes shone brightly.
She may not look too frozen, but in reality she felt like her internal organs had become blocks of ice. On a cold winter’s day there was nothing she liked more than to have a warming bath before settling in for the evening. She turned on the hot tap and soon the room began to fill with clouds of steam as the water ran into the enamel tub. Lucy lit an aromatherapy candle and added a few drops of lavender oil into the water. She lowered herself into the bath and the intoxicating fragrance washed over her, relaxing her tense muscles. As she lathered soap over her body, she allowed her mind to wander back to Rory and she found herself once again blushing at the very thought of him. She had never met a man with such rugged sex appeal; her imagination ran away with her and she found herself picturing his stubble grazing her chin as he kissed her, her hands running down the lithe muscles on his back. The sensible part of her brain tried to stop her, but she was unable to resist.
