Page 40 of From Scotland with Love

“I’m fine. Well, that was a waste of time!” Lori threw up her hands, exasperated.

“Commiserations, Lori!” Callum came over and shook her hand, Francesca at his side. “You remember Fran?” He re-introduced them with a gesture of his free hand, and Lori almost looked the girl up and down, but stopped herself.

“Oh yes, from school?” Francesca flicked her ponytail. “What was your nickname again, oh I remember - Lori MacNori!” She laughed. “Been a long time! So lovely of you to come all the way over for the wedding! Shame you guys lost – but no hard feelings, huh!” Francesca gave a dazzling smile, and walked off.

Lori decided quite explicitly that she wanted to be far away from here, not covered in mud, and not witness to the girl she had despised in high school now flirting, and god knows what else, with Callum. But that was fine, he could do whatever he wanted to, he was a free agent. Lori followed Callum’s gaze as he watched Francesca leave. Then after some moments clearly admiring her arse, he turned back to Lori a little dazed.

“Are you going to be around later?”

Lori shook her head. “I’m going home.” She wiped her dirty hands on her jeans.

Callum turned around, Francesca was calling and waving at him “I’ve got to go, I have to get ready for the shinty match.”

Lori had made her excuses and left the games early, she walked back home deflated, annoyed at Callum, and most of all, furious with herself. She was due back in New York in a few days and needed to focus on that instead of impossibilities and old memories. She marched down the lane by the church and into the village, and by the time she came to her gran’s lane, there were no parked cars in the driveway. Lori took the opportunity to make the most of the free house, and ran a bath; the day was beautiful but she didn’t care, wanting only comfort, and to forget everything that had happened in the last hour. She showered off the worst of the mud, and then spent a good time luxuriating in the hot soapy water, washing away the rest of the day’s events. She then popped on her silk dressing gown and pulled out a bottle of white wine from the fridge. She had decided mid-bath that a bit of self-care was all she really needed, so she poured herself a glass and went out to lay on the lounger. The sky had turned a nasty grey, hiding the sunshine behind dark clouds and Lori sighed as the rain suddenly lashed down. A loud thump at the front door made her jump, just as a rumble of thunder sounded above. Assuming it would be Rhona or one of her sisters, she was surprised to see Callum standing on the porch wearing his shinty uniform; white and black t-shirt and shorts, and holding a shinty stick in one hand.

“Callum! Are you... OK?” Lori stood bemused. The rain fell on him, he stood without saying a word, breathing hard. “Did you... run here?” Lori suddenly felt a bit exposed in her silk, making a mental note to put on something underneath at the earliest opportunity.

His eyes took her in, and that most definitely did not help matters. His t-shirt was soaked, she didn’t know whether in sweat or rain, or perhaps both, but it meant she could make out the curves of his muscles even more clearly than usual. The tops of his arms and his chest stood rigid, and to Lori, he was breathtaking. There was no denying her attraction, but she didn’t want to be distracted by another man, she couldn’t be distracted from her life, or her career, not now.

“Callum, jeez! Come in!” Lori opened the door but he stayed on the spot just looking at her.

“Lori, I - I can’t stop thinking about you. When you left the show - I thought you might have... well, thought maybe I was with Fran?” He spoke slowly, in between breaths.

Lori wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “I - Well... aren’t you?”

“No. She’s just a friend, that’s all.”

“OK...” Lori looked away, as he walked up the steps towards her. He smelled of nature, of wood and sweat, and Lori felt her legs would buckle beneath her if she didn’t focus on what was at stake here. “Callum, I don’t think this is a good idea... I’m going back to New York- ”

He now was on the top step with her, looking down at her with an unfamiliar fierceness in his eyes, as though he was going to devour her. Lori felt herself unable to refuse, her body had wanted him for so long, and now he seemed to have let down his own remaining defences. He ran a finger down her cheek and took some of her wet hair in his hands.

“Do you really want me to go?” He moved forward again and closed the door behind him, as Lori moved back, letting go of anymore thoughts. Drawing him to her without words, their bodies up close in a slow, sensual dance. He guided her down the hallway and around the corner, suddenly pinning her to the wall. His hands moved around her neck and slid around and down her back, lifting her up as Lori wrapped her legs around his waist. She could have him just now, all of him, and think about tomorrow... tomorrow. Panting, he grabbed her thighs and buttocks, and they locked eyes. Her body had turned to putty; there was something familiar yet new about him, and she wanted to know more. But just as his lips touched hers, the front door opened.

“Coo-ee!” Gran’s voice sounded, and Callum quickly spun around and sat down awkwardly at the kitchen table while Lori retied her dressing gown and leaned in what she hoped was an entirely casual pose on the counter opposite. Gran’s head peered around the corner. “Oh great, you’ve been chatting! Sorry I’m late Callum, thanks for letting him in Lori.”

Lori and Callum exchanged confused looks.

“I have a wee visitor for you!” She smiled broadly and Michael walked into the kitchen, and marched straight up to hug a bewildered Lori.

“Darling! I’ve missed you!” He cast a brief glance at Callum, who sat there quietly, looking at Gran with a pleading expression.

“Well isn’t that a picture! Now, why don’t you lovebirds go and catch-up. I’ll stay here and discuss my new bathroom ideas with Callum.”

Michael took Lori’s hand and led her into the garden. She was lost in a daze as they both stood undercover, raindrops still falling. She still felt numb even when Michael confessed his love for her, and presented her with an engagement ring.

Callum sat quietly as Gran murmured phrases like, “boyfriend from New York,” and “been together a few years”. He looked out to the veranda and saw the couple speaking, then Lori hugged the newcomer, and Callum felt like the floor had been ripped from under him. He didn’t know what he said to Gran to excuse himself, but a jumble of words came out of his mouth and he walked out of the house, leaving Lori for good this time. He grabbed his shinty stick on the way out, and thought about the reason he had come to the house in the first place. There was to be a match over the next few days in the northern Highlands, to which he had intended to ask Lori to accompany him, and spend a weekend away in a romantic hotel, getting to know each other again. But when she had opened the door to him standing there like something from a dream, he hadn’t been able to help himself; he had wanted her so badly. Now he felt nothing but an old-time fool. How could he let this happen all over again, women had played him all too often and he just seemed to let them get on with it. He ran out into the now misting rain, desperate to be away from Lori, the house, and all the memories. Angry tears spilled out as he thought back over all his mistakes; he had allowed Jennifer to treat him like shit, and now it was Lori’s turn. Was he just a punch bag? Lori’s face came to him then, after all those years he had honestly felt that there was something still strong between them. But now everything seemed so clear, Lori merely wanted to go back to New York, back to her shiny new life, and her boyfriend – or fiancé now. She had been using him all along; needing his help before the wedding, then wanting to use his aunt’s business, all for her own gain. He really should’ve known better. She had exhibited a selfish and spoilt streak that he had presumed was a product of her way of living in the city, and the type of people who surrounded her. But now he saw she was just a snobby, greedy, egocentric girl after all. The fury rose up in him, beating to get out, and he was tempted to find something to punch again, preferably Michael or even Hector, to make him feel better. But instead he just walked on, hoping that the rain would wash away his feelings. What an idiot, he thought to himself. Well, he was not going to let this happen again, he would not see her anymore. He had spent his nights wondering how to win her back, after Jean’s encouragement, he thought of little else. Jean clearly didn’t know her sister after all, it seemed. Lori had merely been leading him on just to get ahead in her work and secure her latest business venture. Well, she could live whatever life she wanted, he wasn’t going to waste anymore time thinking about her. Especially when he could see he had meant nothing to her all along.

23

Lori held up her hand to Gran, ring facing outwards, as Michael stood proudly behind her. Was she dreaming? Michael announced their engagement triumphantly and all she could do was smile and nod. He had taken her aside and apologised for the “brief” break they had taken, reassuring her that nothing had changed, and there was no one but her. The guilt she felt was consuming, making her feel paralysed and speechless. He passed his cell phone to her as his parents congratulated her, and gave their well-wishes to the newly engaged couple. Lori’s life was now back on track, Michael was who she had always planned to be with. There would never be money problems, and she could pursue any career she wanted – as long as his family approved, of course. Lori would have financial freedom and a private independence, unlike anything she’d ever experience in Arlochy. She could have easily ended up like her sister, working in the local pub and bakery just to pay the bills. She knew that wasn’t the life she wanted, just like she knew she wanted success and the ability to indulge in luxuries - she had never made any bones about that. Lori took in Michael’s blue eyes and his familiar smile, and she took a deep breath. She would go back with him, and start the life they had both been working for. That was the right thing to do.

Gran invited Jean and Tammy over to meet Michael almost immediately, and they were so captivated by his good looks and expensive clothes, that they did little to hide their admiration. He smelled of endless possibilities, and wooed them all with his good manners.

“Let me cook us all a lovely meal!” Gran had gushed. “It’s not everyday that a granddaughter of mine gets engaged!”

Michael gathered her hands in his. “My dear Mary, I wouldn’t hear of it. Let me take you all out for dinner tonight. I have showed up here unannounced, and so it would be my pleasure to take you somewhere nice. Anywhere you’d like!”

Gran giggled like a schoolgirl, as Tammy swooned, watching him over her cup of tea.