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“Chris Jones?” Lucie asked, her mouth suddenly dry and her palms sweaty.
Chris jumped up and pulled her into a hug. He wasn’t using Lynx Africa anymore, but there were familiar notes to his scent. Leather and citrus filled her lungs, and she repressed the impulse to sigh into his neck. His hair was a little shorter, and his body had filled out nicely. His navy suit clung to his muscles and displayed his physical change. She should be playing it cool, but it was as if her body already decided she needed comfort after a traumatic morning. It responded to the trust it once had in him, and she relaxed against his solid form. After all this time, she expected little or no internal reaction, but having him close sent a heat running through her body. Her limbs were like jelly, yet she vividly remembered every moment they spent together. Although his body was mostly muscle, Chris’s cuddle was soft, and she closed her eyes, pushing the build-up of tension from her morning away. She sighed softly.
“I can’t believe it’s you,” he whispered in her ear, causing a tingle to dance across of the back of her neck. Lucie had travelled the world before and after university and seen things that made her skin sparkle with excitement, but nothing she’d experienced in those months compared to this. He still had the power to make her shiver when he whispered. “You’re blonde now, which suits you. Eight years older Lucie is even more beautiful than the one I spent the best weekend with. How is that?”
Heat radiated through her cheeks, and she let the hug go on a little longer to hide her body’s reaction. But she didn’t want to let go either.
“You look well,” she stuttered, trying to get her voice back under control as his back muscles rippled against her lingering hand. She hadn’t searched for him online for years. The idea ofdoom scrolling through photos of him with a stunning girlfriend or finding out he’d given up on his dreams was unnecessary. But now, as he stood in front of her, she regretted all the opportunities she could have taken to contact him. “And you scrub up well too.”
Chris released her, and his eyes met hers. It was as if she hadn’t seen him properly before the hug, and she nearly fell back at the change in him from eight years before. Her memories hadn’t done him justice. Then, he was the most gorgeous guy she’d ever met, but now he was a man. The barest shadow of facial hair covered his chin, and his cheekbones were more defined. The bags under his eyes were a tiny bit bigger, but the dimples were still there when he smiled, and his sparkly green eyes floored her. Time had passed, and yet it was like they were in the forest on the beach, staring at each other as she drew him.
The rush from having him in front of her made her legs tremble. She took a deep breath as he spoke. “I know! I don’t normally wear anything like today’s suit. Thankfully I still had it in the back of my wardrobe from the last interview I wore it to. I still prefer jeans and a hoodie, but today is a special day,” he replied with a massive smile.
Was he getting engaged? Maybe his baby was being blessed. She had so much to ask him, and there was more from that weekend that she needed to explain.
“You look smart too and that skirt matches the blue of your eyes. Did you have it made especially?”
“You’re still the same Chris I remember,” she replied, the corners of her mouth twitching with a smile. Teenage Chris would have asked that nonsense question too.
“Ha! I guess I am. Anyway, I have so much to tell you,” he said, clapping his hands together with glee. It only took a glance, but there was no wedding ring on his finger. She released a breath,and the tension in her shoulders eased a little. “And so much I want to know. Are you free now?”
“Yes, for an hour,” Lucie replied without hesitation.
“I’m free for an hour too. I got here early because I’m not allowed to be late today. This day is more important than anything—well, it is to the person I love the most,” he said ominously, and his eyes twinkled. Her stomach bubbled quietly. Surely, she wasn’t jealous? Chris was practically a stranger.
“Do you want to stay here?” Lucie asked, twisting her tired ankles. She was like the awkward teenager from when she first met Chris. Her skin tingled at his proximity. Would it be weird to stay for a drink in the place they had promised they’d meet before they broke each other’s hearts? The memory of sitting in the booth, tears brimming her eyes as she willed him to walk through the door and remind her of her strengths, was heartbreaking. He never did walk through the door, and instead, she picked up her broken pieces herself. She’d learnt to be strong, to rely on herself, and to keep fighting. And yet now here he was. “Isn’t there a pub near here called The Sidings Inn?”
Chris raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that place famous for being a perfect dumping spot? I’m sure I’ve had a couple of awkward dates there that never led to anything else. Are you going to dump me again?
“I’m joking, by the way,” he said, his dimples showing. There was so much to talk about. “Let’s see what it’s like, Lucie Smith.” He took her hand in his before she could say anything else. “I’ve heard they have the best ice cream sundaes.”
*****
There was nothing fancy about the pub. It was the sort of place that people went at night to consume cheap drinks quickly before heading for a dance at an equally dodgy establishment. The smell of bacon and baked beans lingered from the all-day breakfasts. It combined with burnt coffee beans and pints of beer to bring a sick sensation to the tastebuds. Occasionally there was the tap from a cue hitting a ball in the corner. Some guys taking an early lunch break were making the most of the pool table while languishing over a pint. Songs played in the background. Lucie recognised the last bars of Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” but it quickly jumped into the Motown classic “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes. It was an eclectic mix. Maybe there was a jukebox somewhere so you could pick your own tunes.
The pub was another addition to the city that made Lucie love Bristol. When she and Emma were younger, they’d get the bus to the city centre on Saturdays and attempt to find the gaudiest and cheapest keepsake. They’d had a lot of fun until they found the beauty beyond the city centre. All the different areas inspired their creativity, although it was street art that inspired Lucie while Emma loved the weekend markets. Bright patterned clothes, handmade jewellery, and beautifully designed trinkets that frequently came with stories made each neighbourhood special for different reasons.
Although there were quite a few people in the converted train shed pub, there was lots of space between the tables, and there was no danger of patrons overhearing their conversation. It was the perfect place to say a final goodbye to Bradley later. The low wooden beams and pillars every couple of metres made it appear cosy, especially with the shabby chic décor and soft lighting. In their dimly lit corner, it was as if they were in their own world, surrounded by memories and moments not yet spoken.
“I can’t get over your hair,” Chris said, his hand paused mid-air as if unsure about touching it. She’d filled him in briefly about her reasons for being in Bristol and was waiting to hear more about him. The blonde was a significant change, but she was pleased he liked it. It made her love it more.
“You can touch it if you want,” she replied with a smile. Was it weird to offer that? He leant across the wooden table and fingered a couple of strands. Electricity zipped through her scalp before criss-crossing through her limbs. Was this the same for everyone who came face-to-face with their first love? It had to be that. She couldn’t let herself believe it meant more.
Chapter Thirteen
“I propose a toast,” Chris announced, his eyes sparkling and his grin never fading. Lucie shivered at his Bristolian lilt. He held his beer aloft. “To Lucie, her new hair, and the job she has to get because she is brilliant.”
She held her wine glass in the air. She’d need some alcohol-induced courage to dump Bradley later. The music moved on again, and soft notes of “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac acted as the soundtrack to their celebrations.
“And to you too.” She clinked her glass with his beer bottle. “Although I don’t know why you’re in this high-quality suit,” she added. Imagine if he was on the way to get married. Her stomach churned. But the guy deserved to be happy, and who was she to him anyway? Too scared to ask, she attempted a different query to gain clues from his life. “Did you go into psychology?”
His laugh was deep and warm. Something about it filled Lucie’s insides and made her belly flop. She hadn’t felt anything like that in such a long time. How hadn’t she realised that those emotions were missing from her life? It was like a rekindling of the innocence she’d felt when she’d been with him. She was jaded from online dating, and cracks appeared in her heart from years spent attempting to form adult relationships. It was impossible to protect herself from the hurt that hit regularly without forcing herself to shut down vulnerability and genuine emotions too.
“No, and you’ll never guess why I’m wearing this. But first, you have to tell me about your dream job. Did you interview for a local law firm? I’m surprised your dad is letting you work anywhere but his place. Is it one of the big Bristol firms?” he asked enthusiastically. It was her turn to laugh. Everything had changed after that snapshot weekend together, yet her achingbelly and the goose pimples on her arms reminded her she was a teenager when around him. “How cool would it be if you moved here? I would happily show you the best bars if you wanted.”
But she wouldn’t get to move to Bristol. Yesterday, Invo, the other place she’d interviewed at in Scotland, offered her a low-paid role on the lowest rung of the ladder, a position below the one she’d interviewed for. But it was money, and it was her last option, as her mum was leaving the country. Lucie’s current home in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere was beautiful, but it wasn’t the place for her anymore, especially now that her mum was selling the house. The countryside cottage may have been eighty miles away from the city she stood in now, but it was like another country. She’d never have another reason to come back here.
Her belly flopped again, and she fought to hide her smile. Suddenly her dream job was further from her grasp. There was too much at stake. Having the possibility of Chris back in her life was too much to contemplate. “I’m not going to get the job. I fluffed a crucial question. But if I’d gotten it, I would have loved to go to the best bars with you. I didn’t interview at a law firm, though,” she said it quietly as if proclaiming the truth would jinx her chances of getting the job even more. “I’m a graphic designer.”
