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‘Hi,’Miasaid. ‘Ididn’t know you lot were going to be here.’
Thegirl may be clever but she couldn’t act to save her life.
‘Ithink we’ll have to budge up,Daisy,’Marionsaid in a voice which brooked no opposition. ‘Letthem share our table.There’snowhere else to sit.’
Daisyglared but did as she was told.
Onceeveryone was settledMiaintroduced everyone. ‘ThisisLexithe music teacher,’ she said as a petite redhead smiled and said hello. ‘Sarika’ssitting next to her.Sarikajob shares withHonor.They’reboth going to beHonor’sbridesmaids at the wedding.’Miablushed furiously. ‘ThisisBenwho teachesYearFive, andPete.’
Everyonesaid hi.Bensqueezed in next toMia,SarikaandLexistruck up a conversation withMarionabout theGreekislands and, asDaisycould have predicted,Petesat next to her.Asset-ups went, it was about as subtle as a flying brick.
‘Hi,’ he said. ‘You’reMia’sboss at the flower shop, aren’t you?’
‘Yes,Iown it.’
‘Fantastic!Owningyour own business.Wayto go!’
Hewas nothing if not enthusiastic.Daisyrelented a little.Hewas quite nice in a beige sort of a way, with light-brown hair and brown eyes. ‘Andyou teach atStWinifred’s?’
‘YearSix.Ilove it.Wouldn’tdo anything else.’
Hisnose was slightly sweaty and he pushed up his glasses in a nervous gesture.Daisywondered if he was as much of a victim of the set-up as she.Shecould just imagine the conversation in the staff room:
Oh, you’re single?Sois my boss.She’slovely.You’dreally like her.We’regoing toTheToadon the last day of term, why don’t some of you all come too and then you can meet her,Pete.Beingin a group will take the pressure off.Seehow you get on.
Shetuned back in to listen toPetetalk enthusiastically about his current class. ‘They’relucky to have such a devoted teacher,’ she said, warming to him.Shetook a tiny sip of wine.Shewas so tired it was going straight to her head.
Heblushed scarlet. ‘I’mthe lucky one.It’sa fantastic little school.Iwas teaching inYeovilstraight after qualifying.Theyannihilated me.’
Daisysympathised. ‘Iused to teach at the grammar.Iknow the feeling.’
Peteshuddered. ‘Couldn’tdo secondary.’Hegulped backsome beer and added, ‘Isthat why you went into the floristry business?’
‘Isuppose so.Ineeded to get out of teaching to save my sanity.’
‘NowthatIunderstand.’Henodded vigorously. ‘EventhoughIabsolutely love my job, by the timeIget to this stage of the term,I’mpoleaxed.Reallylooking forward to my six weeks off.’
Daisylaughed. ‘Iremember that feeling well.’
‘Sohow did you get into the floristry business?’
‘Idropped a couple of days at school and retrained at an evening class.DidmyCityandGuilds.Boughtthe premises in town and hereIam.’Itdidn’t quite encapsulate the sweat and hard work but she doubted he’d be interested in the unabridged version.
‘Wow!’Petesaid, impressed. ‘Thatmust have been hard.Teachingand training in something else at the same time.’
‘Itwas,’Daisyadmitted. ‘ButIwas single-minded about it.Alwaysam whenIknow whatIwant.It’sdeciding whatIactually want that’s the problem.’SlidingPetea glance, she wished she could be as single-minded about romance.Inso many ways she was happy with her life.Proudof her achievements withVaVaBloom!,content with her friends and what little social life she had.ThenMrSpurshad rocked up and the eddies were still whirling, her mind and pulse racing and mixing her up as much as her metaphors.
TakePetehere.Heseemed nice, far more stable thanBrett, far less likely to cry into his beer, they had things in common, he was easy to talk to and not bad-looking.Buthe wasn’tRick.Hedidn’t have sexy dark eyes that were permanently on the edge of humour.Hedidn’t have that ability to make her knees wobble with lust.Andhe didn’t haveMintythe gorgeous blonde girlfriend, she reminded herself.MaybePetewould be the perfect boyfriend but somehow she doubted it.Sheassumed he was single, hence the set-up.Hisnext words confirmed it.
Swillingthe remnants of his beer around his pintglass, he cleared his throat nervously. ‘I’msure you’re too busy but now term’s finished,I’mkeen to see the newTomCruisefilm inBridport.I… um…Idon’t suppose you’d consider accompanying me?Wecould grab something to eat too, maybe?’
Hewas sweet.Old-fashioned.Safe.Daisystudied his open, honest face.Heprobably didn’t have a wife or girlfriend secreted away somewhere but you never could tell.Ignoringthe voice which was screaming in her head,He’sfriend material, he’s notRick!and telling herselfRickwas most decidedly attached and, what’s more, attached to the lissom blondness that wasMinty, she made her decision. ‘Iowe you a chance,’ she muttered. ‘Ifonly to prove to myself thatI’ma terrible person who still hasn’t lost the habit of prejudging people.’
‘Sorry?’
Daisysucked in a deep breath.Whatharm could it do? ‘I’dlove to,Pete.’Shesmiled. ‘I’dlove to see a film with you.’
Chapter Thirteen
