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  For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something cross Charlie’s face. But then again I had a bump the size of Pluto on my forehead and had recently made disturbingly horrid crunchy noises with my nose, so my vision and perception were probably somewhat off right at the moment.

  ‘I think I’ll wait here a bit. Just make sure you’re all right.’

  ‘I’m fine. It was just a little bump.’

  ‘Libby. You ricocheted backwards about three feet. I’m staying.’

  ‘OK.’ I was too tired to argue and actually it felt sort of nice to have him there.

  I turned my head back towards the television. The colours pounded my eyes so I closed them, laid my head back and just listened to the sounds of the film and the boys, big and small, laughing along.

  15

  A couple of weeks later I answered the door to my friend. ‘So, how’s your day—?’ Amy stopped as she entered my living-room area and saw the disaster zone it currently resembled.

  ‘I know it looks bad, but it’s not. Honestly.’

  ‘OK,’ Amy replied, wholly unconvinced. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Planning.’

  ‘I’m guessing you don’t believe in notepads.’

  ‘I’m a visual person.’

  ‘Apparently. I’ve not seen this bit of the process before. I had visions of you drawing beautiful pictures in elegant notepads.’

  We both glanced down at the separate piles strewn around my living room.

  ‘Yeah. I don’t really work like that.’

  ‘No. I can see that now.’

  ‘Can we come in?’ Marcus’ voice drifted from the front door.

  I glanced at Amy.

  ‘I left it on the catch.’

  ‘Thanks. I’ll be coming to you when I get robbed.’

  Amy pulled a face. ‘It was only for a minute. I knew they were coming up.’

  ‘Woah!’ Marcus exclaimed, stopping abruptly. ‘I mean… umm… what a lovely flat!’

  ‘Thanks,’ I said, straight-faced. ’I’m just so glad I tidied up before you arrived. You should have seen it earlier – it was a right mess.’ I made a ‘phew’ face. ‘Coffee? Tea?’

  Marcus plastered a smile on and nodded. ‘Whatever you’re making. Thanks.’ British politeness at its best.

  Standing behind him, Charlie smiled at me and gave a shake of his head, before nudging his brother. ‘She’s winding you up.’

  Marcus looked between me and Amy, clearly unsure which way to step so as not to risk offending me and my possible lack of housekeeping skills.

  ‘I’m planning some posts for the blog. I find this the easiest way to do it. Honestly, it really is much tidier than this normally. Take a seat if you can find one. I’d pick it up but I’m not finished yet and I’ve just got it how I want,’ I called through from the kitchen.

  ‘It’s fine. We only dropped in on the way home to say hi and ask what you were doing tomorrow,’ Amy said as I reappeared with mugs on a tray. She and Marcus had squashed onto one of the sofas and Charlie had taken a spare seat on the other one. I put the tray down in the middle.

  ‘It’s early for you to be home, isn’t it?’ I said, glancing at Charlie as I handed the drinks to Amy and Marcus.

  ‘Train strike. I worked from home today.’

  ‘Oh, yes. I forgot. That’s a pain for you.’

  ‘It was OK. I probably got more stuff done at home than I would at the office anyway. I really feel sorry for the people who absolutely have to get places, though.’

  ‘And it did mean that he could pick us up from work in the Aston.’ Marcus grinned.

  I shook my head. ‘Boys and toys.’

  I leant over and handed Charlie his mug.

  ‘Could you take that for me too?’ I asked, passing my own.

  He took it and put it on the end table beside him, his eyes returning to me as I stepped around the piles of items as if I were taking part in some sort of fashion-based assault course.

  ‘So, what’s happening tomorrow?’ I said, stretching over a pile that now seemed larger than I’d first estimated. I glanced back at Amy for an answer as I hoiked up the hem of my skirt and prepared to make a lunge for the sofa.

  ‘It’s nothing special,’ she started, her eyes darting to the gap and the pile I was trying to manoeuvre around, calculating as to whether she thought I could make it.

  I could totally make it, I told myself. Amy sent me a warning look, which I ignored and confidently launched myself.

  Abort! Abort! My brain began yelling but far too late for the warning to be of any use. Instead of my aimed-for spot on the sofa, I was now half sprawled on Charlie’s lap. I scrabbled about hurriedly, trying to rectify the situation. Despite the blood now pounding in my ears from mortifying embarrassment, I could still hear Amy and Marcus laughing. I made another attempt at extraction but my foot was now caught in the fabric of my skirt and severely limiting my movements. I heard Charlie let out an ‘oof’ as I hastily shuffled about.

  ‘Jesus! Watch your knees, Libby!’ Two large hands wrapped around my upper arms, tipping me upright. I was now pretty much square on Charlie’s lap, and looking directly into his gorgeous blue eyes. Judging by the look on his face, that hadn’t exactly been the plan. I guessed his manoeuvre had primarily been about damage control rather than specified outcome but, for once, I was the one blushing.

  ‘Whoops!’ I said, scrambling inelegantly off his lap. I made to push myself off and my hand slipped, sliding up his thigh. His eyebrows rose and I felt his shoulders move as he stifled a laugh.

  ‘Don’t!’ I whispered, risking a look at him as I clambered backwards and sat as far away as possible in the small stretch of sofa not covered in stuff, or Charlie.

  He looked at me, innocently. Ordinarily I would have believed it, but I’d already felt the laugh rumble in his chest as I’d braced my hand against it in my attempts to extricate myself.

  ‘Everything all right over there?’ Amy asked, as I settled back and took the cup of tea Charlie was now passing me.

  ‘Yep, fine. Slight misjudgement.’

  ‘Apparently.’

  I flashed her a warning look which she ignored, wiggling her eyebrows and grinning.

  I pretended not to notice and hoped that Charlie hadn’t either.

  ‘You were saying something about tomorrow?’ I said, hoping to divert attention.

  ‘Yes, Marcus and I are going out for a meal, and we thought it might be fun if you and Charlie came along.’

  Oh, no. Amy was up to something again. And clearly Marcus was in on the plot. For God’s sake, I’d just ended up unintentionally sat astride the man’s lap and now she was suggesting we all go out for dinner. The word ‘awkward’ sprang to mind.

  ‘Just as friends, of course,’ Amy added, helpfully, which only served to make matters worse.

  I risked a glance at Charlie, unaware as to whether he had known about the arrangement before he got here. By the look on his face, that would be a no.

  ‘What do you think, Charlie?’ Marcus asked his brother, saving me from answering straight away.

  ‘Sounds good,’ Charlie said, not missing a beat.

  ‘Libby?’ Amy asked.

  ‘I… yes, of course. Sounds fun.’

  ‘Great.’ Marcus then steered the conversation back to something sports related and Amy and I soon lost interest. I leant down and shuffled some piles around in order to make my exit from the sofa a more dignified one than my entry had been. Gathering the used cups, I placed them back on the tray and headed into the kitchen with them. I heard soft footsteps behind me.

  ‘God, you should have seen Charlie’s face when you fell on him!’ Amy laughed, her voice low.

  ‘Ames. Don’t. I’m mortified as it is! And if tomorrow is about trying to engineer something between me and Charlie, I’d rather you didn’t. We’re happy just being friends, and I get more than enough of that sort of thing from my dad, believe me.’

  ‘Libs, I’m just teasi
ng you! I know you’re embarrassed but it was kind of funny. I think you made his day!’

  ‘Ha ha!’

  ‘And no, tomorrow’s not about that. We just like spending time with you both. There’s a new restaurant just opened up in Preston Street and we thought it would be fun to all go together.’

  Amy was right. The evening was fun and she even restrained herself from making any further hints at a possible romantic connection between me and Charlie. Since Marcus had pointed out his brother’s very specific choices when it came to women, Amy and I had both accepted that friendship was the best option for me when it came to Charlie. And, glancing across the table as the two brothers shared a joke, I felt a sudden whoosh of gratitude at having him in my life at all.

  16

  I pulled into the space that Marcus, from the back seat, was directing me into and tilted my kerbside mirror to make sure I didn’t scrape my wheels, especially now that I could see Charlie wandering down the drive watching the manoeuvre. He raised his hand in a wave and then waited until I’d parked and switched off the engine. Walking to the car, he opened the passenger door and held out a hand to help Amy. She thanked him and gave him a quick hug before Marcus piled out of the back seat and told his brother not to start trying to muscle in on his date, grinning as he did so. Charlie did a knuckle rub on the back of his little brother’s head and got a punch to the arm for his trouble before Marcus took Amy’s hand and began heading inside.

  ‘Oh. Gee. You’re welcome for the lift. Thanks for waiting,’ I said to their backs, before rolling my eyes at Charlie.

  He knew I was only joking. Although, going in together might have been nice, bearing in mind I didn’t know anyone. Amy had already been introduced to Marcus and Charlie’s parents, but I was a complete newbie and although meeting people didn’t really bother me, it also felt a bit weird to just stroll up alone on this occasion.

  ‘Don’t worry. I’ll take you in,’ Charlie said, as if reading my mind. He was dressed in a white, short-sleeve shirt and stone-coloured cargo shorts. His hands rested in his pockets and his feet were bare.

  ‘Thanks.’ I smiled, shutting the door.

  ‘Wait!’ Charlie called suddenly as I made to move away from the car.

  ‘What?’ I stopped, the look on Charlie’s face freezing me in place.

  He moved closer to me. ‘Your dress…’

  ‘What’s wrong with it? Is it not the right sort of thing? I knew I should have checked. Is it more formal than—?’

  ‘Libby—’ He placed a large hand on my shoulder, interrupting my word flow ‘—what you’re wearing is fine. But currently it’s shut in the car door and you’re about to leave half of it behind.’

  I looked down. Charlie was right. Two more steps and there would have been a large ripping sound swiftly followed by either wailing or embarrassed silence on my part. Possibly a combination of both. Pressing the button on my key fob, I unlocked the door, pulled my dress from it and closed it again. I flipped the fabric back and forth to check for marks, but luckily it seemed fine.

  ‘All right?’ Charlie asked.

  ‘Yes. Phew!’ I laughed. ‘Nice save.’

  ‘No problem.’

  ‘Maybe I should stop wearing dresses and skirts with quite so much fabric in them if I can’t be trusted to keep them contained.’

  ‘You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t wear the things you do.’

  I tilted my head up at him, and squinted, the sun shining in my eyes. Charlie moved and blocked it. I unscrewed my face a bit.

  ‘I’m not sure how to take that.’

  ‘It was meant as a compliment.’ He looked down at my dress, and then the pavement. Everywhere but at me.

  ‘All right, then. I’ll take it as one.’

  ‘Good. Come on,’ he said. ‘Do you want me to take something?’ He frowned a little at me, as I juggled my car keys, the wine I’d brought as a gift, and my wrap.

  ‘No, it’s OK. I think I’ve got it,’ I said, just as the wine bottle slid out of my hand and headed for the pavement.

  Charlie’s hand shot out and caught it just before it hit.

  ‘Yes. I can see you’ve got it all under control.’

  I gave him a look that told him not to be a smart arse, and a flicker of a grin flashed across his face.

  We headed inside.

  It was a bigger gathering than I had expected, but Charlie’s parents were friendly and welcoming, soon whizzing Amy and I around and introducing us to the various friends and relatives attending the party. It quickly became obvious that Marcus got his outgoing personality from his dad and Charlie got his striking eye colour from his mum. She was less exuberant than his dad but just as fun and witty. I glanced over to where Charlie was now standing, his head tilted down a little and forwards in concentration as he listened to the man opposite.

  ‘Oh, golly. Poor Charlie. He’ll be lucky to get away now,’ his mum said, coming to stand beside me.

  I smiled as she did so. ‘Bit chatty, is he?’

  She rolled her eyes. ‘Loves a good conspiracy, does our Graham, and is convinced the banks are behind most of them. Charlie’s financial background means he rather gets his ear bent every time Graham sees him.’

  ‘Oh, dear.’

  ‘He’s been stuck there for over half an hour now,’ his mum said. ‘You wouldn’t be a love and rescue him, would you? Goodness knows how long he’ll be there otherwise.’

  ‘Me?’

  ‘Yes. Would you mind?’

  ‘No, of course not! I can certainly try, at least.’

  His mum laughed and patted my arm. ‘Graham’s a little eccentric but he’s not daft. If a gorgeous girl walks up and tells Charlie she needs to borrow him for a minute, he’ll know he’s beaten.’

  I smiled and glanced over at Charlie. He moved his head, as if he sensed me watching him, and his gaze locked onto mine. There was a silent plea in his eyes.

  ‘Looks like you were right,’ I said.

  ‘I know my Charlie,’ his mum replied. ‘He doesn’t always say a lot but it’s all there.’

  I glanced back at her, unsure as to whether she was referring to more than the current predicament Charlie found himself in.

  ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

  ‘Thanks. Last time he got stuck with him, he ended up “accidentally” spilling red wine on himself just to get away. Ruined a perfectly good, rather expensive shirt.’

  I wound my way between the groups of people congregating on the large back lawn and headed towards where Charlie and his cousin were still engaged in conversation, although, from what we had seen, that conversation appeared to be mostly one-sided. Charlie had now moved and was leaning against the trunk of an apple tree, his head resting back but the intense eyes still focused on his cousin. I approached from the side and touched his arm. He jumped a little and I guessed that he wasn’t as intently focused on the conversation as his demeanour indicated.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Hi,’ he said, straightening away from the tree. ‘You OK?’

  ‘Yes, thanks.’

  Charlie introduced me to Graham.

  ‘Libby, my cousin, Graham. Graham, this is my friend, Libby.’

  ‘Nice to meet you,’ I said, automatically.

  ‘Likewise.’

  I made a point of wrapping my arm around Charlie’s and felt him turn a little towards me. ‘I hate to be rude,’ I said, looking at Graham, ‘but would you mind if I stole Charlie away for a little bit?’

  ‘No, not at all. I’m sure I’ve bored him enough by now anyway.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t believe that for a moment,’ I said, a little laugh accompanying my declaration. Graham smiled and a little blush tinged his cheeks. Clearly this was a family thing.

  ‘Catch up with you later, Graham,’ Charlie said, before steering us away towards a spot shaded by a medium-sized oak tree.

  The blue eyes fixed intently on me. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘You’re welcome. Although you shou
ld probably thank your mum. She’s the one who planned the extraction mission.’

  ‘Then I’ll do that, thanks. I see she sent her best operative. Obviously I’m more important than I thought I was.’

  I watched the sun and shade dappling on his tanned skin. I realised I was still holding his arm and made to release it.

  Charlie covered my hand with his own, keeping it where it was. ‘It seems you made quite the impression on my cousin. He’s still watching us. If you let go now, he’s going to smell a rat.’

  I tilted my head back and looked up at Charlie. His voice was serious but his eyes weren’t. Surrounded by people he knew, and with a beer or two inside him, no doubt, he was completely relaxed. He looked down at me, his face full of mischief.

  I shifted my weight, unsure as to what else was shifting right at that moment. ‘And so what, exactly, am I supposed to do now then, instead?’

  Charlie moved and gently pulled me down onto the bench that half surrounded the trunk of the tree. He was still looking at me as though he wanted to say something, but he didn’t speak.

  ‘Charlie?’ I said, eventually. ‘Is something wrong?’

  He looked surprised and sat back a little. ‘Wrong? No. Why?’

  ‘It’s just that you look a little… funny.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘I mean…’ To be honest, I didn’t know what I meant.

  ‘Are you having a nice time?’ Charlie said, effectively changing the subject.

  ‘I am. Thank you for inviting me.’

  ‘You’re welcome. Mum would have started to think you didn’t exist if she didn’t meet you soon.’

  ‘Oh?’ I said, prompting him for more.

  ‘Well, she’s obviously heard about you.’

  ‘She has?’ I said, sounding a little alarmed.

  ‘In a good way,’ Charlie confirmed.

  ‘All right.’

  ‘She’s always enjoyed meeting our friends. That’s all.’

  I nodded, without looking at him.

  Charlie dipped his head down, and caught my eye. ‘That’s all. Don’t worry.’