Page 44 of Last Dance, Second Chance

“Thank you so much,” said Jessica tucking in. “This all looks delicious.”

“My pleasure.” He handed her a bottle of water. “There’s also a flask of coffee and some granola bars, but I thought we could save those for later.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

“So, are you having an OK time?” Nathan asked with a grin.

“I am,” Jessica admitted. “This was a really lovely idea.”

“I’m glad. It’s going to be really strange not having you around all the time. And Monty, of course.”

“But I’m sure it’ll be nice to have your home back to yourself. You’ll be able to walk around naked, or whatever it is you like to do when you’re alone.”

Nathan laughed. “I don’t think poor Dennis deserves to put up with that kind of behaviour.” He ate a piece of salami, then continued, “To be honest, I thought I would struggle having a guest. I’ve lived by myself for a while now, and you saw how tidy I kept things. I wasn’t sure how well I’d cope with my routine being changed, but I’ve really loved having you. It’s been nice to have someone to come home to in the evenings.”

“I’m glad I wasn’t too much of a pain. I know I can be kind of messy,” Jessica admitted.

“You really can!” Nathan chuckled. “But I liked it. I think it’s the first time that house has felt like a home. I’m going to need to do something about that. Though I’m not sure what exactly.”

“Maybe you need more stuff around. It does feel a little like a show home... Sorry,” she said, seeing Nathan wince.

“No, you’re right. It does. Claire got most of the furniture in the divorce, so I just bought whatever I needed from IKEA.”

“Well, you won’t get rid of me easily. I’m sure I’ll be popping around to make a mess before I fly back to the States.”

“You’d better,” said Nathan, smiling, though there was a sad look in his eyes.

Jessica shimmied over to be closer to him. “Thank you so, so much for the last week and a half. It’s meant so much to me. Not just because I would have struggled physically by myself, but because you really cheered me up. I can’t believe I’ve actually enjoyed myself in the depths of my despair.”

“And thank you for cheering me up on Thursday. I’d probably still be wallowing now if it weren’t for you.” He gave her a hug.

“We make quite a team,” Jessica said.

“That we do,” agreed Nathan. “Let’s take a photo. I want to remember this.”

“No way am I being photographed dressed in this!”

“Just one, please? I won’t show it to anyone.”

“All right, just one,” she agreed.

They leaned close together and Nathan used his phone to take a selfie.

“Look, it’s really nice,” he said, showing her the image.

“I suppose it’s not terrible,” Jessica admitted. Actually, it was a lovely photograph. Jessica was used to having her picture taken for work, both while she was dancing and for headshots and the occasional magazine or newspaper article about her or her company. These photos were always very staged, and she had time to ensure that she looked absolutely perfect for them. But in this quick snap taken with her hair a mess from the wind and without a scrap of make-up on her face, she looked really happy. She and Nathan fitted well together. They looked like a couple. The kind of couple other couples aspired to be, having fun adventures on the weekend and enjoying each other’s company in the outdoors.

* * *

They lazed around for a while after they’d finished eating, debating how much further they would travel before turning back. They decided to go for another hour, stop again and have their coffee and snack, and then head back.

The sky clouded over while they were paddling. Jessica insisted on being at the back this time so she could have a turn steering. They chatted as they paddled, but not about anything important. It seemed they’d both decided they were taking an afternoon off from the troubles in their lives and were just going to enjoy being together.

It was almost five o’clock by the time they reached the landing stage where they’d first got into the canoe.

They performed their usual routine of Nathan getting out first and then helping Jessica to disembark. Once she was safely on dry land, Nathan went to step back into the canoe to retrieve their things, but he misjudged his step. His foot caught the edge of the canoe, pushing it away from the canal bank, and, before Jessica could do anything to stop him, Nathan landed in the water with a large splash.

“Oh no! Are you OK?” Jessica hurried over to the side of the canal.

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