Page 54 of Playing the Field
‘Please tell me you’re not taking me shopping in Stratford.’
‘We’re definitely not trawling round shops on a Saturday night.’
‘Thank goodness for that. Okay, last guess– are we doing that walk over the top of the O2? I’ve always liked the look of that.’
I tell him we’re getting off at the next stop, and when he sees that puts us in Canary Wharf, he knows he’s guessed wrong again.
As we pull into the station I’m hit by a sudden wave of doubt. When I told him I’d planned a surprise for him, he said he trusted me to pick something good. But what if he has an aversion to guns or thinks the hot tub experience is naff? Climbing the O2 didn’t even occur to me, so maybe I was wrong to assume that because I’ve loved all his surprises, mine would go down just as well.
My fears are short-lived though. When we arrive at the hot tub hiring hut, he starts laughing. ‘Ah brilliant, I’ve seen people doing this on Instagram.’
I finally show him what I’ve got stashed in my bag and he tells me I’ve thought of everything– although we find out during the safety briefing that whoever drives the hot tub isn’t allowed to drink any alcohol.
‘I’m happy to abstain if you’re okay with me doing the steering,’ he says.
There’s a dressing room where we can get changed and lockers for our bags. On the boat there’s a dry box for our valuables and an ice box for our drinks. I buy some sparkling water from the venue so there’s something for Ben, and so I can cool down when I need to– for some reason I didn’t expect the hot tub water to be quite so hot.
After a quick chug round the practice area– it doesn’t take Ben long to get the hang of it– we set off, cruising between the towering buildings and raising our glasses to the other tubs we pass. Each one has a different vibe. There’s a raucous hen party cackling at anything and everything, other couples enjoying cosy date nights, and a group of lads on a floating barbecue, who try to give us sausages to apologise for nearly crashing into us, then almost tumble overboard when they realise they’ve just made chipolata jokes to Ben Pryce. I’m not convinced they’re abiding by the sober driver rule.
Ben’s still laughing about it when we’re back in the changing room afterwards. ‘I’ll be amazed if they all make it back to base dry. That was really fun, thank you.’
‘That’s not the end,’ I tell him. ‘There are two more things planned.’
‘Is one of them food-related?’
‘Of course, then there’s an after-dinner activity.’
‘And is that what I hope it will be?’
I laugh. ‘I think you’re thinking of the afteractivityactivity.’
‘I can’t deny it. So what’s on tonight’s menu?’ He catches me smirking. ‘To eat, I mean. Have you got somewhere specific in mind or are we just going to see where we can get a table?’
‘I’ve booked a steak place. I was thinking a sirloin and a nice glass of red.’
His smile widens. ‘It’s like you know me or something.’
Bailey calls him while we’re on the way to the restaurant.
‘Do you mind if I get this quickly?’
‘Not at all– go ahead.’
‘He’s been working through some stuff,’ Ben explains afterwards. ‘So I always try to be there. He’s fine, though. He’s just been talking to our mum and she’s decided to do a family roast tomorrow lunchtime. We’re both invited– she’s keen to meet you. What do you reckon?’
It only seems fair given how many times he’s met Dad and Cassie, even if the circumstances aren’t exactly the same.
‘I should probably warn you though, I haven’t taken anyone round since I’ve been up in Millford,’ he adds.
I’m not sure if this makes me feel special or terrified. ‘No pressure then!’
‘It’s nothing to worry about– they’re all really easy-going,’ he assures me. ‘The only one to watch out for a bit is my nan. She’s lovely too, but she’s very nosy.’
‘Am I meeting the whole Pryce clan?’
He grins sheepishly. ‘Is that okay? I promise I’ll jump in if Nan asks too many questions.’
I tell him it’s fine. Luckily, I’ve never been too intimidated by the prospect of meeting my boyfriends’ parents.
