Page 41 of Outlier
Mike
“Order at the bar,you lazy sod,” Jimbo barked. “Bloody Ruby’s off sick again, so we’ve no waitress, and I’m certainly not shiftingmyarse to serve you.”
I rolled my eyes.
“No offence, love,” Jimbo added to Vicky.
“None taken,” Vicky told him. “I appreciate your candour.”
He nodded and lumbered off to get behind the bar again.
I sighed. “Well, I promised younot fancy. I think this place fits the bill.”
Vicky grinned at me, and I relaxed.
Bringing her here was a bit of a risk, but plain, non-nonsense food was definitely on the menu at The Badger’s. And looking at her now, it was worth it.
She was no longer sitting stiffly across from me and looking green around the gills.
I’d taken her to Buckingham Manor first and told her to change out of her itchy dress into whatever she found the most comfortable. She came back downstairs looking unsure and wearing leggings and a hoody with her hair up in a ponytail.
When I said “bloody gorgeous” to her and kissed the side of her head, she gave me the first smile of the evening.
I was now completely addicted to making this woman smile.
Margot, who had been almost beside herself when I picked Vicky up the first time, was clearly worried that we’d returned so soon. But when Vicky changed, and I’d coaxed that smile out of her, Margot’s excitement was off the charts.
“Have fun, kids!” she’d shouted after us as we left, like we were both still teenagers.
Margot was a pain in the arse, but she clearly cared a lot about Vicky. And from her almost unnerving levels of excitement about me taking Vicky out, it was obvious that she’d been worried about Vicky. Very worried.
“Is the food okay, love?” I asked, leaning forward so nobody else would hear me. “We can go back to my mum’s for something if you don’t fancy the stuff here.”
Vicky’s eyes went wide. “Your mum’s?” she breathed. “You’d take me to your mum’s?”
I shrugged. “Of course. Mum can cook anything you like, and her fridge is always fully stocked.”
“Your mum would be okay if you just barged into her home late on a Saturday night and demanded supper for you and a random woman?”
I glowered at her. “You’re not a random woman. Mum knows you. And she’d be beside herself if I took a lass home to her, believe me.”
Vicky cleared her throat. “I’m not good with… families. I don’t tend to make a very good impression.”
She tucked her hands under her legs and rocked very slightly back and forth before she seemed to catch herself doing it and stopped.
I got the feeling that she’d tucked her hands there to stop them from creeping up to her ears and giving her away.
Something about what she’d just said stressed her out. I thought about my first impression of her, and I internally winced.
“You already know my family,” I said gently, and she shook her head.
“I know Lucy, but I only met your mum a couple of times when I was a child. Seeing as I wasn’t speaking then, I don’t think you can say she reallyknowsme.”
I thought back to those few times Vicky had been in the cottage and winced again.
“Vicky, listen. I’m sorry I was a bit of a prick back then. I couldn’t understand why you weren’t speaking. Mum told me that she didn’t think it was something you could help, but I just wrongly assumed you thought you were too good for us, seeing as we weren’t blue bloods like you lot. I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about all that class stuff.”
Vicky snorted. “You know I blanked Ollie’s cousins when I met them?” she said.
