Page 8 of Wish You Once More
They wandered off and he approached me, his gaze raking me from head to foot, taking in my Converse, denim shorts, checked shirt and vest combo. The beauty of working in a manual job, where I had every chance of getting grubby, meant I didn’t have to get dressed up each morning.
“We’ll give them a minute, then I’ll tell them I’m closing for lunch.” He jerked his chin in the direction of the couple who had taken themselves off to the back of the shop.
“So what have you got?” My eyes darted around the entrance, where Harry usually put the new stock.
He went over to a tallish item, covered with a large grey moving blanket, then crooked a finger at me. “Here. I think it’ll work for you.”
I followed him and lifted the blanket, taking care not to expose too much of the object, in case it was exactly what his other customers were looking for.
Beneath the coarse material was a waist high chest of drawers. What looked like once might have been oak, it had been painted a horrible dark brown with layers of paint that would need heaps of steaming and sanding to return it to its former glory. Then a delicate wash to give it the vintage feel, which would fetch a decent price and give me the return I wanted. The ideal project for me.
“Harry, that’s perfect.” I lowered my voice in case the couple overheard me. “Tell me what you want for it?”
Harry’s eyes fell on my bare legs again. I shook my head. I really had to be more careful with my words.
“Usual deal?” I held out my hand. “Nothing now and a cut when I sell it on?”
He shrugged. “I guess that’s as good as I’m gonna get.” His fingers wrapped around my hand and shook it. “And you’re buying lunch.”
Fifteen minutes later, we stood in the queue at the sandwich shop. The town always got busier the closer it got to the Dart Sundowner, and Friday was the day most people arrived, choosing to spend a long weekend here and make the most of it. A lot of the B&Bs did a good package deal for three nights if people came down for the festival.
“I assume you’ll be around over the weekend?” I asked Harry, as we waited for our baguettes to be made.
He nodded. “Yep, got a couple of buddies coming down from London, thought we’d hang out and get drunk in the park.”
“What are you, fourteen?” I laughed. It didn’t seem hugely different to what he did on most weekends, except the location changed depending on the weather. “Wanna get some beers to have with lunch now?”
“What do you think?” He smirked with a shake of his head.
Once we got supplies, we headed to the park and found an unoccupied bench near the tennis courts. We ate and drank and chatted and before I knew it, the nearby church clock struck two.
“Shit!” I jumped up. “I really should get back.”
Harry leaned back against the bench. “Aren’t you waiting for me to take the chest back to your studio?” His gaze lingered on my chest.
I fixed him with a look, taking in the three empty bottles at his feet. “How many beers have you had?”
“Okay, maybe you have a point. Shall I drop it off after the weekend?”
“Yes, please.” I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Thanks for lunch. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I walked away, sure that Harry was still watching me. I put an extra swing in my hips just for him. Didn’t hurt to keep him sweet.
Bolstered by the two beers I’d sunk along with my baguette; I took my phone from my bag. Squinting at the screen, I pulled up the number I wanted and typed a message.
Bree: Hi Mat, just checking everything’s okay for the weekend? Let me know if you need anything x
I hit send before I could change my mind.
5
Mat
Thank God I’d booked a single seat in First Class. I smelled like a brewery.
What started as a few drinks at the pub, ended up with Ellie and me in some club until three in the morning. I think I must have kissed her goodnight and put her into a taxi, because I woke up alone in my own bed. The memories of last night were at best hazy, at worst non-existent. And now I was on my way to spend the weekend with my family, which included a four-year-old. My head banged at the thought.
“Can I get you a drink?” asked the customer service manager.
