Page 50 of The Midnight Book Club
“I do,” Aurelia said with a smile.She, too, was ready at last.
“Well, then, where shall we start?”
29
Overthenextthreeweeks, Aurelia and Vronsky developed a routine: they wrote together at night; Aurelia edited their draft during quiet moments in the day; and then they reviewed the draft the following night before beginning to write again.A few times now she’d remembered how Oliver had described writing as just that—a routine—and she’d smiled to think she was finally back in it.
The shop took up most of her time as the holidays approached, giving her only spare minutes to write and edit during the day and driving her to make the most of her writing time with Vronsky at night.A few times some of her regular customers, like Sophie and Mark, had caught her scribbling away and asked what she was working on, but Aurelia wasn’t yet ready to tell them about her project.It was all part of the compounding secret of her new double life.
Keeping her writing a secret from her customers was easier than keeping it from David.She found herself telling him about it on a cold Sunday morning when they met for coffee and a long walk around Hampstead Heath.David was waiting for her at the Tube station on the high street, wearing a hat she remembered Aunt Marigold knitting for him.Aurelia smiled at the sight of it, which marked the first time in a long time that she didn’t feel like crying over stirred-up memories.
David filled Aurelia in on school, the never-ending renovation of the guest bathroom at his and James’s flat, and the progress he was making on his cooking blog.He then turned expectantly to Aurelia, waiting for her to fill him in on what had been keeping her busy.She told him that the shop was in full swing with holiday shoppers, and then paused.What else could she tell him?She looked over and saw his frown, knowing that he, like Antonia, was probably worrying that she was keeping too much to herself at the shop.In a spark of inspiration, she shared the one part of her new secret life that she could.
“I’ve also started writing again.”
“You have?Really?”
The eagerness in David’s voice made her break into a grin.
“I really have.”
“Finally!”he exclaimed, stopping in the middle of the gravel path where they’d been walking.“Was it all of my bullying that did it?”
“I’ll let you believe that, sure.”
“What are you working on, then?Your novel?”
“No—well, it’sanovel, but not the one I was working on before.”She let ‘before’ hang there, knowing David would understand.“It’s something new.”
“I’msoproud of you,” he said as he gave her a hug.“You’ve been sitting on your talent for much too long.”He held her at arm’s length and looked her full in the eyes.“We’re out for a walk, you’re writing again—you’re finally back.”
She felt the all-too-familiar pricking of tears in her eyes and gave David a nudge.
“I’ve kept it together all day, and now you’ve blown it,” she joked with a sniffle.
“Well, I can’t help being excited for you,” he said, hugging her again.“When can I read it?What about James?Oh, maybe he can publish it!”
“Hang on!I’m just happy to be writing again,” Aurelia said, laughing.“I don’t think it’s going to turn into something I could publish, but it just feels good to know I can still do it.”
“I knew you could,” David said sincerely.
“I love you, but if you make me cry…” she threatened.
“Okay, okay,” he said, taking her arm in his and continuing down the path.“Why don’t I tell you all about the lamprey pie I made last night?”
“That sounds horrendous, but in the interest of me not weeping, let’s hear it.”
Then, kissing his cheek, she added softly, “Thank you.”
30
Afewdayslater,asAurelia sat at her desk working on Vronsky’s story, David called.Her mind was caught up in the section she’d been editing, otherwise she might have been more suspicious about his insistence that she join him and James out for dinner that very night.
“It’s our last chance to see each other before the holidays,” he pleaded.
Looking up from her desk, her eyes scanned the shop.She was sure she could get back before midnight, so she agreed to meet them at eight.
By the time eight o’clock rolled around, Aurelia was running late.She knew David and James wouldn’t mind even though she had no excuse—she didn’t exactly have a difficult commute home from work each day.Scanning the room as she walked into the restaurant, she spotted David and waved to him as she wound her way through the crowded space.Once she was just a few tables away from them, however, Aurelia drew up short when she noticed someone else at their table: Oliver.He was talking to James and didn’t see her, which was fortunate as her forehead was drawn together in a frown.Had David honestly done it again—blindsided her into another night out with Oliver?She felt immediately embarrassed, worried that Oliver might think she’d asked David to do it, as if Oliver’s rejection weeks ago hadn’t gotten through to her.
