Page 43 of Only You

Andrew

Andrew stared at himself in the mirror, unsure of how he’d found himself in this predicament. Then he thought about the young woman downstairs and remembered why everyone, from work colleagues to his parents, had been telling him for years he needed to get out there and start dating again. His inappropriate reaction towards Ana had proved this, but the thought of jumping back in, of finding time for someone else when he could barely make time for himself and his daughter, was daunting. Andrew had begun to realise he was being unfair to himself and his daughter. Ana had proven Olivia needed a woman in her life, and if he was honest, he too would love someone to share his life and bed with again.

Ana, moving in, had highlighted how much he missed having another adult in the house. From the day Olivia arrived home from the hospital, Andrew had raised her alone. The nanny would go home at the end of her shift, leaving him holding the baby. There had never been someone to share Olivia with or have a grown-up conversation with once night-time hit, and Olivia was in bed. There had been the television, a book, or a bed. Since Ana had moved in, things had changed. He had changed. Having another adult around the house meant he looked forward to coming home and sitting down for the evening. He no longer felt alone. His evenings were filled with conversation and laughter. He never wanted to go back to that empty feeling ever again.

Andrew felt guilty. He now had Ana to help with Olivia, but that did not mean he wanted to hand over all responsibility for his daughter to his ex-sister-in-law. She had brought so much joy to their lives already. Olivia was a different child; it was as if someone had lifted a weight from her little shoulders the day Ana arrived. But he could not burden Ana with their lives. Olivia was his daughter, not something he wanted to off-load or hand over. She was growing up so fast. He wanted to enjoy their time together while he could. He could not expect her to indefinitely put her life on hold for her ex-brother-in-law and niece. If he had to go on a few dates to find the right person for him and Olivia, that was what he would do.

Andrew hadn’t been on a date in years. Over the years, he’d had colleagues with benefits, but he had always been clear from the start. Olivia was his priority and always would be. There had been no dates, no getting to know someone past the here and now, or looking to see if there was potential for more. His pattern of casual sex had worked in the early days, but since he had moved here, it had stopped.

Now Ana was available to look after Olivia. He had no excuses not to get himself back out there. He had made the fatal mistake of confiding in John about his growing attraction towards Ana. John and his wife had taken that as a green light he needed to get out and date, setting him up a dating profile and short-listing potential candidates. That is how Andrew found himself, standing in front of the mirror in his bathroom, listening to Ana and his daughter giggling downstairs. While they prepared for their movie night, he was psyching himself up to meet a stranger, wanting to kick off his dress shoes and join them downstairs.

Should he cancel? He knew he wouldn’t be doing right by Olivia if he didn’t give dating a try. There was no magic spell for finding a partner or mother for Olivia. If he wanted to add to his family. He needed to take the first step and hated the idea of being an ‘old’ dad. Shaking off the sense of dread hanging over him, he headed downstairs and into the sitting room where the two girls had made themselves a movie nest.

“What do you think?” he said, holding his arms out to let the two women in his life judge him.

“You look very handsome, Daddy,” Olivia said. “Doesn’t he, Ana?”

Andrew watched as a deep flush darkened Ana’s cheeks. He liked the thought she found him handsome.

“Very smart,” she spluttered, not quite able to meet his gaze.

He had noticed recently she was making herself scarce when he was around. Had she realised the effect she had on him at the gym? He hoped not. Their kiss had been fleeting, and she hadn’t mentioned it since. She probably wanted to put it behind them. He would hate for her to feel awkward around him.

“Do I meet your approval, ladies?” Andrew had to ask.

He found he enjoyed getting a rise out of his ex-sister-in-law.

“Most definitely,” she said, taking a more positive stance and moving all her attention to his daughter, which he found irked him slightly.

“I’ll be going,” he said.

“Have fun,” Ana and Olivia chorused before returning their attention back to the film.

Andrew took a taxi. A drink would help him relax. His date was with a thirty-year-old accountant named Kate. She had no children but, according to her profile, was ‘looking for love’. Wasn’t everyone! Even when you found it, you could never be sure it was what you hoped it would be.

Kate suggested they meet at a small Italian restaurant in the centre of London. Andrew had been there a couple of times. The food was fantastic, and it wasn’t overly noisy, so at least they wouldn’t have to scream at each other to be heard.

As he got in the taxi, his phone pinged.

JOHN:I hope your date goes well.

ANDREW:Not sure how I let you talk me into this!

JOHN:Let your hair down and have fun, old man! You need to get laid!

Maybe John was right. He was sure once he got there, he’d be fine. He simply had to relax and open his mind. Positive thinking, wasn’t that what he was always telling his patients?

Chapter Thirty

Andrew

Andrew made sure he arrived at the restaurant in plenty of time. When Kate finally arrived, Andrew’s eyes widened. The woman who walked in was stunning. She had long blond hair that flowed over her shoulders and halfway down her back. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief as they locked onto his. Andrew stood up and moved to greet her. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be a complete failure.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the seat he offered. “I was afraid you’d stand me up,” she whispered almost conspiratorially. “I couldn’t believe it when you got in touch and asked me for a date.”

Andrew decided not to burst her bubble. It had been John and Sarah who decided who he should date first. Andrew had just gone along with them to keep the peace. He decided sharing that piece of information with her might not be the best idea for their first date, and he had to admit his friends had chosen well.

They didn’t have to wait long before the waiter brought the menu. They agreed on a bottle of wine, which was quickly served. Andrew’s thoughts went back to the bottle of wine he had shared with Ana, of them laughing over something Olivia had said. What! He needed to get his head into the present and stop thinking about the impossible? Andrew took several large sips of wine to calm his nerves. If Kate noticed, she said nothing, and Andrew felt himself begin to relax again. The conversation flowed easily between them. It wasn’t long before they were laughing and joking. Kate was an intelligent and interesting woman, and they had a lot in common, liking the same sports, books, and television shows.

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