Saturday 30th November
Lydia snuggled into Steve, as they sat in a café on a well-worn sofa, sipping mochas. Olivia and Rosie, Lydia’s cute nieces, sat opposite. Each sucked through a straw thick banana milkshakes and nibbled chocolate chip cookies.
Steve had just shared another fabulous date with Lydia. He’d also shared it with a chatty five-year-old, Olivia, and a giggly, butter-wouldn’t-melt, three-year-old, Rosie. Both with blonde hair and blue eyes like their aunt. When Steve had suggested the theatre, and then found this time of year he could only book a pantomime at the Bristol Hippodrome, Lydia had asked if her nieces could come too.
“I can call it an early Christmas present,” she’d said. “And Paul and Emma could use the time for Christmas shopping.”
They’d also agreed it would be a good practice run for when he babysat with Lydia next week.
And so, now at the point Steve would do anything to please Lydia, he’d booked the matinee performance. It had been so much fun, booing and hissing at the baddie, and it had brought back some childhood memories of Christmases with Mum and Ruby. He now had a lovely memory to treasure with Lydia too, who had participated fully with the show alongside her nieces.
With November coming to a close, it meant Christmas was rapidly approached. Everyone buzzed with excitement and shops were decorated and full of gift ideas. The hotel now had a huge Christmas tree in the reception, adorned like something out of a Dickens’ scene. Everywhere you went, you couldn’t miss it, the festive season was drawing near. The café they sat in also had a large Christmas tree already up. Steve had totally forgotten Thanksgiving, which had been two days ago, glad that it was one less thing to worry about. He’d received a couple of emails, forwarded from Marie, to wish him a happy Thanksgiving, but he hadn’t seen any invitations from his friends and associates in LA, as he normally did to remind him of the occasion. Maybe Marie had dealt with them as he was out of the country. Or maybe, he realised, they were only acquaintances in the business, rather than good friends, if Marie felt she needn’t forward on the messages.
Either way, he didn’t care. Life would get busy with the run up to the launch of the film, plus the making of a new one, so he was savouring every relaxing, mundane moment. Not that being with Lydia was dull. He just felt at ease, peacefully happy.
Originally, he’d considered taking Lydia to the cinema, but decided against it. He had managed to get away with it on his date with Alice, but didn’t want to risk his chances with Lydia. He had some paranoia about going to the cinema, fearing he’d see his next film’s trailer. With his next movie, Nothing Happened out sometime next year, he had good reason. He didn’t need to be sitting there, trying to remain anonymous, with his face flashing up on the big screen. It was an action comedy, and he was the leading man. You wouldn’t miss his face on the screen.
With a three-year-old perched on his lap for the majority of it, Steve had appreciated the live performance instead. Theatre – not panto – was something else he wanted to do as an actor – one day, to be on stage and having to get it right first time. No cuts, edits, to make you look better. You couldn’t laugh, and lose it (unless it was panto) – there was no bloopers reel for the DVD – and then take another shot. You had to remember your lines.
As he and Lydia discussed the pantomime afterwards, laughing with her two nieces, he tried not to sound like he knew what he was talking about when it came to acting. He wanted to move the subject on, fortunately Lydia’s niece helped.
“Auntie Lydie, I need a wee wee.” Rosie looked at her aunt desperately, holding herself between her legs.
“That’s okay, sweetheart, I can take you.” Lydia scooped Rosie up.
“I want Stuart to take me.” Steve gulped. He loved kids, but he’d not had much practice with them, with no little people in his immediate family, he wasn’t sure he wanted to take a little girl he’d only known a couple of hours to the toilet.
“No, I will take you,” Lydia said firmly. Steve found it attractive. “Stuart can’t go in the little girls’ room.”
“And they’re much nicer that the little boys’ room,” Steve added, trying to aid Lydia’s argument. “I’ll guard your cookie.” Steve threw a macho pose and Rosie giggled, holding her small, podgy hand over her mouth.
“Okay.” She dramatically nodded. “Don’t eat it.”
“I won’t.”
“I’ll be back in a minute,” Lydia said, pushing Rosie higher onto her hip. “Will you be okay with Olivia?”
“Of course. Olivia was just about to tell me who her favourite princess is.” Steve moved round to sit on the couch with the little girl, dressed as a princess.
“I told you silly, it’s Cinderella.” Olivia rolled her eyes. If it wasn’t for the endearing voice and the fact she wasn’t much taller than three feet, she could easily have been fifteen with the attitude.
“Oh, yes you did.”
“Oh, no you didn’t.” Olivia laughed. It had been their little joke after watching the pantomime. “Can I call you Uncle Stuart?” Olivia looked innocently into his eyes.
Steve sobered. “Oh, um…”
“You’re going to marry Auntie Lydie, aren’t you?”
Steve chuckled, rubbing his hot palms down his jeans. “I don’t know. It’s very early days. We’ve not been seeing each other long.”
“Cinderella only went to a ball, and she married Prince Charming afterwards.”
“Yes, good point. It’s just that some relationships take a little longer.” Steve patted the little girl’s hand, then found his mocha for comfort.
“What’s a relationship?”
Steve swallowed. He did not need this conversation to lead to the point of birds and bees. That certainly was not his domain. Nip in the bud. Now. “Um, well, it’s when two people want to be together.”
“Why?”
There it was; the dreaded why question. Lydia had dealt with most of those over the afternoon. “They want to be together because they love each other – like your mummy and daddy.”
“And you and Auntie Lydie.”
“Yes, yes, hopefully,” Steve said nervously. The whole point was to find someone to spend the rest of his life with, even marry, but confronted by the reality of it with a five-year old made Steve anxious. Was Lydia the one? Would he really ever know?
“What did we miss?” Lydia appeared, lowering Rosie onto the sofa beside her opposite.
“Stuart’s going to marry you!” Olivia blurted, grinning triumphantly.
Steve didn’t usually blush, but the temperature in the café had risen suddenly.
Lydia chuckled. “Oh, Olivia, I think it’s a little early for me and Stuart yet.”
“Why?”
Lydia and Steve laughed. “I’ll let you answer this one. They’re your nieces.”
“Oh, thanks.” Lydia pulled a face.
“I’ll do what I’m good at…and get us another coffee. Same again?”
Steve escaped to the counter. When he returned with two more steaming mochas and more biscuits, the girls were happily, and quietly, colouring. Rosie had her tongue out, fully concentrating on her picture. Although occasionally interrupted by the little princesses with questions like ‘do you like my drawing?’ their focus enabled Steve and Lydia to talk about things they’d like to do – together, which pleased Steve. He wanted to walk a beach, hand in hand. The golden coastline of California, but he didn’t hint at it. Lydia was thinking more of the sandy beaches of Cornwall. They dreamily discussed sitting in coffee shops in different European cities, watching the world go on around them. These things they would do, Steve promised himself. He’d make her dreams come true.
Steve wanted to know everything about Lydia. They’d only touched the surface with their discussions as new romances usually did, scared of saying something to put the other off. So far, their interests were similar; from the way they liked to relax by reading rather than television, to similar views on life. And silly things like brown sauce always with fried eggs and bacon.
“Because tomato sauce is just yucky,” Lydia said wrinkling her nose, and he would remember that adorable image for the rest of his life.
“No it’s not,” Olivia said, looking up from her picture. Steve had forgotten the two girls were there, they had been so quiet concentrating on their colouring. “I like it with fish fingers.”
“Me too.” Rosie squeaked.
“Ah, yes, tomato sauce with fish fingers is the best,” Steve said, giving the little girl a thumbs up.
“I think on that note we best get you two back to your mummy and daddy,” Lydia said.
Both girls started complaining and moaning.
“Be good, you two, or Stuart won’t come and help me babysit.” Lydia turned to Steve. “You still want to keep me company?”
“Of course.” He stroked her hair, and kissed her head. “As long as it’s not this weekend.”
“No, next week,” she said happily, toying with his hair and running her fingers around the back of his neck. The sensation sent delight to his soul.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And I get to see these two cuties.” He reached across the coffee table and tickled each of the girls, and they giggled. Then, Steve kissed Lydia chastely, remembering they were getting too snug on the sofa in the café. They were in a public place. Plus their five-year old and three-year old chaperones thought it was disgusting to see a boy and a girl kissing.
“So what’s so special about this weekend?” Lydia said, gathering up coats and bags. Steve helped Rosie into her puffy pink coat.
“I’ve got an early Christmas present for Ruby, and I promised we’d go buy a Christmas tree.” Plus, he needed to get Lydia a special Christmas present, but what to buy?
“You’re such a good big brother, Stuart.”
Every time she said his name, it reminded him of the lie. The disguise had worked, letting someone get close to him. But it was still a lie. Ruby and Steve hadn’t thought this through.
“Lydia?” Should he come clean? They were so close now.
“What?” She looked at him, probably sensing the seriousness in his tone, her tone equally sober.
This wasn’t the place, or the time. Everything was perfect; he didn’t want to ruin a good day. What if she reacted badly? They were in a public place and Olivia and Rosie could get upset.
“Nothing, sweetheart. I had a good time today.”
“So did I.”