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Looking up at the clock on the wall in Dawning Sarah was pleased to see it was almost five in the evening. Almost time to flip the sign from open to closed on the door for the day. As much as she loved Dawning and her customers she was looking forward to officially closing up for the day, doing the cleaning and then taking a good long soak in the bath when she got home. It had been a long and emotional day and she was just ready for it to be over.
So when she heard the front door open with five minutes to go before closing Sarah was highly unimpressed.
“Hey, hey,” a chirpy female voice greeted her brightly from the doorway.
“Becca, thank God! I thought you were going to be a customer,” Sarah breathed a sigh of relief at seeing her friend.
“Hey, I am. I would like seven coffees to go please.”
“You’re kidding?” Sarah groaned inwardly. She had taken the risk of cleaning the coffee machine early.
“Just messing with you. You up for a drink at the pub after work? Cam’s going to meet me there later for dinner, but I am in serious need of some girl time,” Becca declared.
“I don’t know that I’m up for it, to be honest,” Sarah admitted. “I’m exhausted. I just need to go home, take a very long bath, gorge on potato chips, drink wine and sleep.”
“Oh come on, it’s been ages since it’s been just us two girls without the boys. Besides, the pub has wine and chips,” Becca attempted to sway Sarah’s mind.
“Sorry Bec, I’m just too tired,”
“Fine,” Becca sighed. “I might just as well come out and admit it then, I had an ulterior motive for tonight. I’m thinking about breaking up with Cam and I just thought that you could, I don’t know, help me figure it all out somehow. I’m really not sure if I should end it though. I mean, the guy I’ve met is really –“
“You met someone else?” Sarah gaped at her friend suddenly fully alert.
“I just don’t know what to do,” Becca said staring at a spot on the wall beyond Sarah’s head.
“Let me just lock up and here and we’ll go,” Sarah promised.
“Don’t you have to do some sort of usual clean up thing here first?” Becca questioned.
“It can wait. I’ll come in early tomorrow and do it. This is way more important than mopping a floor.” Grabbing Becca by the arm she half dragged her to the front door of the café before pushing her out the door. “Stay there,” Sarah demanded as she flew back through the café into the kitchen, turning off the lights and setting the alarm. Rushing back again she closed the front door and locked it behind her.
“Right, let’s go. I’ll drive. It sounds like you might need a drink or three,” Sarah instructed as she hurried them towards her car.
***
As they entered the pub Sarah was alarmed to see Cam at the bar laughing with Clive over a shared joke.
“I’m so sorry,” Sarah hissed to Becca as they walked further into the pub heading for the front bar and where Cam stood. “But Cam’s here.”
“Already? Awesome!” Becca’s head swivelled around searching for him a grin on her face.
Sarah looked at Becca as if she had just grown a second head. For someone who was considering breaking up with her boyfriend it seemed an incredibly odd way to react.
“Babe,” Cam spotted the pair as they approached the bar and greeted Becca with a kiss. A beer was in one of his hands and he looked well dressed like he was heading out somewhere for the night.
“Hi Cam,” Sarah greeted him warily. Did he suspect? Could he possibly know what it is that Becca had been thinking about doing? Sarah was sure that he didn’t otherwise she couldn’t imagine that he would have greeted Becca so warmly. Sarah watched Becca’s reaction to Cam’s greeting with a breathless anxiousness. She had sidled up to him and wrapped her arm around his waist and was leaning into Cam just as she always did. Was this really the way that Becca planned to treat the man she was considering dumping?
“Sorry I’m late,” Jamie said as he joined them walking up from behind the girls. Becca let go of Cam momentarily to give Jamie a hug hello. Immediately after, she wrapped her arm back around Cam’s waist. Turning to Sarah Jamie leaned down and kissed her cheeked and gave her a warm hug. Releasing her he looked down at her hands. “Looks like you don’t have anything to drink. What can I get you?”
“What?” What was wrong with her friends tonight? “What are you late for?” she asked Jamie stupefied. “Did you have a meeting tonight?”
“No. I’m late for dinner – with you,” he offered mirroring her puzzled expression.
“But we don’t have dinner plans –“
“She doesn’t know yet,” Becca interrupted explaining to Jamie. Clapping her hands Becca smiled and declared, “Tonight calls for bubbly. You all stay here, I’ll get it.”
“What don’t I know?” Sarah asked perplexed. Screw perplexed. She was well and truly confused and wondering if she’d fallen down Alice’s rabbit hole.
“Just make sure the bubbles have some beer with them,” Jamie called to Becca’s retreating back.
“Let’s go sit down,” Cam suggested heading for an unoccupied leather couch. An identical leather couch sat opposite the first with two small round tables inbetween them.
“I’m sorry, but what the hell is going on?” Sarah asked stubbornly refusing to move. Cam had already sat down on the couch with his beer in his hand.
“Better wait for Becca. She’ll kill me if I tell you instead of her,” he explained taking a draught of his beer.
Slowly realisation began to dawn on Sarah. It was obvious that there was something Becca and Cam were wanting to tell people, and had invited Jamie and her there under a ruse. Why they couldn’t just have asked her outright to meet them for dinner rather than attempting to deceive her she didn’t know, Sarah inwardly fumed. Fine. Two could play at this game. “So Becca isn’t thinking of breaking up with you then?” Sarah asked as innocently as she could as she sat down on the couch with Jamie. Smoothing her hands over her trousers to pick off an imaginary piece of lint she felt a wicked surge of glee as she imagined Cam’s reaction.
“Balls. She’s not thinking that at all,” Cam scoffed at the idea.
“It’s what she told me at Dawning tonight,” Sarah replied truthfully, failing to mention that she had only done so in order to convince Sarah to come to the pub.
“You’re serious?” Cam looked like his world was about to fall apart. Leaning forward he put his beer on the small table that sat between the two couches, sloshing it over the sides. Getting up he marched off in the direction of the bar and Becca.
Jamie chuckled quietly next to Sarah. “That was cruel,” he told her.
“So is getting us here under false pretences. If I don’t have an explanation within about thirty seconds, I’m getting up and going. I’m completely exhausted. I’ve had a huge day, my feet are killing me and I just want to go home.”
“I’m not here under false pretences,” Jamie admitted. “I know what’s going on.” Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small case and placed it on the table in front of her. Immediately she recognised the box as something that would hold jewellery.
“What’s this?” she asked looking at the box suspiciously and back to Jamie.
“Happy birthday,” Jamie said softly.
She swivelled her head towards him. “How did you know?” Suddenly the pieces all fell into place. “Gloria,” she said softly closing her eyes as she recalled mentioning to her that her birthday had been a few weeks ago. Opening her eyes she found Jamie looking at her with a longing that she hadn’t seen on his face since the day she told him there was no chance between the two of them.
Jamie said nothing, but leaned forward and picked up the jewellery box. Lifting one of her hands in his he turned it so her palmed faced up. Gently placing the box in her hand he closed her fingers around it. He held his hand over hers for a moment before he finally said two words.
“Open it.” His voice was throaty and husky. Sarah was immediately transported back to the day that he had held her hand in his truck as they drove to the animal shelter together. When he had held her hand and she had gone to pull it away he’d used the same tone when he had told her to keep her hand in his. Emotions that she had tried to shut down began to bubble to the surface, and the familiar flutter of butterflies in her belly rose once more as he looked down at her as he had that day.
Nothing has changed, she reminded herself. I wasn’t ready then, and I’m not ready now. I turned down Greg today for a good reason and nothing has changed. As she looked at Jamie and felt the tingle from his touch against her hand the conviction somehow didn’t feel as strong as it once had.
Unwrapping his hands from around hers Sarah moved her fingers and slowly opened the box. Her eyes widened as she saw the delicate silver necklace that was sitting inside. A silver pendant was suspended from the chain and was beautifully elegant in its simplicity. The pendant was shaped like a teardrop with a single pearl nestled in its base. Along one side of the teardrop a row of small diamonds winked up at her.
“Oh my God,” she breathed as she reached for it with shaking fingers.
“You like it?” Jamie asked her anxiously.
“It’s exquisite. Jamie, I just... I can’t...I don’t...” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
He took the box from her hands and slipped the necklace out of its lodgings. Unclasping it he held the two ends up in the air.
“Turn around, I’ll put it on.”
Sarah obediently turned around. Scooping her hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail out of the way she lifted it up to grant him better access to her neck. Raising his hands over her head he gently placed the pendant against her throat before pulling the end of the necklace behind her. She could feel his fingers brush against her skin now and again as he fixed the chain into place. When it was secured, she swore she could feel him leave his fingers against her neck slightly longer than was necessary.
She let her hair go and turned around to face him, one hand reaching up to touch the delicate trinket. Reaching out she rested her other hand on his knee. “Thank you,” she whispered with as much warmth as she could muster in her voice.
He leaned in slowly and gave her a lingering kiss on her cheek, barely missing the corner of mouth. “Happy birthday, beautiful girl,” he murmured pulling back from her.
“You two finished now? We can give you some more time if you like,” Becca interrupted returning with Cam as she set down a tray of drinks on the small table. Sarah could hear glee in her friend’s voice. Two beers and two sparkling wines sat on the tray. Cam plonked an open bottle of sparkling wine on the table next to the tray. “Potato chips and wine as promised,” Becca announced throwing a few packets of chips down on to the table.
Jamie picked up a beer and a sparkling wine. Handing the fluted glass with the sparkling wine in it to Sarah he winked at her. Gratefully she received the glass before taking a sip and turning to face Becca. Sarah took another sip of the wine and glared at her friend over the top of her glass.
“Cow,” she declared, her gaze fixed firmly on Becca’s.
“Moo,” was the merrily trilled response from her friend.
“Hey, you’re the one who should be mooing, you great sodding cow,” Cam said jovially to Sarah.
“Steady on, mate,” Jamie warned his friend, a growl in his voice. Sarah shuddered slightly as he defended her.
“What? She told me my girl was about to dump me. I just about shat myself,” Cam protested in defence of his comment.
“You just about shat yourself did you? Last of the great romantics, you are,” Becca scoffed at Cam. Pressing her hand to his thigh she gave it a squeeze. “You’re stuck with me, love. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Bloody oath you’re not,” Cam agreed covering her hand with his larger one.
“Moo,” Sarah said grinning at Cam. He flashed Sarah a grin, letting her know everything was okay between them.
“Sorry about the fib, Sarah. It was the best I could come up with when you wouldn’t come with me,” Becca apologised.
“That’s okay. You can make it up to me by coming in at six tomorrow morning to sweep and mop the floors at Dawning. I’ve got to go in earlier than normal tomorrow now because of you.”
Becca waved at Sarah in response. “Meh. You’ll cope. So why didn’t you tell anyone about your birthday then?” Becca questioned her.
Sarah shrugged. “It’s just a day. It doesn’t mean that much, really.”
“Of course it does.” Becca said dismissing her reasoning. “You’re not allowed to try and sneak stuff like this by us. Friends celebrate friends and that includes birthdays. Deal?” Becca clearly was not going to take no for an answer.
“Just say yes. You’ll never win an argument with her. I haven’t won one yet in four years of being with her,” Cam informed Sarah as he took a long pull of his beer before letting out a grunt as Becca’s arm made contact with his midsection in a playful swat.
“Fine. Deal.” Sarah nodded laughing at the antics of the couple.
“Happy birthday, Sarah,” Becca said lifting her wine glass to her. Jamie and Cam lifted their beer glasses. “Happy birthday, Sarah,” they chorused.
“Thank you guys, you’ve made me feel rather special.”
“That’s because you are,” Becca stated simply.
“Definitely,” Jamie agreed from where he sat next to Sarah, quietly enough for only her ears to hear.
Glancing across at Jamie Sarah flashed him a warm smile before turning her gaze back towards Cam and Becca. “So, is it just us four tonight, or are Spence and Gabe coming as well?” she asked taking another sip of her drink.
“Spence said he’ll get here whenever the staff meeting finishes at the school and Gabe shouldn’t be too far away,” Becca offered.
Sarah yawned widely as the weight of the day finally began to lift and the alcohol started to take effect. “Tired?” Jamie asked.
She nodded. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I was exhausted before. I can’t stay out too late I’m sorry,” she apologised.
“Hey, who was that guy you were having a drink with today?” Becca asked Sarah suddenly changing the conversation as she poured them both another glass of the sparkling wine.
“Just a customer.” Sarah didn’t feel the desire to explain who Greg was. Even if she was going to tell Becca about Greg asking her out she didn’t want to do it in front of Jamie. There shouldn’t be any reason for her not to, after all she was a free and single woman. But after telling him she wasn’t ready for any sort of relationship she didn’t feel comfortable talking about it.
“He looked pretty into you,” Becca declared. Sitting next to him Sarah felt the couch move slightly as Jamie tensed up. “He was cute too.”
“I’m sitting right here babe,” Cam pointed out to Becca.
“Yes, honey, I know,” she acknowledged, patting his hand tritely. “When I talked to Gloria she seemed pretty sure he was going to ask you out. Did he?”
Sarah shot Becca a look that she hoped her friend would understand. She desperately wanted this conversation to come to an end. To avoid answering her Sarah reached for one of the packets of potato chips, ripping them open and stuffing a couple in her mouth.
“Come on, did he? I’ve got a bet going on this?” Becca persisted.
“You’ve got a bet on whether a guy was going to ask me out?” Sarah squeaked around her mouthful of food.
“Yep. I said you’d turn him down if he did, Gloria said you’d take him up on the offer. So did you? I get free coffee for a week out of this if you did.”
Sarah swallowed the mouthful of food. Clearly Becca wasn’t going to let this go.
“Come on, Sarah, we all want to know the answer,” Jamie said. No, he didn’t. She could hear the strain in his voice. She knew Jamie well enough to know when he was lying.
“He asked me,” she confirmed looking at no one in particular. “I said no.”
“Free coffee!” Becca celebrated throwing her hands over her head in excitement. Cam laughed at her and they started chatting together about how he could convince her to bring the coffees to his house while he was working rather than her having them.
Sarah smiled at the couple. Glancing across at Jamie she was surprised to find him looking at her openly with a seriousness upon his features. Leaning in towards her he slid one hand along the back of the couch, the other he left resting on his leg. He leant his face in against hers as if he was going to kiss her on the cheek. Sarah could feel the prickle from the stubble that had grown on his cheeks.
“You wanted to say yes to him, didn’t you?” he asked, his breath lightly tickling her neck as he spoke quietly to her. He wasn’t accusing, he was matter of fact with what he said.
Pulling back from her slightly he waited for her to answer. She couldn’t speak. She already knew that words were going to fail her. Instead she focussed on his hand that was resting in his lap and did the only thing she trusted herself to do. She nodded yes.
“He’s a lucky man,” he said in a low voice. Kissing her forehead lightly he lifted his hand and gently grasped the necklace that he had given her. “You’re still the right person,” he murmured without looking at her. Turning his body from hers he rested back against the couch for a moment before leaning forward, picking up his barely touched beer and draining it in a few long swallows.
“Empty. I need another one,” he declared standing up and striding away to the bar without looking back.
Becca and Cam looked up from their conversation as Jamie walked away. “What was that about?” Becca asked. Looking past Sarah’s shoulder towards the doorway of the pub a smile came to her face before quickly dropping. “Good news: Gabe’s here and holy crap, here’s the bad news. He’s brought that stuck up Fiona tart with him. What Jamie sees in her I have absolutely no idea. She’s a right royal cow.”
Sarah turned around and looked at Gabe as he stood and walked a few steps into the pub and began looking around for them. When his eyes rested on Sarah he smiled and began to walk in her direction. “Hey, birthday girl,” he said as he came close to her. Standing up Sarah welcomed the hug that his arms offered her.
“Where’s James?” Fiona already looked bored as she asked the question to no one in particular as she reached them. Sarah had to hand it to Fiona, she was impeccably presented. From her tailored dress, to her perfect make-up and hair, manicured nails and impressive and rather expensive looking high heels. Having come straight from working all day at Dawning Sarah felt dowdy in comparison. In a simple uniform of black trousers and a black button down shirt, Sarah kept her nails short, and wore minimal make up at work. Her long hair which she knew could look great when she had time to style it properly was still held back in the ponytail she had gathered it in that day. As for her footwear, flat enclosed black shoes completed her work ensemble.
Swivelling her head around the room, Fiona made it clear from her body language alone that she had no desire to be mingling with Gabe, Sarah, Cam and Becca. Spying Jamie at the bar where he was sitting on a barstool downing another beer she turned her back to the group of friends and headed towards him. The group continued to watch her with shock, as upon reaching Jamie she ran her hand under his shirt where it had been pulled up from the back of his jeans, exposing a strip of flesh.
Jumping as her hand made contact with his skin Jamie grabbed it and firmly pulled it away from his body. Spinning his head around to see who had touched him recognition came to his face. Standing next to Jamie as he sat on the barstool Fiona towered over him in her heels. Dropping her head towards his she kissed him lightly on the lips. As she pulled back from him Sarah saw Jamie glance in her direction where she sat with their friends. It happened almost so fast that for a moment she thought she imagined the strange glimpse of emotion that crossed his face when he had looked her way. Wrapping his arms around Fiona, Jamie tilted his head upwards to beckon Fiona back into another kiss, while pulling her body flush against his, deepening the kiss all the while. As their mouths moved together, so did Jamie. Slowly he stood up, never breaking the embrace of the passionate kiss that he and Fiona were sharing. Soon Fiona no longer towered over him, Jamie having risen and now standing as the dominant one, clearly controlling the movements of their embrace. It didn’t go unnoticed by Sarah or the other patrons in the pub that Fiona’s hands during all this were resting firmly on Jamie’s backside.
“Get a room!” the call finally rang out from Joan, the owner of the supermarket, who had been standing at the bar having a chat to Clive as she enjoyed a drink after work.
As the two pulled apart at the intrusion of the call that had been aimed at them Jamie immediately spoke to the bartender, seemingly to place an order for something. As another beer arrived for him he took a deep draught of the drink as Fiona picked up some frou-frou cocktail and sipped it delicately through a short straw.
“How much has he had to drink?” Gabe asked looking over at Jamie. “He looks like he’s well on his way to being drunk already.”
“He’s only had the one, hasn’t he?” Sarah asked. “He had one here with us.”
“Yeah, but how many has he had since he’s been sitting at the bar by himself?” Gabe mused.
“Probably too much by the looks of him,” Cam noted before making a promise. “It’s alright. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Gabe looked at Cam before nodding in response, a silent message passing between the two men.
Sarah swallowed hard and finally sat back down on the leather couch, studiously trying to ignore that cat-that-got-the-cream smile that was plastered all over Fiona’s face at the bar. Leaving Cam’s side Becca moved across to the couch where Sarah was sitting and slid into the empty spot that had been vacated by Jamie.
“I didn’t know she was going to come.” Becca said in a quiet voice so that only Sarah would hear her. “I thought you and Jamie might finally get together tonight based on the way you two were when he gave you that necklace.”
“It’s okay,” Sarah replied draining the last of her sparkling wine from her glass. “He’s a grown man. He can do what he likes and with who he likes. There’s nothing between us anyway.”
“Still, he could have been a bit more tactful rather than sticking his tongue down her throat like that. And did you see the way she treated us all when she arrived. What a bitch,” Becca finished emphatically.
Sarah smiled at her friend. Becca wasn’t to know that Sarah suspected that she was to blame for the way that Jamie had just acted the way he did. He might be her friend, but Sarah recognised Jamie was still a red-blooded male. She knew she’d probably hurt his ego when he had pushed her into admitting that she had been considering Greg’s offer when she had once turned down Jamie.
You wanted this, she reminded herself. You said you weren’t ready. Did you really think he was just going to wait around for you?
“Screw this,” Sarah muttered and picked up the bottle of sparkling wine. Dividing the remains of the sparkling wine between hers and Becca’s glasses she picked up her glass and raised it at her friend. Becca quickly followed her friend’s lead and the girls clinked their glasses together before chugging the last of the bubbly liquid.
Turning to Gabe who had seated himself next to Cam she gave him an appraising once over. “You look rather dapper there, Gabe,” Sarah gave him her full attention. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you in a suit.”
The day Sarah had met him she had thought that Gabe looked like he could have stepped out of the pages of a GQ magazine. The fact he was now dressed in a suit only made it seem more likely. “We came straight from work so I’m still dressed for the office. I’m sorry, Sarah. I had no intention of bringing Fiona with me. She overheard me talking about it on the phone this afternoon. She can be rather insistent,” Gabe explained apologetically.
Becca snorted. “Insistent? Is that what we’re calling it? I call it a Prize A bitch.”
“Maybe,” Gabe conceded. “But she is one hell of an attorney.”
“Look no matter what anyone thinks of her can we just treat her nicely, please?” Sarah begged. “She’s here, and she’s with Jamie. Obviously he sees something good in her, so we need to at least be polite to her. Okay?”
“You’re too nice,” Cam stated bluntly from where he sat on the opposite couch. Other than making his promise to look after Jamie that evening, Cam had been silent since the moment Gabe and Fiona had arrived.
“No, I’m not,” Sarah shook her head. Sarah looked across at Jamie for a moment noticing that he had moved onto another fresh beer and was chugging it back like there was no tomorrow. “I’ve just learnt to pick my battles. Now, shall we wait for Spencer or get a table for dinner? It’s my birthday – well, my non-birthday really - and I’m ready to do some celebrating. That and if we don’t get some food into Jamie’s stomach soon I suspect he’s going to be rip roaring drunk within half an hour.”
“Could be interesting to see him get really smashed,” Becca mused. “Maybe he could throw up all over the lovely Fiona.”
“Becca,” Sarah warned. “Be nice.”
“Drunk he’s funny, but smashed, hell, even I don’t want to see that again. Trust me, babe, it’s not good,” Cam informed his girlfriend.
“Cam’s right. Jamie smashed is really not good. Let’s get a table and start sobering him up,” Gabe agreed. “Spence can just join us whenever he gets here.”
Gabe left to arrange a table for the group while Cam walked over to encourage Jamie and Fiona to join them. Becca and Sarah sat on the couch watching yet another scene at the bar involving Jamie and Fiona unfold. From her body language it was clear that Fiona’s first thought was not to join the group but to get Jamie out of the bar and alone with her. She had a hand on her hips and was pouting, trying to look coquettish. Jamie was firmly shaking his head no to whatever Fiona was suggesting. Gabe had quickly returned to the women at the couches and was keenly watching the unfolding events.
Ignoring Fiona, Jamie turned and put his arm around Cam’s shoulders, talking to him non-stop while waving his free hand in the air animatedly as the men walked together across the floor towards the women and Gabe. Fiona trailed behind them a few steps, clearly put out with whatever it was that Jamie had said to her. Cam on the other hand had a grin almost as wide as his face as he listened to what Jamie was saying.
Arriving at the women Jamie took his arm away from around Cam’s neck and bowed to Sarah. Rising he placed a hand on his heart. “Ah, lady Sarah. How I doth love to see thy face again this evening. Fair lady, can I escort thee to dinner? Our chariot awaits us.” He sniggered and whispered loudly to her as he offered her his arm. “Don’t tell anyone, but there’s no chariot. Plus, I don’t think I could drive the chariot so good at the moment. But fair lady,” he said increasing the volume of his voice again, “I shall escort thee to thy place at thy dining table.”
Sarah giggled at him. “And who are you meant to be tonight, good sir?” she asked playing along ignoring the death glare she was receiving from Fiona. Wrapping her arm around Jamie’s she walked arm in arm with him towards the table they were to eat at.
“Oh man, he’s so gone,” Gabe laughed. Facing Cam, Gabe asked, “Did you work out how many he’s had?”
Cam shrugged and shook his head. “Nah, but he’s okay. Merry but not smashed. All good.”
“Who am I?” Jamie asked loudly in response to Sarah’s question. “Who am I? Why my dear lady, it is I, Sir Jamie, of the Knights of the Round Table. Dost thou not remember my face?” Jamie acted in mock horror and hurt at the thought of Sarah not remembering who he was.
“Of course, Sir Jamie, I do remember your face. I last saw you with Sir Tristram.” Sarah told him as seriously as she could without laughing at his antics.
“Sir Tristram. He who has fought me for your affections these many long months.”
“Isn’t Tristram your cat?” Becca asked Sarah as she sat down in her chair, the group having arrived at the table that had been set aside for their group.
“Sir Tristram is a brave and noble feline, I assure you wench,” Jamie said looking at Becca having overheard the question.
“Wench?” Becca said in a low voice menacingly, eyebrows raised. Cam sat beside his girlfriend howling with laughter at the exchange.
Jamie turned to face Fiona who had trailed behind the group and, looking at her up and down, regarded her with disdain. “Why is this harpy following us? I told you before woman, you are not wanted in this place. You could not ever hold a candle to the fair lady Sarah. Leave my sight, harpy. At once!” His voice rose and he spoke until he finished the last of his speech to Fiona with a flourish of his hand as if to dismiss her.
Fiona’s face flared with embarrassment and, turning on her heel she stomped off in the direction of the front bar.
“Oh man, he’s going to pay for that tomorrow,” Cam laughed.
“Him and me both. I’ve got to work with her.” Gabe grumbled, but unable to hold his own smile back.
Becca was laughing so hard she was clutching her sides. “Oh my God, I wish I’d filmed that. That was priceless.”
“Sir Jamie,” Sarah asked him trying to bring his attention back down to the table and away from the stares of other patrons in the dining room who were openly gaping at the spectacle. “How much have you had to drink this fine evening?”
“Fair lady, I have consumed four of this establishment’s finest lagers.”
“Light weight,” Cam smirked.
A suspicion began to form in Sarah’s mind. “And good Sir, what did you eat for lunch?”
“Who needs sustenance when there is you to behold?” He held her face in both his hands and looked down at her adoringly. “I had no time for such trivial things. My determination to procure this bauble that pleases you so mightily was my only desire.” He ran one hand down her neck until it rested on the pendant he had given her.
Becca turned to Cam and slapped him in the stomach gently. “Why don’t you ever talk to me like that? This is seriously romantic!”
“Made it!” Spence declared flopping down in an empty chair beside Sarah at the table. “Staff meeting went for ages. Have you ordered yet?” he asked picking up the menu and flipping through it quickly.
“Not yet,” Becca told him.
“Happy birthday by the way, Sarah,” Spence said leaning over the table and kissing her cheek.
“Unhand her sir!” Jamie bellowed pointing at Spence, rising from his chair which fell backwards onto the floor with a loud clatter. Seeing Sarah seated next to where he stood he dropped to his knees beside her. “Fair lady, would you like me to challenge him to a duel? For your honour I would do such a thing.” He clasped both her hands in his and waited for her answer.
Spence leaned forward in his chair his eyebrows raised in surprise and looked around Sarah to where Jamie was still on his knees holding Sarah’s hands in his. “Drunk?” he asked.
“Yep. And bloody hilarious,” Cam confirmed.
“Have you decided what you would like?” the waitress asked joining them with a notepad in hand, ready to take their order. Seeing her Jamie rose to his feet. Sarah rushed as fast as she could to right the fallen chair for him and guide him to sit down on it.
“Wench, get me meat.” Jamie demanded the waitress slamming his fist on the table earning him a glare from her.
“Uh, he’ll have the steak, I guess,” Sarah said to the waitress. The rest of table placed their orders quickly.
“Sorry, can we grab a breadbasket as well, please?” Sarah apologised to the waitress. The waitress nodded and rolled her eyes as Jamie looked her up and down.
“Lusty wench, be gone. I hunger. Bring me my meat.” Jamie demanded, smacking the waitress on the backside as she began to walk away.
“You’re going to have to leave a huge tip to make up for that,” Becca giggled as the waitress glared over her shoulder at Jamie.
By the time Jamie had eaten several of the small bread rolls and made his way through two glasses of water, which he initially claimed Spence was trying to poison him with, Jamie began to sober up. He had stopped referring to Sarah as his fair lady, and Becca as a wench. Realising his drunken error with the waitress he had apologised profusely to her when she had brought them their meals.
The group laughed and joked as they ate their food. Sarah had yet again ordered a side of the fries, enjoying every single second of them as much as she had the day she’d moved into town.
“Oh, shit,” Jamie swore suddenly as he finished the last of his meal. “Fiona. I forgot about her.” He drew his hands over his face. “She’s going to kill me.”
“I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about her anymore,” Cam offered.
Jamie looked at him puzzled.
“Have a look at the bar, man,” Spence suggested.
Gabe, Spence, Cam, Becca, Sarah and Jamie all turned their heads the direction of the bar. There they saw Fiona wrapped around a man making the kiss that Jamie had given her earlier that evening look chaste.
“I guess you two have broken up then,” Becca suggested archly.
“Guess so,” Jamie shrugged, a hint of a smile on his face.
Unable to contain her tiredness any longer, Sarah yawned. “Sorry,” she apologised as Becca noticed and yawned also.
“Time to call it a night, me thinks” Spence declared.
They all agreed.
“I don’t think I can drive,” Jamie mused. “I’m probably still over the limit.”
“I’ll drive you home,” Sarah offered. “I didn’t drink that much. I’ve got to head in early to the café tomorrow to sweep and mop the floors before Gloria starts the early shift,” she gave Becca a pointed look at this who had the good grace to look bashful at the pointed comment. “I’m on the late start tomorrow so I can bring you back here in the morning once I’ve done the floors to get your car if you like.”
“That’d be good, thanks.” He smiled at her gratefully.
They left soon after driving the five minutes to Jamie’s house in silence, the radio on for company. As they pulled up in the driveway to his small house Sarah cut the engine. Jamie sat in the car silently for a moment before finally turning his body towards her as best as he could in the cramped conditions of the car.
“I’m sorry about all the fair lady and the thee and thy stuff. I guess I made a real ass of myself tonight,” he apologised.
“Don’t be. It was actually really sweet in a kind of weird way,” she assured him.
He grunted a small laugh. He looked at her with a seriousness on his face. “Sarah,” he started slowly. “What happened between us that night? I thought we had been getting along great, then you changed your mind all of a sudden and said no. I’ve never really understood what I did wrong.” Sarah could hear the anguish in his voice as he spoke.
She didn’t need to ask him what night he was referring to. It could only possibly be the night when she had brought Tristram home and he had kissed her.
Sarah looked down and played with her hands in her lap. Finally she worked up the courage. Softly she spoke. “When I told you that night that it wasn’t you, that it was me, I meant it. But you said something. You didn’t even realise you’d said it, but it set something off for me. It made it too hard for me to feel comfortable again with what we were doing. You didn’t mean to say it, I know you didn’t. But after that, I just couldn’t....” Sarah trailed off unable to finish her thoughts.
He looked at her. “What did I say?” Sarah could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to figure it out. He pressed on gently. “Tell me, Sarah. What was it? Because whatever it was I don’t ever want to say it to you again.”
She shook her head no. Having this conversation was difficult enough already for her without having to say the actual words.
He gasped raising a hand to his head as realisation struck. “Little mouse,” he intoned. “It’s what I said, isn’t it?”
Sarah stiffened instantly. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
“I said it to Fuzzball just before you dropped the plates. Then you said it later. As we were watching the movie after you dropped the plates, you said it. You were sitting right next to me on the couch and you said it.” He hesitated, looking at her. “I’m right, aren’t I?” he asked gently.
Sarah nodded slowly her eyes fixed on her hands that were fidgeting in her lap. Jamie sat silently in the car, saying nothing. The silence that had descended between the pair seemed close to overwhelming.
Now or never.
“There was someone once. He called me ‘Little Mouse’,” Sarah began hesitantly. “Things went bad with him. Really bad.”
“Your ex? The one you were married to? Things went bad with him?” Jamie’s voice was gentle.
“Yes.” Sarah still couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Her hands were now motionless but instead Sarah had threaded her fingers so tightly around one another that her knuckles had already begun to turn white.
“What did he do? Did he hurt you Sarah?” Jamie swallowed, barely able to choke out the words. Everything in him screamed out for her to say no, that he was wrong.
“Yes.” Her answer was barely a whisper. The first of the tears silently began to fall down her face.
“Oh my God,” he swore quietly. “So when I said...” he couldn’t bring himself to say the words again.
“I was having such a great day that day,” she admitted tearfully. “I was happier than I remember being in a very long time. That first time you first kissed me, oh God. When you kissed me, believe me, I felt it. I felt alive. So alive. And with you on the couch. Just sitting and cuddling up to you. I know it’s a simple thing, but I was so happy.”
“Then I said it,” his words were strangled.
“I know you didn’t mean it,” she said lifting her head to finally look at him. “I know it’s not fair to you, that you had no idea what you did. But I couldn’t get him out of my head. So when you kissed me again, I...”
“You told me no,” Jamie finished for her.
“I told you no,” she repeated his words.
“Sarah, that night, do you remember what I told you? That I wouldn’t do anything again unless you let me know I could.”
“I remember,” she confirmed for him.
“Sarah, can I hold your hand? Please?” Jamie asked softly.
She nodded. Unfolding her fingers from one another she sat her hands in her lap, not making any move to reach out for him.
Jamie reached his arm slowly across the gear stick between them and found her hand. Threading his fingers through hers, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. His hand was warm in hers, and she could feel his thumb gently caressing the side of her hand. Sitting like this they remained in silence for several minutes.
“I’m not him, Sarah,” he said slowly. “I’m not. I don’t know what he put you through, but I’m not him. Whatever was there between us, it’s still there for me. It didn’t go away. I still feel the same way.”
Here’s your chance. Truth now or miss out. “Me too,” she admitted.
“I’m not him,” he repeated. “Give me – us - a chance, please. We can take it as slow as you need to go. If you don’t want to, it’s okay. I’ll always be your friend. Just please, don’t shut me out again like you did that night. It just about killed me not knowing what I did that was so wrong.”
Could I really do this? Could I really try with Jamie? I trust him, but is it enough? He’s my friend, but could we really be more? Am I even ready for more?
After what seemed an interminable silence between them she finally answered with a whisper.
“Okay.”
“Really?” he checked not quite certain that he had actually heard correctly. “You’ll give us a try?”
“Yes.” Her voice held more conviction this time. Just don’t hurt me, she begged silently.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles before rubbing his cheek against the back of her hand. “Thank you.” he breathed.