Stirred with Love (29 page)

‘Was that before or after he tried to get into your knickers?’

Kate gave Chloe a warning look.

‘Well, the guy’s a creep,’ she continued. ‘He should have come clean from the beginning.’

Kate stood up quickly. ‘There you go again. You always try to blame other people. It’s never you, is it?’ She moved towards the door but turned back just before she got to it. ‘This is your fault as much as his, Chloe, and don’t you forget it. I feel pretty sick about the whole episode without you rubbing my face in it.’

Kate was still awake when her phone vibrated on the bedside table, just before midnight. She fumbled for it in the dark.

‘Kate, it’s Will. Please don’t hang up. I can’t stop thinking about what’s happened. I’m so sorry I hurt you.’

Lying on her side, Kate pulled her knees up into the foetal position. She tried not to sniff and give him a clue that she’d been crying.

‘You used me,’ she said.

‘I never meant to.’

‘Maybe not, but that doesn’t change anything.’

There was a long pause.

‘Look, I know I’ve done this all wrong but do you think we could talk in the morning? Please?’

‘I – I don’t know,’ she said. Then she switched off the phone.

For the next hour, Kate watched the luminous fingers on her alarm clock travel once around its face. Her mind wouldn’t settle and she kept running over things.

Will was an idiot.

But he was the sweet kind of idiot.

What did he take her for, thinking he could use her like that?

But he had been sorry about it afterwards. Probably hadn’t even realised how hurtful he’d been.

What about the plans to develop Church Square? What would happen to The Coffee Stop? Did the plans even include The Coffee Stop?

But then again, he’d said the plans were drawn up before The Coffee Stop had opened. So maybe the plans were going to change?

Maybe there was a slight chance that he actually did fancy her? His actions seemed real as she thought back to their last date. Then there was the incident under the oak tree and the weekend they’d been planning.

‘Oh, go to sleep, you idiot!’ she whispered aloud, squeezing her eyes tightly shut.

CHAPTER THIRTY

On Friday evening, Chloe threw a critical eye over her reflection before twirling around to check her black lace-topped hold-up stockings hadn’t snagged while she wasn’t looking. Her hair was pinned up tightly into a chignon, a few wispy strands hanging down. Bronze and yellow toned shades of make-up accentuated her eyes, her skin enhanced with self-tan. The dress she’d chosen to wear was black and had a flirty skirt that fell just above her knee, a neckline that swooped down to reveal just the right amount of cleavage and was backless apart from a thick lace panel down the length of its middle. Chloe always thought she looked sophisticated whenever she wore it, yet she felt she needed a second opinion to help alleviate her nerves. She needed the encouragement to put a smile on her lips.

But she wasn’t about to get it from Kate. It was three days since the fiasco with Will and Kate was being polite and talking when spoken to – otherwise their working day would be impossible – but there was none of the old conversations, none of the giggles and good times. Even Lucy had been dragged into it. Kate was hardly speaking to her either.

Hearing a horn and hoping it was her taxi arriving, Chloe forced herself to put all thoughts of Kate on hold. Tonight was a very important night, the most important in her life so far and she had to hold her nerve.

Jack was already there when she arrived at Leonard’s restaurant. Dressed in the obligatory jacket and collar, shirt and pale-blue tie matching exactly, so used to seeing him in jeans, Chloe felt her heart flutter.

She walked across the plush reception area, feeling a little unsteady but nothing to do with the heels she was wearing.

‘You look lovely.’ Jack kissed her lightly on her cheek and took her coat as she shrugged it off. ‘Would you like a glass of wine?’

Feeling like a five year old child at a rich uncle’s house, Chloe perched on one of six cream linen settees placed around the room. Leonard’s was everything she had thought it would be. The wall in front of her had thick, wooden doors that she presumed must lead to the dining area. To her right, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the extensive grounds and car park were dressed in light brown drapes, similar to the colour of the carpet.

About fifteen people were waiting to go through to eat, including a group of seven sitting next to her. They were making lots of noise, the soft background music barely audible through peals of good-natured laughter.

‘What time will they be here?’ Chloe asked Jack when he joined her again.

He checked his watch. ‘Not for half an hour or so.’

Before she knew it, the huge oval clock chimed eight times, making her look up in a tizzy. As the party of seven were shown to their table, she wondered where that half an hour had gone.

Jack stood up. ‘Here’s Matt.’

Chloe looked up to see a slightly taller, more youthful, version of Jack. ‘How are you, Dad?’ she heard him say then looked away as he caught her eye. She felt her colour rising as she realised that Jack hadn’t told him everything about her.

‘I thought I’d be late,’ Matt continued, after they’d been introduced and he’d managed to hide his surprise slightly better. ‘Still, I managed to get here before Charlotte. Any signs of her yet?’

Chloe looked out through the windows but it was too dark to see anything except the odd headlight.

‘No,’ said Jack, checking his watch. ‘Perhaps we should go through and order? She’ll probably have her usual starter.’

They were shown to a table at the back of the restaurant. Jack pulled out a chair and Chloe sat down, taking the menu held out for her with a tremble.

Jack leaned forward to touch her arm gently. ‘Relax. It’s going to be fine. Ah, here’s Charlotte now.’

Chloe’s shoulders sank as she saw Jack’s youngest child fall into his arms, kissing him lightly on the cheek. Dark hair streaked with caramel and honey highlights was cut in a straight bob. A short spiky fringe framed eyes that seemed dark and dangerous compared to the men. Dressed from head to toe in clothes Chloe made a guess cost at least three months of her salary, Charlotte immediately made her feel inadequate in her little black dress, not to mention young.

‘Sorry I’m late,’ Charlotte apologised before flashing Chloe a smile that barely reached her lips. ‘I hope you’ve ordered my usual. I’m starving.’

Before she sat down, Chloe caught the glance that passed between brother and sister and a rush of despair shrouded her bare shoulders. She shot Jack a look of help-me-out-here, but he continued his conversation with Matt.

‘So, when did you meet my father?’ Charlotte enquired as the waiter poured her a glass of house wine.

‘At the beginning of the autumn term. I’m studying for a diploma in business studies.’

‘You help to run a coffee shop in Somerley,’ Matt said as he turned to face her. ‘Dad says it’s getting quite a good reputation. Are you enjoying it?’

‘Very much,’ said Chloe, relieved he had joined in the conversation. ‘I’ve been there nearly four months. There are two of us who work full time and then there’s Lucy who works part-time – plus the owner, Lily. It’s working out well.’

‘You seem to have captured a good niche in the market. I’ll have to call around one day.’

‘You ought to pop in,’ Jack spoke directly to Charlotte. ‘You’d love the home made banana muffins.’

Charlotte raised her glass in silent tribute.

Their food arrived and the conversation slowed to strained chit-chat. By the time dessert had been eaten, Chloe wished that the good-natured ambience radiating from the rowdy seven sitting two tables away, would find its way over to their table. She wondered if perhaps she could order it from Leonard’s vast menu.

‘That was lovely,’ she patted her stomach in appreciation once she’d finished. ‘Though there must be a thousand calories in that toffee sauce alone.’

Apart from weak smiles from the men, the comment went largely ignored. By the time Jack excused himself and left the table, Charlotte’s furious expression was enough to curdle the cream that she was adding to her coffee.

‘Just what the hell is your game?’ she whispered loudly when she was sure she was out of her father’s range. ‘You’re making him look a fool!’

‘I don’t think –’ Chloe started.

‘He’s far too old for you. He’s far too old for me, in fact. I can’t believe you’d even consider such a relationship. Just what is it you’re after? A father figure? Experience? Money? Because if you think you’re going to use him as a sugar daddy, then you’re very much mistaken.’

Chloe was taken aback by her accusations. ‘I happen to come from a very wealthy background,’ she spoke out in her defence, knowing a little white lie wouldn’t go amiss. Her dad wasn’t
that
rich. ‘If all I wanted was money, I’d have asked my own father.’

‘Oh, don’t play the innocent with me.’ Charlotte’s eyes bore into hers. ‘What else could you possibly be interested in apart from that?’

‘There are a lot of things –’

‘Did you know about this?’ Charlotte cut in again, turning her fury onto her brother.

Matt sat back in resignation and threw his napkin onto the table. ‘I had no idea. But, surely, you can’t blame Chloe?’

‘I’m not blaming her. I just think the whole thing is disgusting.’

‘It’s his choice, Charlotte. We don’t have to like it.’

‘Too fucking right we don’t.’

A few diners in their vicinity paused to wonder if they had actually heard her swear. Charlotte’s eyes flicked around in embarrassment. She lowered her voice before adding, ‘She’s practically the same age as me.’ She looked at Chloe again. ‘That is, unless she’s lied about that. I told you
her
sort will do anything to get a man with money.’

Chloe lowered her eyes.

‘How old are you?’

‘I’m twenty-five,’ she lied.

Chloe hadn’t wanted to tell Jack her proper age in case it had put him off. Now she was wondering why the hell she
had
lied about it. She knew it would backfire at some stage.

‘Right,’ said Charlotte. ‘And my hair’s purple with red stripes. Tell me the truth.’

‘I
am
telling you the –’

‘That’s enough!’ Matt said. Most of the diners had now stopped to stare over in voyeuristic interest.

Charlotte put her hand up to her mouth and drew across an imaginary zip. ‘My lips are sealed.’

‘Well, mine aren’t.’ Chloe stood up and threw her napkin across the table. ‘Is what we’re doing so terrible?’ She looked from one to the other and then back again. ‘I’ve only been out with him a few times. I’m not planning on marrying him.’

Charlotte snorted as she spat out her drink. ‘
Marrying
him?’ she repeated, wiping her mouth. ‘Listen, honey. There is absolutely no chance of you
ever
being included in this family.’

Chloe stayed headstrong, although she could feel herself crumbling inside.
‘That’s up to Jack.’

‘You’re damned right it is. He must be losing his mind to –’

‘To what? To
sleep
with me?’

Matt’s jaw dropping only angered Chloe more. She glared at Charlotte as she stood tall. ‘I’m not trying to trap him, if that’s what you think.’

‘You’d better not try it.’

Charlotte stared back and a battle of wills began.

‘Sit down, Chloe,’ said Matt, trying to take control of the situation. ‘Causing a scene will only make things worse. Charlotte is right. You are too young – surely you can see that? He’s forty-three and –’

‘How many times do I have to tell you that I am not too YOUNG?’

The noise in the room decreased at the sound of Chloe’s raised voice. Standing up made the rest of the diners aware of where the action was taking place. Even the party of seven came to an abrupt halt. Again, Chloe looked from brother to sister, but it was no use.

As Jack slalomed his way back through the tables, Chloe stormed past him in the opposite direction.

As Chloe waited impatiently for Jack to rejoin her in the reception area of Leonard’s restaurant, Kate sat in her bedroom. Tears poured down her face. God, how could she have fallen for someone like Will? After all she’d been through with Nick, she shouldn’t have given her heart to another man so freely. She wasn’t a bad person. Surely she deserved another chance?

Since she’d seen him, Will had sent a few texts each day but so far she’d left her phone off and ignored them. Luckily, he’d had the manners to stay away from The Coffee Stop.

There was a knock on the door. ‘Kate, can I come in?’ Lily pushed the bedroom door open tentatively.

Kate brushed away her tears but Lily had seen them. She rushed to her side as quickly as she could and held her close.

 ‘It doesn’t have to be like this.’ Lily rubbed her back up and down and let her cry. ‘You only need to think things through.’

‘I’m all out of thinking, Lily.’

‘Then let me do some for you.’ Lily pulled away and cupped Kate’s face in her hands. ‘Give Will a chance.’

Kate tried to shake her head. ‘I can’t.’

‘Yes, you can. You have to remember how you felt before you found out who he was. Your eyes used to sparkle whenever his name was mentioned. Your smile was tenfold when you came home after a date. He’s made you feel complete again.’

‘But he was going to knock down The Coffee Stop.’

‘Was he really?’ Lily had known all about the property developer with his big shot plans. ‘Think about it. Why do you suppose I decided to open up again?’

Kate frowned.

‘I was distraught when I heard what was being planned. So I thought, what could an old woman of sixty nine – yes I’m sixty nine, don’t look so shocked – do to stop that. Well, the only thing I could think of was to open up the café again, hope to make it a success and maybe, just maybe, it could be incorporated in the corner of the proposed new shopping precinct. But then you and Chloe came along and it turned into much more than a café.’