Touched (11 page)

Chapter Seven

Saturday

‘Dan, thank-you, they’re lovely.’

‘It’s the least I could do considering I just invited myself over.’

‘Don’t be silly, you’re always welcome.’

At least his brother’s girlfriend seemed happy with the flowers so Dan felt hardly any guilt that Karen wasn’t the original intended recipient.

‘I thought you’d prefer something like this,’ he said passing a bottle of red wine over to his brother, ‘I got Italian over Australian, right?’

‘Right! But as Karen said, there was no need. It’s just great to see you at last.’

Now Dan did feel guilty. It had been an awfully long time since he had seen his brother, over a year at least. He didn’t have the excuse of being in London anymore; Sheffield was less than 50 miles away over the
Pennines.

And yet even this time had been a bit of an accident. If he hadn’t taken his anger and frustration at Tess’s
behaviour – or whoever she really was – out into the Peak District, throwing the Skoda around the narrow country lanes whilst dodging the bikers then he wouldn’t have been here now. After an hour he realised that Sheffield was less than 12 miles away and, after pulling over into a Forestry Commission picnic area and giving it some more thought, made the call.

His brother, Nick, was 10 years older than Dan. That gap had seemed huge when Dan was young and he felt that he had never really got to know him as a child, Nick heading off to college when Dan was 8 and never really coming home again. It was only later, much later in fact, that they discovered common interests; golf, cars, and started to spend more time together.

‘Yeah I know. My fault,’ said Dan, ‘I’ve just not…well…’

Nick could see Dan was struggling to explain and came to his rescue. ‘Well you’re here now, and it’s brilliant to see you. You’re not going to rush back are you? Why don’t you stay over? I’ve got a tee time booked for tomorrow morning and I was going to have to ring round for a fourth anyway. The forecast looks good for a change too.’

‘But I haven’t got anything with me,’ Dan protested.

‘That’s no problem. I’ll sort you out with some gear.’

‘Yes, he’s got no problem there. He’s got half the pro’s shop in the shed!’ said Karen, ‘I’ve had to ban him from Ebay!’

‘She has as well,’ said Nick ruefully.

Dan laughed.

‘Come one, stay,’ said Nick, ‘I’ll cook tonight and you can have a drink with us. You haven’t got anything to dash off for do you?’

Dan shook his head. No he didn’t, and the last place he felt like going back to at the moment was the flat.

‘I’d love to,’ he said, ‘Thanks.’

‘Brilliant!’ said Nick. He got up, brandishing the wine bottle, ‘Let’s start as we mean to go on and open this.’ He headed for the kitchen.

‘It really is good to see you,’ said Karen, ‘We were really sorry to hear about you and Alice.’

‘Well these things happen. People change.’

‘There’s no chance of you two getting back together?’

‘I don’t think so, no.’

Nick interrupted the conversation by bringing in the open bottle of wine and three glasses which he set down on the table and poured out.

‘You should come over next week. It’s the derby match. Karen’s brother-in-law is a director at Wednesday. He might be able to get us tickets,’ said Nick as he passed out the glasses.

‘Your place or ours?’

For some reason they had ended up supporting the cities bitter rivals, Nick being a Wednesday fan, Dan supporting the Blades. Even with this potential minefield, Dan felt this was a safer topic of conversation than his failed marriage.

‘Ours. And we’re on for the double over you,’ teased Nick.

‘I know, I know, no need to rub it in.’

Dan’s phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID; it was Jen.

‘Sorry,’ he said, ‘Just a friend, better take it.’

‘Hi Jen, how’s the head?’ Out of the corner of his eye he saw Karen and Nick share an amused look.

‘Oh not too bad thanks, feeling a bit more human now. I’m feeling shit about last night though. I’m really, really, really sorry. I don’t know what you’re thinking of me?’

‘Don’t be daft. You’re fine.’

‘But I feel like a complete idiot.’

‘Well you’ve no need to, honestly.’

There was a pause giving Dan the chance to mouth “sorry about this” to Nick and Karen.

‘So do I get another chance?’ Jen asked quietly.

‘Yes of course you do…oh.’ He had suddenly remembered about the clubbing, ‘Ah, sorry you were wanting to go out tonight, weren’t you? Look, don’t read anything into this but I can’t tonight.’

‘
Oh..OK..don’t worry. It’s fine, I understand,’ she sounded very down.

‘No, it’s not that, I’m over in Sheffield at my brothers.’

‘It was OK. I’d forgotten about that. I was just ringing to see how you were.’

Dan didn’t believe this to be true and felt bad about it. Though he wasn’t sure that Jen was his type of girl at all he didn’t like to hurt her feelings. Anyway what the hell? She was cute.

‘Jen, I’m sorry I really am. Something came up, that’s all,’ Dan decided he needed more privacy so got up and walked into the kitchen, ‘How about we do a meal or a film or something one day next week?’

‘Really? You really want to? You’re not just asking me to cheer me up?’ Jenny sounded genuinely surprised, even though she seemed to have the usual female characteristics of being able to see through the bullshit.

‘Yeah Jen, I really mean it. Why wouldn’t I?’

‘Well Hannah gave me a good talking to. Told me what I’d done. I thought after that…well.’

‘Honestly Jen, it was OK. Actually it was quite funny.’ Dan winced as soon as he had said that. It wasn’t quite what he had meant, he could have put it a lot better.

‘Glad I made you laugh,’ Dan could hear the hurt in her voice.

‘Not like that. I meant you were sweet.’ Oh stop digging, you idiot, he told himself.

‘Sweet? Great!’ At least she laughed at this, ‘Anyway, I really thought you were avoiding me. I wasn’t going to call ‘
cos I didn’t want to seem pushy, like, but Han said it would be fine…so I did.’

Where had that come from? There was definite insecurity there. How did that fit with the Jenny he’d seen last night, the loud, confident girl? Surely not?

‘It
is
fine. And I’m really glad you did,’ Dan said, as Nick walked through with Dan’s wine glass freshly refilled, reminding him that he perhaps ought to bring this conversation to an end. ‘Look Jen, sorry but I really have to go. Honestly I wasn’t avoiding you. I’ve just had a load of things on my mind.’

‘That’s fine, I know, you need to be with your family and here’s me just chattering away,’ She did a least sound a good deal happier, Dan was relieved to hear. ‘Dan, if there is anything I can help you with, any problems like…well…you know where I am. Oh and Tuesday’s best for me! Big hint!’

‘OK, hint taken,’ he smiled, ‘I’ll call you.’

‘You better had! Bye cutie!’ she said and rang off.

Dan was a little shocked. Had she really just called him “cutie”?

Still dazed, he went back into the lounge. ‘Sorry about that,’ he said.

‘So,’ said Karen and, from the look on her face, Dan knew what was coming: ‘New girlfriend, eh? Tell us more.’

‘There’s nothing to tell. She’s…just…a friend.’ He knew that this was sounding far too defensive.

‘A nice looking friend?’ said Karen, her eyebrows raised in question. Dan tried not to blush.

‘How old is she?’ said Nick.

‘Er..I don’t know. 23, 24 maybe.’

‘Pretty
and
young,’ grinned Karen, ‘Right, no more wine until you tell us everything!”

Sunday morning

Dan woke up with a splitting headache. He couldn’t believe it; another hangover. Still, at least this was from social rather than solitary drinking. Surely this was healthier.

The evening had been nice, even if it had passed in another alcoholic blur. Nick had produced his usual excellent meal – he was a first class cook – and the wine had flowed freely.

After the meal they had watched a film on Sky. It was a new one but Dan didn’t find it that absorbing and, more than once, he found his thoughts straying not to Jen but to Tess – or whoever she really was. Despite everything he still couldn’t believe she was bad; she would have to be one hell of a good con artist to keep up that act. And even if she was a grifter what the hell had he got that she might want? He had next to nothing, less than nothing actually if everything was totted up.

In one of these musings he caught Nick staring at him. Dan pulled himself together and tried to concentrate on the film and the moment went without further comment.

After dressing and showering, Dan went downstairs, half expecting Nick to ask him about what was bothering him. Instead he found one of Nick’s famed monumental cooked breakfasts waiting for him. Initially he didn’t think he was up to even trying it but soon found that his body was craving the fats and he soon found that he had not only wolfed the lot but also added some toast to it. With two cups of good coffee, Dan found himself feeling better than he done in months, and well able to face the golf course.

‘We’ve got to pick Helen up first,’ said Nick as they got in the car, ‘She’s not driving at the moment.’

‘Banned?’

Nick nodded, ’18 months.’

‘Ouch.’

‘She’s managing. And she still hits the ball miles.’

Nick had known Helen for years, she was probably his best friend. Some years before he had introduced her to golf and had, at times, regretted it as her game had rapidly outstripped his.

They drove for a little while before Nick said, ‘Sorry if I’m being nosy but are you OK? I’m sorry but I couldn’t help hearing what you said on the phone yesterday about having a lot on your mind.’

So he
had
noticed, ‘It’s nothing.’

‘Are you sure? You looked miles away at times last night.’

Dan pulled a face and sighed, ‘Yeah well I have had a lot on my plate.’

‘The divorce you mean?’

‘Yes. And work. It’s not going great.’

‘Right. But that’s nothing is it? The economy will come right again. And, well yes it’s sad about you and Alice but when things come to an end, well…it’s hard but it’s better to move on rather than try to make things last.’

‘I know. I am over Alice actually. At least I think I am.’

‘Then what is it? That girl?’

‘No. Well not that one anyway.’

‘Not
that
one? Another one then?’

Dan nodded.

‘Daniel Alexander Jackson! You HAVE been busy!'

'You sound just like Mum. That's why I don't tell her anything. She's always warning me off some woman or another.'

'Well isn’t there always a woman behind most men’s problems? What is it. She married?’

‘No. At least I don’t think so. Look actually
its crazy. Or maybe I’m crazy? I really don’t know. It’s pretty confusing anyway.’ Dan could see that Nick was non-the-wiser with what he had just said, so did his best to explain what had happened over the last few days.