Unlikely Places (8 page)

Monday

After a boring day in front of the computer formatting
pictures and text, I took a long shower to relax and warm up. Drying off I took
five minutes to lie on my bed and stretch out. In the distance I can hear my
phone ring down stairs, thinking it could be Nat, I wrap my damp towel back
around me before heading down stairs preserving the neighbours eyes. It was a
missed call by the time I got there, seeing it was Mike, I called him right
back.

“Hi Alex thanks for calling me back”. He sounded tired.

“No problem what’s up?”

“Is there any chance you could cover some hours tonight?
Jill has phoned in sick”.

“Uh...yeah I can come in....what time?” Mainly thinking of
seeing Sam again.

“About seven till eleven if that’s ok, sorry for the short
notice, I’ll fill in the timesheet as usual”.

“Okay no problem see you later....bye”.

Standing at the counter in the common room of the YMCA I
heard voices coming in my direction, as I looked up from the Daily In/Out Sheet
Jo, Josh and Sam appeared in front of the counter. After some quick hellos
while I penned in their times, Jo and Josh disappeared up stairs, Sam remained
behind leaning on the counter.

“I watched those films you lent me”. She whispered.

“Yeah.....any good?” I asked in hushed tones.

“Really good.....I’ll just go and grab them”. She said
heading for the stairs.

Sam returned minutes later a carrier bag in hand disguising
its contents, shouldn’t they be in a brown paper bag. I reached up to take them
from her placing them under the
counter.           

“Which one did you like best?” I ask trying my best not to
sound flirty, keep cool no stuttering.

“Kiss Me”.

I let out a big sigh. “Alright...but then you have to tell
me which film you liked best”.

I smiled taking in the initial shock on her face as she
almost burst, but manages to hold it in while looking round to see if anyone is
in ear shot. Uh oh time to regroup, this can’t be good.

“What film?” She shot back.

I almost fall in to her trap but remembered the title to the
other film. “Imagine me and you”.

“Imagine me and you what?” She fired back before I’d realised
what I had said, I grinned holding her gaze for several seconds before seeing
it drawn behind me. I turned just in time to see Mike’s nod. “Sam.....no gym
session tonight!” A warning rather than a question I assumed.

“Of course not, I’ve been drinking, that would just be
irresponsible behaviour”. She smiled at Mike then turned to me. “Mike thinks I
might get a letter from University soon about getting back on the course I was
on”.

“Really that’s great....do you still want to do application
forming tomorrow night?”

“Sure....it’s good to have a back-up plan.....see you
tomorrow”. She smiled. “Mike” she nodded as she left heading towards the
stairs.

“Night”. I said to her back as she walked away.  

“I hope you know what you’re doing with that one”. Mike said
walking back into his office.

“What?....We’re just friends”. I said innocently.

“Yeah just friends”. He said with one raised eyebrow as he
shut his office door.

March

Thursday

After filling in paperwork for the first hour of my shift,
Jill asked me to take some post up to Josh in the apartments as her foot was
still giving her jip. Looking at the post it must have been his birthday as
there seemed to be several cards. On my way up the stairs I wondered where Sam
was tonight, as she had not appeared for our application form session. Reaching
Josh’s apartment I knocked loudly as there seemed to be a party going on
inside, footsteps headed to the door with a murmured ‘I’ll get it,’ to my
surprise Sam answered with a grin from ear to ear. “Hey....are you coming to
join our party?”

I replied with a similar eager smile. “No...sorry I’ve got
some post for Josh....it must be his birthday?” I said handing her the cards.

She placed them on the side in the apartment, before turning
to me again. “I’ll pass them on.....can you wait one minute I want to tell you
something?”

“Sure...I’ll wait here”. I was worried, was she giving up
with the job applications or maybe the University had told her of my donation
for her fees.

Sam re-appeared leaving the door to Josh’s apartment ajar as
she left, she gently pulled my arm leading me into a corner, where was this
going?

“I just wanted to show you the letter I got from Uni today”.
Pulling a piece of paper out of her back pocket, she held it between us. Taking
it from her I noticed its crumpled appearance she must have read it several
times already today. I smiled looking up at her, her dimples were already
showing it must be good news. Opening the letter I scanned it for information
hoping there is nothing about fees being paid.

‘We are pleased to offer you a place on the Legal Practice
Course – Stage Two starting 28
^th
March.’

“That’s great....I’m really pleased for you”. I grinned at
her genuinely pleased.

She eyed me suspiciously. “There’s no mention of fees?...Just
a start date”.

“It probably means your previous fees are still
valid....maybe they took into account the circumstances around you leaving
before”. Hoping to put her off the scent.

“Maybe...I’ve got a meeting with the department head next week
to set some work to get my head back into it before I start.....it’s the same
tutors as before so I know them already”.

“That’s good....a bit of acclimatising before you start....I
wondered why you weren’t furiously filling in application forms.....have you
told Mike?”

“Yeah...he’s really pleased....I just wanted to thank you
for all your help...I couldn’t have done it without you”. 

Handing her back the letter she captured my eyes again, I
smiled feeling I have truly achieved something, if I keep this up my face will
split, we break our stare as more residents pile in to Josh’s apartment. I
readied myself to leave as the moment has passed. “It’s really great
news....I’d better be getting back....wish Josh a happy birthday for me”.
Turning to leave, I felt her hand on my arm again pulling me back.

“Alex..I..can we..ummm..what I’m trying to say is I’d like
to spend more time with you away from here?.....Just you and me...like...on..”

I am beaming again. “A date?” I whispered holding her stare,
the warm feeling inside my abdomen was beginning to spread south. “I....I’d
like that...wh...what about Mike?” I asked coming back to reality with a thud
and stuttering yet again.

Her wide smile turns to a frown right before my eyes. “I
don’t want to go on a date with Mike”.    

”What....you wonna go on a date with Mike?”

“No...you’re just lucky there are witnesses to prevent me
from making you eat your clipboard”.

I chuckled pretending to take notes. “Should I be making
notes of threatening behaviour?”

“Do I threaten you?” She smiled moving closer her green eyes
pinning me to the wall.

“You do have a height advantage?”

“It’s not my fault you smoked as a child”.

I smiled with a raised eyebrow, my mind wandering to a
situation where her height wouldn’t be an advantage.

“What?”

“I was just thinking of a situation where your height
wouldn’t be an advantage”.

She moved to take the clipboard. “Should I be making notes
of your advances towards a resident?”

“I was thinking about.......limbo dancing actually”. I lied.

I grinned enjoying the moment between us, as more people
disappeared into Josh’s apartment I move my hand to touch her arm softly
rubbing while capturing her eyes for what I was about to say. ”I....I feel a
bit cautious....I know you lost someone very close to you not long ago....I
don’t want to be a rebound for you”. She looked offended I needed to try and
pull it back, go for broke. “I’ve liked you since the first time I met you, I
really want to spend more time with you and get to know you.....as much as I would
like to I’m not looking for a one night stand”. I definitely didn’t want to
create another Kate situation.

“Really?....I feel the same way”. The dimples were back.

We were both beaming as the party seemed to really be going
now with people spilling out on the landing, making me drop my hand back to my
side. “Are you free at the weekend?” I asked quietly in the noise of the party
goers.

“Yes....what did you have in mind?” she asked with raised
eyebrows.

“If you give me your number I’ll text you about meeting up
to do something”. I said with a grin.

Looking at me with dark eyes she took the pen from my
clipboard, pulled my left hand towards her writing her number on the inside of
my hand, I relished the tickle as she wrote it, handing me back the pen with a
smile.

“Now go and join the party you’re celebrating remember”. I
said pointing at the letter in her hand. “I’d better get back....I’ll see you
later”. Leaning closer so only she can hear my next comment. “I’d wink to say
goodbye but we both know what happens when I do that”. Leaving her giggling as
I threaded my way through the crowd heading back to the common room a smile on
my lips, now all I had to do was think of something to do at the weekend.
Before I got to the ground floor I put Sam’s number in my phone getting rid of
the evidence before anyone else saw it.

Friday

A dull day trying to focus working on the computer, barely
concentrating due to my non-stop thinking about Sam, what can we do at the
weekend? I was still impressed by Sam’s gutsy request, I’m not sure I could
have been as brave, I was grateful for her taking the lead. My only respite was
Nat phoning to ask if I could look after Lucy on Sunday afternoon as she was
spending the day with an old school friend and Lucy didn’t want to stay with
Kate. Who was I to disagree, I enjoyed the time I spent with Lucy now I had two
women to conjure up plans for.

After completing half the work I had planned on doing, I
decided to text her in a bid to ease the tension and apprehension I was
feeling. After much deliberation over the day I had decided we should just do
something normal that every day friends would meet up for jogging, I knew it
was something we both enjoyed after chatting in the gym.

‘Fancy some fresh air and a trot around the arboretum
tomorrow morning? PS – by trot I mean jog – Alx’.

She replied an hour later ‘Sounds good I could do with a
trot I’ll meet you at the entrance at 11’.

Now my plans were set I hoped I could concentrate a little
more on the job in hand, not exactly it proved to be a very long day. After a
final check I emailed the work off to Richard hoping he will appreciate its
completion before the Monday deadline, checking the time it was almost eleven
when I turned in.

Saturday

Waking at almost 10am I had time for a light breakfast
before heading off. After parking up on a side street, I walked to the
arboretum keeping an eye out for Sam along the way, it was far enough from the
hostel that most would not venture that far while also being on a bus route. I
arrived at one of the benches at the entrance and started stretching, copying
the guy at the next bench, I didn’t notice Sam approach from behind.

“Are you copying that guy over there?” She whispered.

I spun round to see her dressed in faded jeans and blue
t-shirt with a ruck sack on her back. “Least I dressed correctly for the
occasion”.

She looked at herself. “As soon as I said I was going out,
four people asked me where I was going, I had to say I was meeting up with an
old friend from Uni I bumped into the other day”.

I Laughed. “You can change in my car if you
want.....preserve the eyes of the locals”.

“You drove here? I thought you jogged here with your mate
over there?” She pointed at the man now looking at us with a furrowed brow.

“Come on you I’ll show you the changing room”. I said
pulling her with me in the direction of my car.

“Your car is massive do you do removals in your spare time?”

“No....it’s great for lugging crap around, it was my dad’s
before he traded up”.

“Shit...sorry with a bit more effort I’m sure I could get my
other foot in too”.

I smiled. “Its fine don’t worry about it”. I opened the back
passenger door for her to get in, closing it and leaning my back against it
giving Sam a little privacy. After a few minutes I heard a knock on the window,
turning around I could see Sam with a confused expression on her face, opening
the door. “What’s up?” I asked no doubt looking puzzled.

She pointed to her feet. “I seem to have left a trainer
somewhere....I thought I packed them both”.

I giggled at her wiggling sock covered toes. “What size are
you?”

“Six...why?”

“Me too I’ve got some you can borrow if you like?”

“Really...are you sure?”

“Yeah...you’re not getting out of it that easily...we just
need to pop home to get them”. Getting in the driver seat I started the car,
heading in the direction of home.

“Do you live near here?” Sam called from the back seat.

“I used to....I used to go jogging in the arboretum quite a
lot, I moved a couple of years ago”.

I pulled up outside the house and looked in the rear view
mirror. “Coming in?”

“Holy shit...is that your house?”

“I’ll give you the tour top to bottom”. I caught her eyes
again in the mirror, I don’t need to see her lips to see she is smiling.

Entering through the front door into the hallway, she looked
around wide eyed. “Wow....this place is amazing”.

I looked around at the painstakingly restored tiled floor
and mouldings, remembering the time I spent on my knees relaying the tiles and
sanding the skirting’s and architraves. “Thanks’ I did most of the work to
restore it...it was a bit of a wreck when I bought it”.

Looking at her feet with odd shoes, I’m reminded of our
task, walking over to the cupboard under the stairs pulling out a pair of
newish runners. Turning around to hand them to her, I’m sucked in by her green
eyes almost forgetting what I am doing. “Th....These should be okay for you”.

I stepped back leaning against the cupboard, watching as she
knelt down on the tiled floor to put them on, standing up to wiggle her toes I
could see them moving underneath the material. “Thanks for the loan”.

“No problem...a quick tour and we’ll be off”. Grabbing Sam’s
hand we headed for the stairs, it occurred to me as I ran up the stairs pulling
Sam behind me that I would not normally be this open inviting someone into my
inner sanctum, but in this case wanted I to. The house had become a focal point
during a difficult time, with hours spent at reclamation yards searching for
just the right doors and fittings. Since the work had been completed it had
turned into my cocoon, it would never totally be finished but I liked it that
way. Reaching the top of the house we started with the two rooms that had been
created in the loft space, they were unused except for storage of a few items I
had yet to find a permanent home for.

Down a flight to the three bedrooms including my own,
sparsely decorated with a large wooden bed frame and unmade bed, well I wasn’t
expecting visitors. On either side were simple hardwood lockers, with a ceramic
white shaded lamp on one side. I tended to sleep in the middle so I only needed
one to read by, beyond the end of the bed was a large chest of draws with a TV
on it. Due to the room’s large size during the restoration I decided to put in
an en-suite on the internal wall, it wasn’t massive but I made sure it could
fit a large walk-in shower I had my eye on before finally taking the plunge and
ordering it. It covered the whole of one wall but it was worth every penny, the
white of the toilet, sink and wall tiles were broken up with bands of natural
slate. The large oak mirror and cabinet I had crafted from off cuts left over
from the renovation work.

The main bathroom housed its namesake, the original one from
the house as I had managed to restore it by getting it re-enamelled. Due to its
bulbous size it took up a lot of the space, with matching white suite and
hardwood mirror. Now on the ground floor with sitting room at the front the
large windows always bathed the room in light, the large fireplace was the
focal point of the room. Except for the extra-large TV I had recently installed
on the chimney breast. The large leather sofa’s looked used but homely.

The dining room / office at the back housed a large dining
table with six chairs and my computer set up in one corner on a converted old
school desk. I had converted the large window into French door leading into the
garden which made it very pleasant to work in there during long summer days.
The kitchen next door was sizable with room for a small table that I had yet to
find, although I was beginning to like the spacious feel without one. The black
tiled floor was cold to the touch first thing in the morning, but I often found
it quite refreshing especially when I had a hot bath and ventured into the
kitchen for a cold drink. As we walked in we were faced with a large window
facing into the garden, the timber blind I had installed provided privacy and
diffused light for lazy mornings. Alongside the window was a door to the utility
room, the next two walls were covered with base and wall units with simple oak
fronts, I had chosen a built in hob and oven for maximum simplicity. The dark
worktop and upstand were brightened up by down lighters and a small window on
the external wall. Heading back to the front door I pointed out the downstairs
loo on the way.

Turning to her at the front door. “Ready?” I said a little
out of breath.

“Alex this place is amazing....it’s very you....I’m sure
your dad would have been very proud of all your work here....thanks for the
tour”.

I was touched by what she said, and hoped it was true, she
saw the emotion in my eyes as I released her hand she moved closer cupping my
face smiling. I almost leant forward brining our lips together, I could feel my
heart pounding at the thought.

“Ready”. She said for a moment I wasn’t sure it was a
question or a statement ready for what. Snapping back to reality I moved to
open the front door still slightly dazed.  

Sam sat in the passenger seat on our way back to the
arboretum, I filed her in about Uncle Tommy the cabinet maker and how he helped
me do the restoration and repair work on my house.

“It must have taken ages?”

“About six months I think”. Recalling the destruction of
gutting the whole house.

“It was definitely worth it”. She looked over at me
concerned as we pull up to our previous parking spot.

“We’re not going too far are we? I’m a bit out of practice”.

“Me too”. I said aware of how little outside jogging I had
actually done this year.

As we entered the park, the benches were occupied by two old
men drinking cider they glared at us as we walked by. I could see Sam looking
at them out of the corner of my eye, as she begins jogging I clearly heard her
saying. “I don’t think much of yours”. Before setting off at pace. 

Giggling I raced to catch up struggling to get level. “At
least mine still has his own teeth”. I replied.

“So has mine they’re just not in his head”. She fired back
in a split second.

Always with a retort, definitely one of the things I liked a
great deal about Sam, I could see spending more time with Sam would never be
boring. I made a mental note to brush up on my quips or at least make it a
little harder for her to trounce me.

We continued our jog at a more leisurely pace as we both
decided we needed to slow down, conversation was easy between us as we
discussed the merits of Rizzoli & Isles in comparison to Cagney and Lacey.
After a number of laps I suggested we knock it on the head mainly to save my
dignity, I had a feeling collapsing with exhaustion would not be the best start
to our dating or whatever it was we were doing.

As we pulled up back at the entrance to the arboretum I took
a few moments to catch my breath, looking over I see Sam with her hands on her
hips slightly red face and puffing. Yet she still looked good, I wasn’t quite
ready to end our time together yet.

“So?.....Have you worked up an appetite for lunch after
that?”

“Absobloodylutely.....why what did you have in mind?”

“I’m sure I can rustle up a sandwich....if you’re interested?”
I ask eyebrows raised.

“Sounds good”.

I lead the way back to my range rover. “I’ve not run that
far for a while...I thought you said you were out of practice”. I nudged her
shoulder as we walked.

“I think I’ll suffer for it tomorrow”.

“You just need a hot bath”. I said trying to dispel the
mental image I had just created.

“Not much chance of that we only have showers at the
hostel”.

“Did you do take part in sports while you were at Uni”. I
asked while driving back home.

“Yeah....I played hockey when I first went....but not when I
went back last year I didn’t have time for sports....I bet you didn’t did you?”

I giggled. “No....I was too busy taking pictures and
drinking”. I felt her gaze on me as I pull up in front of my house.

“Shocking....does Mike know you were a flunky?” She reached
for her bag still in the back of the car.

“Ummm...no I may have omitted that detail”.

“Your secrets safe with me....for a price of course”.

I smiled at her. “What sort of price are we talking?”

Opening the front door I lead Sam to the kitchen, offering
her a bottle of water from the fridge. “Is this the sort of price we’re
talking?”

Smiling she took the bottle, drinking half of it before
answering. “Umm...not really”

“I see....you had to drink half of it before answering?” I
asked in a teasing tone.

“I have studied law you know, possession is nine tenths of
the law, and this water is now mine”.

“I see...I’m not sure what else I can offer you?” Opening
the fridge to look around. “Umm what about a brie and grape sandwich?” I looked
around seeing Sam’s pursed lips.

“Yeah...that sounds like the kind of price I’m looking for”

“Thank god for that...I thought I was gonna have to start
plying you with alcohol”

“Nuts....I knew I should have held out for
more”   

I grinned. “Too late I’m afraid negotiations are
over.........do you want to take a shower while I make lunch?”

Eyeing me suspiciously. “Really?....Is that ok?”

“Sure....I just thought you wouldn’t want to go back in
different clothes as you said you were meeting a friend from Uni”.

“That would be great...thanks”.

“Follow me”. I lead Sam upstairs to the bathroom, providing
her with a towel and instruction for the shower. “Okay....cup of tea?”

“Yes please”.

I smiled before turning to leave. “No snooping”.

“You’re kidding right....you can’t leave me up here and not
expect me to snoop a least a little”.

I wagged my finger while making my way down stairs to make
lunch. Sam arrived in the kitchen as I finish making tea, putting her arm
around me she places a soft kiss on the side of my face.

“Thanks for the shower”.