TODAY WE ARE HOSTING TALENTED CORNISH AUTHOR, LISA MARTIN, WHO IS SHARING CHAPTER FOUR FROM HER NOVEL 'THE CORNISH RETREAT'

CHAPTER FOUR

Smoke billowed from the chimney and plumed high above the hotel, rising until it met the inky black sky as Tom pulled into the car park. Only a streak of soft yellow shining through a crack in the curtains of the bar windows indicated life still functioned at this late hour. As Tom entered, Kelly had her back to him pulling clean glasses from the dishwasher. In silence, each step was slow and deliberate until he was a few inches from her ear. ‘Boo!’ He whispered.

Glass exploded in all directions as it struck the floor. Kelly recoiled until she crashed into the opposite side of the bar. ‘You git!’ she yelled, whipping him in the stomach with the tea towel she’d been using to wipe away the excess moisture from the glasses. ‘You’re bloody lucky I wasn’t holding a knife. I would’ve cut your balls off with it!’

‘Such a lady,’ he said, still chuckling at Kelly as she tapped her chest like it would somehow slow it down.

‘Such a dick!’ she retorted.

Heaving himself onto a barstool he asked Kelly to pour him a beer. Once she’d regained her composure, she pulled a steaming pint glass from the dishwasher and brandished it across the bar. ‘Because of that, you’re getting a warm pint.’

‘That’s a bit harsh.’

Kelly smiled as she remembered where Tom had been. ‘Well, how did it go?’ she asked, pouring his drink and ensuring it had an excessive amount of foam on the top.

‘Umm . . . Yeah,’ he replied, struggling to find the right words.

‘Did she look like the picture in her profile? That’s the thing when you meet them in person, very few do,’ she said, offering some subliminal words of wisdom.

Kelly placed his drink on a beermat and pushed it across the bar. Tom scooped up the pint glass and ignoring the thick froth downed half of it in three long gulps. Wiping away the foam from under his nose with the back of his hand, a little burp escaped through the side of his mouth. ‘Pardon me,’ he apologised.

‘Excuse my pig, he’s a friend,’ Kelly said sarcastically. ‘Was it really that bad? Actually, don’t answer that. She’s obviously made quite an impression.’

‘Is Amy in bed?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Good, I don’t want her innocence destroyed quite yet. Mine’s just been beaten from me.’

Tom took another, smaller sip of his drink.

‘This sounds juicy.’ Kelly’s eyes widened as she grinned at Tom expectantly.

Tom had never been one to kiss and tell, but he guessed this would be something to brighten Kelly’s otherwise average night.

‘Okay,’ he cleared his throat. ‘I arrived in plenty of time and was ordering a drink when she turned up. Surprisingly, she matched the picture on her profile. In fact, she was much prettier in person. Her profile picture didn’t do her any justice. Other than two old-timers who looked as if they’d been there since the beginning of time, we had the place to ourselves.’

‘Well, that’s a good start. She was hot, but I’m sensing there was something else. Don’t tell me, she turned out to be he?’

‘No. She was lovely, and I liked her straight away. She looked stunning in a tight black dress which clung to a very tidy body, washboard stomach and all that,’ he said, sliding a hand down his stomach, wishing it was as flat. ‘And she’d made a real effort with her hair. She was very attractive. We had a couple of drinks, and the conversation was easy. She’s got two children, slightly older than Amy, so we spent a while talking about them.’

‘That’s a great start. At least she didn’t spring that one on you further down the garden path. You know, hogging the line – I’m single with no kids – and then before you know it, three lively sprogs have been conjured from somewhere that she’d forgotten to mention, and their dad’s serving time at Her Majesty’s pleasure for armed robbery, so she needs a stand-in daddy for them. Oh, and “you’re very handsome by the way and I’m completely in love with you, can I move into your hotel? It would be great for my kids to all have their own rooms, so if we cut back on the guest bedrooms...”’

‘Nope, she wasn’t like that. Besides, she has her own money. She’s a barrister,’ he winked.

‘And you met her on the same site Amy, and I set you up on the other night? Come on, I think she was yanking your chain.’

‘You mock. After our date, she sped off in a new Audi S4.’

‘Hmm,’ Kelly responded.

‘Ouch, you’re so vindictive!’ he laughed, pulling away slightly, but with humour.

‘There you go, always thinking the worst of me. How rude!’

‘Anyway, it didn’t turn out like that. But I did notice her continuously checking her phone and messaging someone. I was too polite to ask who it was. To be honest, I assumed it was her children as they’re old enough to stay home alone and were possibly just being nosey. Time drifted by and the food was great.’

‘You pay?’

‘Nope, we went halves. She wouldn’t hear of me paying the whole bill, even though I told her it was fine.’

‘I like her. Carry on.’

‘The evening couldn’t have gone more perfect, until . . .’

‘About time, I thought you were never going to get to the juicy details.’

‘I was about to ask to see her again because I felt it’d gone well, that we’d hit a real connection, when a chap casually strolled straight over to our table.’

‘Don’t tell me, her husband?’

‘Yep.’

Kelly gasped. ‘Ha, I knew it. She’s obviously not getting enough at home so wanted a little excitement on the side. And you were the victim!’ Kelly laughed hard and slapped the highly polished bar.

‘Not quite,’ Tom said, waving a cryptic finger under Kelly’s nose. ‘It wasn’t what you think. He didn’t interrupt us in anger and walked over to us casually. What surprised me though was she didn’t look alarmed. His tone was easy, but I thought he was going to swing a huge right hook for my chin at any moment. He was a big fella too. He just slid into the empty seat beside her, put his hand on her knee and they kissed right in front of me. And not just a peck on the cheek, but full-on tongue action. I couldn’t believe it. To say I felt awkward was a bit of an understatement. I mean, where the hell are you supposed to look when the woman you’re on a date with begins to snog her husband in front of you? Then he had the cheek to reach across the table and want to shake my hand.’

‘Are you for real?’

‘Completely. He introduced himself as Nick. We shook hands and I told him my name, which he knew because my date had already told him. Nick looked at his wife and spoke. “Is Tom here our date for tonight?” I couldn’t believe it.’

‘Oh dear, Nick wanted you as well? That’s it, I’m coming on more dates with you!’

‘No, he liked to watch his wife, you know . . .’ Tom silently made a half-sexual gesture with his hands on the hips of an invisible partner, ‘...perform with other men. I managed to hide my laughter. We chatted for a while longer as it felt too awkward to leave. They were an enchanting couple who have been together for nearly twenty years. Sadly, their offer wasn’t quite what I was looking for.’

Kelly bent double as she laughed so hard, leaned across the bar, patted Tom on the shoulder and said, ‘Tom, I think Laura is looking down on you and laughing as much as I am. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’d set that up for you. You know what she was like.’

Instead of sinking into an abyss of black emotion encouraged by loneliness, Tom couldn’t contain the rumble of laughter in his stomach, which exploded. Kelly was probably right, Laura was having a giggle at his expense. Finishing the rest of his drink he bid Kelly goodnight and made his way to his room. Somehow the evening had cracked open the door to recovery. He now had the strength to push it open and the desire to see what lay beyond.

**********

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COMING SOON: On Friday 27th June, our team member, author Eva Bielby, shares with us her Flash Fiction story, 'He's Gone'.