‘But I’m just me! What will I have to talk to him about? What could we possibly have in common?’
‘Sweetpea, there’s more to him than just being this Hollywood Adonis or whatever … he is a real human being, you know. And for once, will you stop selling yourself short! He might have all these fans, or whatever, but they don’t actually know him – they just have this fantasy version of him in their heads. Whereas you are adored by every single person who knows you and that is saying far more.’ Molly then pulls me away from her and forces me to have eye contact with her. ‘You know what else, little lady? He’s blooming lucky to be going on a date with you – he should be thanking his lucky stars. Because you are the most special girl in the world, and I have never been so proud to know someone.’
Needless to say, I sob harder.
5
When my alarm goes off at eight o’clock the following morning I wake up in a panic, realizing I’ve not picked a date outfit yet – what a thoughtless omission! I have absolutely no clue what Billy has planned for today as he wanted to surprise me, although with hardly anything to do in Rosefont Hill it will be interesting to see what he has come up with.
As I don’t know where we’ll be going or what we’ll be doing, I have no idea what will be appropriate to wear. Should I glam myself up in a pretty dress? Or should I go with my skinny jeans and boots for comfort in case we’re doing something adventurous? I dart around the room picking up floral dresses and colourful skirts before discarding them immediately for being too flouncy. Clothes of all shapes and colours fly through the air as I anxiously root around for the perfect get-up.
After trying on everything in my wardrobe at least three times it dawns on me that Billy has only ever seen me in an apron and covered in flour – so whatever I choose to wear will be a big improvement! Therefore I decide to stick to my usual jeans and boots combo, but team them with a cute little pink blouse to dress it up slightly. At least I’ll be comfortable this way and not pulling at a skirt hem or tugging up my tights all day.
After showering, I blow-dry my hair into some nice bouncy waves, pluck my eyebrows into something more agreeable-looking and carefully apply some make-up in the mirror (oh yes, today definitely calls for some foundation, bronzer and a touch of mascara).
As I finish with my make-up my head goes all dizzy and light, forcing me to stop and sit on the toilet seat with my head in my hands. I know it’s the nerves creeping up on me once again and so I try to breathe through it. Just as I start to feel calmer there’s a knock on the bathroom door.
‘You OK, Soph?’ asks Mum.
‘Yeah …’ I say as I lift myself up off the loo seat and unlock the door, flashing her a nervous smile.
‘You look beautiful!’
‘Thanks …’ I say, biting my lip.
‘Oh no! Look at that face!’ she laughs as she wiggles my nose between her fingers.
‘I’m just a bit nervous …’
‘There’s nothing to be nervous about. It’s only a date.’
‘I know …’
‘Well, then! Just go and have fun,’ she says, as she nudges me playfully on the arm.
With one last look in the mirror I give Mum a kiss goodbye, run into my room to grab my bag and coat and fly out of the door.
Billy’s already standing outside the shop when I turn from the path onto the High Street. He has his hands behind his back, a purple rucksack slung over one shoulder and a huge grin on his face, looking gorgeous. I’m pleased to notice that he is also in casual clothes, wearing faded jeans and a burnt orange hoodie with a white zipper running up it. Interestingly, though, he’s also wearing a pair of black wellington boots.
When I eventually join him at the top of the hill, he leans forward and gives me a kiss on the cheek, which instantly causes my insides to leap and dance around.
‘You look beautiful,’ he whispers in my ear.
I smile back, nerves getting the better of me as I feel my cheeks already turning pink.
‘Right,’ he says, his tone changing to a more commandeering one. ‘These are for you,’ he smiles, handing me a pair of pink and blue floral wellington boots he’s been hiding behind his back.
‘What are these for?’ I ask, nervously laughing, taking them from him.
‘Well, I know it’s not been raining lately, but I thought it would be best to be prepared, we don’t want to end up knee deep in a muddy puddle now, do we? I’ve popped some socks in there, too.’
I stare at him, flabbergasted. This is not what I was expecting at all. ‘I’ve heard of girls being given flowers on first dates, chocolates even, but never wellies!’
‘I’ve already given you flowers,’ he says, raising his eyebrows. ‘Quick, quick. Pop them on.’
‘Hold on. How on earth did you know my size?’ I quiz, eyeing him suspiciously. ‘Are you stalking me?’
‘Gosh, my cover’s been blown already!’ he smirks.
I lean against the shop wall and change into them in silence while Billy watches me and pops my discarded boots into his rucksack. Once I’m in my new footwear, and have stomped around a bit, Billy grabs my hand. ‘Come on,’ he says, as he pulls me along the road.
We turn the corner where I discover two large horses tied to a tree, waiting for us.
‘Meet Tony and Connie,’ he says.
‘Wow!’ blurts from my mouth before I can stop it as I take in the horses. The one Billy pointed out as Tony has a dark brown coat with a diamond-shaped white patch on his forehead and white socks; he’s busy munching on some leaves from Mrs Wallis’s garden. Connie, however, with her grey coat and black mane, is looking straight at us.
‘I hope you don’t have a fear of horses or anything.’
‘No, no. I used to ride all the time actually, but I haven’t been on a horse in years!’
‘It wasn’t a big fall or anything that stopped you from riding, was it?’ he asks anxiously.
‘Funny you should say that. I fell off and broke my wrist when I was ten. Back then I wanted to be a show jumper, but the fall meant that I couldn’t go out for months. By the time my wrist had recovered I’d moved on to some new dream.’
‘So you’re not going to be worried getting on this one?’ he asks, grabbing hold of Tony’s reins, letting me know that Connie is my ride.
‘Absolutely not!’ I declare, as I excitedly mount Connie with a huge leap. I’ll admit, I’m quite chuffed with the way I just hop on up like an old pro, with only minimal grunting sounds. I adjust the stirrups and then sit and watch as Billy attempts to mount his horse – without success. First he tries to hoist one leg up but it can’t quite reach the stirrup and then he tries to pull the horse towards the fence so that he can climb on from there – but the horse isn’t having any of it. Each time Tony decides to go with him to the fence, he cheekily walks forward a few paces by the time Billy’s perched on it, ready to mount.
‘I’ve been doing this perfectly all week and now I’ve got company I can’t get on the blasted thing. TONY!’ he shouts as once again the horse fails to do what he asks.
‘Calm down, cowboy,’ I joke as I jump off my horse to go and help him. I grab Tony and guide him back to the fence, holding him tightly by the reins so that he won’t wander off as Billy jumps on. ‘There … finally!’ I say, grinning at Billy before handing back the reins and mounting Connie again with ease.
‘What an awful start!’ he says.
‘Oh, shush you. It’s good to know you’re not good at everything, Mr Big Shot!’
‘Believe me – there are many things that I’m utterly crap at!’
‘Good! Now, where are we going?’
For the next hour we hack through the local woods, which are covered in a thick purple blanket of bluebells. It’s beautiful. I find it thrilling to be back on a horse again after so long and I enjoy getting Connie to alternate between a trot and a canter, much to Billy’s dismay, as his horse just wants to copy whatever my horse is doing. It’s clear that although he
is comfortable to sit on top of a horse, he isn’t an experienced rider. I decide to ease the pace, though, when I can hear him struggling to catch his breath and turn to see him bouncing up and down painfully on the horse’s back.
‘Sorry,’ I shout. ‘Got a bit carried away there!’
‘No, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,’ he calls back breathlessly, with a contagious grin on his face. He is ridiculously handsome, even in this haggard state.
‘Would you like to stop for a bit? We could get off and walk if you like?’
‘Actually, I think there’s a big lake if you carry on going down this path.’
‘I know the one.’
‘Of course. Well, let’s keep going until we get down there and then we can stop for a bit.’
‘OK, sounds like a plan. You can lead the way this time,’ I say, forcing Connie to stop so that we can let Billy and Tony through, much to her annoyance.
We ride at a leisurely pace down to the lake, stopping under a large oak tree, which we tie the two horses to.
‘Are you getting peckish?’ Billy asks, wiping his hands on his jeans.
‘Actually, I’m starving,’ I admit.
I was feeling sick with nerves this morning and running around in a panic trying to get ready, and forgot to eat before I left. Now that food has been mentioned, I realize I’m famished!
‘Me too. I was too anxious to eat this morning.’
‘Really? Why?’
‘I had a date with a gorgeous girl planned.’
‘Haaa! I’m so glad they give you lines to say in these films you’re in, otherwise you’d be in trouble,’ I say with a giggle.
‘Thanks. Anyway, back to the subject of food … Close your eyes.’
‘What? Why?’ I laugh.
‘Please?’ he begs.
I smirk and roll my eyes, doing as he asks, instantly feeling very exposed and vulnerable at the unknown. My cheeks start burning as his warm hands engulf mine and he slowly leads me further into the woods. Excitement and nerves cause my skin to feel tingly and sensitive. I have to fight all urges to open my eyes to see where he is taking me. Somehow I manage to keep them closed as I listen to the sticks and leaves as they crackle beneath my feet while Billy guides me with ease.
‘OK …’ he says, placing a hand on my shoulder to tell me we’ve reached our destination. ‘You can look now.’
I open my eyes and gasp in shock as I take in what’s in front of me. Masses of twinkling fairy lights spiral up the thick trunks of a circle of trees, with thousands more hanging from their tall branches and dangling down, making a starry sky above us. A huge, thick, black sheet encompasses the whole lot, which seals it off from the outside world, and allows the lights to sparkle more in its darkness. Beneath the canopy of stars, a blue-and-purple-checked picnic blanket has been laid out, surrounded by a ring of bluebells, with tubs full of food, glasses and bottles arranged on top, along with a bunch of scattered fluffy cushions. The whole thing is like a den or a fort you might make as a child to play in, but it’s far more magical. It’s breathtaking.
I stare opened mouthed at the display in front of me. No one has ever gone to this much effort for me before. Ever. I’m so overwhelmed by it that I can feel tears threatening to burst out of me, so I have to tense my jaw to keep them at bay.
Billy, who has been stood beside me, watching as I take in the space around us, squeezes my hand – probably because I’ve been stood gawping at it all and not vocalized a reaction yet.
‘Wow!’ I manage to say, my eyes brimming with tears.
‘Two “wow”s in one date, hey? I believe that’s a good sign …’
‘It really is. How did you do all this?’
‘Ahh, now that would be telling. Come on, let’s sit down,’ he says, guiding me by the hand to the blanket, where we both struggle to pull off our muddied wellies before parking ourselves on top and getting comfortable.
Billy picks up one of the bottles, unscrews it, pours its contents into two goblet glasses and hands me one.
‘I figured we’d be thirsty after the hack, so I thought orange and cranberry juice would be nice, rather than wine or something.’
‘That’s my favourite drink!’ I say in surprise, taking a gulp.
‘Who knew?’ he says with a smirk.
It’s only as we start opening the tubs of food and I find one containing scones that things start to become clearer.
‘Scones?’
‘Yep,’ Billy says, keeping occupied with a tub of ham sandwiches.
‘They look delicious.’
‘Mmmm … yummy.’
He continues to avoid my gaze by opening another tub, this one containing a tomato salad – so I poke him jokingly in the ribs.
‘Ouch,’ he laughs.
‘Did you make these yourself? Or did you have a little helper?’
‘I did make them myself actually, but under the supervision of a more experienced cook!’
‘Molly!’
‘How on earth did you guess that?’ he asks in a high-pitched squeal.
‘How on earth did she keep this a secret?’
‘She said she’s found it very difficult!’
‘I’ll bet! Are you aware how much of a gossip she is? This would’ve killed her,’ I laugh. ‘So when did you do all this?’
Billy lets out a huge sigh, gutted that his cover has been blown and knowing that I won’t give up until he gives me all the answers I crave.
‘I guess I can tell you now … this morning. I met Molly in the shop at eight and she helped me make it all. She was great – especially when it came to all your favourite foods.’
‘But who put up all this, then?’ I ask, looking around at the enchanted forest that has been erected around us.
‘A few crew members from the film helped out. I came down here with them before I went to sort out the food.’
‘Sounds like you’ve had a very busy morning.’
‘I have, but I wanted to make a good impression.’
‘Well, you’ve certainly managed to do that.’
‘Good.’
We both sit there beaming and giggling at each other as we start to tuck into the food in front of us.
I have never felt so relaxed and giddy all at once. Billy has a way of making me feel comfortable and safe in his company, but at the same time my body churns out a mass of desire and longing. He is electrifyingly charismatic … breathtakingly so.
Once we’ve stuffed our faces with all we can manage, we lie back on the blanket with our heads together on one of the pillows and gaze up at the lights twinkling above us. I’m acutely aware of the fact that our shoulders are slightly touching, allowing me to feel the heat coming from Billy’s body, which sends shivers of nervous apprehension running through me.
‘What’s your favourite book?’ I ask after a moment of silence.
‘Oh dear.’
‘What?’ I ask.
‘Well, I could lie and make something up, but the truth is I’ve never read a book from cover to cover in my life.’
‘Ever?’
‘Nope.’
‘Blimey.’
‘I know. Gosh, I feel like I’ve just been busted,’ he says, bringing his hands up to his face in embarrassment. ‘What’s yours?’
‘Jane Eyre,’ I declare, without hesitation.
‘Jane who?’
‘It’s a classic.’
‘I’ll read it some time.’
‘Yeah, right! Hold on, does that mean you haven’t even read Pride and Prejudice?’
‘So, what did you want to become after you lost interest in horses?’ Billy asks, changing the subject, and making us both cackle with laughter.
‘A writer, then a doctor and eventually a florist. For a while.’
‘How come?’
‘I love flowers.’
‘What made you stop wanting that?’
‘I got a job at the local florist. Not a proper job or anything, I was only young. But I sp
ent every Saturday cleaning out dirty buckets and then getting a whole fifteen pounds for doing so. Their stench and slime put me off eventually.’
‘Sounds nasty.’
‘Hmm, it was. Although I’d still like to do something with flowers at some point.’
‘Really? So, what do you want now?’
‘My own teashop.’
‘To put Molly out of business?’ he asks, nudging me.
‘No, no, no, I’d never do that. Molly’s getting older – whether she likes it or not she’s not going to be able to run the shop forever,’ I explain. ‘In fact, she has a son called Peter who moved to Australia several years ago and she’s always going on about possibly moving over there and being with him. Since her husband died she’s been on her own. I think she’d like being with family. With that in mind, my plan is to save up as much as I can and then buy it off her when she does decide to move out there and sell it.’
‘Seriously?’
‘Yep. I hate to tell you this but my life consists of books and baking.’ I shift my head so that I can see him properly and burst out laughing. ‘Oh God, I can’t believe I’ve just admitted to being so boring.’
‘No, you haven’t.’
‘The truth is I rarely go out clubbing, I don’t binge drink, smoke or take drugs – I’ve simply found something better to spend my money on. I know it sounds a bit wanky but from the moment I stepped into the teashop I felt at home. From then on it became … all I ever wanted.’
‘So what will you change about it when you’re the boss?’
‘I’d like it to be even more of a haven for women.’
‘What, more than flowery tablecloths and dainty china cups?’ he asks with mock surprise on his face.
‘Yes!’
‘I didn’t think that was possible.’
‘Oh, it is,’ I say, turning on to my front in excitement. ‘I want to add a flower section to the shop – not an actual florist that makes bouquets, though. I simply want to have bunches of flowers available for people to pick and choose from so that they can go home and make up their own arrangements. Maybe have evening floristry classes once a week for people to attend.’