The following evening he phoned to say his sister had, in a way, been lucky. Had she delayed travelling even by a day, she wouldn’t have been able to travel at all. The ash produced by the Icelandic volcano eruption had closed all UK airports the following day, and most European ones as well. The funeral had been arranged for the following Monday afternoon. He apologised we couldn’t meet that weekend; he would have to stay with his mother to go through his father’s affairs.
He did, however, phone me on the Friday night and told me how much he missed me. He hoped our bad luck wouldn’t put him at a disadvantage when I came to deciding if I preferred him or Sean. I told him I was nowhere near ready to make a decision and that he was still in with a chance.
Neeta had planned a barbecue for the Saturday afternoon and into the evening. Being mischievous, she suggested inviting both Sean and Oliver. It wasn’t something I would have agreed to. As Oliver wouldn’t be able to attend, Neeta insisted I invited Sean. Because of the café, we weren’t able to arrive until around 7:00pm.
Sean was charming to everyone and he and Rich seemed to get on really well. Rich had manned the barbecue all afternoon and was relieved when Sean offered to take over. Once again, it was something else he excelled at.
The disruption caused by the closure of UK airports delayed his sister’s departure back to Canada and she decided to stay with him for a few days until she could get a return flight. He would be at work during the day and felt he couldn’t leave her to fend alone in a strange town in the evening as well. He also thought it premature to introduce me to his sister. Part of me was disappointed, but I understood his reasoning. I didn’t want his sister to think we were closer than we were. Meeting ‘the family’ can be stressful when one is in a meaningful relationship as it implies a degree of intimacy.
He phoned again on the Wednesday to say his sister had managed to get a flight on the Sunday. He would be taking her to the airport, so once again, he would have to miss out on seeing me and once again, he told me he missed me. I told him I missed him too, but I was beginning to feel awkward. I saw Sean regularly, both in the café and on dates. My feelings for Oliver were slowly being eroded or perhaps, more accurately, being submerged by my feelings for Sean. I still hadn’t come to a decision between them, but I could sense in which direction I was leaning.
On hearing the news that yet again Oliver was unable to meet me, Sean invited me to his rooms above the café for Sunday lunch. He would cook a special meal. And, when I met him in the café, he was more attentive than ever. I could see he was launching a charm offensive. Maybe he sensed my waning interest in Oliver and was determined to take full advantage of his absence. I was looking forward to my ‘special’ Sunday lunch.