May 2010
Because it was a bank holiday weekend, Jason had closed his yard for the three days. He hadn’t made any plans for the weekend simply because the holiday had been upon him before he had had time to realise that it was this weekend and not the next. Dressed rather scruffily, he had, nevertheless, taken advantage of the quiet to go down to the yard with the view of checking the status of the various current jobs and giving a quick look at the books. That done, he’d also taken a look at the materials in stock and made sure they wouldn’t run short. Silly really, because his yard manager was more than competent. He knew that he was killing time because he was, in fact, feeling at a bit of a loose end. By mid-day, he had had enough and decided he would go to the nearest supermarket and buy some fresh fruit and vegetables. He didn’t need anything else.
He had long ago discovered the advantages of having a good freezer which he usually kept filled with every type of ‘ready-meal’ known to exist. He also had a pantry which boasted jars and tins of every fancy he had ever had, plus boxes of cereals, crackers and biscuits. If ever there were penury of any product in the shops, he wouldn’t have to worry for a good while. He knew that this mild form of hoarding was due to his years ‘in care’ when he had never been able to eat enough to satisfy his hunger but it didn’t stop him from keeping the cupboards full.
As he was padlocking the wrought iron gate to his yard, he sensed someone had stopped near to him. He turned and saw a young woman looking up at the large panel with the yard’s information on it. Even in jeans, scuffed half-boots and an anorak with a bag on her shoulder, she exuded class, besides being lovely. Having read the board’s information, she was turning to leave without a word and Jason had to refrain from grabbing her in an effort to get her attention. Instead, the words rolled off his tongue.
“Can I help ya, love?” He offered her his most beguiling smile, the smile that seduced eight women out of ten.
“Not today.” She had replied straight-faced and dismissingly. She began to move away.
She offered a challenge with her rigidity. She was one of the two remaining women out of ten who was immune to his usual flirting procedure. One of the two was usually gay but something about this one had him doubting that she was. He had followed after her enough to place a light hand on her arm without realising it.
“Would ‘not today’ mean tomorrow, then? I’d be happy ta help tomorrow – or the day after...” He continued with a smile, hoping to melt her defences a little with his banter.
“No.” She replied without the slightest softening of her features.
“‘No’, for which one?” Pretending to be obtuse, he was still hoping to make headway with her by keeping her talking.
“It means – when and if I want your help, I’ll ask for it.” Not picking up on his attempt at humour, she gently removed his hand and glared at him.
Jason had felt her rebuff as surely as if she had slapped his face but instead of terminating their exchange, it had encouraged him to continue. His tone became more conciliatory.
“Sorry. Don’t mind me. I’m a bit unpolished when it comes ta business. Jason Dooley, of Dooley Brick Builders.” He cocked his head in the direction of the panel as he put out his right hand waiting for her to shake it. She looked at the extended hand and for an instant, he wasn’t sure she would take it. Slowly, she brought her hand forward and clasped his. He saw and felt the change in her as his large, rough hand enveloped her soft, elegant hand. He also felt the change in himself as though the physical touching of her skin to his had prompted some type of osmosis. She was studying his face unabashedly while her hand still held his. Then realising that their hands were still joined, she had released his without looking away. He could see her mind working but hadn’t the least idea what she could be thinking. So, he spoke in another bid to keep her attention.
“I was just locking up for the weekend and then I was going for a coffee over there.” He indicated the café which was across the road. “May I buy you one for the road?”
His smile was less brash... Cleo was touched by the intense look in his eyes. She recognised the appeal in them and, against her better judgement, decided to accept. Here, she was in the territory she hoped to make hers. People didn’t know her and because of that, she could drop her business façade. She could be ordinary. It wasn’t as if she’d ever need see the man again. There were other builders on her list.
The soft smile with which she graced him, churned his innards. It was all he could do not to sigh out loud because, until she had smiled, he hadn’t really seen just how beautiful she was.
-oOo-
The coffee had turned into more than just a coffee as they had sat getting to know each other. They’d ordered cottage pie and peas and roly-poly pudding with custard for dessert. It wasn’t that either was particularly hungry but after the first half hour with their coffees, neither had wanted the moment to end. They had begun to discover that they had more than one thing in common which also included school canteen meals of ‘cottage pie and peas and roly-poly pudding with custard’. She seemed so cultivated that he’d been surprised to learn that she hadn’t gone to boarding school; she hadn’t dwelt on that fact or any other aspect of her school life.
Like one of those films that speed up the development of a seed or some other action, they were the constant that didn’t move. People came and went around them leaving cups, plates, paper napkins and crumbs on the surrounding tables, only to be cleared away by the café owner until others came to start the process again and again. They sat at their table oblivious to it all for an indeterminable amount of time.
Unfortunately, the call of nature was the factor that broke the spell. Once standing, both stiff from the Formica chairs, they realised that they were also going to have to move on, but to where? Would this be the moment when they went their separate ways? Jason mentioned the supermarket and ‘Bingo’! They had both needed to go shopping for the weekend. Because she had walked to his yard earlier, he offered to take her with him in his van.
Cleo didn’t remember ever laughing so much. Jason had the knack of turning a supermarket shopping spree into a hilarious outing. His perspicacious analysis of other shoppers had Cleo stifling her laughs into a handkerchief for fear of upsetting anyone. Just when she thought that it wouldn’t be possible to be witty yet again, Jason said something else to astonish her. It came to him naturally, just slipped out of his mouth.
He was rough looking. He spoke with a working class accent as one would expect of a builder but his observations and razor-sharp wit belied his origins. She was seeing him with new eyes; looking past the man that gave the impression that he thought he was God’s gift to women. There was also a vulnerability to him that she sensed. When she’d asked if he was Irish, because the name Dooley certainly was and he had the gift of the gab, he had simply answered that he didn’t know, before rapidly changing the subject.
It finally came to the moment when he took her home with her shopping. He quietly admired her house, which did put her into a different league from him. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have afforded a house similar to hers, it was just that he hadn’t cared – until now. He suddenly wanted to puff himself up to impress her, while knowing full well that she was immune to superficial displays. He carried a bag of shopping to her front door not knowing how to relinquish his hold on her. He, the smooth talking charmer, was tongue-tied. Realising she wasn’t going to invite him in, he somehow found the words to ask her if she were free tomorrow? He would like to take her to visit one of the country manors that wasn’t too far away – if she were interested? He saw that she hesitated and it hurt him that the time they had already spent together hadn’t been enough for her to want more. He was already subjugated.
Cleo hesitated a fraction of a second before answering Jason’s proposal to visit one of the nearby manors. She didn’t ‘date’ and this smacked of a date. Did she want to encourage a builder, a workman, a man who seemed to be very sure of himself? She was so used to weighing up all her options before making a decision that she was doing it with Jason. Suddenly, she felt ashamed. He had been charming and it had been the first time ever that she had felt carefree and, yes, happy. It was a feeling that she wanted to have again even at the risk of accepting a ‘date’. She also found that she truly wanted to know him better.
“Yes, I would like that.” She replied with enough enthusiasm in her voice for him to feel relieved.
“How ’bout I come for you at 9 o’clock and we can have breakfast at a place I know?” He suggested eagerly. They would remain on neutral ground to avoid any hint of pressure.
She would never know why she had done it. Had there been a certain resonance to his voice that had encouraged her? The twilight had certainly prevented her from seeing him clearly as they stood on her doorstep, so it hadn’t been the expression on his face. She had lifted her hand to touch his rough cheek with an intimacy that was completely foreign to her. That almost affectionate gesture sent a thrill through Jason. Instinctively, he knew he mustn’t alarm her, so he slowly brought his mouth towards hers to kiss her gently on the lips. She didn’t back away, but her responding kiss was infantile. He didn’t know what message it was sending but he didn’t care. He gave her a second, soft kiss before backing away.
“I’ll see ya tomorrow at nine.” He hadn’t dared add the usual ‘love’ that finished his phrases because the word had suddenly taken on a whole new meaning and he wasn’t sure he wanted to use it light-heartedly.
She had stood on the doorstep and watched him walk down her path to the white van that had turned yellow under the street light. She seemed to be detached from her body, unable to move it. He turned before getting in the van and gave a last wave of his hand. She found the use of her hand again and gave him a little wave, not sure he would see it so far from the lit street. The van may have been gone five minutes, maybe more, before she turned the key which finally gave her entry into her home.