‘Not from my gumdrop, that’s for sure. I had to hear from your sister that you had a man putting a show on for you at ten every morning from his window.’
Oh God, she was going to murder Elle. ‘He works out at ten every morning,’ Mia corrected. ‘It’s not for me. I just happen to see him sometimes.’ Most times.
There was a long pause, before her mum whispered, ‘How big are these muscles, exactly?’
Mia burst into laughter. ‘You’re as bad as Elle. I’m not getting into another conversation about this. He’s agreed to show me Manchester. As my friend. The size of his muscles, his smile or any other part of his anatomy is irrelevant.’
Her mum cackled with laughter. ‘Your sister didn’t say it was that kind of show.’
‘God, it’s not. He lifts weights.’ She started to feel all hot, just thinking about … no, stop it. They’d agreed to be friends, and female friends did not think about the size of their male friend’s penis.
That’s when she saw him. Well, to be exact, she saw his arm in the window, though for a heartbeat, with the conversation she’d just been having going through her head, she’d done a double-take.
‘You’ve gone all quiet on me, gumdrop. He’s not flashing you, is he?’
It was all too much, the bizarre conversation, the glimpse of, albeit innocent, flesh. Mia started to giggle. ‘Relax, he’s putting up a sign.’ On larger paper, she noted with a smile to herself.
1st non-date Sat
* * *
CU 10 a.m. @ bar?
And there was another drawing, what looked to be a donut and a snowflake.
‘Come on, don’t leave your poor mum hanging. What does it say?’
‘I don’t know. Looks like we’re going out on Saturday to … eat a frozen donut? Or maybe eat a donut in the cold?’
‘Eat a donut?’ her mum scoffed. ‘See, I told you this one-page nonsense wasn’t going to work. Either that or you were right about him being a nutcase.’
On an impulse, Mia typed donut ice Manchester into her computer. And started to laugh. ‘There’s a place called the Chill Factore opposite the Trafford Centre, Mum. It’s an indoor snow park where you can go down a slope in rubber donut rings. I guess we’re going there.’
‘Oh.’ Mia smiled to herself as she imagined the look on her mum’s face. ‘Well make sure you wear a helmet. And you’ll need a big warm coat, and gloves and—’
‘I’m thirty, Mum. I don’t need to be told to put my coat on before I go out.’
There was a pause on the other end, and when her mum spoke again, her tone was softer. ‘You sound happier, gumdrop.’
‘I am.’
‘Is that because of this Luke?’
Mia stared out of the window, watching as Luke began his routine. ‘I’ve been here over two months now. I’m starting to get know people.’ The girls at the bar, Stan, Naomi … and yes, Luke. She was already looking forward to Saturday.
More than any of that though, she was getting used to being by herself. No family round the corner to pop in to. No old friends to hang out with. No boyfriend to rely on. At first the idea of it had seemed enormous, but now it felt more manageable. In time, she might even come to enjoy her independence.
After she ended the call with her mum, Mia scrawled out her reply – yes, she’d also ordered some sheets of paper – and stuck it in the window.
It’s a non-date
As she sat back in her chair, she thought back to the conversation she’d had with Luke yesterday, and the way she’d flown off the handle at his mention of the website. It had been a sore point, because Danny the Dick had asked her to make one for his fledgling photography business. Before dumping her a week after she’d finished it.
It was unfair to assume Luke was anything like Danny though, so at the risk of being a shmuck again, she was going to make the bar a website. And she’d do it for free. Not because she was attracted to Luke – God, definitely not that. Not even because he was going to show her Manchester. No, she’d do it because when he’d admitted to feeling lost beyond the basics of running a bar, she’d felt an answering tug deep in her chest. For all the confident display, this was a man who clearly felt out of his depth. It was a feeling she knew, one she’d experienced the moment she’d moved up here. Yet Luke, with his friendly overtures, had helped her feel more settled. It was only fair she help him, in turn.
Involuntarily, her gaze zeroed in on his window. Watching him work out felt wrong, now they’d agreed to be friends.
Deliberately she forced her gaze away and onto her computer.
Luke had dithered about their first date … shit, non-date. He had to remember that.
A meal out had seemed safe, but lame. In his experience, women liked the process of getting dressed up to eat, often more than the actual eating. As Mia hadn’t got dressed up to go to the bar, he wasn’t sure she’d be a huge fan of the trendy Manchester restaurant scene. Plus his first night off wasn’t till Tuesday. Too long to wait.
Saturday he didn’t need to be in work till three, giving him a morning and lunch. He’d considered, and discarded, a walk (lame again) and a trip to a museum (if he used ‘lame’ again, had he officially regressed to being a teenager?).
The tour of Old Trafford had been a possibility, but she’d seemed more impressed by City and there was no way he could force himself to sit through a tour of the Etihad.
He’d rather have his eyelids tattooed.
That was when he’d messaged Grace for ideas.
Take her on a donut. If she’s as cool as you say, she’ll totes be up for it. G x
As he waited for Mia by the bar on Saturday morning, he hoped to God Grace was right. All he could think was what woman in her right mind would want to spend a summer morning in a giant fridge, careering down an ice slope in a rubber ring?
And suddenly there she was, and his heart jumped, just a little, at the sight of her; hair tied back in a ponytail, flashes of green amongst the blonde, skinny jeans, bright yellow T-shirt.
All those curves, in a deliciously short package.
‘Hi.’ She lifted the plastic bag she was carrying. ‘Before we go, are we really eating frozen donuts, or are we going to the Chill Factore? Because I don’t need my waterproof trousers and coat if it’s the first. Unless it’s a very big donut.’
He laughed and, unable to resist, bent to kiss her on the cheek. A light touch, a friendly gesture because that’s what they were. Friends. Had her cheeks pinked? He wasn’t sure. ‘What would you rather do?’
She gave him a quizzical look. ‘You can really take me to a frozen-donut shop?’
‘For you, anything.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘And now you’re working out where you can buy donuts and how much room you’ve got in your freezer.’
God, she cracked him up. ‘Such little faith.’ Taking her bag, he nodded towards the car park. ‘Luckily I’ve got something more exciting planned. Come on, or we’ll miss our slot.’
‘Exciting by whose definition? I might love frozen donuts.’