Alphabet Weekends - Elizabeth Noble [11]
‘And exactly how are you going to do that?’
‘I’m going to spend twenty-six days with you. See what I did there? That’s the number of letters in the alphabet.’
‘And…’
‘And, O cynical one, we’re going to take turns to decide what to do on those days. Turn and turn about. I’ll start, by the way, with A. You’ll be B, I’ll be C, you’ll be D—’
‘I do know the alphabet, Tom.’
‘Exactly. Shouldn’t have any trouble, then, should you, thinking up things to do?’
‘And the point of this will be?’
‘You’re going to fall for me.’
‘Yeah, right.’
‘We’re going to go out of our comfort zone. We’re going to see each other in new situations and new places… and you’re going to find out what you’re missing.’ He was grinning, and Natalie didn’t know whether he wanted to be taken seriously or whether he was winding her up.
‘You’re mad. We’ve known each other for, like, twenty years. I think we’d know by now if there was any chemistry between us, don’t you?’
‘Maybe one of us thinks there is.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘And, anyway, why are girls always going on about chemistry? You never heard a bloke talk about that, did you?’
‘Blokes don’t need chemistry. They just need tits.’
Tom shook his head. ‘You disappoint me with your generalisations, Nat, not to mention your crude and base language.’
‘Oh, shut up. Listen, I know, okay? You know, too, if you stop being a clown for a minute.’
‘One question, my little lovely. Have you got anything better to do with your life in the next couple of months?’
‘You know I haven’t.’
‘Well, then. Why not play Alphabet Weekends with your old mate, Tom? Live a little.’
Natalie had no answer for that.
‘See you next Friday, then.’ And with that he sped off.
Lucy
It snowed overnight. Lucy couldn’t remember the last time snow had settled around there, but it had this morning – just a couple of centimetres. The world looked pretty. Bella and Ed were outside, coats and boots on over their pyjamas, building a snowman, and she listened to their squeals while she waited for the kettle to boil.
‘I’ll cancel Marianne and Alec,’ she said.
‘Don’t do that. No need.’
‘If you’re sure.’
‘I’m sure.’
She was relieved. She didn’t want to cancel. She hadn’t seen him since the end-of-term carol concert. Alec had kissed her cheek just a little nearer her mouth than he should have done, and held her hand just a little longer than was, maybe, normal, when they’d said goodbye and wished each other a merry Christmas.
She knew she shouldn’t want to see him as much as she did. ‘And we’ll talk about it tonight, shall we?’ ‘It’. Little word for a huge subject.
‘Sure.’
Upstairs she dressed with care. She heard the children come in, giggling and chattering, and heard Patrick taking them out of their snowy gear, laughing along. When Bella came into her bedroom, there were two or three discarded outfits on the bed, and Lucy stood in her bra and pants examining herself in the long mirror. She smiled at her daughter, then twisted her mouth into a grimace. ‘Think I’ve put on a couple of pounds over Christmas.’
‘Mrs Smith says we shouldn’t even know how much we weigh.’
‘That’s easy for Mrs Smith to say. She doesn’t weigh an ounce over eight stone.’
‘You look lovely, Mummy.’
She kissed Bella’s forehead. ‘Thank you, darling.’ She took another skirt and sweater out of the wardrobe. ‘This one?’ Bella nodded approvingly. ‘You’re looking pretty good yourself, sweetheart. That’s the cardigan Granny bought you, isn’t it?’
Bella grinned and twisted happily. She was getting so grown-up. And she looked like her father.
Lucy hadn’t thought much about Will in a long time. But Bella was increasingly similar. She had her own colouring, but the long, coltish legs and the long, curling eyelashes were all Will. Sometimes, when she was explaining something to her mother, Bella used her hands like he did, emphasising things with expansive gestures. She hadn’t seen him for ages. There had been no need, while the divorce was being finalised and he hadn’t asked to see