Babyville Page 0,129
said she was thinking of doing exactly the same thing.
But every time she tried to ask him a question, he'd come out with another, and it was only as they were about to go home that she realized she knew as little about him at the end of the evening as she did at the beginning.
And he knew practically everything about her.
That had to be, she thinks, smiling, throwing Huggies into her shopping trolley as George gurgles happily in the baby seat, because he loves me. She looks up and knows that he definitely loves her if she reaches the end of the aisle before the old woman in the red raincoat who's shuffling her way to the bottom. She's about to break into a speedwalk when she sees how ridiculous she's being.
He loves her.
She doesn't have to play these games anymore.
28
“Hi. Sam?” George is sitting in his high chair attempting to lean forward as Sam tries to maneuver the tray on to give him lunch.
“Hang on, hang on,” she cries as she drops the phone briefly to adjust the shoulder straps. “Come on, Chicken. Be a good boy and eat Mummy's delicious homemade fishcakes. Yum yum. Mmmm. Delicious.” She spoons it into his mouth at the same time as she picks up the receiver.
“I'm so sorry,” she says into the mouthpiece, speed-spooning more crumbled-up fishcake into George's mouth, which is open and waiting like a tiny little black bird's. “Hello?”
“So are your fishcakes delicious, then?”
“They're going down a treat,” she says, trying to place the voice, which is so familiar. “Who is it that wants to know?”
“I can't believe you don't know when we only spoke yesterday.”
Yesterday? Yesterday was Sunday. She tries to think whether she spoke to anyone yesterday, but no. Her mind is blank.
“Yesterday?”
“Sam! It's Dan.”
She drops the spoon, which luckily makes no noise whatsoever, being, as it is, made of orange and turquoise rubber, and George lets out a wail of disapproval, anxious for the next mouthful.
“Dan, how are you?” She thinks of using her Caramac bunny voice, but too late. It would sound ridiculous now, and she curses herself for being so unprepared, for Dan having to listen to her being, well, mumsy, rather than a voluptuous sex siren. But then again, he called her. Her wishes finally came true and he called.
“I'm extremely well. Is this a bad time to call?”
As if there could ever possibly be a bad time for Dan to call.
“Not at all.”
“Look, I really hope you don't find this presumptuous, but it's Jill's birthday next Friday and one of the ideas I thought of for a present was a painting, or drawing, of our house because she loves it, and even though I know you're a graphic designer, I thought you might know someone who does this sort of thing.”
“I could do it.” The words are out before she even has a chance to think about them.
“You could?” Relief and joy in his voice. She knew it! Sam knew it was just an excuse to see her again! “I wanted to ask you but I was sure you'd say no. God, Sam. That's fantastic. It's incredibly short notice, though, her birthday's in two weeks. Could you do it by then?”
“No problem. The only thing I've been doing recently is looking after George.”
“Come, come. Now I know you're lying. What about making those delicious homemade fishcakes? They must have kept you busy.”
She laughs. “Ah yes. I'd forgotten about those. See how exciting my life is? Looking after babies and cooking.”
“Jill only pretends to cook. She has four recipes that she does to perfection, and that's it. All I can say is your husband must be a very lucky man.”
Sam blossoms with pride. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“Now that,” he laughs, “is something you definitely shouldn't be saying to a man like me.”
A warm flush appears on her face. This is serious flirtation. This is something in which she hasn't indulged for years. Not since long before Chris. And more to the point, she's flirting with Dan! Or rather, he's flirting with her.
Which is not the same thing at all.
She tries to think of something equally flirtatious, or witty, or leading, but finds herself at a loss for words. This is all happening far more quickly than she had expected, and although she's delirious with joy, she's also unprepared, and changes tack to bring the conversation back on to a more comfortable level for her.
“So what should I do about the house?