Happy Endings at Mermaids Point, page 11
‘I do! Well, Alex handles the bookshop side of things mostly and I sell all sorts of everything else – clothes, bits of furniture, decorative nick-nacks, cushions – you name it, really!’
‘Well, you look stunning. I’m definitely going to have to make time for a shopping trip while I’m here.’
Ivy’s cheeks glowed in obvious pleasure. ‘You’d be welcome, any time. You can come after hours if you want, you know, if you’d rather not be bothered by people.’
Her kindness and consideration warmed Aurora from the inside out. ‘That’s really very sweet of you, but I don’t want any special treatment. I want people to see me out and about.’ She looked towards Nick. ‘To see us out and about.’
‘That’s the plan.’ Nick hoisted the last bag out of the boot. ‘Come on, let’s get inside and you two can chat fashion to your hearts’ content.’
Ivy rolled her eyes then hooked her arm through Aurora’s. ‘You really couldn’t find anyone better than Nick to be your fake boyfriend?’
‘Hey!’ Nick protested as both Ivy and Aurora burst out laughing.
‘Let me introduce you to the real man in my life.’ Aurora led Ivy round to the side of the car and opened the door. Gabriel jumped down, his stiff little tail sticking straight up like an aerial, wagging a mile a minute.
‘Oh my goodness, who’s this gorgeous boy?’ Unhooking their arms, Ivy dropped to her knees to give Gabriel a pat. He propped his front paws on her chest and swiped a lick on her cheek.
‘Get down.’ Aurora crouched to gently push Gabriel down onto all four paws. ‘Sorry, I don’t want him jumping up on anyone.’ She scratched the dog behind the ears, making a big fuss so he would know he wasn’t in any trouble. ‘He seems mostly well trained, but we don’t know anything about him.’ At Ivy’s puzzled glance, Aurora explained about finding the dog the previous night. ‘We couldn’t just leave him out there on his own.’
‘Of course not!’ Ivy exclaimed. ‘Poor boy. Well, you are welcome to have him in the apartment, though I’m not sure what he’ll make of Lucifer’s scent.’
‘Lucifer?’
Ivy grinned. ‘He’s my devil cat and lives up to his name. He used to belong to the previous owner of the bookshop and kind of never left. He spends most of his time over there, but he comes and stays with me on the odd night I sleep here.’
‘I’m sure Gabriel won’t mind, and if he does he can stay at my place,’ Nick said, towing the luggage towards a large steel door set in the middle of the rear wall. ‘We might only have him for a few days, anyway. I need to take him in to see Jim at the surgery and get him checked out, see if he’s chipped and whatnot.’
Ivy made a choked sound. ‘Gabriel?’
Aurora frowned at her for a second before a broad smile tugged at her cheeks. ‘And Lucifer!’ She started to giggle. ‘The receptionist at the motel described him as an angel and with it being nearly Christmas, the name seemed to fit.’
‘Well, I hope he lives up to his name as much as Lucifer lives down to his. Come on, let’s get in the warm and get you settled in.’
They entered a plain-looking hallway with doors to the right and left and a wide staircase leading to the first floor. A set of four postboxes had been fixed to the wall beside the front door and Aurora noticed only three of the four had name labels. ‘We’re still waiting to complete the purchase on the final ground-floor apartment,’ Nick said as he led them towards the stairs. ‘There’s been a bit of a setback as Louise, one of the buyers, hasn’t been very well, so we’ve put everything on hold while she recovers.’
‘Her mum was in yesterday,’ Ivy said as she grabbed one of the bags without being asked and started to climb. ‘Sounds like she’s feeling a lot better so with any luck they’ll be able to proceed early in the new year.’
‘Ah, thanks for the update. I was wondering how she was but I didn’t like to text in case they thought I was hassling them.’ Nick was carrying the largest case as though it weighed nothing.
‘Isn’t it costing you money, not being able to complete the sale?’ Aurora asked as they rounded the half-landing and completed the climb to the first floor.
Nick shrugged. ‘I’ve made enough to pay back the bank loan, which was the most pressing issue. Besides, some things are more important than money.’
It was such a Nick thing to say, Aurora thought. Not flippant or careless about his finances, more that his priorities were elsewhere. ‘You’ll never become a ruthless business tycoon with that marshmallow heart.’
He laughed. ‘Thank God for that, because I can’t imagine anything worse. I’ve got my eye on another project, but it’s very early days. If I’m not in a position to make an offer on it before someone else snaps it up, something else will come along, no doubt.’
It was on the tip of Aurora’s tongue to say she could help him out with financing if he needed it, but she changed her mind. She didn’t want to risk offending him by suggesting he needed her help. Not that it would be charity, more an investment opportunity. What she’d seen so far of the warehouse conversion impressed her, but she’d have a better idea once she’d settled in and had time to check out the quality of the finishes inside the apartments. Perhaps she could get Nick to show her the property he had in mind for his next project. She filed the thought away as Ivy unlocked the door on the right and pushed it open. ‘Here we are.’
Though the floor was wood, Aurora made a point of removing her boots before she stepped inside. Light. That was the first word that came to mind as she got her first glimpse of the interior of Ivy’s place. It flooded in not only from the huge front window, but from the row of high, narrow ones lining the side wall. A soft rug the colour of burnished wheat covered the floor in front of a long, dark green leather sofa that looked as though it ought to be in the smoking room of a gentlemen’s club. Bookcases lined one wall, spilling over with not just books, but rocks, shells and bits of driftwood, which had obviously been picked up on the beach. Plants were everywhere – from spider plants and ivy dangling tendrils over the edges of shelves to a pair of large cheese plants framing either side of the front window. ‘It’s beautiful.’
The sound of claws on wood caught her attention and Aurora crouched to loop a gentle arm around Gabriel’s neck before he got it into his head to explore the place. ‘You need a bath, fella, before you’re getting near any of the furniture,’ she told the dog.
With a laugh, Ivy stepped past her and tugged a dark green and red checked blanket from the arm of the sofa and shook it out flat over the rug. ‘Here, he’ll be fine on this for now.’ She patted the soft wool and Gabriel glanced from her to Aurora before trotting over to settle in the middle of it.
‘I’ll make sure to have it dry-cleaned,’ Aurora assured her, before wondering whether Mermaids Point even had a dry-cleaner’s.
‘Don’t worry about it. Pretty much everything is second – or likely third – hand. You must make yourself at home while you’re here.’ Ivy scratched Gabriel between the ears. ‘Both of you.’ She straightened up. ‘Come on, I’ll show you the rest.’
The living room area flowed into an open-plan kitchen, a chest-height partition cleverly dividing the two spaces without blocking any of the light. The appliances were sleek and modern, the stainless steel a nice contrast to the polished granite work surfaces. Ivy gave her a quick tour of everything, opening cupboards to show where the crockery, pans and utensils were all stored. She tugged open the door to the fridge to display a vast array of fresh vegetables, meat, cheese and staples. ‘To get you started,’ she said to Aurora with a smile. ‘I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got a bit of everything. If there’s anything you don’t want, let me know and I’ll take it back to the flat with me.’
Aurora pressed a hand to her stomach before it could give an appreciative rumble; breakfast had been a quick panini bolted down so they could get on the road early. ‘You shouldn’t have gone to any trouble, but I’m so glad that you did. Will you stay for lunch?’
Ivy shook her head. ‘I have to get back to the shop as I’ve left Alex fending for himself. We’ll catch up this evening, though, for dinner.’
‘You guys are joining us at the pub?’ Nick asked as he finished his self-appointed task of carrying Aurora’s luggage into a room that she assumed must be the bedroom.
Ivy grinned. ‘Your dad issued a three-line whip to all the Morgans and the Nelsons; everybody will be there.’
Aurora tried to ignore the flutter of nerves in her stomach, wondering just how many people this ‘everybody’ constituted. ‘Well, that’ll be something to look forward to,’ she said, with a bright smile. ‘It’ll give me a chance to get to meet the whole family.’ She hesitated, looking between Ivy and Nick. ‘They all know what’s going on?’
Ivy reached out to pat her arm. ‘Everyone has been fully briefed so you’ll have plenty of back-up, don’t worry.’ She checked her watch. ‘Look, I must dash, Nick can sort out the rest of the tour. I’ll see you later.’
On impulse, Aurora reached out and gave this lovely, kind woman a quick hug. ‘Thank you so much for lending me this place. I promise to take good care of it.’
‘You’re very welcome!’ Ivy gave her a quick squeeze in return and when she stepped back, Aurora could see there was a genuine warmth in her gaze. She watched as Ivy gave Nick a hug then headed for the door with a cheery wave. If they had more time, Aurora could imagine the two of them becoming friends. It was a melancholy thought because she couldn’t remember the last time she’d made a new friend. Perhaps if things went well over the next couple of weeks, she could think about making regular trips to the Point. And what? Expect Nick to keep playing along as her pretend boyfriend every time she condescended to visit? God, she really hadn’t thought any of this through properly, had she? She’d have to have a proper talk with Nick before they met up with everyone later so they both knew exactly where they stood – and most importantly, how things were going to end so he wasn’t left in the lurch once the holidays were over.
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’
Startled, Aurora glanced up to see Nick regarding her with a frown of concern creasing his dark brows. ‘I was just thinking about how we rushed into all of this without thinking about the longer-term consequences.’ With a sigh, she wandered across to the sofa and sank down on the butter-soft leather. Close up, she could see the material was cracked with age, but someone – Ivy no doubt – had treated and buffed the aged leather to a high shine. She pulled up her feet beside her, leaving room for Nick to sit down.
‘We definitely need to set some ground rules,’ he said as he slung one arm along the back of the sofa, turning his body so he was nestled in the opposite corner and facing towards her. ‘We’ll have to hold hands and stuff, to make the story believable, but we don’t have to go in for a load of big PDAs like we did at the airport.’
Aurora nodded. ‘I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, and I definitely don’t want you to feel used the way you probably did last time.’
Nick laughed. ‘I didn’t feel used. What happened between us was a mutual choice. I’ll admit to being disappointed with the way things ended so abruptly, but I understand why you did what you did.’
She met his rueful smile with one of her own. ‘I won’t say I haven’t thought about whether things might have turned out differently for us now and again.’
Nick’s expression turned serious. ‘And?’
She sighed and shook her head. ‘It was clear even from those few weeks that our lives are just far too different. You have your friends and your family, a really special community you are a part of. I’m always on the road, living out of suitcases and in hotel rooms and I couldn’t have expected you to give up everything and traipse around after me.’
‘You could’ve given me that option.’
Aurora sighed. ‘No, I couldn’t. Not then, because I had to devote every single moment of my energy towards making sure my comeback was a success. I barely had time to sleep those first couple of months after the truth about the mermaid videos came out. My single dropped the next day, and then it was an endless round of interviews and appearances. When the song hit number one, Dennis decided to push the album out to maximise exposure and organised a last-minute tour. I never knew where I was going to be from one day to the next. I just did a show, fell asleep in an anonymous hotel, got put on a bus the next morning and did the same thing the next night and the next. I was living on adrenaline and junk food.’ She’d forgotten how hard being back on the road was and it had taken a few weeks to settle into a more sensible routine. ‘Then the single gained traction in the States and it was too good an opportunity to pass up.’ She took a deep breath and said the words that she knew would reveal the very selfish core of her. ‘I didn’t have time for you, Nick.’
He stared at her for a long moment. ‘And now?’
Of all the things she’d expected him to say, that was the very last one. ‘Now?’
‘Yes.’ He slid across the sofa until their knees were touching. ‘Do you have time for me now?’
Heat flared inside her, the passion she’d always felt for him stirring like a beast waking from a long slumber. ‘What are you saying?’
He cupped her cheek, one long thumb stroking against her temple. He’d held her just like that when they’d lain together in the quiet moments after… A flush of remembered sensation rose up her chest, her throat, higher still until she was sure her face must be on fire. ‘I’m saying we don’t have to pretend, if you don’t want to. We’ve got two weeks together. Give me the chance to show you how good things can be between us.’
He didn’t need to show her; the memories flooding through her head were showing her in very vivid detail how good things between them had already been. He leaned forward until their lips were an inch apart. ‘Tell me what you want, Aurora.’
The temptation to give in to the promise not only in his words but in his eyes was almost overwhelming. ‘Nick.’
‘Tell me.’ He whispered the words over her mouth like the sweetest caress.
‘I… I need time to think.’ She wasn’t sure which of them was more disappointed when he sat back, running a hand through his tangled curls. ‘Right.’ A red spot glowed on his cheek, and she wondered what it had cost him to put his heart on the line for her again. How many more times would he be willing to reach out only for her to let him down? She suspected this might be the last. ‘I really will think about it.’
A rough smile quirked his lips. ‘Sure.’ He pushed up from the sofa. ‘Dad’s booked the table for seven thirty so I’ll give you a knock around seven, okay?’ He clicked his tongue at the dog and Gabriel immediately came to his side. ‘I’ll take him for a walk and sort out a few essentials, try and speak to the vet and what have you.’ Nick said all that without looking at her, his voice bland and completely lacking in emotion.
‘Fine.’ Gabriel turned at the single word and if doggy looks could talk, the one he was giving her was one of equal parts disappointment and disapproval. She didn’t blame him. She was pretty bloody disappointed in herself too. She wanted to grab Nick’s hand, to find a match to the courage he’d shown and give him the chance he’d asked for. Instead, she watched him let himself out of the flat, the quiet click of the door behind him somehow more of a statement than if he’d slammed it. With a sigh, she heaved up from the sofa and trudged into the bedroom. Her body clock was still all over the place from travelling and if she didn’t try to have a nap, she’d be absolutely useless later.
To her surprise, Aurora managed to sleep for a solid three hours. It might have been longer if her bladder hadn’t woken her. Trying to shake off her grogginess, she padded out of the bedroom in the T-shirt and her underwear and opened the door to a small storage cupboard before opening the one next to it and entering a bathroom that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a posh hotel. The walls were sleek, shiny, white tiles, the floor a deep midnight blue with tiny flecks of gold. A double-length shower cubicle filled the entire wall to her right. At the sight of it, she caught her breath, forgetting all about why she’d come into the bathroom in the first place. Unable to tear her eyes away, she slid back the cubicle door and stepped inside, raising her fingers to trace the vivid ribbon of green that seemed to shimmer and dance. Beneath the bright green were shades of pink and purple fading into a starlit sky that echoed the floor tiles. She didn’t know how it was possible, but the entire panel was a photo-realistic image of the northern lights, the aurora borealis, after which her solid, sensible mother had inexplicably named her. Was this a sign of Ivy’s creative soul, or was it something Nick had suggested for her? Either way, Aurora found herself completely entranced by it. Her body urgently reminded her why she’d woken up and with that taken care of, she decided to try out the spectacular shower and retrieved her wash kit from the bedroom.
As the first drops of hot water pattered down, she closed her eyes and did what she’d promised Nick she would do – she thought about him, thought about them and the next two weeks. What did it mean? Did he want another fling like before, or something more meaningful? She had the feeling it was the latter, but what could they really find out about each other in such a short space of time? Even if they decided to really be together rather than faking it, there was no guarantee she would be able to shake off the rumours and unpleasantness of the story about her and Chad. Once something was on the internet it took on a life of its own and she knew she would be asked about it long after the initial buzz of scandal had burnt itself out.
And if the story faded away and her career was still salvageable, what then? She couldn’t manage her career from a little village so far from London. Even if she didn’t go back to America, and damn it, she’d been so close to breaking out there she could still taste the anticipation of it on the back of her tongue, she’d still have to spend most of her time away from whatever home she and Nick might try to make here. How long could she expect him to wait around for her? He was such a family-oriented person, she couldn’t imagine him wanting to leave everything behind and follow her.
