The Decoy Date

Chapter Three

“Hello! . . . Earth to Imogen.” She shook her head as his voice interrupted her daydreaming, Jess’ punch was on replay in her head. She was a feisty character but she’d never actually seen her punch anyone before, the closest had been when she’d slapped a girl on a night out in the students’ union. They’d been circling each other all night, well, all semester actually and a comment about Jess’ then boyfriend being a cheat sent her over the edge. That particular night ended with both parties being thrown out by a bouncer.

“Sorry, I was miles away.”

“I was saying your shop looks really good, have you had it long?” He smiled at her and she couldn’t help but scowl in return, smirking when his own smile faded away. The hurt from school was still fresh in her memory and even more acute with the reappearance of him; she still wasn’t sure why she’d agreed to go for coffee but there’d been something sincere in his apology and she was willing to see what else he had to say.

“We’ve been open seven years now, Jess and I started the place straight out of university. We thought the combination of her business degree and my English literature degree would be perfect. I’m still surprised every time we sell a book.” They had reached The Roast House quicker than she’d expected, her cheeks flushed at the memory of yesterday’s kiss and when she looked at Charlie he had a dazed smile himself as he looked at the spot where they’d stood yesterday, obviously remembering it as well.

Shaking his head to himself he walked to the door and held it open for her, she hesitated before taking a deep breath and strolling through with him right behind her. They ordered their coffees and a muffin, it was the least he owed her after what had happened all those years ago. Settling at a table by the window they both looked down unsure how to start a conversation with their companion.

“I really am sorry for everything that happened at school, it wasn’t my idea to . . . you know . . . get involved, it’s just everyone else was and then I felt I had to or I’d wouldn’t be their friends anymore. God I hate peer pressure, you see it in school even now.” She looked up at him in shock as what he’d said sunk in.

“You’re a teacher! I’d never have said of all the people at school, you’d go into teaching.” She chuckled and smiled at him for the first time all morning, his unexpected profession had broken through the barrier that she had set in place when she’d seen him standing right there in the middle of her shop and in  the middle of her life again.

“I know right, I always thought I’d be a professional footballer or rock star, there was a time I thought maybe an astronaut, but a projectile vomiting  episode after my Oblivion experience at Alton Towers put paid to that.” He looked up at her and smiled nervously before continuing. “I did some volunteering in a school after college and fell in love with it, I thought when I left at sixteen I’d never set foot in another one but here I am, teaching maths, of all things.”

She picked up her coffee cup, it was one of those huge ones that took two hand to hold; before coming here she’d only ever seen them on Friends. The hot liquid scolded her tongue but in a way that made her feel alive, each sip made her fall in love with it all over again. The pause also gave her a chance to digest the information she’d just received, Charlie was not what she had been expecting, she thought he’d work for some corporate designer or be employed by some company where he got paid to play computer games and do nothing all day.

“So you and Jenny work at the same school?”

“Yeah, she was already teaching there when I arrived about three years ago. She’s a great teacher, all the pupils love her lessons.” He drank his own coffee and took a bite of his blueberry muffin, licking the crumbs off his fingers and drawing her attention to his mouth again; forcing her thoughts back to their kiss. He noticed her staring and blushed before flashing a coy smile, she instantly looked away chiding herself for falling for his illustrious charm. She was supposed to be hating him not wishing his lips would touch hers again.

Imogen cleared her throat and pulled a piece off the edge of her own Maple-pecan muffin, savouring the sweet, nutty taste as it touched her tongue. Charlie began flexing his jaw again obviously feeling the effects of Jess, she stifled a giggle behind her coffee cup but he noticed and she let the laughter out.

“You look so different when you laugh, happy and carefree; it’s a good look on you. Your friend’s got a hell of a punch, she should take up boxing professionally, she’d knock her opponents out in the first round.”

“She used to do it at the gym, but in the end nobody would spar with her. She took up none contact sport after that, but when you watch her playing in the hockey leagues you can see that aggression wanting to come out when the opposition scores.” Her pocket vibrated as her iPhone buzzed with an incoming call, she pulled the phone out and her heart sank.

“It’s my mum, she’s been calling me about five times a day, I want to throttle her so much.”

“Ignore it and call her back later.”

“I can’t, she’ll leave a really snotty voicemail and call back straight away anyway, sorry about this.” Imogen pressed answer and moved the phone to her ear. “Hello mother, what is it this time?”

“What took you so long to answer? I’d thought you’d been in an accident.” She knew her mother wasn’t really concerned about her health, she’d be worried that Imogen would mess up her sister’s wedding photos or ruin the wedding by not being able to make it because she was in hospital or heaven forbid lying dead in a ditch somewhere.

“I’m out having coffee with someone.”

“Is it him? Your mystery man, put him on the phone I want to talk to him.” She sighed, she couldn’t win in this situation; if she refused to let her mother speak to him, she’d think her boyfriend was made up, which he was but she didn’t want her mother to know that. If she let her mother talk to Charlie, he’d think she was crazy for making up a fake boyfriend and laugh at her all over again; evoking all the pain from school.

She pulled the phone down, covering the mouthpiece and whispered to Charlie; “She wants to talk to you, I told her I was seeing someone yesterday so she wouldn’t set me up on another awful blind date; she thinks it’s you.” She looked at him pleading silently, hoping her puppy dog eyes made his heart melt and persuade him to help her. She couldn’t believe she’d sunk so low as to be practically begging the man she’d loathed for so long to help her; desperate times called for desperate measures, especially when it came to her mother.

He held out his hand for the phone which she reluctantly passed over, hoping beyond hope he wouldn’t give her lie away and humiliate her.

“Good morning Mrs Jones, how are you today?” Her mouth tightened as she waited for the worst, the thought that Charlie was in on it with her mother crossed her mind, this whole apology was just part of an act to humiliate her further and break her resolve once and for all. No, he wouldn’t do that, would he? She wasn’t confident, yes he seemed different but could she really trust him, she didn’t know anything about him.

“That’s good, Charlie Ma’am. . . that’s right. She asked me today, yes, I said I’d loved to go and finally meet her family.” All the colour drained from Imogen’s face as she listened to the one-sided conversation and could only guess what her mother was talking about. Now she’d definitely have to find a guy to take to her father’s birthday get-together, who the hell was she going to ask? It looked like Jess, Jenny and her were going to have to go on a mission and find a suitable date.

Panic and anxiety flashed through her and made her pulse increase in expectation, she looked back to Charlie who was finishing his phone conversation and looking a little worn out, at least he knew how she felt. Saying goodbye, for now, he passed the phone back to her and blew the air out of his cheeks like he’d just run a marathon. Imogen put the phone back to her own ear waiting for her mother to laugh in her face and reveal it had all been a set up and she knew her daughter was making up a fake boyfriend.

“He sounds very nice Imogen, well-spoken, polite, you’ve got a keeper there.” She breathed out silently with relief, for the moment at least. Her mother reminded her of the brunch they were having on Wednesday with Daisy to discuss wedding details and hung up. She let out a shaky laugh and looked back up to Charlie. “Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Bloody hell, she’s a little over the top isn’t she; I thought my mum was bad but yours, whoa, no offense. Do you fancy another coffee? I could do with one.”

                                                 *

Charlie waited at the counter while the barista made the two coffees he’d ordered, he glanced back to his table by the window and felt admiration for the woman sitting there. She’d been through so much at school but clearly hadn’t given up, she found something she enjoyed and went with it; her book shop had looked fantastic, he wondered how he hadn’t come across it even though he only lived around the corner. Moreover it seemed her was mother was constantly on her case, his own mother had an unhealthy obsession with his life but at least she let him live it himself.

He watched as she tapped the screen of her phone, the frustration palpable as she pressed harder and harder before taking a deep breath to ease the tension. He wondered how many dates her mother had set her up on, if she had to make a fake boyfriend up to put a stop to them it must have been a lot. Thinking back to their kiss yesterday, he pondered what sort of men they must have been; surely none of them would have rejected her, if they had they were idiots.

Something clicked in his brain and the words she’d said yesterday when she had introduced herself to Sarah, echoed in his mind; Hi, Imogen Jones, Charlie’s girlfriend! What if they did pretend to date? Both of them had reasons for wanting a fake relationship, she wanted her mother off her back and he’d enjoy a break from his mother nagging him about settling down and he could get rid of Sarah permanently. Paying for the coffees, he deliberated over whether she’d go for it or not; he’d been a bastard to her at school but she seemed to accept his apology. He contemplated whether to ask her on a phoney date or not, I mean what’s the harm, she can’t hate me more than she did and I probably deserve to be rejected anyway but it could be the perfect solution for the both of us.

“Sorry about my mother, she can be a bit . . . much!”

“That’s one hell of an understatement. I don’t know how you haven’t strangled her already.” He chuckled and looked at her helplessly, all he needed to do was find a way of proposing his idea without scaring her off. Easier said than done.

“It’s always been the same, for me and my sister Daisy, but mainly for me. She thinks if she pesters me enough I’ll start thinking her way and change into the person she wants me to be. I’m never going to be that girly girl who wears pink and gets her nails done while gossiping about the latest celebrity scandal, it’s just not me.” He smiled, that exactly described Sarah and most of the women he’d ever dated, he was tired of women who went on dates and didn’t eat anything, just pushed a few lettuce leaves around their plates and complained when he went to watch the football down the pub.  

“I am what I am and that is my father’s daughter, Daisy and him have accepted me. They try to tell my mum but she just doesn’t listen, that’s why I made up the boyfriend. You probably think I’m nuts, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. The men she sets me up with are all weirdoes – s****l deviants or criminals, I mean I don’t know where the hell she meets them.” She took a deep breath and looked away embarrassed after her mini-rant.

The silence stretched on, so he thought this could be his chance to propose the fake relationship, with hesitant trepidation he pushed forward. “About that,” He watched her freeze in alarm as he leant forward in his seat, her eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly. “why don’t I be your fake boyfriend, all we have to do is pretend we’re dating, you know make appearances at family things and go out for a meal every so often to keep up the pretence. It could be my way of making everything up to you, apologising properly. What do you think?”