The Decoy Date

Chapter Sixteen

“Hey what was that look about last night at Charlie’s dinner party?” Imogen confronted Jess as soon as she came through the door to their shop, she’d been up most of the night unable to sleep trying to figure out what Jess’ problem had been. Jess stopped halfway through shrugging her coat off and turned to look at Imogen with it clinging to her upper arms. Imogen crossed her arms waiting for an answer, Jess sighed and shrugged the rest of the coat off and unwound her purple scarf, hanging both garments on the coat stand by the door.

“You’re falling for Charlie!” Imogen sat frozen, too stunned to reply or deny Jess’ statement. “I saw the way you were looking at him last night, like he was everything, the centre of the world.You’re falling in love with him, I knew this would happen when you agreed to this stupid fake dating idea.”

“Hey! I am not falling for him! It’s all part of our cover, we are meant to look like a proper couple for Christ’s sake.”

“I’ve known you since we were five and you’re not that good of an actress, you can’t lie very well either. Every time you get a text from him you smile, your whole face lights up when you see him and you are always talking about him when he’s not there. If that’s not love I don’t know what is. Besides what about Jack? He’ll be back soon and you haven’t even mentioned him this week.” Jess threw her hands up in the air and puffed out her cheeks, when Imogen didn’t reply, she shook her head and huffed walking to the back of the shop to sort out some stock.

Imogen just stared at the empty space in front of her, Jess’ words sinking slowly into her brain and images of herself with Charlie and talking about Charlie flashed through her brain. She couldn’t be falling for him, not Charlie Ramsey; it was all part of their act as a couple, nothing more. She must have talked about Jack, she’d been so excited after meeting him at The British Museum. She sat immobilised trying to convince herself she wasn’t in love until a customer banged on the counter in front of her having asked the same question five times with no response.

All the commotion brought Jess back to front of the shop, she carried a book in each hand and was red-cheeked from climbing up and down to reach the top shelves. “Is everything alright?” The customer nodded and moved to the area of the shop where Imogen had indicated what he was looking for would be. “Are you alright?” She looked at Imogen slightly concerned. “I’m cooking dinner tonight, you should come and bring Charlie. Matt really liked him and he still thinks you’re a couple.”

Imogen managed a nod and tight smile in acceptance and pulled out her phone to text Charlie about the plan. A minute later her phone was ringing and she smiled involuntarily as the photo of Charlie flashed up on the screen, remembering Jess’ words she stopped immediately.

“Hi, so Jess is cooking tonight? Is she good at cooking?”

“Yes she’s not bad, I can’t promise you won’t get food poisoning tomorrow but it will taste good tonight. Her last couple of dinner parties haven’t ended up with people hospitalised but the one in May wasn’t good – “

“Hey, it wasn’t that bad!” Jess stopped in front of Imogen looking annoyed and exasperated.

“Ben had to have his stomach pumped and was on a drip for three days.”

“Well I didn’t know the meat was off when I bought it! The bloke didn’t tell me.” Jess was getting more and more angry as her face reddened at the memory of that awful night.

“You didn’t get a clue from the fact the price was so cheap and he was selling it out of the back of a van.”

“Oh God! You make it sound like I bought it off Del Boy or something, he said he was a butcher and I believed him. It’s done and I’ve learnt my lesson since.”

Imogen smiled at the sound of Charlie laughing in her ear and watched Jess walk away in another huff, she would definitely pay for that later, if there was one thing her friend couldn’t stand it was being humiliated.

“Hmm, I don’t know if I want to go if I’m going to be poisoned.” The smile shone through in his voice and she wished she could have seen it light up his face.

“It’ll be fine, she’s a really good cook usually. It was just that one night that let her down. What do you say you come to mine at six tonight.”

“Okay, sounds good. I’ll see you later, looking forward to it.” She tried not to get excited about seeing him again later but the following eight hours dragged on. She found herself daydreaming about last night’s dinner and what might happen tonight as she dealt with Jess’ evil stares and Christmas shoppers – lots now they were into December – asking hundreds of questions and wanting the books they bought gift-wrapped. Five o’clock couldn’t come soon enough.

Imogen locked up as Jess hurried off to start cooking, she changed and flicked on the television to see the football scores as she waited in anticipation for Charlie to arrive. Good news, Arsenal had won 3-0 and before she knew it the doorbell rang. Forcing her heart to slow down along with her feet she reached the bottom of the stairs without having an accident and ending up in A&E.

“You ready?” Charlie’s smiled faltered when Imogen held out a helmet towards him. “Is Jess’ cooking so bad I need protection?” He took the helmet looking at it disbelievingly and examined it in detail. He put it on his head and pulled a model pose making Imogen laugh so hard she doubled over. “What do you think? Does it suit me?” He pouted and moved his head from side to side.

“You look better than me in it.” She walked past him and straddled her pale blue Vespa. Tightening her own helmet she looked back at Charlie to see what he was doing and found him with his eyebrows raised and his arms crossed over his chest.

“You really expect me to get on that thing?” His voice shook slightly with nerves and the confidence ebbed slowly away.

“Yes unless you want to walk? No? Then get on you big baby!” She smiled as he ambled towards the moped with clear trepidation. Tentatively he lifted his leg over the bike and settled down behind her, his arms encircled her waist and she closed her eyes as his warmth spread over her back. “Ready?” She felt Charlie nod behind her and revved up the throttle feeling his arms pull more tightly against her stomach.

“Can we stop on the way and pick up some wine, I feel a little awkward turning up with nothing!” Charlie shouted over the sound of the little engine ripping along the street and the wind rushing in both their ears. Pulling up after the next junction, he clambered off the bike slowly and almost fell over from the vibrations still resonating up his legs from the ride. Imogen bit back a laugh and smiled as he walked into the shop.

She watched as Charlie picked up a bottle of white wine, read the label and put it back down to pick up a bottle of red and headed to the till. Craning her neck, she saw him place the bottle down and pull out his wallet; then her heart stopped. He was flirting with the girl behind the counter and horror beyond horror, she was jealous. Oh God! Jess is right, I’m falling for him and when we split up he’s going to go off with some other woman and leave me alone.

She sat back on the leather bike seat confused and unsure whether to try and see Charlie less to soften the inevitable blow when they split up or whether to make the most of her time with him. As he walked towards her grinning in his moped helmet she made up her mind. She couldn’t stop seeing him, she’d just have to take the pain when they “broke up”, she’d get over it.

He climbed onto the bike a little more confidently and once again put his arms around her, holding the bottle of wine in clasped hands. She kicked off and drove to Jess’ flat.

                              *

Charlie sat talking to Matt about the Arsenal match earlier that day and watched Imogen chatting with Jess, she was beautiful when she was smiling and joking. He’d played his nervousness on a bit before getting on the bike just to see her smile and laugh at him and was happy when she hadn’t argued about him holding onto her when they were riding along. He could have held onto the seat but he’d rather have his hands on her, he couldn’t get enough of touching her.

“Charlie could you help take these dishes through with me?” He looked up at Jess in surprise, she was piling the empty plates up and taking them through to the next room. He did the same but squeezed Imogen’s shoulder on his way through and grinned as she smiled at him and took a sip of the red wine he’d bought at the off-licence.

Jess was running water as he placed the plates down next to the ones she had left. “That paella was beautiful, I’ve never had one that good outside of Spain.” He smiled as he grabbed a tea towel from the oven door and stood next to her at the sink. She turned off the water before the bowl was half full and turned towards him with a deadly look on her face, he took a step back instinctively and gulped.

“Look Imogen’s special, don’t you dare make some joke. I’ve known her forever and never seen her with a guy like she is with you, she says it’s just an act but I’m not so sure. Either way I don’t want you to think you can take advantage and end up hurting her. She is amazing and tough and strong – she had to endure a huge amount with her mother – but inside she’s just a hopeless romantic and if you break her heart, I will kill you. You can be sure of that!” He took another step back and hit the wall, flinching as the mad woman in front of him brandished a carving knife in his face.

“Is everything alright in there?” Imogen called from the dining room next door.

“Fine, we’re just talking about you.” Jess gave Charlie one last meaningful glance and turned the hot tap back on.

“I thought my ears were burning. What’s she been saying about me?” Imogen walked into the room smiling, she crossed the room and put her hand on his shoulder.

“Only good things, obviously.” He picked up the dish Jess had placed on the draining board catching the sideways glance she had sneaked him while he answered Imogen’s question. Her hand left his shoulder and he felt the cold there again. It was amazing how when she touched him he felt so much more comfortable and warmer. He wished she could touch him like that all the time, if only they weren’t breaking up soon.

However Jess’ words had given him a little hope, if Imogen’s best friend could see she had feelings for him maybe she did. He turned to look at her and found her staring at him, well at his arse; he raised one eyebrow at her. Her cheeks flushed and she mouthed the word ‘what?’ at him, he grinned at her and shook his head. He desperately wanted to kiss her in that moment but with Jess in the room and being in the vicinity of numerous weapons, he decided it probably wasn’t the best idea and saved it for later.

They finished the washing up and the bottle of wine, luckily Imogen had only had one glass with dinner because he was feeling a little tipsy himself; there was no way he could have driven and he was fairly sure he’d struggle to walk properly. Disappointment settled over him as he saw his street passing slowly, Imogen pulled the moped up outside his house and cut the engine.

He staggered off the bike almost taking her with him and stumbled up the pavement. “You’re drunk!” Imogen smiled at him and he stepped towards her shaking his head.

“Just a little bit.” He leant down and kissed her, sure she would be put off by the alcohol on his breath but she wasn’t. She pulled away but he had gotten his helmet caught up in hers, as he tried to pull away he felt her breath fan across his face from her laughter. Finally free he pulled back and took the helmet off and handed it to her. She smiled and put it into the seat he’d been sat on. He didn’t know why but he found this amazing, probably to do with the amount of wine he’d consumed.

She started the engine and made her way up the road, he waved and watched her ride up the road until he could no longer see her. He smiled to himself, well that was an interesting night!