Practically Perfect (14 page)

‘Get your nose out. It’s not for you. Go and sit down,’ said Anna, aware for the first time that entertaining with a large dog was not straightforward.

‘Let’s try her in the kennel,’ said Rob. He unfolded himself from the sofa and went to the corner where the kennel was set up. He’d put all Caroline’s bedding in it, and her toys. ‘Come along, girl,’ he said to her, in the voice he used for no one else. ‘Come and see how you like this.’

To Anna’s surprise, and slight irritation, Caroline walked into the kennel and sat down.

‘Good girl,’ said Rob. ‘Have a biscuit.’ He produced one from his pocket and she took it delicately, and then held it between her paws. ‘We’ll leave the door open. It’s as much a place for her to retreat to, as somewhere to put her out of the way. No, stay there, my darling.’

To stop herself asking if he ever spoke to his girlfriend like that, Anna said, ‘So what about your dogs? They’ll be starving by now.’

He shook his head. ‘After you’d gone I rang my neighbour. She quite often sees to the dogs for me. Although it’s perfectly possible to have dogs and work full time if you take them out early, and again when you get back, I like to have someone who can let them out, feed them, give them a bit of company when I’m not around.’

There was something rather nice about a man who was so fond of his animals, Anna decided, and wondered again if Max liked them. ‘Well, if Caroline’s settled in her cage—’

‘Kennel,’ he corrected her, his expression maddeningly quizzical.

‘Kennel,’ she repeated obligingly. ‘We can eat. Shall we just have a bit of everything? The prawn toast is delicious.’ She handed him the container so he could help himself.

‘You were a long time,’ Rob said, taking one.

‘It’s in the next village.’

‘Was there a queue?’

‘Not really. Well, a bit of one,’ she added quickly. She didn’t want to explain to him that the reason it took so long was that she went there on her bike. In London lots of people only had bicycles, but in the country it seemed more eccentric. Anna handed him a loaded plate. ‘Here
you
are. And a fork. What would you like to drink? I bought some lagers, or would you prefer tea or something?’

‘A can of lager would be great. Don’t bother with a glass. I can manage.’

Anna perched on a stool opposite him. She didn’t want to share the sofa with him. She wasn’t Caroline, who was just too easy, in her opinion. They ate in silence for a few minutes, both hungry.

‘I see you’ve got some lovely boards there,’ said Rob, chewing. ‘Are they for the staircase?’

‘Yes. I rescued them from a skip in London, with the help of a builder friend.’ She related the story of the Jack Russell defending her ill-gotten gains. ‘I just couldn’t bear for anyone else to have them.’

‘I’m surprised the builder didn’t sell them on.’

‘I was, too, but he was a friend of mine. My sister brought them down today, along with all this furniture.’ They both looked round at the furniture while crunching prawn toasts amicably.

‘So, have you decided who you’re going to get to make the staircase?’ Rob asked finally. ‘You don’t want to be climbing up and down that ladder for too much longer.’

‘Well, it’s a big decision,’ Anna hedged. ‘I haven’t got all the quotes in yet.’

‘You haven’t asked for any quotes, have you?’ Rob said with a smile.

‘How on earth—’

‘I asked around. No one’s been asked to quote for anything remotely like a staircase that’s nearly spiral.’

‘I really don’t think—’

‘You’re planning to do it yourself, aren’t you?’

Anna opened her mouth to deny this. It sounded so foolish, such a silly idea, she couldn’t bear to admit to it.
But
then she thought: What is there to be ashamed of? ‘Yes.’

There was a long silence. The tea lights flickered; the gas stove popped and murmured. Caroline suddenly gave a little yip that made them jump.

Rob broke the silence. ‘Well done. That’s a brave decision.’

For a moment, Anna teetered on a fulcrum of emotion and then thoughts of Max flooded in and she landed back where she’d been since she left college. It wasn’t a particularly happy place, but it was familiar and therefore safe.

When Chloe called round to look at the furniture the following day, she was surprised to find everything in such good order.

‘Golly, you must have been up all night getting this lot sorted,’ she said. ‘Oh, and you’ve got a cage.’ She said this with a mixture of reproach and query.

‘Rob Hunter came over yesterday, after Laura and Will had gone. He brought the cage – kennel, I mean – and helped me move the furniture.’

Chloe’s eyes widened. ‘Are you and he … er, you know?’

Anna realised how important it was to disabuse Chloe of her romantic notions or her, Anna’s, life would become a misery. ‘Goodness me, no! Honestly, Chloe, excuse me for laughing but that’s such a ridiculous idea!’

‘Why?’ demanded Chloe, offended.

‘Because! He’s the listed buildings officer! He’s the Dog Police, and, well, he’s just not my type.’

Chloe sighed. Like many happily married people, she didn’t like single people to roam around loose like odd socks. ‘At least you like dogs.’

Anna grinned. ‘Let’s face it, I’ve looked like a dog most
of
the times I’ve seen him – all the times, really, except when I met him at your house and went to his office, when I was reasonably tidy. And I am not looking for a relationship,’ she added firmly.

‘Why not? You do like men, don’t you?’

‘Well, yes, sometimes, it’s just …’

‘So why don’t you want a boyfriend, then?’ Chloe demanded.

‘I just don’t! I haven’t time for a boyfriend!’ And the term seemed rather childish to Anna, as the man in her head was so definitely not a boy. She sighed, seeing Chloe was not satisfied with this answer. She really didn’t want to explain to Chloe about Max – her friend might think it was silly. It probably was. ‘I’ve got no time for a relationship when I’m still building my house, not to mention my staircase!’ But mentioning the staircase reminded her of Rob’s reaction. He hadn’t said it would be difficult, impossible, or even against listed building regulations, he had just said, ‘Well done.’ No, the man wasn’t all bad.

‘I think it’s a shame. Two nice single people, who both love dogs, not getting together.’

‘Chloe, both loving dogs and being single isn’t quite enough to base a relationship on. Last night when we were eating Chinese—’

‘You had Chinese? And you say you’re not interested?’

‘No! We were hungry! He helped me organise all the furniture, and so I went and got some Chinese.’

‘On your bike?’

‘Yes, on my bike, but my point was, we found conversation really difficult. We sat in silence most of the evening, sipping lager from cans and saying, “Pass the rice, please,” every so often.’

‘It sounds really coupley.’

‘I’m sure that’s not a word.’

‘Don’t change the subject. It sounds as if you were really comfortable with each other. Usually on first dates – sorry, I know it wasn’t a date – it’s really awkward and you have to keep talking rubbish to avoid the silence.’

‘We were too tired for that,’ Anna explained. ‘We’d been moving furniture all day. And I was tired because of Laura and Will coming, although I really enjoyed their visit. Did you like Laura?’

‘Yes, when I stopped thinking of her as Supermum. You’re changing the subject again.’

‘Yes! It’s perfectly reasonable when one subject is exhausted to think of another one. Really, Chloe, where did you learn your social skills?’

Chloe laughed. ‘All right. I won’t say any more about you and Rob.’ She lowered her volume: ‘But I do think you’d make a lovely couple,’ she murmured, almost inaudibly.

Anna laughed. ‘Lovely couple or not, you’re not going to get us together. Let’s go and look at furniture.’

‘Before we do that, can I see what you’ve done with the upstairs?’

‘Sure.’ Anna followed Chloe up the ladder to her bedroom, which now looked like a bedroom. ‘Of course, I’m still planning to make a big bedroom, with en suite and clothes storage, upstairs. The views from there really are something, but I’ll have to see if I can get the listed buildings department to agree.’

‘Have you asked Rob?’

‘I had the plans with me when I went to his office, but as none of the ones for downstairs were relevant, I didn’t show him the others.’ Anna suddenly had a thought. ‘Of course, we couldn’t have a relationship because it would be terribly unethical.’

‘You’re using that as an excuse,’ said Chloe.

‘No! I just didn’t think of it before. So no more matchmaking.’

‘OK,’ she said resignedly. Chloe moved to the window. ‘Gosh, I hope he does let you have a suite up here. We’re so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Did your sister like it?’

‘Loved it. I knew she would.’

‘Oh, and you’ve got a laptop!’ Chloe exclaimed. ‘I didn’t know you had one of those. You’re not very high-tech on the whole, are you?’

Anna laughed again. ‘No, but I do live in the twenty-first century. Mind you, I probably wouldn’t have got one, but Laura gave it to me. It’s her old one. She said she couldn’t be bothered to sell it.’

‘Does it work?’

‘Oh yes, it’s fine.’

‘I’ll send Mike round to set it up for you when he comes back with the boys. He’s taken them to play football. I think he thinks if he starts them young, they’ll turn into David Beckhams.’

‘That’ll make him a very popular man, but don’t worry about asking him to set up my computer, I’ve done it. I sent my first email this morning.’

Chloe was amazed. ‘You set up your computer? Anna, you are clever.’

‘Not particularly, I learnt about computers at college and I just hate asking for help. My mother was always getting neighbours to do things for her. I hated being the one to go round and ask. It’s made me very self-sufficient, I’m afraid.’

‘No, I think it’s brilliant! I can do a lot on a computer, but I can’t set one up.’

Anna smiled. ‘It’s probably more useful for you to know
how
to mend toys and bake cakes and read aloud, all at the same time. Which I have seen you do.’

‘Oh yes, being a mum is all about multi-tasking, that’s for sure. Now if you’re certain you don’t want that little desk …’

When Anna finally got to her computer a while later, there was an email forwarded to her by Laura, as well as a long one from Laura herself.

Clever you to sort out an email address so quickly. We had a brilliant time
, she wrote, when she’d finished telling Anna everything the boys had done in her absence.
Don’t forget my offer to come down and look after Caroline if you decide you do want to go to your reunion. Will and I would love a weekend down there, especially now you’ve got a double bed! I think it would be good for you to get in touch with your old college friends because although Chloe is a darling and a wonderful friend for you, she’s not likely to know any single men
.

Laura had obviously read the email she’d forwarded, and if it hadn’t been for the fact that Max was definitely going to be there (she gathered when she read it herself), Anna would have declined immediately. Heaven help her if Chloe and Laura both decided to try and find her a boyfriend at the same time. She shivered at the thought.

But Max was going to be at the reunion and, therefore, so was she. After all, if she’d spent so many hours and days and weeks thinking about him, she couldn’t let an occasion where he was going to be present pass her by. Not now that Laura had been so definite about wanting to come down.

She emailed the organiser, saying that yes, she would be interested in taking advantage of the ‘great deal’ that still had ‘a few places available’ at a hotel near the venue where ‘several of us’ would be staying. It was all horribly
short
notice and she was lucky to be able to squeeze in, but the woman who was organising it had been so thrilled at the prospect of nailing down another old college chum that it hadn’t been a problem. Anna’s finger hovered over the ‘send’ button for a few seconds, wondering if seeing Max again would be a mistake. After all, since she’d had the house, Caroline, her staircase and everything else, she hadn’t been thinking about him nearly so much. Perhaps she should move on, find a new love.

But she pressed the key before she could think any more. He’d been the focus of her imagination for so long that it would be crazy not to see him again. The only problem was, what the hell was she to wear? She’d have to tell Chloe. After all, if Laura and Will were going to come and stay in her house, Chloe would have to know. She’d need to advise them about Caroline if there were any problems. She had two weeks to organise herself.

Chloe, of course, was delighted to help when, a few days later, Anna brought the subject up. The boys were at school or playgroup, and Mike was out. Chloe was thrilled to have an opportunity to talk about something infinitely girly.

‘So, what sort of a do is it? Black tie?’

‘Yup. Though the thought of some of that lot in dinner jackets is quite funny.’

‘It’s fun to dress up,’ Chloe said excitedly. ‘There aren’t enough opportunities for it these days. Have you got anything long?’

‘I haven’t got a dress at all,’ Anna confessed. ‘Let alone a long one.’

‘That’s OK, we’ll look in my wardrobe and then trawl the charity shops. What size are you?’

‘I’ve no idea. I was wondering if I should go on a diet. What do you think?’

‘For goodness’ sake, Anna! I was wondering if you were a ten or a twelve! You certainly don’t need to lose weight. Although you might need a padded bra. It’s hard to tell under those dungarees. Shall we go upstairs now and have a look at what I’ve got? You could try on a couple of things and get a sense of what you like and what you don’t.’

Upstairs, Chloe opened a wardrobe that was somewhat smaller than it needed to be, given the amount of clothes it had in it. ‘You can’t go wrong with classic black,’ she said, extracting an example with great difficulty. ‘On the other hand it’s rather a cliché. Try this.’ ‘This’ was a sequinned scarlet sheath. ‘Let’s give it a go.’