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‘Thanks.’
‘You’re welcome.’
Those eyes.
She sat back in her chair, again feeling the warm flush of embarrassment, her hand warm where he’d touched her.
She was glad when he announced that the main rehearsal was over and that he’d be working with Lulu for the rest of the evening.
‘See you on Friday then, Sophie love,’ Greg said once he’d wrapped himself up in his coat and scarf. He picked up his chair to put it away. He only managed to lift it slightly and it dragged on the floor.
‘Here, Greg. Let me do that.’ Sophie took it from him and piled it on top of her own to ensure the room was put back to rights before anyone else used it the following day.
‘Soph.’ Liam pushed through the choristers getting ready to head out into the cold on their way home.
‘Liam,’ she said, lifting and moving the chairs across to where the rest of them were piled up next to the wall. He followed her.
‘Perhaps this isn’t the time or place to ask.’ He held the back of his neck with one arm and looked uncomfortable.
‘It sounds like you’re going to ask anyway.’ She didn’t mean to sound defensive, but somehow it came out that way.
‘I think you may be right that something is wrong with Cassie. In fact, I know there is.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘She’s been behaving strangely for a while now, especially since we moved back.’
Moved back? That was new information. Sophie hadn’t realised Liam had lived here before.
‘I’ve noticed it more and more too, even since we last spoke.’ She didn’t want to think back to parents’ evening, but it was true. Cassie had got into a few disagreements since they’d last met.
‘Is there any chance we could have a proper conversation about it at some point this week? Maybe after school? I promise not to get angry and shout.’
There was definitely the hint of a cheeky smile, and Sophie relaxed a little. Despite everything, it appeared Liam was making an effort so that things weren’t awkward between them. Maybe he hadn’t heard everything she’d said in the coffee shop after all.
Sophie smiled. ‘I could do next Monday at pickup time,’ she suggested. ‘Sorry, I’m a bit busy until then.’
‘Monday’s great,’ Liam said, looking instantly relieved. ‘I’ll see you then.’
He gestured over to the piano where Lulu was flamboyantly singing through scales despite the lack of audience or accompaniment. ‘I’d better …’
‘Of course,’ she said as he walked away. ‘Bye.’ She scolded herself as she realised she was looking at his bum.
Well, at least they’d broken the ice. That was something to take away from the evening. And twice now Liam had acted almost pleasantly. As Sophie glanced over towards where he was playing arpeggios on the piano, their eyes met briefly and he smiled, lifting his free hand in a slight wave goodbye.
Feeling better, Sophie made her way out into the night. She didn’t want the solo really, anyway. It would mean more rehearsal time, more exposure to the audience. It would have been nice if Liam had thought she was up to it, but really, she’d dodged a bullet. Yes, it was definitely best that she wouldn’t be singing anything by herself.
When Liam had finished rehearsing with Lulu, he packed up his stuff and walked back to the farm. He often regretted his decision to walk everywhere at this time of year, but it was his thing and he did it regardless. It was particularly cold that night and he had come with far too much stuff to carry it comfortably across town and down the lane to the family farm by himself. While it was a tiring walk, he enjoyed the fact he could see the stars once he’d left the glare of the town’s Christmas tree. It was the thing he liked most about living out in the sticks.
While his conversation with Sophie had been short, he played it over again in his head. In the movie of his mind he couldn’t help but focus in on her full lips as they curved into a smile, her faint blush as she coloured at the memory of their previous encounters, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she got nervous. She wasn’t the same woman who’d been on that horrific date with him only a couple of weeks earlier. She was someone new, someone exciting, someone who made his heart race every time he thought of her.
It had been a trying time since their date. It wasn’t just Cassie who’d been playing up recently. He had behaved awfully towards Sophie, too. He wondered whether it was coincidence or whether he’d been trying subconsciously to fend her off once he realised he liked her. It was the first time anyone had stirred him since … What were the chances that his child’s teacher would not only be in the choir he’d offered to help out at the last minute, but also be the woman he’d been on his first date in five years with only a fortnight ago? His whole body cringed at the memory.
The balloon thing had seemed like a novel idea at the time. He was sure any girl would have been flattered to receive a gift on a first date, especially something so different and imaginative, thoughtful even. That’s what he’d been going for, anyway. It was the last time he’d take advice from Cassie, even if he’d only used the conversation as a way of getting her to talk to him.
He regretted his decision the minute he saw her shivering at the top of the hill near the car park. Her face was seared in his memory. He noticed how beautiful she was at first, and then how disappointed and confused she looked when she saw the gift afterwards. It only got worse in the pub, which was ridiculously busy and full of people. Balloons were not a great idea in such a small space. But it was too late by then. He’d made his balloon-based bed …
The conversation had been dire. Not because either of them was short on the personality and conversation stakes – he knew that now; Sophie was full of personality. But, because he’d spent the entire time cursing himself for thinking that a balloon bouquet would be a good idea and worrying about where the helium buggers would float next, he’d been too preoccupied to really show Sophie what he was about. He feared that she probably felt the same sense of anxiety, or worse, embarrassment. She mostly eyed the balloons warily. It had led to a stilted conversation where Liam couldn’t focus on impressing Sophie with his usually dazzling wit and charm.
He’d certainly never expected to see her again at Cassie’s school. He’d behaved appallingly, and he cringed again at the thought of his behaviour. She was only trying to help. Shaking his head in the darkness of the lane, he made a silent promise to behave better at their meeting next week and to be nice to her when he saw her. He really should stop pushing her away.
What he had to admit to himself now was that he quite liked her – and that voice! Wow! As an MD he had heard his fair share of singers, but Sophie’s voice was something else. He felt bad not giving her the solo, but she was right, she’d be far too busy essentially stage managing the concert. Besides, Lulu van Morris would definitely draw in a crowd and raise lots of money for Sophie’s charity, which she seemed to be so passionate about. He just hoped he’d made the right decision – he didn’t think she’d signed up for the audition herself. From the look on Lulu’s face, and the fact Sophie’s name had been scrawled in the same flamboyant hand and gold pen as Lulu’s, he was pretty sure she’d been coerced.
