Call It Love by Kristian Parker

Author:Kristian Parker [Parker, Kristian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical LGBTQIA Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Entwined Group
Published: 2022-01-22T00:00:00+00:00

* * * *

It had been prudent to let Mrs Reynolds in on Father’s title. It meant I got first dibs on the hot water and an extra egg at breakfast.

Life in my new abode felt pretty good. I would lie in of a morning. Mrs Reynolds kept strict mealtimes but made an exception for me. Then I would spend the afternoon reading in the sunshine. I’d decided to work on my knowledge of books. It couldn’t hurt, and I found myself actually enjoying it.

Frank would be very impressed when I told him. The boarding house had a little garden at the back. It was generally out of bounds for residents, but, again, Mrs Reynolds could be persuaded with a bit of flattery.

I’d decided to let Michael stew in his own juice for a while. I would breakfast in the Lyons Tea Room next door to the shop, knowing the precise time he came in for a cup of coffee. I would just be leaving as he came in. I couldn’t possibly stop to talk, but it didn’t hurt him to know I hadn’t given up on him.

Once he’d tried to speak to me, but I wouldn’t entertain it for a second.

All of a sudden, it was Saturday and a whole weekend cooped up in Mrs Reynolds’ didn’t appeal. It was time to go for broke.

I purposefully missed his morning coffee run, instead turning up at the café just before lunch. I ordered two egg sandwiches, an éclair, a cream bun and a bottle of pop. I had persuaded Mrs Reynolds to lend me one of her tablecloths. I’d had to regale her with the story—again—of my fleeing Portugal from an arranged marriage.

From across the street, I could see Michael propping up the shop counter. There didn’t seem to be much sign of the dragon, so it was now or never.

I marched up to the bench outside the shop. Sitting down, I nonchalantly laid out the cloth and placed the greaseproof-paper-wrapped parcels neatly on top. I made it clear that this was a meal for two.

Then, as if waiting for someone, I lit a cigarette and watched the world go by. The one place I resolutely refused to look was into the shop.

A couple of cigarettes later, and I thought that I would be boarding the late train to Brighton when I heard the bookshop door jangle. Nerves ran through my body like a jolt.

“Are you going to eat any of that?” came the voice.

“Not sure,” I replied, still not looking. “As a penniless waif, I should probably sell them.”

Michael came and hovered at the other end of the bench.

“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” I said as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

“We should probably have a chat first, don’t you think?” He sat down next to me.

I didn’t want to lose my grip on my emotions just yet but just the slightest thaw had me full of tension.

“I’m so sorry for what happened, Michael.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.