Taken to the Hills by S J Richards

Author:S J Richards [Richards, S J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

Josh pedalled hard up the hill past the Weston pub, now sadly closed, and wished he’d taken his car to work. It had been nearly six when he left the office and he needed time to get ready before meeting Leanne. It was important he made a good first impression and his hair was a mess.

He turned up Combe Park and then into the drive of his parents’ house opposite the cricket club. It was a large semi-detached, probably a hundred years old but Josh had never really thought about its age. It had been his home all twenty-two years of his life and he knew he took it for granted.

He leaned the bike against the side of the house and went around to the kitchen at the rear of the house. His Mum was at the island chopping vegetables.

“Hi Josh,” she said. “Good day?”

“Fine Mum,” he said. “Gotta dash though. Going out.”

He was through the kitchen and at the bottom of the stairs when she called out. “Dinner will be about half an hour. Is that okay?’

Buggery buggery. He should have rung and told her. “Sorry, Mum, I have to be out by then.” He turned to see her appear in the hall.

She smiled. “Is it a girl Josh?’

“Yes.” He felt his cheeks flushing.

“She can come for dinner if you want.”

“No Mum. This is our first date. I can hardly bring her to meet my parents.”

“You can bring her back for a drink afterwards. We’d love to meet her. What’s her name?”

“I’ll tell you later.” He bounded up the stairs towards the bathroom.

“Joshy’s got a girlfriend, Joshy’s got a girlfriend.” His thirteen-year-old brother stood outside the bathroom, grinning from ear to ear and singing his words.

“Let me through,” Josh said.

“What’s she like? Are you going to put your tongue down her throat?”

“Shut up, Noah, and get out of my way.”

Noah stood to one side and Josh jumped into the bathroom.

“Joshy’s on a snogfest, Joshy’s on a snogfest,” were the last words he heard before he locked the door.

*

It was just gone seven when Josh got to Las Iguanas and he immediately spotted Leanne through the window. She was facing him at a table set for two, fiddling with her phone and doubtless wondering if he’d turn up. She looked gorgeous, with her long curly blonde hair and immaculate makeup. Younger than him perhaps but not by much. He felt a frisson of nerves, hoping she would like him and also that he didn’t do or say anything embarrassing.

He took a last look at himself in the reflection. His hair looked okay he thought, and rubbed his fingers across the sides above his ears. Not so sure about his eyebrows he slid his index finger across the top of his left eyebrow and then his right eyebrow. He stood back a pace and realised that Leanne was looking straight at him, the corners of her mouth turned up.

He pretended not to see her and walked to the entrance and then over to her table.

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