Only Dad by Alan Titchmarsh

Author:Alan Titchmarsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781471152962
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Chapter 19

‘Well? How did it go?’ Tally threw her arms around him and gave him the now customary peck on the cheek.

Tom flopped down on a kitchen chair.

‘Tell me! Tell me!’

He looked dazed. ‘I got the job.’

‘Yes! Well done! Gosh! That means you’re a writer. Wow!’

‘Not yet it doesn’t. Not until I write something.’

‘But what did they say? Did you show them what you could do? What did they think of it?’

‘They chatted about what I did, asked why I wanted the job, looked at what I’d written – briefly – then said they’d give me three months’ trial’

‘Wow! And what about the money?’

Tom frowned. ‘None of your business.’

‘Oh, Dad! Is it OK? Can we live on it?’

He was touched by her concern. ‘Sweetheart, I don’t think it will keep you in the manner to which you’ve become accustomed, but by the time the sale of the restaurant goes through and what with insurance policies and stuff . . .’ he swallowed hard ‘. . . we’ll be OK. And it won’t take up too much time so I think I’ll be able to start writing something a bit bigger.’

‘The novel?’

‘Maybe.’

‘Great! Come on, then.’ She got up and walked across the kitchen.

‘What?’

Time for a celebration.’

‘Oh, Tal, I don’t think – ’

‘No buts. We need things to celebrate, you and me, and this is our first step.’ She smiled ruefully.

He took the hint. ‘Go on, then.’

She opened the fridge and took out a bottle of Laurent Perrier.

‘Where did that come from?’

‘Never you mind.’

‘What would I do without you?’

‘You’d have more money for a start.’

‘Ah. Did I pay for that?’

Tally nodded.

‘I see what you mean. Come on.’ He opened the bottle with a well-practised twist and poured the fizz into the two flutes Tally passed him. He handed one to her, took one for himself and looked her in the eye. ‘Here’s to us, my love.’

‘Here’s to us.’ She chinked her glass against his. ‘And the future.’

As the bubbles hit the back of his throat he felt a sense of relief at the day’s events. He could think of no other person with whom he would rather celebrate. Except one.

Tally wrinkled her nose and spluttered as the champagne went down the wrong way. He patted her on the back. ‘You’re not used to it.’

‘No, but if you do well with your writing I could get used to it.’

‘Cheeky monkey! Develop a taste for this and you’ll need a richer man than I am to look after you.’

He wondered why her face had taken on a glazed expression. She did not tell him that two hours earlier she had rung Alex Blane-Pfitzer. She had worried over it for days, but finally something inside her snapped. She could not go on like this – longing to travel in one emotional direction with Alex but being pulled in quite another by her concern for her father. It was better that she end it . . . wasn’t it? For a while anyway. Then at least she could get her head round things.

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