Here you go!
Twigs flopped lethargically onto the park bench and watched her offspring hurtle off in the direction of the large climbing frame. She was suffering from summer holiday malaise, compounded by the cancellation of the trip to France she?d had planned for the day. Just about the only thing that had prevented her pouring Chateau Gisbourne on her cornflakes for the previous few days had been looking forward to the outing and enjoying some less than virtuous memories of another day trip to France some months earlier.
She flushed slightly as she remembered John Lucas, the leather clad sex god she?d met in a First Class carriage on that fateful journey. It seemed a bit inappropriate to be fantasising about the way he?d pinned her to the carriage door with those well-muscled arms and the way his stubble had grazed her lips as he kissed her when she was surrounded by small children.
A small voice interrupted her reverie. ?Mummy, I want a drink.? Reaching into her large bag she handed bottle of water to each of her children.
She was just about to suggest a wander to the paddling pool, when a pretty young woman approached her, clipboard in hand, and began giving her a friendly but obvious sales pitch for the Park?s kids club. Twigs was sorely tempted by the idea of an hour to read her book and eat a ?99 in peace, but knew that her son was too little. She was just about to lose patience with the other woman?s spiel when she said, ?And we have a Club Mini?s programme running at the same time for the younger children, so your little one needn?t feel left out??
?Please Mum,? her daughter was pulling her sleeve, ?Please can we go. There?s loads of activities and I?ve seen my friend from school and she?s going and??
?I wanna go too Mummy,? joined in her youngest.
?It?s only in the hut by the paddling pool,? the woman reassured her. ?I?ll take your mobile number and you?re welcome to pop in and check on this young man?? she ruffled Master Twigs hair, ?,,,anytime.?
Twigs was convinced. She filled in consent forms, paid the small fee and watched as two excited children headed into the activity barn. She gave it ten minutes, then strolled past the barn, surreptitiously peeking in the window to check the kids were ok, before taking a leafy path to the pair of ice cream kiosks a couple of hundred yards away.
Having missed the mass exodus of parents who?d beat a hasty retreat as soon as their offspring were out of sight, the path was quiet and with the sun making dappled shadows on the ground, had a vibe that was at once magical and slightly unnerving. Twigs felt a strange sense of discomfort, as if she was being watched, but knew it was nonsense. Too much time reading kids stories over the holidays she thought wryly. But when she turned a bend in the path a minute later, she was proved wrong in the most unexpected way.
She couldn?t help the brief gasp that stuck in her throat when she saw him. The leathers had gone and he was wearing dark blue jeans and a fitted black v-neck t-shirt that was just on the right side of indecently tight fitting. The stubble had also gone and his hair was shorter, but there was no escaping those piercing blue eyes.
?John Lucas?? she murmured.
He smiled, looking her over appreciatively, before replying, ?I thought it was you. Had to be sure though ? where are you off to??
?Just dropped the kids at the activity centre,? she blushed, realising her knew absolutely nothing about her real life, ?It?s a good book and an ice cream for me.? She looked up at him, smiling shyly.
Well,? he said, the deep, husky voice stirring all sorts of feelings in Twigs that she could well do without at the point in time, ?Ice cream sounds good. I?m sure I can think of more interesting pursuits for next couple of hours than reading though.?
^They continued down the path as John told Twigs that he was there to meet his twin brother who worked as a park warden, but he?d been ?unavoidably detained by some kind of fencing emergency, apparently.?
In reaching the kiosks they found that only one was open and the queue was enormous.^
?Never mind,? said John, ?Where there?s a will there?s a way?? and he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the rear of the closed kiosk. He deftly sprung the lock on the back door and led her quickly inside, leaving the door ajar. Twigs was watching him, open mouthed at his audacity.
?Sorry love,? he shrugged, a faint hint of Yorkshire accent just detectable in his voice, ?Sign of a misspent youth.?
His smile made Twigs go week at the knees ? she was hoping more than ever now for a misspent afternoon.
He pulled the ice cream machine handle and she watched, her heart pounding as he piped a rosette of ice cream on his fingertip and raised it to his mouth.
?Yep, it?s working,? he grinned, ?But, oh dear??
?What is it?? asked Twigs, silently praying that whatever it was didn?t involve his brother suddenly becoming available.
John reached an arm round the back of her to push the door shut, and she felt his hot breath on her ear as he whispered, ?We appear to have run out of cornets??