Health Care

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he mumbles quietly as I drop into the passenger seat. “I’m sorry for walking out. I was just mad. You took me by surprise.” I say nothing. “Alex, please talk to me.”

“What am I meant to say?” I snap back.

“Just, can you accept my apology?” He sounds pleasing. This is a novelty. Christopher never grovels.

“I don’t know,” I mumble. What’s the use? Christopher sighs and starts the car. He pulls out of the car park in silence. He won’t even turn on the radio. I can sense he’s feeling awful, but who for? Me, or himself? My conscience tells me the latter. In my head, she holds her finger up in an obscene gesture.

We stay in silence for the entire journey home. I root around in my bag for the other fifty pound note Christopher had left. Outside my house, I offer it back to him.

“Thank you for paying for dinner,” I say. “Well, my dinner.” I look into his eyes accusingly. He shies away.

“You keep it,” he says.

“I don’t need your money,” I growl, stuffing the note in a gap beneath his stereo and pulling myself out of his car.

“Oh, Alexa,” Christopher sighs. He’s trying to stop me from leaving, but it won’t work.

“Goodbye, Christopher,” I say bluntly, slamming the car door. He revs the engine until it screams, and pulls away like a bat out of hell. Boy, he’s mad. Mad that he didn’t get his own way. I wrench open my front door and let it slam behind me. From the lounge, my mum shrieks.

“You’re home early!” she cries, rushing out into the kitchen. I kick my shoes off by door.

“Yeah,” I sigh. “Would’ve been at the restaurant longer if Christopher hadn’t of stormed out, leaving me cash for a taxi.” Her mouth dropped open. My dad sits forward in his armchair, intrigued.

“What?” she cries.

“Oh no, it’s fine,” I reply sarcastically. “His conscience got the better of him, and he waited in the car for me instead.”

“So he abandoned you in a restaurant? Why?!”

“Because he tried asking me to get back together with him,” I say. “And I said no. I told him about Sam. So, he left.” Mum’s jaw still hasn’t closed. Eventually it does, and she starts to grind her teeth. I can tell she’s mad, but there’s nothing she can do. I grip her shoulders. “Mum, he’s a work-colleague. You can’t say anything.”

“I know,” Mum hisses through gritted teeth. “That’s the worst part.”

“It’s fine,” I reassure her. “It’ll blow over. I have Sam now. I’m not bothered about Christopher Thompson.” My relaxed tone gets Mum to stop tensing her shoulders.

“I’d like to meet Sam,” she says, sounding her usual self again.

“Next week,” I smile. To my delight, my phone is flashing: an unread text.

Hey, what are you up to tonight? Thought any more about our plans for next week? Text me back when you can. Can’t wait to see you again.

Just had the most awful night, I reply, settling myself down on the bottom stair. I can’t wait to see you either. Thursday is good for me? Let me know.

Why so awful? Everything okay? His reply is almost instant. Thursday is good for me too. I’ll get the 6pm train?

6pm is ideal. I’ll pick you up from the station. That way Mum can meet him, I plan. And oh God, you don’t want to know. Crazy ex-boyfriends causing havoc. I hope he isn’t intimidated by me mentioning my ex. Usually, I’m a lot more drunk before that starts to happen. I wait for his reply nervously.

That sounds perfect, thank you babe. And oh really? What a nightmare. At least you have your knight in shining armour to ward them all off (that’s me by the way).

I giggle. He’s so cheeky, but not in an arrogant way. I couldn’t remember the last time Christopher had made me giggle. Christ, I was such a schoolgirl. I blushed with shame at myself.

I would very much like my knight in shining armour to stick around. I'm such a flirt.

Oh he will, don’t you worry princess. 'Princess'! I practically melt. At nine, I head upstairs and pull myself into a comfy pair of pyjamas. I've heard nothing from Christopher. After all, the way he drove off signifies he was in no mood to start grovelling to me again. Perhaps he is wise enough not to bother. I can’t tell. He’s too unpredictable.

*

Sam pulls me close for a kiss on the cheek as soon as he sees me. He’s brought along a small, wheel-along suitcase.

“You are only planning on staying the one night, right?” I eye his case suspiciously.

“Hang on,” he winks. “Let’s get in your car and I’ll explain all.” I am dying to know already, but he simply grins knowingly at me. God, I love that grin. Sam’s got the sort of dark brown eyes that glitter when he knows something. He’d be a useless liar. Another pro, my conscience checks off another point on the Ideal Boyfriend tick-list.

Dropping himself into my passenger seat, Sam places his suitcase on his lap and runs the zip around.

“Don’t be mad at me,” he says. “But I saw the bottom of your shoe when we were out …” I stare incredulously at him. What has this gift (I presume it’s a gift?) got to do with the bottom of my shoe? “And I saw these, and thought you’d like them.” With that, he pulls out the most glorious pair of bright orange heels, over five inches high, glossy, with a thin band of gold that spirals around the heel.

“You remembered my shoe size and the fact that my favourite colour is orange?” I cry. My God, what sort of shit was I gabbling about in order to tell him my favourite colour!

“So you like them?” he asks. I snatch them out of his hand and practically hug them. Then, I throw my arms around his neck as well. It catches him off guard, but he looks smug. “Gee, girls and their shoes,” he chuckles to himself.

Having Sam in my car is such a delight. He’s so funny and playful. He pulls his iPod from his hoodie pocket and plugs it into my stereo.

“I’m the DJ from now on,” he informs me. “You’re not allowed to comment on my song choice … unless it’s a good comment.” I nod compliantly and Sam chooses a whole variety of songs. At the traffic lights, he turns the music up so loud that everyone within a ten mile radius is able to hear it. I slap at his wrist and he turns it down.

“My God you’re happy,” I cry, laughing at his obscure dance moves.

“I am happy,” he grins. “Happy to see you!”