A Surprise ⇢ Callum Ilott

THIRTYFOUR

Catherine parked the car in front of Callum's house an hour later. It was quite a drive; there were traffic jams everywhere. She shut down the car and got out. The cold air slammed against her face, it looked like it was getting colder every day. She rang the bell. Callum was familiar to Catherine, yet it was nerve-wracking to wait for him.

The door opened. "Hello," Callum cheerfully said.

A smile curved on Catherine's lips and butterflies were flying around in her stomach. "Hey," she said.

"Come on in," he said and stepped away from the door. Catherine entered his house. What happened next, was a surprise to them both; they gave each other a kiss on the lips. Callum looked away and closed the front door. His mind stopped working, he didn't see this coming. "How are you?" This was a question to avoid an awkward situation.

"I'm good, thanks," Catherine replied, also a bit perplex about the situation. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Callum answered the returned question. "I'm going to grab my stuff, and then we can go," he mentioned.

She nodded. "Yeah, sure. Can I leave my bag here?"

"Of course." Callum walked to the living room. A shy smile spread over his face when he knew Catherine couldn't see his face anymore. What just happened? "Is it chilly outside?"

"Yes, it's getting colder and colder. The sky is clear, so it's extra cold." Catherine followed him to the living room.

He turned around and looked at her. "Do you want a hoodie to wear? I know those coats are warm, but if you say it's quite cold..." Callum pointed at the Williams jacket.

"Yes, please. If you don't mind?" Catherine took off the coat. She was already wearing a shirt, but a hoodie would make it perfect.

"Of course not. I'm gonna get a hoodie, give me a sec." Callum gave her a smile and walked to his bedroom to get a hoodie. He had no idea what to expect tonight, but he was looking forward to it. Callum sprayed on some extra cologne and got a hoodie from his closet. "There you go," he said and gave the hoodie to Catherine.

The corners of her mouth curled up. "Thanks," she said and put the hoodie on. The scent of Callum's laundry detergent filled her nose. "If you think I am such a big fan of Williams I even wear their merch, I forgot to put on my coat this morning."

A short laugh rolled over his lips. "How did you forget your coat?"

"Get yourself a bunch of children who are annoying, and you will find it out," Catherine emotionlessly said.

"Were they early?"

"Seven o'clock."

Callum looked sorry at Catherine. He left her place at half-past one last night. "Poor you," he mouthed and put on his coat.

"I can't imagine this to be your life; staying up till late and getting waken up in the early morning by children. No wonder why Benjy and Cara were this happy to leave them at my place for one night," she told and made sure she had her phone and wallet with her. "I mean, I love them, but this wasn't particularly necessary."

"Saskia can be the same, but we have rules on it because I'm a racing driver. Privileges," Callum proudly said, but showed a cheeky smile.

Catherine nodded, impressed. "Lucky you," she said on the same tone.

Their laughter filled the house, and they left. Callum lived in a relatively popular and trendy neighbourhood. There happened to be quite some nice and affordable restaurants. It was Sunday evening, meaning all the restaurants were pretty filled with people. Luckily Callum had found a free table at the pizzeria. They sat down at a table in the back of the restaurant, at a massive window with a perfect London view.