Island girl

All about Alison

Despite his protests that she had done quite enough for him already, Paul found Alison was not going to listen to him, until she had sorted him out to her satisfaction.

She insisted he gather some of his dirty clothes and she would wash them as her Grandmother had a washing machine at their place, whereas Harvey didn't..

When he tried to protest she didn't have to do that, she then went on to point out in her no nonsense practical way, that when Harvey visited she would usually do it for him, so it was no big deal to do it for him as well, in the end he found himself acquiescing to her offer, as she made him feel he had no other choice.

So the following morning after that, when Paul got up and strolled into the living room, the first thing he had found were the clothes she had washed and also ironed, piled neatly on the arm of the chair.

He realised Alison must have slipped in quietly when he had still been in his bed, and left them there, probably before she had gone down to open the bakery.

A little while later, a lorry pulled up at the roadside next to the cottage. The driver got out then started to unload a pile of logs from the truck into his garden.

When Paul went out to find out what was going on, he was informed by the driver, who introduced himself as Seamus, that Alison was a friend and she had asked him to deliver them a favour to her, so Paul could keep his fire going..

Which was why Paul had decided to go down to the village later that afternoon, and hang around, waiting until he seen her coming out of the bakery as she locked it up for the evening, then he approached her.

She was a little surprised to see him, "Hey what's up?" she asked then looked slightly concerned, "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine," he assured her with a small smile, "And I guess I have you to thank , and that is the reason why I am here"

"Oh?" she eyed him questioningly.

"Well I decided I needed to repay you back in some way, for all you have done over the weekend," Paul informed her

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Alison replied almost dismissively, "I was just doing what anyone else would do around here, being a good neighbour"

"I think the both of us know it was a little more than that.," Paul corrected her with quiet deliberation.

She looked a little awkward at this acknowledgment, unable to meet his blue eyes, and not sure what to say in reply.

"Anyway, it's just a small way I want to thank you, by inviting you to your local pub around the corner from here and to buy you a drink," he then informed her, "And I refuse to take no for an answer, because if you don't, then I will have to go drinking on my own to drown my sorrows again, and goodness only knows where that would lead too. Now you wouldn't want to be responsible for that, would you?" he eyed her a little mournfully

Alison cocked her head to the side slightly narrowing her brown eyes a little suspiciously, " Y'know that sounds almost like emotional blackmail to me"

"Yeah, you are more than likely right," Paul agreed easily wondering if she was going to take the bait

" But that's not exactly fair," Alison protested trying to sound annoyed, but there was a hint of a smile on her mouth, "You, are playing dirty"

"Who cares, as long as it works," Paul returned with a shrug, his blue eyes almost challenging her to argue with him

"Ok," she finally relented, "But it can only be for one drink" she reiterated. "I have to get back, or my Gran will start worrying"