No Reservations: Ryan's Version (A Romantic Comedy)

Chapter 10

2016

This was a massive mistake.

Approximately five hours later I was already regretting my decision . . . and I hadn't even seen Iona yet. Sipping my wine, I nervously watched the living room door.

I'd called my mum when I stopped for petrol halfway to Glasgow, realising me turning up out of the blue without any warning would probably seem weird. I'd used the excuse that I had some paperwork I needed to pick up. Luckily between leaving Manchester and moving up to the hotel, my mum had agreed to store a lot of my belongings as I wasn't sure how much space I had, so this seemed believable. Thankfully she didn't ask me too many questions; I think she was just glad I was coming home.

When I finally reached the house, she was just heading over to Marie's. "Come over when you're sorted," she told me. "Marie is excited to see you."

Oh god. Now the reality was hitting that Iona might actually be inside that house right now. I was starting to feel a bit sick.

I didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed when her mum said she was out to dinner. But there was no doubt in my mind that I was horrified when I discovered the plan both our mums had been cooking up in the meantime.

They thought Iona should come and work for me! That she should be Alice's replacement.

What the actual fuck were they thinking?

And yet, I could understand their reasoning. Iona had been made redundant recently, they'd told me, and was just moving from temp to temp job at the moment. Plus I knew she had plenty of experience working in hotels, a hotel management degree, and even the office job she'd been working in prior to the redundancy had been for a hotel brand.

If it wasn't for our chequered history, she would have been the perfect solution to my recruitment problem.

But, although both mums were browbeating me into this, I was fairly certain she'd say no.

Which was the only reason I agreed to offer her the role.

Now I just had to face her again and get this over with.

A key turned in the lock suddenly and I jumped as if I'd been shot. Some wine splashed over the edge of my glass and I hoped no one noticed. "Is that you, Iona?" Marie called. "Can you come through?"

Oh god. This was it. I was going to see Iona Stewart for the first time since 2008. I was going to speak to her for the first time since 1999.

My palms were sweaty, my heart racing. I wished I had time to compose myself, check a mirror to make sure I looked okay.

And there she was, in the flesh. Her hair still dyed blonde, but curly again like when I saw her for the first time. She looked tired, cynical. Bored. And a little sad. I recognised these emotions instantly as it was the same way I'd been feeling for too long now.

However, she was also still utterly beautiful and completely perfect, and the love I'd always harboured for her rushed back like a burst dam. Let's face it, it had never really went away. The dam may as well have even held back by some dubious duct tape. It had been leaking for years.

I finally registered the words she'd just said. "I've just been on the date from hell,"

So she was single?

Hope sparked in my heart and I willed my mind to snuff out that tiny flame.

I couldn't stop staring at her, although it seemed to take her a moment to realise I was there. She started to choke on whatever she had been eating. I wondered in a panic if I needed to rush across the room and give her the Heimlich manoeuvre. I supposed it would be a hug of sorts.