A Cornish Affair

Into Temptation

Being hungover after their evening out, Lee had forgone the usual Sunday football kick about with his mates in preference to a morning in bed with Rosie. She'd stayed there with him as long as she could, but then used a series of excuses to get herself downstairs.

Walking into to kitchen, Rosie switched on the radio, instantly remembering Ricky would be on. How could she have forgotten? There was one song, followed by another and then straight to adverts and then news. It wasn't until after another song that Rosie finally heard his voice. He was recalling some anecdote about a group that had supported them not understanding the concept of paying for their rider. She laughed at his tale, which went immediately into Waterfall by the Stone Roses. Rosie heard Lee coming down the stairs, singing his heart our.

"Tune!" he shouted across the living room to her. "What's for breakfast?" 

He hadn’t been impressed by the offer of cereal or toast,  but accepted the latter. Lee sang along to the Oasis song that followed,  but on hearing the voice that back announced the song he asked, "Who's this talking?"

Rosie suddenly found herself in a strange situation; listening to the man she intended to spend the evening with whilst sat in the kitchen with her boyfriend.

"It's that Ricky Wilson.  The bloke who came into my school,"  she told him matter-of-factly.

"I can't be doing with this station, too many northerns."  Rosie looked at Lee in disgust.

"You absolute...southerner!" Lee laughed that that was the worst insult she could come up with.

"What's he doing it for anyway? His band not doing very well?" Lee put his plate into the sink and finished his tea.

"They're recording a new album at the moment. Down in Kent," Rosie stopped, biting her lip as the information had flowed out.

"You seem very knowledgeable.  Have a nice little chat when he was at your school did you?" Lee teased, but thankfully he didn't wait for an answer and wandered off to look for his trainers.

Lee had left the house by lunchtime. Now she was alone with six hours of nervous knots in her stomach to get through. 

She'd taken a walk around the market after Lee had left, looking for a birthday present for Hannah to try and take her mind off the evening to come; not that she wasn't excited, she was. It was all such a big step for her.  Ten years with Lee and before him, well there had been a few men, but nothing serious. And she'd only ever slept with a couple of them.  She had never been one to sleep with the first bloke that came on to her, even at university. Yet what was she doing now? A secret liason with a man she considered to be far out of her league.

Standing at the riverside over looking the Thames, she had contemplated ringing Ricky and cancelling it all. She looked over towards London, knowing he was out there, somewhere. Was he feeling nervous about the evening? She thought about how Ricky had said neither of them were really is the right position for what they were getting into and suddenly wondered what he had meant. She knew his last relationship had only recently ended and hoped it was that. If he wasn't ready for something else, they wouldn't have got this far, she argued with herself.

A pleasure cruise sailed by, people were drinking on the deck and music was playing loudly; music which brought a smile to Rosie's face. Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. It had to be a sign,  no doubt about that. She pushed away from the barrier between her and the river and headed back through the throng of tourists towards home.

She passed the stalls selling street food and as much as it smelt delicious, Rosie was far from hungry. Stepping across the road, she glanced up to see the music shop that Lee liked to drag her into whenever he could. Today, however, Rosie didn't need dragging and walked in willingly. She went over to the rows of Rock and Pop cds and began flicking through the K section. She didn't have to flick for long, seeing Kaiser Chiefs cds more or less straight away. Not knowing one from another,  which she felt quite ashamed about considering who she was meeting that night, Rosie simply choose the cover she was most attracted to. And being a teacher, the reference to education was an obvious draw. Paying her money and putting the cd in her bag,  Rosie finally went home.