The Decoy Date

Chapter Three

"Hello! . . . Earth to Imogen." She shook her head as his voice interrupted her daydreaming, Jess' punch was on replay in her head. She was a feisty character but she'd never actually seen her punch anyone before, the closest had been when she'd slapped a girl on a night out in the students' union. They'd been circling each other all night, well, all semester actually and a comment about Jess' then boyfriend being a cheat sent her over the edge. That particular night ended with both parties being thrown out by a bouncer.

"Sorry, I was miles away."

"I was saying your shop looks really good, have you had it long?" He smiled at her and she couldn't help but scowl in return, smirking when his own smile faded away. The hurt from school was still fresh in her memory and even more acute with the reappearance of him; she still wasn't sure why she'd agreed to go for coffee but there'd been something sincere in his apology and she was willing to see what else he had to say.

"We've been open seven years now, Jess and I started the place straight out of university. We thought the combination of her business degree and my English literature degree would be perfect. I'm still surprised every time we sell a book." They had reached The Roast House quicker than she'd expected, her cheeks flushed at the memory of yesterday's kiss and when she looked at Charlie he had a dazed smile himself as he looked at the spot where they'd stood yesterday, obviously remembering it as well.

Shaking his head to himself he walked to the door and held it open for her, she hesitated before taking a deep breath and strolling through with him right behind her. They ordered their coffees and a muffin, it was the least he owed her after what had happened all those years ago. Settling at a table by the window they both looked down unsure how to start a conversation with their companion.

"I really am sorry for everything that happened at school, it wasn't my idea to . . . you know . . . get involved, it's just everyone else was and then I felt I had to or I'd wouldn't be their friends anymore. God I hate peer pressure, you see it in school even now." She looked up at him in shock as what he'd said sunk in.

"You're a teacher! I'd never have said of all the people at school, you'd go into teaching." She chuckled and smiled at him for the first time all morning, his unexpected profession had broken through the barrier that she had set in place when she'd seen him standing right there in the middle of her shop and in  the middle of her life again.

"I know right, I always thought I'd be a professional footballer or rock star, there was a time I thought maybe an astronaut, but a projectile vomiting  episode after my Oblivion experience at Alton Towers put paid to that." He looked up at her and smiled nervously before continuing. "I did some volunteering in a school after college and fell in love with it, I thought when I left at sixteen I'd never set foot in another one but here I am, teaching maths, of all things."

She picked up her coffee cup, it was one of those huge ones that took two hand to hold; before coming here she'd only ever seen them on Friends. The hot liquid scolded her tongue but in a way that made her feel alive, each sip made her fall in love with it all over again. The pause also gave her a chance to digest the information she'd just received, Charlie was not what she had been expecting, she thought he'd work for some corporate designer or be employed by some company where he got paid to play computer games and do nothing all day.

"So you and Jenny work at the same school?"

"Yeah, she was already teaching there when I arrived about three years ago. She's a great teacher, all the pupils love her lessons." He drank his own coffee and took a bite of his blueberry muffin, licking the crumbs off his fingers and drawing her attention to his mouth again; forcing her thoughts back to their kiss. He noticed her staring and blushed before flashing a coy smile, she instantly looked away chiding herself for falling for his illustrious charm. She was supposed to be hating him not wishing his lips would touch hers again.