The Decoy Date

Chapter Twenty Two

Imogen rested her forehead on the cold wooden counter of the shop, she'd just finished wrapping six books in Christmas paper and now just wished the festive season was over so she could go back to having a nearly empty shop to herself. It had been two days since her break-up with Charlie and she was missing him like crazy, everything she did, every song she heard even her fish reminded her of him. She felt like a lovesick teenager again and it was driving Jess nuts. She hadn't been as pleased as Imogen thought she would have been about the break-up.

Her phone rang, she thought about ignoring it thinking it was probably Daisy checking up on her again from her honeymoon in Greece, however it was someone even worse. "Hello mother." God she sounded depressed. She really didn't need her mother screeching down the phone at her right now.

"Why did you date that Charlie boy Imogen? Daisy's just told us he was one of the boys who bullied you at school, people like that don't change dear. Besides I've found this really nice man Nick who would be perfect for you, he's –"

"No mother, you are not setting me up with any more men. I don't want to date anyone else right now. He has changed by the way."

"Who's changed dear?"

"Charlie, he's different. You probably don't believe me but he has changed. I'll call you later mum." She hung up before her mother could interrupt her and set her up with the whole of Kent. She didn't want to talk about Charlie either, she just wanted to forget him now and move on. Placing her head back on the counter top she closed her eyes. The light from the window was blocked out by a dark shadow, when Imogen opened her eyes she saw Jess standing with her arms crossed in front of her.

"Call him!" Jess said in an exasperated tone as she leant against the counter.

"Call who?" Imogen sat back and looked into her friends eyes, knowing full well who she meant but not wanting to say it out loud.

"Charlie or Jack, whoever. I just wish you'd stop moping around, it's nearly Christmas for Christ's sake." She waved her hands in the air and shrugged her shoulders getting her point across, but Imogen didn't want to talk to either of them. She wasn't interested in Jack at all and Charlie was most likely off flirting with other women like that one in the booze shop.

"I don't want to talk to any of them. Especially if Charlie's found some other woman. Not that I care, I just want to be by myself." She knew it was a total lie as it came out of her mouth,, there was only one person she wanted to be with and it wasn't herself.

"Give me your phone!" Jess held her hand out waiting, but Imogen didn't move unsure what her friend was going to do. Jess waved her hand emphasising the fact that it was empty and waiting. Reluctantly Imogen pulled the phone from her pocket and placed it in her friend's hand, whom immediately starting searching through her contacts and put the phone to her ear.

"What the fuck are doing?" Imogen whispered in a panic and tried to reach for the phone but Jess held her back with her free hand.

"Hi Jack, its Imogen, Imogen Jones from the British Museum exhibition. . . Yes it was a great night." Jess laughed as she looked straight into Imogen's eyes. "Well I just called to say I'm free for that date if you're still interested . . . Yes Charlie is long gone. . . Tonight at six o'clock, yes that would be great!" Jess smiled as Imogen shook her head, tonight at six would not be great, she didn't want to meet him. "Regent's Park Road, there's a shop called The Bookcase, I'll be there. . . Bye see you later. . . Done"

She handed the phone back to Imogen who stared at it in silence trying to figure out how to respond to what Jess had just done, however there was no response.

                             *

Daytime television is shit! Charlie thought as he flicked through the channels, all he found were shows about house-hunting, auctions or re-runs of programmes from ten years ago. He probably should have been marking mock exam papers and preparing his lessons for next term now that the school had broken up for the Christmas holidays, but he wasn't in the mood. All he could think about was Imogen and all the time they'd spent together.

"I wish you'd stop moping around, either call her or move on." Molly plonked down on the sofa next to him, she was staying over with Adam while their flat was redecorated. He glanced at her next to him and shook his head.

"I can't, she's probably out with Jack already." He sighed the thought and tried to block the picture of the two of them together out of his mind, he really didn't need to see it.

"I can't believe you two are throwing away a perfectly good relationship over some flirting, you're both idiots." Molly turned the television off with the remote control Charlie had placed on the sofa between them and crossed her arms staring at him.

"It was never a relationship." Charlie said as he turned to look at her.

"What are you talking about? Six weeks or however long you were together is definitely a relationship in my book." Molly looked stunned almost laughing at his comment, he just turned away and looked at the wall in front of him.

"It was all fake, we agreed to pretend to date each other so she could get her mother to stop setting her up on dates and so I could escape from Sarah and get you, mum and Catherine off my back about commitment issues. We were never really together, it was just a big fake!" His voice rose from barely a whisper as the truth finally came out, he cautioned a glance over at his sister and was surprised when she wasn't angry with him.

"Everything was fake? So every look, every kiss, every moment I saw the two of you together was fake? I don't think so! I know you Charlie and I know when you're in love, so don't pretend you haven't fallen for her and that every look you gave her was made up, you're not that good of an actor." His mouth opened in surprise, was it really that obvious how he felt about her? Then why couldn't she see it, or maybe she had and ignored his feelings anyway. That's a depressing thought.

"She couldn't tell they were real feelings."

"That's because you're as blind as each other. You're both willing to throw true love away because you think the other doesn't feel the same way. Well I can tell you she loves you as much as you love her. I don't know why you don't just tell her how you feel and get together again. You know life is short, you've got to make the most of love; look at mum and dad they were devoted to each other but things happen and people get taken away. If you asked mum would she not have married dad if she'd known what would happen to him, what would she have said?"

Molly looked at him and Charlie knew she was right, he couldn't give up on Imogen. He had to tell her he loved and if his sister was wrong and she didn't feel the same way, well at least he would know and could move on with his life.