The Dating Game Read online

  ‘Do you want to come back to mine? I could cook for you.’

  A little voice inside Gill’s head told her to be careful. She barely knew the man. Yet she felt touched that in the midst of his distress at having been liberally covered in Thai food, he was still thinking of a way to salvage their ruined date. That earned him a big tick in Gill’s book.

  Deciding she was a big girl, who could handle herself, Gill said, ‘Sure. I’d like that, if it’s not too much trouble.’

  ‘Not at all.’

  ‘OK, let me just use the Ladies’ before the taxi turns up.’

  Once in the Ladies’, Gill hurriedly battered out a text to Debbie,

  ‘Am about to go to Charlie’s house. Waitress spilt food all over him at restaurant. He is going to cook for us. I’ll be fine, but thought should let you know, Gill x.’

  The taxi drew up in front of a block of sandstone flats near Queens Park. Charlie gave Gill his hand to steady her as she stepped out of the taxi. Unaccustomed to wearing such high heels, she was grateful for the small courtesy.

  Charlie unlocked the outer door and said, ‘After you.’ Gill preceded him into the passageway and hesitated until Charlie said, ‘Second floor.’

  On the second floor, Gill came to a blue door with plant pots outside it. Opposite it, a red door, with a Charles Rennie Mackintosh nameplate. Gill guessed that was Charlie’s.

  ‘The red door?’

  ‘Yes, that obvious?’

  ‘Mackintosh.’

  ‘Ah.’ Charlie opened the storm door, which led to a stained glass inner door. He showed Gill into a spacious hall.

  ‘Go right in. The living room’s on the right. I’ll just get us some drinks. Wine OK?’

  ‘Yes, white, if you have it.’

  Gill entered Charlie’s living room, which although definitely a man’s domain, was pristine. Two brown Chesterfield sofas took pride of place, with an oak coffee table strategically positioned between them. Gill walked around the room, looking at the books in the mahogany bookcases. She picked up a couple, trying to work out what they told her about Charlie.

  ‘Here you are,’ Charlie handed her a glass. ‘Semillon Chardonnay. It was the only white I had. I tend to drink mainly red.’

  ‘That’s fine, thanks.’

  ‘Why don’t you choose some music? My iPod’s over there. Do you like seafood?’

  ‘Yes, I like most things,’ Gill smiled at him.

  ‘Good. Make yourself at home and I’ll be back shortly.’

  Whilst Gill perused Charlie’s playlist, Charlie changed his shirt, then busied himself in the kitchen. Luckily he’d been to the supermarket the day before and picked up a few ready meals. Seafood gratin, just enough for two. He’d serve that with some rocket. Turning on the oven, he removed the packaging and put it in the bin. Gill didn’t need to know that he hadn’t cooked it from scratch.

  When he returned to the living room, Gill was standing at the window, with her mobile in her hand, tapping her foot to Blondie.

  ‘Just waiting for the oven to heat up. How’s the wine?’

  ‘Fine, thanks. You have a nice home.’

  ‘Thanks. I like to be comfortable,’ Charlie said, ensconcing himself on the sofa.

  ‘So what’s for dinner?’

  ‘It’s a surprise.’

  ‘A seafood related surprise?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  Gill sat on the sofa beside him. She was definitely attracted to him and felt at ease in his company. Did she want anything to happen? If so, then being in his home gave them the advantage of privacy. She knew she wouldn’t sleep with him. Not yet anyway. She liked him, but not enough for that. It would, however, be fun getting to know him.

  ‘Let me just check on the oven.’

  Charlie nipped back to the kitchen, popped the seafood gratin in the oven and prepared the plates and cutlery for later.

  What a stroke of luck, he thought. He’d been mortified and more than a little annoyed at the waitress spilling food over him, even if it was largely his fault. Yet things couldn’t have turned out better. Gill was here in his home. He could tell she liked him. She looked a knockout in that dress – voluptuous and womanly – just the way he liked. If he had anything to do with it, after they’d eaten, she wouldn’t be wearing it.

  ‘That was delicious,’ Gill’s approval was clear from her empty plate.

  ‘Glad you liked it. More wine?’

  ‘Please.’

  Charlie topped up her glass, before removing the plates.

  ‘Why don’t you go back into the living room? I’ll be through in a sec.’

  ‘OK.’

  Charlie found Gill seated on the sofa. Her dress had ridden up slightly, showing off more of her legs. Charlie had always been a leg and breast man. Gill passed on both counts. Flicking the dimmer switch down a little, Charlie changed the track on the iPod. Gill laughed when she discovered it was the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

  ‘I didn’t expect you to have that.’

  ‘I’m full of surprises,’ Charlie faced her and held her gaze.

  Gill knew he was going to kiss her. She found herself quite receptive to the idea. Rugged, sexy, Charlie oozed vitality and virility. What wasn’t to like? And he could cook.

  Charlie stroked her cheek and cupped her face with his hand. He waited to check the signal was definitely there and then lowered his lips to Gill’s. Gill responded, her body waking up to this gorgeous man. Parts of her, long dormant, suddenly came to life. As their kiss deepened, she wound her arms around Charlie’s neck and lost herself in the moment.

  Great, thought Charlie. Just as I hoped. Charlie couldn’t wait to run his hands over Gill’s body, but held back a little, not wanting to frighten her off. But eventually, instinct took over and he tried to mould his body to hers, moving on the sofa, so they were pressed against each other.

  A dozen sensations flowed through Gill, all of them pleasurable. Anton entered her mind briefly, but as Charlie’s ministrations continued, thoughts of Anton disappeared. She revelled in Charlie’s touch, his kiss. His hands stroked her back, then slid downwards until he was caressing her bottom. His strokes were long and deliberate. Gill felt very aroused. Her nipples hardened and he hadn’t even touched her breasts. Yet. Charlie’s hands moved from her back to her front and he started tracing the outline of her breast, making Gill gasp involuntarily. She had to stop this now. She wasn’t ready. ‘Charlie.’

  ‘Mmm,’ said Charlie as his left hand slipped to her thigh, trying to find a way under her dress.

  ‘Charlie!’

  ‘Yes,’ he returned to Gill’s mouth, looked into her eyes and kissed her again.

  Oh dear God, she was so aroused, but no, she couldn’t do this tonight.

  ‘Charlie, I can’t.’

  ‘What?’ Charlie drew up short. ‘Is it the time of the month?’

  ‘No, no, nothing like that. It’s just; this is too quick for me.’

  ‘OK, well, we can take it more slowly. You tell me what you’re comfortable with.’

  All of it, thought Gill. She was so mixed up. She wanted him, but at the same time, she wasn’t sure. Her body said yes, but her brain said no.

  She wrested herself out from under him. How did I end up under him?

  ‘I’m sorry, Charlie, I’ve had a really nice night, but I think I better go.’

  Charlie looked at her long and hard and then said, ‘No problem. Let me call you a taxi.’

  Charlie lived only a couple of miles from Gill, so she arrived home quickly. As she took off her makeup, she could still smell him, on her clothes, on her skin. He was an extremely attractive man, so what was holding her back? Anton.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Saturday 17th September

  When the bus pulled in on Hope St, Gill got off and walked past the taxi rank and round into Buchanan St, eager to get started on her shopping spree. Memories of last night still plagued her, but she had to put that aside for now and concentrate
on her date with Anton. She’d arranged to meet Debbie for a quick bite of lunch. But first Frasers, then Debenhams. Gill wasn’t good at shopping, so liked department stores as they covered all the bases.

  As she walked, her thoughts turned inevitably to Anton. She’d replied saying Saturday was fine and she looked forward to their spending more time together. She had left it at that, still unsure what his exact expectations were, but hoping they matched hers. He had replied saying would Cecchinis’ restaurant in Bath St suit her, and could they meet there at seven? After a slight delay she had answered, ‘Yes, see you then.’

  Anton’s comeback had been ‘Excellent, xx.’

  Promising…

  She had no success in Frasers, so crossed a chaotic Argyle St to the St Enoch Centre and went up the escalator into Debenhams. Not really knowing where to start, she went over to the personal shopper area, on the off chance they might have a free slot. Luckily they did. She told the girl, barely out of her teens, what kind of look she hoped to achieve. The assistant went back and forth with several outfits at a time, which Gill duly tried on, until finally she found the perfect one. A green silk wrapover dress which accentuated her chest and small waist and covered those parts she’d rather keep hidden. It came with a matching shrug. The assistant also suggested shoes, but Gill shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to be in agony all night from wearing new shoes that she hadn’t had time to break in. What she really needed now was some lingerie. Although she liked to wear nice underwear anyway, what she owned couldn’t exactly be termed new. No need to go all out for La Perla, but somewhere in between that and functional everyday underwear would do just fine.

  Gill thanked the assistant, paid for her dress and strolled over to the lingerie section. She ran her fingers lightly over the fabrics to see how they felt. But what colour to choose? What style? A push up bra was out. She was too well-endowed for that. A balconette would have a similar effect. In the end, she chose a fuller cup black bra with cream trim and matching briefs. She tried them on for size and decided that short of losing two stone in the next few hours, she couldn’t look any better. And the set was definitely feminine and very sexy. She could actively imagine Anton removing them. Wow, if her thoughts continued in that direction, she’d be sizzling before lunch. Talking of lunch…Gill looked at her watch and saw she needed to meet Debbie in ten minutes. Flashing her credit card again, she paid and hotfooted it across to Princes Square.

  ‘Hi Debbie,’ Gill sat down, dumping her bags on the seat next to her. ‘Have you just come into town now?’

  ‘No, I had to change a skirt in John Lewis, so I came in about an hour ago. What have you been buying?’

  Gill showed her the contents of the bags. As Debbie lifted out the lingerie to have a better look, the waiter chose that moment to come and ask what they would like to drink. Hurriedly stuffing the garments back into the bag, both women tried not to laugh, as they ordered panini and glasses of rosé.

  Debbie laughed then said, ‘No use asking you what you’ve got in mind, Ms McFadden.’

  ‘Well, it’s not a foregone conclusion, but I just wanted to take precautions, be prepared.’

  ‘You’re going to need more precautions than sexy underwear,’ Debbie joked, as she toyed with her cutlery. ‘Condoms might come in handy, too, you know.’

  ‘Yes, yes. I realise that. I’m sure if Anton has sex on his mind then he’ll take care of that.’

  ‘Gill, are you really not going to buy any yourself? Leave it all to him?’

  ‘Well, it’s embarrassing. Popping condoms into your shopping trolley along with your cornflakes and butter, the cashier giving you a knowing look. Or worse, going into a chemist and having the assistant know that you’re thinking about having sex.’

  ‘Since when were you so buttoned-up?’

  ‘I’m not, it’s just, it makes me feel awkward. Plus, remember, I haven’t had sex for ages. And to be honest, it was almost always the bloke that bought them, in my relationships.’

  ‘I still think you should buy some. How would you feel if you really wanted to get jiggy and he hadn’t brought any?’

  ‘Horny and frustrated, I expect.’

  ‘Exactly. Get yourself down to a chemist later, or even buy them in the Ladies’ here.’

  Gill looked at her friend in horror. ‘I’m not buying them in the toilets, with all the ladies who lunch watching me!’

  ‘OK, fair enough, chemist it is. Trust me, you’ll regret it otherwise. Imagine if you have all that lovely lingerie and you can’t take it further.’

  As they tucked into their panini, they caught up with the week’s events.

  ‘You have been busy,’ said Debbie, trying to stop a stray slice of pepper from falling out of her panini.

  ‘Yes, but I’m so relieved to have finally hired someone, I can’t tell you.’

  ‘I can imagine. I bet all this dating is taking its toll on you, too.’

  ‘You’re not kidding! Not to mention on my bank balance,’ Gill pointed towards the carrier bags.

  They talked briefly of their trip to Barcelona the following weekend.

  ‘Do you know, there’s been so much going on, that I haven’t even had time to get excited about the trip,’ Gill confided.

  ‘I know what you mean. The amount of call-outs I’ve done this week has been higher than usual. I’ve barely had a minute to myself,’ said Debbie, as she extracted her purse from her bag. ‘Shall we get the bill?’

  Debbie hugged Gill when they finally exited onto Buchanan St. ‘Good luck tonight. I’ll be rooting for you.’

  ‘Thanks. See you on Monday night. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Tell Gerry I said hi.’

  ‘Will do. I want to hear all about it tomorrow and be careful…in all senses.’

  ‘I will.’

  By late afternoon, ominous clouds covered the sky and Gill fretted that her outfit might get ruined if she had to wear it out in a heavy downpour. But she needn’t have worried.

  The sky cleared and the sun shone in the early September evening. Gill looked at her reflection in the mirror and gave a twirl, trying to see how she looked from all angles. She slipped on a pair of strappy sandals and draped her shrug around her shoulders. She had applied a little more makeup than usual. It was the weekend after all, and a very important night – she hoped. One last check and she declared herself ready. She went to the window to see if her taxi was outside yet, and then heard her phone ring, signalling the taxi’s arrival.

  During the taxi ride Gill had butterflies in her stomach. What was wrong with her? She had never felt like this when meeting Anton, not even the first time. Was it the prospect of having sex, shedding her clothes in front of a stranger, after all this time? Was it perhaps the anticipation? She couldn’t be sure, but what she did know was that she felt physically sick. Hopefully she’d feel better once in the restaurant.

  Anton had arrived in Glasgow at five thirty, nice and early, just in case his train got delayed. He wasn’t taking any chances. He’d checked into his hotel and changed into black trousers and a pale blue shirt, which looked good on him.

  Cecchinis’ had been a good choice, he thought - only a few streets away. Maybe they could have a drink afterwards and then, there was always the unspoken invitation. He felt pretty sure Gill liked him, perhaps a lot, maybe as much as he liked her. Yet he had no way of knowing if she also wanted them to take things further tonight. He couldn’t wait to see her. He enjoyed her company and could listen to the tinkle of her laugh over and over. Her smile had captivated him and she was quite simply good company, as well as beautiful. He wanted very much to make love to her. He hadn’t been with anyone, properly, in a long time. Of course, there had been the occasional one night stand, but this was different. He felt different.

  Applying some cedarwood cologne to his throat and jaw, he ran a comb through his hair and brushed his teeth. A gargle of mouthwash and he deemed himself ready. His hands shook slightly.

  What have I to be
nervous about?

  Gill saw Anton as soon as she entered Cecchinis’. He was sitting at the bar, facing the door and when he saw her, he sat his glass down, just so, on the counter, and came towards her. Clearly pleased to see her, he looked her straight in the eye, put his hands on her arms and kissed her on both cheeks. She seemed flustered and a little flushed.

  Is it hot in here? Perhaps it was just them. He smiled at the thought. ‘It’s so good to see you. Would you like a drink?’ he asked her.

  ‘Please. A glass of Pinot Grigio.’

  ‘That’s what I’m drinking. It’s very nice. Why don’t I get a bottle?’

  Anton gave the waiter his order and turned back to Gill. ‘You look beautiful in that dress.’ ‘Thanks,’ Gill accepted the compliment graciously.

  ‘So how have you been?’

  ‘Quite busy. I finally found a suitable recruitment consultant for my agency.’

  ‘Did you advertise it with a specialist recruitment agency, or did you do it yourself? I know it might sound like a silly question, but your specialties are technical and engineering, correct?’

  Gill was impressed he’d remembered. Attentive – tick. Two more brownie points. He smelled divine. A mixture of soap and a woody fragrance. Whatever aftershave he had on, she liked it.

  ‘I actually did it myself. I advertised it on a couple of different job sites. It received a lot of attention and meant sifting through lots of CVs, but it was worth it.’

  ‘You must be relieved. Finding the right people can be difficult. Even if you do it for other companies all the time, it’s different when they’re going to be working for you.’

  ‘I couldn’t agree more. Angus will definitely fit into our small team very well. He isn’t all show, like a lot of recruitment consultants. They give the industry a bad name.’

  ‘Excuse me, sir, your table’s ready. Would you like to be seated now or would you like to remain at the bar for a while?’