Yes,’ Mia said. ‘So many stars. I wonder if Alec is looking at them too.’
Sarah sighed. ‘You mustn’t keep going on about him.’
‘ Why not?’
‘ Because we don’t know that much about him.’
‘ We know enough to know that he's wonderful.’
‘ We don't know that at all,’ Sarah said. ‘And I thought we agreed, Mia - no men this week!’
‘ Yes but that was before we met any men!’ Mia said with her usual warped logic.
‘ You really are incorrigible. Goodness knows what he thinks of you. You were so forward!’
‘ He probably thinks I'm a very approachable young woman which is just what I am and I really don't mind him knowing that. How else are we to meet men? We don’t get introduced to them by our families anymore or a master of ceremonies. You have to do it yourself when you can. You don't bump into them every day of the week,’ she said, giggling at the aptness of her wording. ‘I just got lucky today.’
‘ I’m going back to bed and you should too.’
Mia groaned. ‘All right then, grumpy!’ She returned to her own room, her bare limbs chilly now, eager to snuggle back under her duvet.
Honestly, she thought, Sarah really could be a spoil sport. Mia knew she was just being protective – it was a role she’d been playing as long as Mia could remember. After all, she hadn’t had a mother to guide her through the perils of love. But what possible harm could there be in a little holiday romance, she thought? It was probably just what she needed.
Chapter 15
Sarah and Lloyd found a tea room away from the centre of Bath. It was small and pretty with pale pink tablecloths and white china cups.
Lloyd pulled out a chair for Sarah and placed his heavy camera bag underneath the table.
‘ It must be cumbersome carrying that around with you everywhere,’ Sarah said.
‘ I don't really notice it now,’ he said. ‘It’s like part of me, I guess. I’d feel naked without it.’
They ordered a pot of tea and couldn't resist a slice of cake each. Sarah opted for lemon sponge and Lloyd ordered a slice of ginger cake.
‘ I always worry about eating out,’ Lloyd said, picking up his cup and examining it. ‘But it looks clean enough in here, doesn't it?’
‘ I think so,’ Sarah said, giving a slight smile. ‘You have it too, don't you?’
‘ What’s that?’
‘ OCD.’
Lloyd laughed loudly. ‘Is it that obvious?’
‘ Only to another sufferer,’ Sarah said.
They smiled at one another.
‘ How long have you had it?’ he asked.
‘ All my life, I think. There's always been something vaguely odd about me,’ she said with a laugh and then realised that that was probably not the best thing to say to promote oneself.
‘ I know what you mean,’ he said.
‘ You mean, you think I’m odd?’
‘ No!’ he said with a laugh. ‘I mean, I’ve always felt odd too!’
‘ Oh!’ Sarah said with relief.
The tea and cake arrived and Lloyd took a mouthful of ginger cake as Sarah poured the tea.
‘ I used to get endlessly teased at school,’ Lloyd said. ‘Everything had to be neat and tidy. Science apparatus for experiments, the books in the library, the sports equipment in the store cupboard. Everyone thought I was teacher’s pet but it was the OCD. I had no interest in pleasing anyone other than myself. Things had to be in order.’
Sarah nodded in recognition.
‘ But not many people knew about OCD back then,’ he continued. ‘You were just branded as strange or effeminate.’
‘ That must have been difficult. At least girls can disguise it some of the time. We’re meant to be neat and tidy so it can often go unnoticed. I must say, I didn’t have much trouble at school. It was home that was the problem for me. My mother had real trouble understanding what was happening. I think she thought I did things just to annoy her like the time I took down all the washing from the line and hung it up again properly.’ She took a sip of tea.
‘ There are
Sarah sighed. ‘You mustn’t keep going on about him.’
‘ Why not?’
‘ Because we don’t know that much about him.’
‘ We know enough to know that he's wonderful.’
‘ We don't know that at all,’ Sarah said. ‘And I thought we agreed, Mia - no men this week!’
‘ Yes but that was before we met any men!’ Mia said with her usual warped logic.
‘ You really are incorrigible. Goodness knows what he thinks of you. You were so forward!’
‘ He probably thinks I'm a very approachable young woman which is just what I am and I really don't mind him knowing that. How else are we to meet men? We don’t get introduced to them by our families anymore or a master of ceremonies. You have to do it yourself when you can. You don't bump into them every day of the week,’ she said, giggling at the aptness of her wording. ‘I just got lucky today.’
‘ I’m going back to bed and you should too.’
Mia groaned. ‘All right then, grumpy!’ She returned to her own room, her bare limbs chilly now, eager to snuggle back under her duvet.
Honestly, she thought, Sarah really could be a spoil sport. Mia knew she was just being protective – it was a role she’d been playing as long as Mia could remember. After all, she hadn’t had a mother to guide her through the perils of love. But what possible harm could there be in a little holiday romance, she thought? It was probably just what she needed.
Chapter 15
Sarah and Lloyd found a tea room away from the centre of Bath. It was small and pretty with pale pink tablecloths and white china cups.
Lloyd pulled out a chair for Sarah and placed his heavy camera bag underneath the table.
‘ It must be cumbersome carrying that around with you everywhere,’ Sarah said.
‘ I don't really notice it now,’ he said. ‘It’s like part of me, I guess. I’d feel naked without it.’
They ordered a pot of tea and couldn't resist a slice of cake each. Sarah opted for lemon sponge and Lloyd ordered a slice of ginger cake.
‘ I always worry about eating out,’ Lloyd said, picking up his cup and examining it. ‘But it looks clean enough in here, doesn't it?’
‘ I think so,’ Sarah said, giving a slight smile. ‘You have it too, don't you?’
‘ What’s that?’
‘ OCD.’
Lloyd laughed loudly. ‘Is it that obvious?’
‘ Only to another sufferer,’ Sarah said.
They smiled at one another.
‘ How long have you had it?’ he asked.
‘ All my life, I think. There's always been something vaguely odd about me,’ she said with a laugh and then realised that that was probably not the best thing to say to promote oneself.
‘ I know what you mean,’ he said.
‘ You mean, you think I’m odd?’
‘ No!’ he said with a laugh. ‘I mean, I’ve always felt odd too!’
‘ Oh!’ Sarah said with relief.
The tea and cake arrived and Lloyd took a mouthful of ginger cake as Sarah poured the tea.
‘ I used to get endlessly teased at school,’ Lloyd said. ‘Everything had to be neat and tidy. Science apparatus for experiments, the books in the library, the sports equipment in the store cupboard. Everyone thought I was teacher’s pet but it was the OCD. I had no interest in pleasing anyone other than myself. Things had to be in order.’
Sarah nodded in recognition.
‘ But not many people knew about OCD back then,’ he continued. ‘You were just branded as strange or effeminate.’
‘ That must have been difficult. At least girls can disguise it some of the time. We’re meant to be neat and tidy so it can often go unnoticed. I must say, I didn’t have much trouble at school. It was home that was the problem for me. My mother had real trouble understanding what was happening. I think she thought I did things just to annoy her like the time I took down all the washing from the line and hung it up again properly.’ She took a sip of tea.
‘ There are
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