When I Fall In Love

‘Yes. You see, he’s not as dark as you like to paint him. I told him that you were thinking of dating again and he suggested someone who would be interested to meet you.’

‘Ah …’

‘Now, before you say no, hear me out. Marty’s nephew Oliver is a genuinely lovely chap. I’ve been working with him on the new company website for the past month and we get on like a house on fire. I really think you two might have a lot in common.’

Elsie loved her father completely for his enthusiasm but couldn’t stifle the note of dread that sounded in her mind. ‘That’s a lovely thought, Dad, and I really appreciate it, but I don’t know anything about him, so …’

Jim folded his hands in his lap. ‘I know you don’t. That’s why he’s coming for coffee.’

‘When?’

‘Any minute.’

‘Dad …’

‘I know I probably should’ve asked you first. But Olly said he would pop in today and I knew you wouldn’t be busy this afternoon, so I thought … Please don’t look at me like that, Els, I was only trying to be helpful.’

If someone had asked Elsie which of her family and friends were most likely to attempt a matchmaking coup, her father probably wouldn’t have made the list. And yet now she found herself ambushed by him! She was about to respond when the door opened and Jim jumped up.

‘This is him, now. Promise me you’ll be nice?’

Accepting the inevitable, Elsie nodded. ‘Of course I will.’ She rose slowly and prepared herself. This was not what she’d had in mind to be doing today. Looking over towards the door, she saw Jim chatting happily with a tall, blond-haired man. He had the relaxed air of someone who had just strolled off the beach, wearing a dark grey hooded sweatshirt, faded jeans and blue Converse trainers. But as he approached, Elsie noticed his smile – broad and friendly – and it instantly reminded her of someone she had known before. An unexpected ball of emotion formed at her throat and she had to momentarily look down at her feet until it passed.

‘Elsie, this is Oliver Hogarth, Marty’s nephew. Olly, I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Elsie,’ Jim beamed proudly. ‘She’s assistant manager at an ice cream café in North Laine.’

‘Great to meet you, Elsie,’ Olly replied, holding out his tanned hand. When Elsie accepted, she noticed how warm his handshake was.

‘Nice to meet you, too. Dad was saying you’re working on his website?’

Olly smiled. ‘Yes, I am. It’s been fun, hasn’t it, Jim?’

‘Indeed it has. Olly is a partner in a very successful web design company, Els, did I tell you? He’s very talented.’

Way to go on the subtlety, Dad …

Olly gave a bashful smile. ‘Your dad is too kind. It’s something I’ve done since uni and I’m lucky enough to do it for a living now.’

‘Splendid he is at it, too. Now, Olly, can I leave you with my daughter for five minutes? I just have to – erm – check something in the stockroom. Won’t be a tick!’ Jim was so excited by his matchmaking skills that he practically skipped away.

Elsie shook her head. ‘You’ll have to forgive my father. He doesn’t get out much these days. Um – do you want to sit down?’

‘Yeah, thanks.’

They sat on the velvet chaise longues and all of a sudden it was as if every sound in the whole furniture store ceased. Elsie smiled politely and desperately racked her brain for something to say. From the slight tension of Olly’s smile, it was clear he was doing the same. After a few gut-wrenchingly awful minutes, Olly laughed and relaxed a little.

‘Look, shall we start again? I feel as if we’ve been ambushed and I really wouldn’t want you to think I was in on Jim’s plan.’

Elsie felt the tension easing in her shoulders. ‘Good idea. I’m sorry, the first I heard about you was about five minutes before you arrived.’

‘It’s cool, honestly. My uncle called me at lunch time and said I should come to see Jim because there was something important he wanted to show me. I didn’t realise he meant you.’ His laugh was as warm and inviting as his handshake and Elsie instantly liked him for it.

‘Let’s just forget how we ended up here, then. Would you like a coffee? There’s a machine in the staff kitchen – it’s not exactly the best in the world, but I can recommend it for providing a talking point during embarrassing meetings?’

He laughed again and slapped his hands on his knees. ‘I have a better idea,’ he said, rising and walking over to the stockroom door at the back of the shop. Opening it slightly, he called, ‘Jim! We’re just popping down the road for a coffee. Can we get you anything?’

‘No, no, I’m fine,’ Jim’s disembodied voice came floating through from the stockroom. ‘You two have fun!’

Olly returned to Elsie’s side and held out his hand. ‘Is that OK? I just thought it might be less – er – intense if we chatted somewhere else?’ While still a little shell-shocked by her sudden introduction to him, Elsie couldn’t help feeling intrigued by the easy-natured young man with his handsome face and friendly smile. Accepting his hand to stand up, she called goodbye to Jim and they left the store.

Five minutes later, they were sitting in cosy armchairs in a small café, surrounded by shelves of second-hand books. Elsie had often walked past BiblioCaff but had never before ventured inside. As she sipped her mocha, she noticed how at home Olly appeared here. The relaxed nature of the café, where fellow customers helped themselves to books from the shelves as they enjoyed coffee and cake, seemed to suit his easy-going appearance.

‘I love this place,’ he said, stirring chocolate dust into his cappuccino foam. ‘I found it about a year ago when my business moved nearby. Can’t beat decent coffee and books – the best combination in the world. So, you work in an ice cream café?’

Elsie nodded. ‘Sundae & Cher in Gardner Street. It’s my friend Cher’s business and I’m assistant manager. It’s a retro place, so a lot of fun to work there.’

‘I’ve been, actually. A mate of mine is a particular devotee of the Cream Tea ice cream – the one with the bits of real scone and strawberry jam in it?’

‘Ah, one of our bestsellers, that is.’

‘I’m not surprised. The way Cam goes on about it you’d think it was elixir from the gods. We go kitesurfing together at weekends and he always insists on an ice cream when we get back into town. That’s what I’ve been doing this morning, as a matter of fact. Hence the …’ He pulled the front of his hoodie to indicate his clothing. ‘I usually try to smarten myself up for work, of course.’

Elsie laughed. ‘Oh I don’t know, I think the “cool surfer dude” look for business is highly underrated.’

‘Why, thank you.’ Olly’s green eyes twinkled and to Elsie’s surprise she felt a slow blush claiming her cheeks.

‘You’re welcome.’

‘Can I interest you in a sample of our coffee and walnut cake?’ a waitress asked beside them, the suddenness of her arrival making them both jump a little.

Olly accepted but Elsie refused, her stomach suddenly tight. Once the waitress had moved to the next table, Olly took a sip of coffee and appeared to be selecting his words carefully.

‘It really is good to meet you. I mean that. Look, this might be a bit forward, so feel free to tell me to get lost, but I was just wondering if you might like to do coffee with me again sometime? I’m usually free on Saturday afternoons. You know, if you happen to be in town and at a loose end.’

Elsie considered his suggestion for a moment. The thought of dating again – now that it was a distinct possibility and not just a theoretical decision – was scary in the extreme. But then Olly wasn’t really asking her on a date, was he? He was interesting, witty and intelligent, possessed a similar sense of humour to hers and was undeniably good-looking: surely meeting him occasionally for coffee wouldn’t hurt? Elsie had to admit she was enjoying his company and the prospect of more of it was very appealing. This week’s note had insisted she was fearless: perhaps this was as good a time as any to take a risk …

‘Yes. I’d love to.’

CHAPTER FOUR

Altogether now …

‘You have a date!’

‘I do not. All I said was that I might meet him for coffee. It’s hardly an acceptance of marriage, is it?’

Daisy was unremitting in her delight, dancing around the chic kitchen of her expensive Hove apartment. ‘I’m so proud of you, Els! And of Dad, too – who knew he was such a matchmaker, eh?’

Elsie sighed as she swirled a jasmine teabag around in her mug by its string. ‘I shouldn’t have told you. I knew you’d react like this.’