Page 32 of Love from Pretty Beach

T he next morning, Darby was sitting up in bed with a cup of tea on the little nightstand beside her.

With her knees up, she listened to the dustcart outside in the street doing its thing.

The noise deafened her for a bit and she sat staring into space and waited until it was gone.

Looking outside the window, she thought about the night before as she watched the willow trees catching the light.

A few people were already bringing in their wheelie bins, there was a lovely patch of sunshine on her bedroom floor and it didn’t feel quite as cold, so that was good.

Snatching her phone up as it pinged with a message and hoping it was Archie, she frowned at the first few lines from Penny.

Penny: What coffee do you want? Cinnamon buns, too?

Pushing the sculpted eye mask she’d lifted from her face when she’d woken up further onto her head, Darby frowned.

What the actual? In a flash, she remembered that Penny and Jack were coming to help with the kitchen.

Jack was putting shelving and hooks up and Penny was in charge of painting doors and walls.

All the drama with her date had made Penny and Jack’s arrival completely slip from Darby’s mind.

Out of bed and in the shower like a shot, Darby then cleaned her teeth like someone possessed.

After which she pulled on her striped T-shirt and painting dungarees, shoved her hair up on top of her head in a messy bun and whilst trying to make her bed, squirted a huge dollop of tinted moisturiser on her face and rubbed it in like a maniac.

Flying down the stairs, she rushed around pulling curtains, flung open the back door for some fresh air and quickly unloaded the few things in the dishwasher.

Just as she was spraying the sink with cleaner, she heard Penny coming up through the back garden.

Pretending that she was calm and expecting them, she stood at the back door and watched Penny walk up the path with a coffee in both hands and a white bag of buns dangling.

Penny raised her eyebrows. ‘Morning. How was it?’

‘Morning. Where’s Jack?’

‘He’s following in about an hour; he had to go and sort his mum’s lawn out.’

‘Thanks for coming.’

Penny rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t be silly. As I said, how was it?’

‘How was what?’

‘As if you don’t know? You’re funny, Darbs. The date! I thought you’d text me last night.’

‘Don’t know what you’re talking about!’

‘I want a nuclear-level debrief.’ Penny handed over a coffee and looked up at the sky. ‘It’s actually quite warm.’

‘I think we can sit in the garden.’

Penny held up the bag. ‘Yes and eat these.’

A few minutes later, the little sunspot in the corner of Darby's garden was indeed warm enough to sit in and the pair of them were sitting there sipping and eating just out of the oven cinnamon buns. Penny widened her eyes in question. ‘Right, I want every detail. What was he like?’

Darby blushed. ‘Nice.’

Penny squealed. ‘Oh my god! That voice. You like him!’

‘Don’t be ridiculous! I’m way too old for you to act like that.’

‘Darbs. How long have I known you? Long enough to know what that voice means!’

‘It’s nothing.’

‘I can see you haven’t had sex.’

‘TMI! How can you tell?’

Penny nodded and her eyes went huge. ‘I’d know. It’s been what, over five years?’

‘You don’t know the details of my sex life or lack thereof.’

‘Ha. So how did it end?’

‘Here. He walked back with me, that was it.’

‘Are you seeing him again?’

‘I hope so.’

‘Was there a kiss?’

‘Yes.’

‘Darbs! This is epic.’ Penny nearly choked on her cinnamon bun.

Darby took a long sip of her coffee, trying to hide her smile behind the cup. ‘It wasn’t a big deal.’

‘Oh please, your face is literally the colour of a tomato right now. Details, please.’

‘It was just, I don’t know, nice.’

‘Nice? Nice is how you describe a cup of tea, not a first kiss with someone after years in the dating wilderness.’

Darby groaned and put her head in her hands. ‘It was more than nice. I’d forgotten what that felt like.’

‘Where did it happen?’

‘I think you’re making too much of it. It was literally more of a peck in the street. He was about to leave and then just, well, he turned back. Honestly, it was nothing to write home about.’

‘Just a peck? No tongues?’

‘Gross!’

‘What? These are important details for your best friend to know. I need to assess whether this Archie is worthy. Has he texted yet this morning?’

Darby glanced at her phone. ‘No.’

Penny checked her watch. ‘It’s barely nine in the morning. He’s probably trying not to seem too eager. What time was it last night when you got back here?’

‘Around eleven.’

Penny tore off a piece of cinnamon bun. ‘So, what was the actual date like? Before the earth-shattering kiss?’

‘We talked for hours about everything and nothing. His job, my disaster of a kitchen, books, that terrible Netflix series everyone’s watching. It was so comfy and easy.’

‘Easy is what you need after you know who.’

‘Don’t. Let’s not bring him into this.’

‘Sorry. You’re right. Seriously, Darbs, it’s so good to see you like this. All glowy and nervous and actually interested in someone.’

‘Dare I say it because I don’t want to jinx myself, but it feels good for once.’

Penny’s phone buzzed. ‘That’s Jack. He’s on his way with his drill and approximately seven thousand screws, apparently.’

‘I should probably clear some space in the kitchen.’

‘In a minute. First, you’re going to text Archie.’

‘What? No! It’s too soon. I’ll seem desperate.’

‘You’re going to send a simple, breezy message thanking him for last night. Something like “Had a lovely time yesterday, thanks for dinner.”’

‘Shall I?’

‘Yep, defo.’

Darby started typing, deleted it, and typed again. ‘How’s this: “Thanks for last night, I really enjoyed it.’

‘Add an x.’

‘Is that too much?’

‘Darby, the man kissed you on your doorstep. An x is perfectly acceptable.’

Darby added an x and hit send before she could overthink it further. The phone immediately showed “read” and three dots appeared. ‘He’s typing back already!’

Penny practically launched herself across the table. ‘What’s he saying?’

Archie: Same.

Darby nodded and looked up at the sky for a second.

Archie: Do you fancy coming to the Night Markets?

‘What do I say?’

‘Say yes, you muppet!’

Darby was already typing back when they heard Jack’s voice calling from the gate. ‘Is it safe to come in, or are you two still dissecting every microsecond of Darby’s date?’