don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault.’
‘Still…it’s a big part of life that’s being denied to you. You must have felt upset when you were told?’ He knew how upset he’d been when Rachel had told him what she’d done…
‘I was still a child when I found out. It didn’t matter much to me then. It didn’t seem a big deal.’ She shrugged.
‘And now?’ He really wanted to know.
‘And now I can’t let it bother me. I fill my life with other things.’
He smiled. ‘Rats and spiders?’
‘Rats are very intelligent creatures.’
‘And spiders?’
She laughed. ‘Are more of a challenge.’
Olly turned into Lula’s road and pulled up outside Moonrose Cottage. It looked mystical in the moonlight. An old, thatched cottage covered in snow like a frosting of thick icing sugar.
Lula couldn’t wait to get inside, switch on the lights and draw up a fire. ‘Are you coming in? I could make hot chocolate.’
He thought about it for a minute. He didn’t want to impose—she’d barely been in the village five minutes and he felt he’d occupied more than enough of her time already. He was about to turn her down, but there was something about her that he couldn’t resist.
‘Sounds great—thanks.’
Lula was definitely not the type of woman he would normally go for. All his previous romantic interludes had been with fellow medics who were rather strait-laced and ‘normal’. Nothing like Lula. His longest relationship had been with Rachel, and that had been years ago and an utter disaster.
Lula was so far out of ‘normal’ she was practically an alien from outer space! But he was fascinated by her. By her diminutive size, which made him want to put his arms around her and protect her, and the way the colours in her hair blended so beautifully it was like looking at a mystical rainbow. And those large brown eyes…like pools of chocolate he could dive into…
Calm yourself, Olly! Remember she’s not your type!
Inside, he helped her light a fire and soon its crackling warmth filled the small room. They satbefore it, enveloping their mugs of hot chocolate with their hands and staring at the leaping flames.
‘Eventful day…’ he said.
Lula nodded. ‘Are all English villages this exciting, do you think?’
‘No, I don’t think so. It’s just got this way since you’ve arrived. You know, I don’t think I’ve had so many patients visit the surgery, just to see you. You’ve really brightened up their lives since they did that belly-dancing class of yours, and they can’t wait for the next one.’
‘I’m glad.’ She smiled.
‘You’re a breath of fresh air.’ He coloured as soon as he’d said it and sipped from his hot chocolate to cover his embarrassment.
Lula glanced at him, nodding at the compliment but wondering if it was the kind of fresh air that Olly needed? He needed something , the way he was, stuck in his ways.
‘Thank you. I try to be.’
He glanced over at her. ‘Why do you do it?’
She was confused by his question. ‘Do what?’
‘Belly dancing? I mean, you’re good at it—don’t get me wrong—but what made you choose to do it?’
‘It was fun, it was different. I thought it suited me.’
Yes, she was definitely different—he had to give her that. For the first time that day he noticedthat her delicate fingernails were all painted different colours. Red, pink, pale blue, peppermint-green and lilac. There was even a tiny tattoo on her ring finger of a bat.
A bat!
He smiled to himself and shook his head. She was unbelievable. Normally he would have said that he didn’t like to see tattoos on women. He was quite traditional in that sense, and had always associated tattoos with men, but on Lula they were different. She managed to make them look amazing—tiny pieces of artwork, splashes of colour in intriguing places, making him want to know if there were any other tattoos on her body that he couldn’t currently see.
Not that he would ask
‘Still…it’s a big part of life that’s being denied to you. You must have felt upset when you were told?’ He knew how upset he’d been when Rachel had told him what she’d done…
‘I was still a child when I found out. It didn’t matter much to me then. It didn’t seem a big deal.’ She shrugged.
‘And now?’ He really wanted to know.
‘And now I can’t let it bother me. I fill my life with other things.’
He smiled. ‘Rats and spiders?’
‘Rats are very intelligent creatures.’
‘And spiders?’
She laughed. ‘Are more of a challenge.’
Olly turned into Lula’s road and pulled up outside Moonrose Cottage. It looked mystical in the moonlight. An old, thatched cottage covered in snow like a frosting of thick icing sugar.
Lula couldn’t wait to get inside, switch on the lights and draw up a fire. ‘Are you coming in? I could make hot chocolate.’
He thought about it for a minute. He didn’t want to impose—she’d barely been in the village five minutes and he felt he’d occupied more than enough of her time already. He was about to turn her down, but there was something about her that he couldn’t resist.
‘Sounds great—thanks.’
Lula was definitely not the type of woman he would normally go for. All his previous romantic interludes had been with fellow medics who were rather strait-laced and ‘normal’. Nothing like Lula. His longest relationship had been with Rachel, and that had been years ago and an utter disaster.
Lula was so far out of ‘normal’ she was practically an alien from outer space! But he was fascinated by her. By her diminutive size, which made him want to put his arms around her and protect her, and the way the colours in her hair blended so beautifully it was like looking at a mystical rainbow. And those large brown eyes…like pools of chocolate he could dive into…
Calm yourself, Olly! Remember she’s not your type!
Inside, he helped her light a fire and soon its crackling warmth filled the small room. They satbefore it, enveloping their mugs of hot chocolate with their hands and staring at the leaping flames.
‘Eventful day…’ he said.
Lula nodded. ‘Are all English villages this exciting, do you think?’
‘No, I don’t think so. It’s just got this way since you’ve arrived. You know, I don’t think I’ve had so many patients visit the surgery, just to see you. You’ve really brightened up their lives since they did that belly-dancing class of yours, and they can’t wait for the next one.’
‘I’m glad.’ She smiled.
‘You’re a breath of fresh air.’ He coloured as soon as he’d said it and sipped from his hot chocolate to cover his embarrassment.
Lula glanced at him, nodding at the compliment but wondering if it was the kind of fresh air that Olly needed? He needed something , the way he was, stuck in his ways.
‘Thank you. I try to be.’
He glanced over at her. ‘Why do you do it?’
She was confused by his question. ‘Do what?’
‘Belly dancing? I mean, you’re good at it—don’t get me wrong—but what made you choose to do it?’
‘It was fun, it was different. I thought it suited me.’
Yes, she was definitely different—he had to give her that. For the first time that day he noticedthat her delicate fingernails were all painted different colours. Red, pink, pale blue, peppermint-green and lilac. There was even a tiny tattoo on her ring finger of a bat.
A bat!
He smiled to himself and shook his head. She was unbelievable. Normally he would have said that he didn’t like to see tattoos on women. He was quite traditional in that sense, and had always associated tattoos with men, but on Lula they were different. She managed to make them look amazing—tiny pieces of artwork, splashes of colour in intriguing places, making him want to know if there were any other tattoos on her body that he couldn’t currently see.
Not that he would ask
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