Her home phone was ringing as she opened the front door. For a moment she was reluctant to answer, just in case the weekend leave had been canceled. But it was Ken. He asked at first if she’d had a good drive home, and when she said she had literally just walked in the door, he commiserated.
“I hope you don’t mind me calling. Mum gave me your number.”
“No, I’m glad, as I wanted to thank you. I really enjoyed meeting your parents.”
“I’m thinking of riding down to see my sister. I’ve got the weekend off.”
“So have I.” She found herself smiling.
“You free for dinner tomorrow night?”
“Yes.”
They agreed to meet in the early evening and then decide whether to take in a show or just eat out. She gave him her address and directions and found she was still smiling as she turned on the shower.
Langton might not have gotten a result from the trip up north, but she had, and it was the first time in longer than she could remember that she looked forward to spending time with someone who had no connection to work.
Chapter Eight
Anna spent the first part of Saturday cleaning her flat, going to the laundry, and buying more wine and groceries. She had a hair appointment in the afternoon and used the free time to check through cinema listings and a few stage plays she thought might be of interest.
Ken arrived at six, bearing a large bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine. He wasn’t wearing his leathers and explained that he’d left his bike at his sister’s so he could shower there before coming across town to see Anna. He was wearing a casual leather jacket, jeans and a T-shirt, and tough black leather boots. He made her laugh as she put the flowers in a vase, saying that he thought he’d been so well organized to arrange to visit his sister and get changed, but had forgotten to bring shoes.
He was impressed with her flat, admiring the stunning view as he stood on her small balcony overlooking the river. Anna smiled, appreciating what the now-familiar skyline must look like to someone seeing it for the first time. She came to stand beside him, and they discussed how they would both like to spend the evening. He had seen most of the latest films, as there was little else to do on his evenings off from the prison. They checked out the Evening Standard’s Friday theater listings, narrowing the choices down to Hamlet at the National Theatre or a new play that had rave reviews at the Royal Court. They decided on the latter, as Ken was keen to go to an Italian restaurant on the King’s Road called La Famiglia, which served Tuscan food. He’d eaten there before and loved it.
“It’s very popular.” He grinned.
“In that case, we’d better book a table.” She grinned back, adding, “I’d hate to come between you and your food.”
As Anna drove west through the early-evening traffic, Ken remarked that his sister had also asked if Anna would like to have lunch with her family the next day. “I’m sorry if I sound like I’m crowding you, but I’ll be staying over there tonight. I’ve got a friendly game on tomorrow morning over in Twickenham, which is partly why I came down this weekend.”
Anna found a parking spot quickly, and yet again he made her laugh as he at first said she’d never get into the small space. He closed his eyes as she reversed in one, inched forward and it was done.
“That was impressive — not that I wasn’t confident, of course! It would have taken me a few attempts, but the classic would have been to watch my mother — well, she’d never have even attempted it. My old man checks his bumpers every time she comes back from the grocery store.”
They were in plenty of time for curtains up, and Ken wouldn’t hear of her going dutch on the tickets.
“About tomorrow — you won’t have to watch the game, but I’ll need to call Lizzie, as she’ll be cooking up a storm, roast chicken and all the trimmings.”
They went into the theater and sat in their seats.
“I’d like to watch you play, and yes, I’d love to come for lunch,” Anna told him, filled with a mixture of excitement at being asked and trepidation at meeting his sister so soon.
Ken rang his sister on his mobile and then remembered to turn it off. Anna did the same.
“I was at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and in the middle of Julius Caesar, this bloke’s phone starts pinging out Beethoven’s Fifth,” Ken told her. “I hate the things. It was so distracting not just for the audience but for the actors.”
It was at this point that the loudspeakers asked for all mobile phones to be turned off, and they grinned at the shared joke before settling back as the play began.
Anna could not remember the last time she had been to the theater, and she found Ken’s closeness to her comforting. He couldn’t help but touch her shoulder, as he was so big, but she hoped that wasn’t the only reason that his arm was pressed against hers.
During the intermission, they stood outside the theater rather than join the crush in the bar, enjoying the sight of the crowds around Sloane Square. He was gently protective of her, making sure she didn’t get jostled by the other audience members as they made their way back to their seats for the second half.
After the final curtain fell, they walked down the King’s Road, and she liked the way they stopped together, looking at many of the stores still open. She also liked the friendly atmosphere once they reached the restaurant. They were at ease with each other, discussing the pros and cons of the production. Ken was obviously a keen theatergoer and was surprised how few shows she had been to, living in London.
“I suppose it’s down to work. There never seems to be much time off, and when I do have free nights, I am usually going over the case files,” Anna said, beginning to wonder what she’d been missing out on.
The dinner was delicious, and once again, Ken refused to let her pay. As they strolled along the King’s Road — and it was quite a walk back to her car — she felt completely natural when he caught her hand. They’d stopped to look into the big Harley-Davidson franchise, where Ken pointed out the model that was his, remarking that he often came by there to buy extra parts to customize his bike.
By the time they returned to her car, it was almost midnight. Ken suggested he catch the tube from Sloane Square to Richmond, but Anna insisted she drive him to his sister’s.
It was actually a longer drive than Anna had thought, but she hardly noticed, she was having such a good time. She eventually drew up outside a small terraced house not far from Richmond High Street. They sat for a moment. Ken didn’t ask her to come in but made sure she knew about the arrangement for the next day. If she wanted to see the game the following morning, his sister would be going, and Anna could meet up with her and her children at the house. He opened the passenger door and then looked back, smiling.
“I’ve really enjoyed tonight,” Anna said.
He leaned across to kiss her. It was fleeting and not in any way sexual, and the next moment he was standing on the pavement watching her drive away. Anna realized she would have liked him to come back to her flat, but at the same time she was glad that she hadn’t jumped into having sex with him, as she had done in a couple of previous relationships — if such they could be called. But this felt altogether different.
After a night of intermittent sleep, she was eager to see him the following morning. She drove back to Richmond, aware that she was falling for him, and the drive seemed to take forever. Eventually, she parked outside his sister’s house.
Lizzie was a good few years older than Ken and had the same blond hair, worn in a loose knot. She was wearing a long skirt and boots with a fringed shawl, giving her a rather hippie look. Welcoming Anna, she explained that Ken had already gone to the rugby grounds. She then introduced her husband, Ian, who was sitting in the family kitchen surrounded by Sunday newspapers. He said he was on duty watching the chicken.