When Love Knocks Twice (A Contemporary Love Story) Read Online Free PDF

guilty?”
    “ Not
unless you can justifiably hold yourself accountable for their
absence.”
    “ That
would be silly.”
    “ Yes
it would.”
    “ It's
so good to find someone who understands,” sighed Gail, putting
her arm through his. “So few people understand.”
“You
can't expect them to. It's not their fault.”
    “ No,
I know. It just makes it a terribly lonely place to be in.”
    “ Tell
me about it,” agreed Tom, getting up and brush grass from his
trousers. “Time to turn around.”
    They
walked slowly back by a different route, around the reservoir,
talking of this and that, until they parted in the car park, Tom to
get changed, and Gail to go and put on some dinner, something of
which Tom teasingly kept reminding her.

    Tom
arrived at Gail's in good time, and was met at the door without
having to press the doorbell. Gail waved him into the house and
handed him a substantial glass of chilled white wine.
    “ Mmm,”
intoned Tom appreciatively. “I like the way your mind works.”
    They
sat side by side on the sofa. Gail had changed into a flouncy blue
dress that spread around her as she sat curled up with her feet under
her, 'as dinner takes care of itself.'
    “ So
what do you do for holidays these days?” enquired Tom.
    “ Ah,”
considered Gail. “Holidays are tricky things when you're on
your own. Don't you agree?”
    “ Most
certainly,” agreed Tom. “Hence the reason I'm here.”
    “ Indeed.
That's why I tend to take the family away with me. Gives them a
holiday and gets me some company.”
    “ What
a good idea.”
    Half
way through their second glass of wine, the timer went on the oven
and Gail declared that 'dinner must be ready'.
    They
ate in relative silence, punctured by the odd snippet of
conversation, and the odd wine-glass top-up. By the time they had
finished coffee the table looked like a bomb-site, Gail was giggling
like a school-girl, and Tom was desperately trying to remember when
the second bottle of wine had been opened without him noticing.
    As
he endeavoured to clear the table and fill the dishwasher and the
sink with the appropriate dishes, with eyes that were getting fuzzy
around the edges, Gail watched him through blurred vision whilst
trying not to laugh.
    “ Tom,”
came the slightly slurred voice from Gail's mouth. “You're not
fit to drive tonight. There are two spare bedrooms upstairs, both
with beds made up. You can take your pick, but please, don't drive.
If anything happened to you I would never forgive myself.”
    A
saucepan slipped out of Tom's grasp but he managed to catch it before
it hit the floor.
    “ Are
you sure?” came his somewhat slurred response.
    “ Sure
I'm sure,” responded Gail, and ruined the effect by hiccuping
in classic style.
    They
left the remainder of the dishes and switched out the lights, Gail
remembering at the last second to lock the front door.
    They
said goodnight on the landing, neither in a particularly fit state to
follow the niceties of host-guest protocol, Gail disappearing into
the master bedroom, whilst Tom discovered a twin bedded room that
would do nicely. He managed to negotiate his way to the bathroom and
brush his teeth with his fingers after a fashion, before climbing
into bed in somewhat of an alcohol-fuelled haze.

    He
wasn't sure what time it was, perhaps one or two in the morning when
he became aware of Gail standing in his bedroom doorway.
    “ You
know what?” she said. “I'm sick to death of having to
sleep on my own in a king size bed. Would you come and sleep in my
bed tonight. I just want to have some company for once.”
    Tom
by this time was just about managing to find consciousness as she
finished her sentence, and swinging his legs around, sat up in bed.
    “ I
can think of lots of reasons why it might not be a good idea.”
    “ Sod
them,” cried Gail. “We're grown-ups. We don't have to
answer to anyone else.”
    She
held out her hand. “Please?”
    And
so they went through to the master