To read part one, click here: A Suitable Man [Part One]
Part Two continues below...
The generator probably would have started sooner if Barbara had not insisted on supervising him. She failed to point out the handy step-by-step instructions that were on the wall and opted to fuss and point and shriek instead. It didn't go unnoticed that she made an effort to stroke his arm for no apparent reason. By the time Christopher was back in bed, nearly an hour had passed. When his head hit the pillow, as tired as he was, he could only think about Julia.
He stared at the ceiling and allowed his imagination to conjure the first day he'd seen her. They were seventeen and it was the open day at the local university. The school master, Mr Humphreys, had been bellowing at them on the bus about putting their best foot forward and minding their manners at all times. The boys were only half-listening anyway, because another bus of girls from St Anne's stopped alongside theirs. Christopher had spotted her immediately. She'd been tugging at her skirt -- he later found out that a clumsy friend had spilt some juice on it -- and looking distressed. He tracked her as she joined the queue to step off the bus.
"Langley, repeat the last instruction I gave."
"Sorry, Mr Humphreys?"
The boys laughed.
"Gentlemen, this is exactly as I feared. One glimpse of young ladies in ankle socks and you seem to lose your bearings. Rogers, remind Langley of what I said."
"Boaters on at all times, sir. And no ogling the opposite sex."
"Very good, Rogers. Although I believe Langley has already violated the latter."
Christopher pulled his boater over his eyes.
Despite the glorious weather, he found the tour of the university tedious. Mr Humphreys shunted them between lectures and bored second years who were only pointing out the obvious so that they could collect their beer money at the end of the day. He hoped they would bump into the group of girls at some point -- if only to alleviate the tedium.
"What do you reckon, Christopher? Will you swot here?"
Blake seemed so at home that Christopher found himself feeling envious.
"I don't know. Not sure my parents can afford it. They still have to pay for Suzanne's course."
"But you're smart. I'm sure you could get a bursary if you tried... Hello. Who's this?"
Christopher followed his gaze. The girls were sunning themselves on the grass and sharing sandwiches.
"Mr Humphreys, sir?" Rogers could be relied on to take advantage of the situation.
"Yes, dear boy?"
"Might we fraternise with some of our fellow students over lunch? Some of the chaps are hungry."
Humphreys consulted his watch. "Right you are. Gentlemen, I expect you outside the Zoology building in exactly one hour." He lowered his voice and turned to the guide. "Young man, could you direct me to the nearest pub? For lunch, of course."
The boys waited until Mr Humphreys was out of earshot before whooping and giving Rogers high fives.
"Remember lads, I've got my eye on the pretty brunette. Anyone else is fair game."
Christopher's heart sank. He was sure he'd seen the same pretty brunette first. He wouldn't stand a chance now.
"Christopher, wake up."
He felt a clammy hand on his arm. It was Sean. He glanced at the clock. It was just after three. "What's the matter?"
"I had a bad dream. And I'm thirsty."
He lifted the duvet. "Hop in, Buddy. I'll get you some water."
"Can Tubby Bear come too?"
He smiled. "Of course. But if he kicks me, he's out."
He made his way to the kitchen and retrieved a glass from the draining board. From the window he could see out into the parking lot. He filled the glass and gulped the water. A light was on across the way. It looked like a woman was sitting at her desk by the window. Pulling the gauze curtain aside, he leant over the sink to get a better look. He knew that profile anywhere.
A hundred times. She'd told the designers one hundred times -- all right, maybe more -- that they had to enlarge the size of the beauty products so that they popped off the page. Yet there she was with proofs of minuscule pots and splodges for a feature that was called "All About the Base". The products were supposed to be the heroes of the article; why didn't the design team get that? She scanned the copy again. The header had been one of her brainwaves during their planning session and she thought it was quite clever. Not that she was blowing her own trumpet or anything.
Julia picked up her mug. It was empty. Making another was out of the question: she'd had three already. One was to calm her nerves after seeing Christopher. The second was because the first mugful didn't work, and the third was because she needed to keep awake. She stood and stretched. It was just after three and there was no point in going to bed now. She went to the bathroom and layered on some Advanced Night Repair. Julia chuckled. If only they bottled a way to repair her life.
Barbara had been right, as much as it annoyed her to admit it. Christopher was better looking than Hugh Jackman. Seeing him had knocked the breath out of her, and although she knew she should resist, she wanted to see him again. As it was, he was sleeping just across the way. The thought unnerved her. She had to stay focused. On work. Yes. Especially because the "Gentleman's Special" was due on Clarissa's desk the day after tomorrow.
The sound of the doorbell made her jump. If Barbara had come around at this hour to ask something, she'd sock her in the jaw. When she looked through the peephole, it wasn't Barbara standing on the porch.
"What are you doing here?"
"I saw your light was on and I couldn't sleep."
"Oh."
"May I come in?"
She swallowed the lump in her throat and stood back to let him pass.
"It's rather dark in here."
"Yes. Right." She switched on the lamp nearest to her and they squinted in the light. "Do you want to sit down? Or I could make tea?"
"No. Let's sit."
She took the couch opposite him and waited.
"How long has it been? Twenty years?"
"Twenty-one." She hadn't realised that she'd been keeping tabs.
He nodded. "You look good. High powered."
"It comes with the territory. I work in magazines."
"Sounds glamorous."
Julia shrugged.
"Did you ever finish writing your book? The one you started in our first year at university?"
She'd forgotten all about that. She cleared her throat. "No. Turns out being young and idealistic doesn't pay the bills."
"But you were so good. Everyone said so. You would have..."
"What are you doing these days? Barbara tells me your nephew lives with you."
Christopher clasped his hands. "News travels fast. Yes, Sean lives with me. Suzanne died two months ago."
"I am so sorry. I know how close you were." She held his gaze. "Is that why you moved here?"
"Yes. I thought a fresh start would be good for both of us."
"You hate 'fresh starts'." She laughed. "In fact, that was one of the reasons we..."
"I know." He tugged at a thread on his T-shirt. "I am sorry about that. I was young and stupid."
The apology hung between them. The silence was only broken when a car backfired and they giggled at Julia's girlish shriek.
"I've missed you, Jools."
She closed her eyes and tears rolled down her face. When she opened them again, he was gone and the only evidence of his having been there was a scrap of paper on the coffee table. She recognised it immediately. It was torn off the bottom of one of the love letters she had written him. Promise me, Christopher, it said. Promise me that you will still love me even when I am stubborn. Because that is when I need your love the most.
They had only been dating for three months when she wrote that. Her parents had decided that she needed to spend the December holidays in the landlocked town of Greenfield where the only company she'd have was the cows, the birds and her grandparents. She had tried to overcome the ache of missing him by writing letters declaring her devotion. When that became tedious -- there are only so many ways to say 'I miss you' -- she started writing stories. Then, with his encouragement, Julia began to write their story.
"Hey, that hurt." Julia glowered at Rogers. "Watch where you're going."
"My humblest apologies, fair maiden. To whom do I need to make amends?"
Julia looked at her friend Lizzy. "What is he saying?"
Lizzy gaped at Rogers. "My name is Elizabeth, but everyone calls me Lizzy."
Rogers didn't seem to notice. "And you are?"
"Leaving," said Julia.
When Rogers made to follow, Lizzy pretended to faint.
"Some friend you are." She was secretly relieved that Rogers was off her scent. If she hadn't turned around in time, she would have fallen over too. "So sorry. I didn't see you there."
He smiled. "Rogers can be quite annoying. I don't blame you for trying to escape."
"Was I that obvious?" When he nodded, she blushed. "I think it has turned out all right. Lizzy seems to have him doting on her."
He joined her in watching them for a moment. "My name is Christopher."
"Julia. Nice to meet you." She pointed at the bench. "Mind if I sit?"
He shrugged.
"So, how do you like the university?"
"It's ok. A bit boring."
"I'm so glad you said that. Geez, where do they get these tour guides from? Our guide kept pointing at stuff and saying obvious things like, 'that's a tree' and 'that's a building'."
"'Go to the bathrooms there'."
She laughed at his accent. "You sounded just like him."
"I reckon they're only doing it for the money."
"Sounds like prostitution."
"I suppose it is, in a way. I mean, when we go into the world we'll all be prostituting ourselves so our bosses will pay us."
"That's a horribly depressing thought."
"Then I suppose you had better find something you enjoy doing. You know, to make it worthwhile."
Julia woke to the beeping of her cellphone upstairs. She couldn't believe she'd slept. The dream had felt so real. She suddenly knew what to do for the last page of her "Gentleman's Special" and she had a feeling that Clarissa would love it too.
"So you're saying that rather than interviewing our favourite gentleman, we should shoot a video of couples saying how they fell in love instead?"
"Exactly, Clarissa. Think of the ending of When Harry Met Sally. There's the couch and the old people sharing stories of how they met. It'll be one of those faith-in-humanity-restored moments."
"All right. But how do we put that in the magazine?"
"We get the design team to put in a QR code which the readers scan with their phones. This will the take them to a site where they can watch the video. We'll put a screenshot of the video on the page and dress it up with teasers about the fact that real gentlemen still exist." She stopped waving her arms and exhaled. "What do you think?"
Clarissa bit her lip. "Honestly, I love it. It will get more traffic to our website and marketing can find sponsors or ads to cover the cost of the shoot."
Julia threw up her arms in victory and then composed herself. "Great. Excellent. I'll get the team together and start right away." She gathered up her things and made to leave.
"I have no idea where you keep getting these ideas from, Julia. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."
Rather than tell her it was bumping into her first love in the middle of a blackout, Julia smiled at Clarissa before hurrying back to her office. The deadline was hours away.
"Why are you smiling so much today?"
Christopher looked up from the toast he was smothering in butter. "Sorry, what?"
"You never smile this much. Well, not since Mum died. Why are you smiling?"
"I didn't realise I was." He pushed the plate of toast at Sean. "Eat up."
"Tubby Bear thinks it's because of the woman you went to see last night."
"What does Tubby Bear know about that?"
Sean put the bear's mouth to his ear. "He says you went to visit her when you thought we were asleep. And that you stayed there for a long time. Tubby thinks you are in love."
"Does Tubby want cheese on his toast as well?"
Sean frowned. "Mum used to do that too. When she knew Tubby was right, she would change the subject. Who is she, Christopher?"
"Someone I knew when I was younger and more stupid."
"You're not stupid."
"Thanks, Buddy. Now eat your toast." He stared through the window at Julia's duplex. Perhaps she hadn't found the piece of her letter after all.
"Carlo, I don't know how I am ever going to repay you."
"I'll think of something. Please, sir, watch my flowers there." He hurried across the garden to rescue his petunias from an overzealous props manager.
The filming crew was setting up in the garden of Bella Bella and Julia had arranged for eight couples to come and be filmed. They ran the gamut of grandparents, star-crossed lovers, Tinder and OKCupid success stories and even high school sweethearts. While the interns bustled and the sound and lighting checks got done, she stepped between the ferns to make a call. The number was written on the back of a scrap of paper. She dialled before she had the chance to chicken out.
"Christopher Langley."
"It's Julia. I need a favour."
"Why can't Tubby Bear come?"
Christopher clamped his eyes shut and sighed. "Buddy, we've been asked to dress up like gentlemen. Somehow I don't think any suited-up man has ever accessorised with a teddy."
Sean's face fell.
He kneeled in front of the boy and placed his hands on his shoulders. "I know it's a scary thought to be doing something without him. He's seen you through the worst, am I right?"
Sean nodded.
"But part of moving on from those bad times means being brave enough to face the unknown. I think, if we help each other, we can do it without Tubby."
Sean's lip quavered. "Will you hold my hand?"
"Every step of the way." He hugged Sean to prevent him from seeing his tears. After a beat, Christopher thumped his back. "Let's go, Buddy. The world of showbiz is waiting for us."
Julia handed a tissue to Ethel. She had just finished telling the camera about her first date with Adam. It had taken all of her willpower not to start blubbing as well.
"Thank you for sharing your story with us. It's so lovely to hear that romance is alive and well."
"Our pleasure," said Adam. "I wish everyone can find the same happiness I have found with Ethel."
"If you don't leave soon, I'm going to need a tissue." She waved as they left the garden for Bella Bella where Carlo was waiting with cappuccino and Nutella cornetti.
"Hello, Julia."
Christopher looked even better in a suit. "Hello. And you must be Sean. How are you?"
Sean crushed his face on Christopher's thigh.
"He's a little camera shy. Where do you want us?"
"Over there, on the bench. Just make yourselves comfortable while the crew fix the lighting. I'll be with you in a minute."
He nodded and settled beside Sean on the bench. Christopher stiffenedd when the hair and make-up team fussed with his collar or ruffled his parting. Sean, by contrast, loved the attention and dutifully closed his eyes when they powdered his face.
She knew it was a huge gamble to involve them in her video but she thought even a stoic like Clarissa would find it sweet. It was hard not to notice the other crew members trying to catch her eye and ask for wordless explanations. "Right, chaps. I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions and Jerry here, " she waited for Jerry to wave, "is going to film your answers. Just pretend, as far as possible, that you're having a conversation with me. Is that ok, Sean?"
"Yes. Let's do it." He punched the air.
Julia laughed. "Ok. Let's do it." She asked them the same questions she had posed all the other couples: how they met, how long they had known each other, the quirks or habits about the other that they loved or hated, and so on. When she got to the last question, she braced herself. "So, chaps, I want to ask you to give our readers some advice. Many believe that men don't know how to fall in love. Can you tell them, based on your experience, how they will know if the man in their life is in love with them?"
Sean scratched his head. "That's a hard one."
Julia laughed. "Why do you say that?"
"Mum used to say that she knew she was in love when she felt butterflies in her tummy. But I think being in love makes you smile too much, like when Christopher smiled this morning. He was so busy smiling that he put too much butter on my toast. Yeuch!"
"Have you ever been in love, Sean?"
"Nope. But Christopher has. He smiles and smiles and smiles when he's in love. Tubby Bear told me."
"Hey, Buddy. Gentlemen don't kiss and tell." Christopher resisted the urge to clamp his hand over Sean's mouth. "Besides, Tubby Bear is just a toy. What does he know?"
"But I saw how you smiled."
Christopher grinned and examined his shoes.
It seemed Sean had hit a nerve. "What do you think, Christopher?"
"I think a real gentleman doesn't say how he feels until he believes that his feelings are reciprocated. Nobody likes being rejected."
"Did she reject you, Christopher?" Sean's eyes were wide.
"No, Buddy. A long time ago I rejected her. I was scared by the idea that someone as beautiful and intelligent as her could love me, so I pushed her away. By the time I realised how I felt, it was too late."
"That was dumb." Sean dropped his head into his hands. "You have to tell her now, Christopher. Tell her how you feel." He stood and walked out of the shot to Julia. Taking her hand, he led her to the bench and indicated that she sit down. He folded his arms and looked at Christopher. "I'm waiting."
A hush fell over the garden. Everyone, even Carlo, stopped what they were doing and watched.
Christopher stood and ripped off his microphone. "I'm sorry. I can't do this." He grabbed Sean's hand and pushed past the producer.
Julia felt something break in her chest. It was just like before, only this time she wasn't sure she would recover.
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