Behind A Twisted Smile (Dark Minds Book 2) (6 page)

I turned, dislodging his hot paw and noticed he too was looking smarter than I had been accustomed to. His jeans looked new, and the shirt and bottle-green sweater I definitely didn’t recognise. Ignoring him and his personal remark, I smiled at Evie.

“Love the dress. It’s new, isn’t it?”

She nodded happily. “Yes, from the new boutique in the square, Ici Chic
.
It was more than I usually spend, but I couldn’t resist it.”

“I said Moya would like it. Didn’t I, honey-bun?” He turned back to me. “You dress well yourself when you can be bothered, but I always had to give you some encouragement when it came to choosing clothes.”

I gaped at him, speechless. Martyn and I had never been near a boutique together, let alone pick out new clothes. I felt tempted to slap him down and let everyone know what a liar he was, but I didn’t. A quick glance at Evie’s face showed she was listening intently to our conversation. Instead, I was saved from saying anything, as Darcy picked that moment to try and get someone other than me on her side.

“Martyn, you told me you’re a free spirit…what do you think about me going out later tonight to a party?”

I watched as she inched over to his side with a cheeky little grin on her face. “Mum says no way can I stay out later than ten, and Moya’s being a real pain and siding with her. I’m up to date with my homework and I won’t be home much later. There’s a new club opened, and it’s free entry for girls tonight. It’s a chance I can’t miss.”

Martyn glanced from Darcy to me, a look of pleasure spreading across his face. “Well, Darcy, seeing as it’s so special, have you told your mum that? I have to agree, Mum’s word is generally best, but would you like me to come with you and talk to her about it? Perhaps put her mind at rest?”

“Aw, would you? That’d be awesome.”

She slipped her hand into his and tugged him easily towards the house. I sighed and turned back to Evie with a shake of my head.

“As usual, Darcy will get her own way, no doubt.”

Evie laughed. “It doesn’t really matter, does it? She’s young. I remember when Dad was alive and he used to insist I was in at some god-awful early hour. It was so embarrassing always being the first to leave a party in case I missed the bus home. Anyway, don’t you think it’s a nice change having someone else in the family to work on Mum instead of one of us?”

I wondered what she meant for a second before it hit me.
Someone else in the family
…was it a slip of the tongue, or was there some other reason she had labelled Martyn in that way? I let it go.

I shrugged. “Perhaps you’re right. Dad, bless him, was very strict. He seemed to unbend a little more after each daughter was born. Darcy—and to some extent Angela—got off lightly.”

She laughed. “Think what would have happened if Mum had had more daughters. She was one of six girls herself, after all.”

We chatted for a while until Darcy appeared in the kitchen doorway and glanced our way. She wore a smug grin and gave us the thumbs up. Mum followed closely behind, Martyn holding her arm as he escorted her down the two steps, which she had obviously never walked down in her life before. As if.

“It’s all sorted,” Mum said once she reached Evie and me. “Martyn explained everything to me. He knows the club owner and says it’s very respectable there, and he’ll see Darcy home afterwards. I must say it refreshing to have such a pleasant, well-mannered young man about the place. Now, everyone, lunch is ready thanks to Martyn and Darcy’s help. Let’s go in.” She gave Martyn a huge beam before shooing us all indoors.

As everyone stood up and made their way across the grass, Martyn held back before swinging round and giving me a satisfied smirk. “Coming Moya? I think that went rather well, don’t you? Belinda—your mum—understood, once I took the trouble to explain I’d bring Darcy home.”

“Quite the Boy Scout, aren’t you?” I snapped.

He laughed. “Absolutely! Once a boy scout always a boy scout, didn’t you know?”

He held out his hand to me, but I ignored it and brushed past him, catching my heel in the turf at the same time. I tripped, and he caught me, holding me hard against his body just a fraction too long and his hand brushing across my breast. As I pushed myself away, I sensed someone’s fierce gaze, and as I looked up, I saw Evie glaring at me from the doorway.

I felt irritated that he had touched me, albeit in a minor way. But most of all, I was bothered that he had contrived the whole scenario. I guessed he knew Evie would have noticed. Perhaps most of all I cared that he had ingratiated himself with Mum and the rest of my family.

Or…was I being shameful thinking like this? Evie loved him…Mum and Darcy obviously thought the sun shone out of his backside.

One thing
I
knew for certain: Martyn was a complete slime ball and an expert manipulator.

Chapter 7

The meal was up to Mum’s usual high standards and everybody’s favourite: melt-in-the-mouth roast beef, fluffy Yorkshire puddings, crispy-edged roast potatoes, a choice of three vegetables and thick tasty gravy. All probably adding up to thousands of calories, but who cared. I kept being told I was too thin and a few extra pounds wouldn’t hurt. I did have just the one small helping of apple pie and custard, though.

“So, Moya, how’s it going? We didn’t get a chance to say much outside. Still going to the gym? What was it? Three times a week?” Martyn asked when there was a lull in the conversations going on around us.

I felt as if everyone was staring at us. My mouth dried. I chewed and swallowed.

“Nope. More like four or five times.” I lied.

He smiled, and I knew I hadn’t fooled him one bit. Why did I say that? How did he know?

“You’ll wear the equipment out. Isn’t there something else you’d rather do? Gym work is…a little boring.”

“No, actually. I’ve got another very good reason for going.” I tried keeping my voice down, but sensed everyone was listening.

“Aha.”

I noticed everybody at the table had gone quiet as I went on.

“I meet my boyfriend there.”

I felt at least six pairs of eyes swivel round to me. The teeny weenies carried on eating of course.

“Cool”, said Darcy, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. “A dude who works out. Has he got, like a six-pack?”

“That’s nice, dear,” said Mum. “You never told me.”

I resisted the urge to shrug, knowing it was rude, as Mum was a stickler for good manners.

“I think our Moya wanted to surprise us. Didn’t you?” Martyn said softly. I spotted a cast in his eye which I hadn’t noticed before.

“That’s wonderful…who is it? Do we know him?” Evie asked as she leant forward on the other side of Martyn.

My mind did a few summersaults as I thought rapidly, and I shook my head from side to side. “No. No, I don’t think so. He’s new to the area and the gym.” Was he? I couldn’t remember what the newcomer I recently met in the gym had said.

“I think this calls for a little celebration. Perhaps we can all meet him—what’s his name?” Martyn raised an enquiring eyebrow and smiled that smug little smile of his, which I was rapidly coming to recognise with disdain.

Again, I wracked my brain. Why on earth had I opened my big mouth? I hadn’t seen him at all, which was surprising, as I was certain he would be there on at least one of my regular gym days. Jon—that was it.

“Jon.”

“John. John,” he repeated, like I had said something wonderfully clever. I hated playing this game. “Well then, we must all go out on a foursome. It’ll be fun, won’t it, Evie, my love?”

She nodded eagerly and my heart sank. Hell! I had to find Jon and quickly.

***

As soon as we had finished lunch, I cleared the table, and noticing Evie and Martyn holding hands and canoodling in a corner, I quickly volunteered to load the dishwasher. With a bit of luck, they were too preoccupied with each other to involve me in any of their plans.

As I rinsed the plates and stacked them in the machine, I couldn’t help wondering if I was being too unkind. Martyn paid Evie masses of attention, and she had certainly blossomed under his devotion. Everyone else included him in their conversations and obviously considered him perfectly normal and a model of thoughtfulness. Was it just me?

I put the kettle on and made tea, glancing at my watch as I sipped it in the kitchen.

“I’ll have to go soon,” I said to Mum, who caught my wrist movement. “I’ve arranged to meet Jon later.”

“That’s fine. I’m really pleased you’ve met someone else so soon.”

“So soon?”

She jerked her head towards the next room, where a lively conversation was going on between Martyn and Dale, Angela’s husband and my one and only brother-in-law. “After Martyn, you know.”

I smiled. “Mum, I’m fine and I’m happy. Jon’s really nice.”

“Then you must bring him here for a meal.”

Oh God. I had really gone and done it now. “I will. Only he’s rather busy in the office at the moment, so I don’t know when that’ll be.”

Damn! Why had I mentioned the office? I hoped she wouldn’t ask what he did for a living. I place my cup in the sink and before she could ask me any awkward questions, hastily made my excuses and left.

As soon as I arrived home, I changed into my running kit, put my house key and a bottle of water in my bum bag and set off in a slow run towards the sports centre. It was really too soon after lunch, and my food sat heavily in my stomach.

As I caught sight of the building, I questioned my sanity. If Jon was there—and the chances were he had already got bored with the idea of getting fitter—what was I going to say to him?

‘Hi there. Remember me? Look, you won’t believe this, but I’ve gone and got myself in a spot of bother. It’s such a silly thing. Anyway, I’m so embarrassed, but I had to tell my family we were an item. Can you possible play along and meet them all next week? I’ll make it up to you…treat you to an expensive dinner. Your choice of venue, of course.”

He would think I was clean off my rocker.

I pushed the door open and wandered off in the direction of the changing room. I deposited my bits and pieces in a free locker and then took a while composing myself. I wondered how on earth I managed to land in such awkward situations. I must have had a death wish or something.

Of course, he might not even have been at the gym that day, although I remembered him saying weekends were good for him. I hoped he hadn’t left the area altogether. I toyed with the idea of going home and thinking up some elaborate excuse to my family, and then my nerve got the better of me. I was acting pathetically.

I entered the gym, and the familiar ambush of sweat and oil greeted me. I cast a quick look around, and my heart gave a little jolt. I recognised the black-and-green trainers.

Without hesitation, I walked over to the exercise mats and peered down at Jon.

“Hi there,” I said.

He paused in the middle of a crunch, a smile breaking out over his face. I felt inordinately pleased that even with a red face shining with sweat, he looked appealing.

“Hi, Moya. I wondered if I’d see you today.”

“How’s it going?” I squatted down on the rubber mats.

“Slowly,” he answered, catching his breath. “Unfortunately, I’ve been out of action with a blasted stomach bug. I’ve only managed to get here twice since we met”

Ah! That explained his absence. I wondered why his words made me feel unashamedly happy and relieved.

“Poor you. I did…wonder if you’d decided not to bother.”

“No way! I’m serious about getting fit. I’ve let myself get in a rut. I did book a one to one with Daniel, though, and he’s sorted out a programme for me to follow. Seems easy enough.”

He held up his card showing Daniel’s suggested plan with the equipment and repetitions. I nodded.

“Looks good.”

We chatted for a minute while I gently warmed up with some floor exercises. When I stood up and made to walk towards the first of the machines, he followed me.

“I’m about halfway through for today. Um…would it be…would you like to get a coffee afterwards?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice. Only not here—the coffee’s crap. I know a nice café just round the corner, which serves wonderful mocha.”

Great! First hurdle over. I now had my big chance to put my case to him.

Chapter 8

“So, say no if you think it’s preposterous. I won’t mind. I know I’m being bloody stupid.”

He threw back his head and laughed, and I noticed how white his teeth were. They were nice and straight, too. He shook his head and my heart sank. I should have known he would never go along with my ridiculous idea.

“No, you’re not stupid. Impetuous maybe, but it’s just the type of thing I’ve done before now. I’ll be happy to play along…it could be fun.”

I hung my head, suddenly feeling shy and awkward at his acceptance. “I really don’t know why I said it. It just came out. Mum kept bugging me and everyone was looking on. I felt really irritated.” I sighed and gave him a rueful grin. “Are all families the same? We spend our lives either doing things or going places we’d rather not for appeasement.”