Beauty and the Brit -Chapter 8 (Patreon)

CHAPTER EIGHT: DAFT IF I DO, DAMNED IF I DON’T

Paige found it difficult that night to get to sleep. 

She was absolutely smitten with every single second she’d spent in Derick DeBurgh’s presence. The man was handsome, charming and kind not to mention so dorky and down to earth that she couldn’t help but feel calm around him. He wasn’t some Adonis like Nate Eames was to Rae. Derick was, in a sense, just like all the other mortals which Paige ascribed herself to.

If he was a God, she thought, he might be someone like Apollo: interested in bringing good things to the world; smart things and enjoyable things like music. Though, the music bit wasn’t quite accurate with Derick. The God who pulled the sun into the sky though: that was Derick. The guy wanted to bring light and happiness everywhere! 

Better yet, maybe Derick was like Prometheus: he didn’t want The Gods, who in her analogy would be the rich and privileged, to have everything. He was willing to bring fire to the mortals; bring down some of his own wealth and skills to see that others in need could benefit. What was more noble than that? She couldn’t help but have a crush on him for that alone.

She finally fell asleep and in the morning recalled the lovely dream she had with Derick in it where they’d been at some sort of party singing and dancing around fires and pretty lights with Robin Hood and his Merry Men in the forest!

Her day at work went well but it passed slow.

“Great job yesterday with the setup of the new releases,” she praised her co-worker. “The table looks great!”

“Thanks Paige! How was that gala you went to?”

“Oh I was just volunteering but it was good! It was neat to see people come together to support the hospital and also have a nice evening! Actually it was somewhat fun serving people. Most of them were truly grateful and kind and those that weren’t were too busy listening to their colleagues talking so they didn’t really say much when they took a drink or a bit of food,” she admitted.

“Oh that’s good! Maybe I’ll volunteer next year. I’m just too young since they’re serving alcohol and all that…”

“Ah right!” Paige nodded. “I forgot about that!” Being twenty two had its advantages and things to take for granted.

The two carried on working doing a small inventory between the few customers that came in, including Mrs. Brickstone. But even with the light conversation and the satisfied customers, the day dragged on.

Honestly, Paige was just thinking about Derick and whether she’d see him again today or not. She both desperately wanted to and was nervous about it. If she did, it would mean they had seen each other and spoken at length everyday ever since the night they’d met each other. That was four days total! And not that it was a sign or anything but four was Paige’s favourite number; a number she believed to do magic. So if she saw Derick today, she had a good feeling about it possibly being special, but it made her all giddy and nervous inside. A part of her almost hoped that they’d just text and then maybe she could calm down about it.

“Paige? You okay? You’ve counted that stack three times now,” Alison pointed out.

“Oh sorry! Lot on my mind I guess. I’ll take a short break then. Will you be alright for five minutes?”

“Yeah no worries,” she dismissed.

Paige went into the back office and sighed a huge breath then feeling anxious, went to check her phone for messages. The screen came on. No notifications. No text from Derick.

She let out the breath she was holding though she couldn’t quite tell if she was relieved or not. She got a cool drink of water from their cooler and then set back out onto the floor.

For the rest of the afternoon, Alison noticed Paige was a little more focused than before but she still seemed a bit spacey. Everyone has their days though and so the young colleague let it slide without further comment. Besides, Paige was her boss. Alison didn’t want to offend her.

Paige concluded her day by filing the paperwork of their inventory to go over in more detail tomorrow on Wednesday. Then, she did a quick visual sweep of the store on foot though it was highly unnecessary and finally checked the store email on the front counter computer.

“Paige it’s past five already,” Alison pointed out.

“Oh! Right. Uh well I will just get ready to go in the back then. Cornelia should be here any second then. I-I hadn’t realized.”

Heart pounding a little, she felt somewhat relieved that Derick hadn’t yet stopped by. And yet once the door closed behind her as she got to the back office, she felt a shred of disappointment in her heart. He had said he wasn’t sure if he could make it by but at the same time her heart was calling out to see him again.

‘This is ridiculous’ she told herself silently as she grabbed her jacket, purposefully not looking at her phone from anxious nerves, ‘Why for goodness sake are you so lovesick?’ It was a crush, she could definitely admit, but it was quite serious and hard over someone who she had really just met and who barely knew her in return.

Was it the foreign manners and accent and exotic charm of someone not actually from here? Was it those gosh darn gorgeous deep blue eyes that always held hers so steadily? Was it his way of simultaneously being both the sexiest and most intimidating person while also making her feel calm because he was so down to earth? It was all of it. Derick was the perfect package to have a crush on. 

It was so a young teenage-girl stereotype (which Paige was not) and yet for her, who considered herself fairly level-headed and mature, it was so real and unavoidable. She really, really liked Derick and liked being around him.

“Gosh I’m such a mess,” she whispered, grabbing her purse and slinging it over her head so the cross-body strap could sit comfortably across her chest while she walked home. She hadn’t brought her bike, just in case.

Saying goodbye to Alison and Cornelia, who had now arrived to check up on the closing staff member before doing some paperwork in the back, Paige exited ‘Quiet Village’ and took a huge breath in. She had to check her phone. She had to. 

‘What if the house is burning down and Rae texted me to let me know she got the library out safe?’ she teased herself so as not to be nervous for what she might find in case Derick actually did text her while she’d been away from her phone. “Do it for the library,” she muttered in amusement as she took a breath again to pump herself up for the action.

“Library?”

“Derick oh my God!” Paige was at once startled by his appearance here and his close proximity. ‘And the way he said ‘library’!’ which was now repeating in her head a few times and she felt like swooning right there on the spot. But this wasn’t a Victorian or Regency piece. This was real life…

“Sorry did I startle you? I thought you’d heard me bump into that rubbish bin back there!” he exclaimed in embarrassment.

“No not at all! Sorry!”

“No need to be sorry I am actually glad you didn’t witness it in any form!”

She smiled in return and gazed at the man before her now dressed in business casual with a white, button-down shirt tucked into slate grey slacks with a thin, crisp belt. ‘You’re fine Pay you’re fine!’

“Anyway, did I hear something about a library? Are you headed there now?”

She tried not to blush. “Oh, no. I was just uh...reading a text from Rae. She uh thinks we could do some fun touches to our home library,” she lied. It was in some small part true though it was Paige who had wished to speak to Rae about doing some painting or different decor perhaps…

“Ah lovely! Well then I shan’t interrupt if you need to reply to her, or call in a response.” His hands came up a little in submission as he smiled.

“Oh it’s fine really. We’re going to discuss it later,” she admitted. “It’s good to see you! Wasn’t sure you’d make it. Which, you had already said anyway in the first place...”

“Ah yes it was a close call. but again ‘Lady Luck’ was on my side tonight. I caught you before you were too far from the bookstore.”

“I’m glad you did! For...making the effort to come all the way here that’s the least that you can be rewarded with is catching up to me,” she stammered, trying to sound smoother in her statement in order to brush off her true feelings of happiness and relief that she did in fact get to see Derick tonight! 

“Uh how was your day?” she asked conversationally.

He grinned, distracted by the new question and thus not able to respond to her statement, “Brilliant! Everything went really well and I’m quite pleased with everything that went on today! All in all, a great and productive day!”

“That’s so great!” Paige exclaimed, genuinely glad for his news.

“Yeah!” He grinned warmly. 

“Uh I hope I’m not keeping you! You've just gotten off work. Are you headed home?”

“Yeah, home actually,” she nodded, “but no you’re not keeping me!”

“How far do you live? Were you walking there?”

“Oh it’s not too far maybe twenty minutes?” she responded, “And yeah, I was going to walk it’s a nice night.”

“That it is,” he had to agree, “well why don’t we walk and talk then? Twenty minutes is… not bad but I don’t want you rushing after we conclude our conversation. Or we can chat and then I can drive you home. Well, have you driven home; actually I have a car meant to pick me up for dinner for six fifteen so depending on where I am it might come at six or just before then,” he admitted.

“Oh! No, no it’s alright I don’t need a ride!” she assured, “Where’re you headed for dinner?”

“Uh someplace called ‘Charo’ it’s in the hotel actually.”

“Oh neat! Never been but heard it’s one of the best in the city… er, town… whatever we are!” she chuckled.

He too laughed softly. “Well I can walk you home or at least part way?” he offered again and she felt like face-palming. He was trying so hard to be a gentleman and here she was ignoring it. He probably thought she didn’t want him following her home now that she’d ignored his offer but she was grateful he’d tried at least one last time to extend the idea.

“Yeah let’s walk and talk, that’s really kind,” Paige replied with a warm smile. “This way,” she gestured behind him, having been turned around when she’d heard him speak up. He moved gracefully out of the way, standing sideways like a recently opened door, and she proceeded to start walking home with Derick following alongside.

“I don’t think I asked how your day was,” he spoke up, “How was your day?”

“Oh pretty good thanks. Sort of...dragged on a little at times but pretty straightforward,” Paige admitted trying to sound matter-of-fact since she couldn’t exactly tell him why it seemed to drag on for her…

“Ah nice that it was straightforward but rubbish that it dragged on,” he remarked. “Perhaps tomorrow will go faster for you, or seem to.”

“Perhaps!” she agreed with a smile. “So tell me more about what made your day so great,” she invited. Yes, she did want to know but really it felt better to hear him talk and not just because his day had been more exciting…

He took the invitation without question and went on describing the tours he took and the projects he was introduced to that day. And then after a brief pause of comfortable silence between them, Derick’s face lit up and he turned to her again, speaking, “So I have some news about my grandmother that I found out today! Guess what? She was born here! Yes one of the first babies actually to be born at Willow Gardens Hospital. I found that out today on my tour! I was looking through the historical records they are putting out on display as a new sort of refurbishment in the Caruthers General Surgery Wing; the one that most people come into when they visit the hospital and saw her name there on the page. I couldn’t believe it!”

“That’s incredible!” she exclaimed in happy surprise.

“Honestly I just love life sometimes in these moments,” he admitted, “You and I were just speaking on my grandmother and then life gave me a little pleasant surprise of something I didn’t know about her! Special ears were listening,” he grinned with mirth.

Paige smiled back, liking the way he’d interpreted all of that.

By now, they were almost to Redford Manor. Paige realized it now and felt both sad and nervous. She didn’t want to depart from him so soon but she was also anxious for him to actually see where she lived!

“It’s not much further,” she admitted when the comfortable silence lulled for just a moment or two in the previous conversation about his grandmother.

“Oh! Is it on this block or the next?”

“Uh this one,” she responded and his face lit up.

“May I try and guess which house is yours?” he enquired, “I know it’s a bit silly but...may I?”

She grinned, heart warmed by his spontaneity, and gave him a nod.

Derick looked around for a few moments; eyes studying each of the houses ahead on the block as they both slowed their pace. “That one, I think,” he pointed finally two houses ahead of them. “Wait no, the one after it!”

She giggled. “That is our neighbour’s.”

“Ah then wait! Hold on let me guess again uh… Did I actually get it right the first time?”

“You did,” she revealed.

Derick laughed and Paige found herself blushing just slightly when she heard it and realized she relished in the sound of it. “Brilliant. I don’t really know why I guessed it to begin with or why I changed my answer but, well… 

“Oh it’s lovely!” he praised as they now got closer and he saw things more clearly. “Which is the neighbour that helps you?”

“Your second guess; the house to the left of ours if you’re facing our front door.”

“Ah brilliant!”

Paige suddenly felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. “I… Oh I’m sorry I didn’t give your information to Nate yet.”

“Oh Paige, it's no worries! I told you it was no rush at all,” he reminded her kindly with a smile. “Thank you for agreeing to do that anyway in the first place!”

The two came to stop on the sidewalk and face the small path leading up to her and Rae’s front door.

“You’re welcome,” she replied bashfully.

“The design of this is very Victorian if I know my architecture correctly,” Derick spoke casually.

“Yeah it’s supposed to be,” she confirmed with a small smile. “Apparently there were a lot more on the block but people ended up rebuilding; Nate’s house included. Though I think he told us someone else did the renovations before he and his wife bought their house and moved in,” she explained then wondered why she was explaining this to Derick.

And yet for his part (this seemed to be a common thing for him), he was utterly interested in what she had to say even though she felt it too random.

“Both houses are wonderful. But it is charming to see buildings that are several decades old if not more,” he declared warmly. “And of course, London’s full of them!”

“That must be old news to you to see everything there,” she mused.

“Not a’tall,” he retorted lightly, “London always has something new going on; something I haven’t noticed before. London, like life, has surprises,” he grinned and she smiled too.

“So, is your roommate home?” he asked a moment later and Paige opened her mouth to respond but Derick suddenly cut her off, “Gosh and I don’t mean like that I want to come inside or anything I wasn’t asking in some pervy, underhanded way of meaning like… bollocks— er crap; I shouldn’t cuss, sorry Paige!” he shook his head in embarrassment, “I just asked conversationally since I’ve never met Rae and it would be nice to before I head off to dinner,” he explained more clearly, though his cheeks held a slight blush.

“I didn’t think you meant anything but that at all!” she assured quickly.

“Gosh now I feel like an idiot for explaining myself…” he mumbled shyly, looking at the ground.

“No don’t. I appreciate your honesty and your willingness to clarify your intentions. That’s really kind of you Derick. Thank you.”

They both smiled shyly at one another for a few moments.

“Oh and no she won’t be home right now,” Paige responded, “She’ll be getting home probably just as you’re arriving at your dinner,” she lamented, “She would love to meet you too though I’m sure.”

Derick smiled a little. “Another time then. Tell her I say hello.”

Paige grinned. “I will,” she reassured.

Derick looked back over at the house for a moment. “Well… I’ve talked your ear off and I’ve gotten you home so I’ll let you go now inside and relax in a few moments of peace before your friend gets home,” he spoke, “And you’ll want to start on dinner too I’m sure.”

“Oh thanks um yeah I’ll probably get things started,” Paige agreed, “Thanks very much for walking home with me. I liked our chat,” she assured him. “Good luck with your dinner tonight. I hope it lives up to its reputation!”

“Same!” he laughed, “Thank you.”

The two hesitated here, unsure of how to properly say goodbye to one another.

Derick made the first move. “Well I’ll stay here until I see you’re safely inside. Wouldn’t want to leave now and hear some sort of...eagle swooped you up into the sky before Rae got home!” he joked which made Paige laugh. He was happy she laughed at his ridiculous pretend scenario. He felt as though he was daft for saying it out loud since he’d spoken without thinking about it.

“You’re right I wouldn’t want that,” she nodded. “Thank you very much Derick. Be seeing you. Take care!” she expressed before going up her walk, fidgeting with her keys the whole while, then unlocking the door and going inside with a quick wave of farewell.

Derick raised his hand to her too and once the door was closed he breathed out a huge sigh and inhaled again as he pulled out his phone. ‘Derick’ he told himself as he tried to open the phone to make his whereabouts to pick him up now known, ‘whatever it is about this girl you need to just stop rambling on. She’s probably secretly annoyed already. Just...breathe.’

But despite trying to tell himself over and over to just relax, he couldn’t stop thinking about Paige and that evening once he was up to his hotel room again around quarter to eight he sent her a text: ‘It was really great chatting again today & I’m glad I could walk you home. hopefully no eagles swooped in after I was gone. hope you had a good night Paige.’ He hit send and instantly regretted it; wanting to erase the whole thing and start over.

But before he could get too worked up over it, his phone received a reply: ‘I’m glad we saw each other too! And nope no eagles. There was a suspicious raven tho. I hope you had a great night too Derick. Goodnight! Have a great day tomorrow!’

Grinning ear to ear, Derick sent a reply: ‘Ta. Goodnight Paige. :) the same to you -no boring stuff tomorrow hopefully :)’ 

‘Thanks Derick :D Night!’ Paige concluded with a moon emoji symbol which brought a smile to his face.

By the time Derick woke the next morning, he was still thinking about her text and the smile on his face hadn’t left. It made him feel bold enough to send off something of his own before his first meeting of the day: ‘Good morning Paige! I hope you had a great sleep. I have something to ask you’

He hit send and felt like he’d just sent off the entire contents of the space under his ribs which felt light and empty where winged creatures now took refuge until he could ask his question and see her reply. His heart had stopped, his breath had paused and he would feel lightheaded until he knew. It was going to be a long, long morning.