The Decoy Date

Chapter Ten

What am I doing, I've never brought a woman home before! Charlie thought as his heart leapt to his throat hammering against his windpipe trying to suffocate him. He'd just swung the car into the drive at his mother's house in Hampstead, she'd moved to a smaller place when his father had died and it still felt like he was parking in front of a stranger's house every time he went to visit. Molly and Catherine had already arrived, they'd parked in the drive that would easily accommodate five cars; who the hell had that many vehicles anyway.

Turning the engine off, his hands remained attached to the steering wheel as he stared at the front door. He knew his mother would be behind the curtains looking out for him and a glimpse of the girl he had brought with him, sure enough there was a slight twitch as Imogen put her hand on his arm. He turned to see her smiling at him but her shining eyes showed she was as nervous as he was.

"Ready?" He tried to smile at her but it never reached his eyes; it wasn't that he didn't like visiting his mum, they were really close, he just always thought the first girl he'd take home to meet his mum would be the one he would marry. Even as a teenager he never took girls back to his house, they either went to hers or hung out in the park or at friends' houses.

It just felt weird he was taking a fake girlfriend home to meet everyone as if he was in love with her and spending the rest of his life with her. The thought made him smile, Imogen was definitely the type of woman he could see himself settling down with; a couple of children and dog in the suburbs. Obviously it wouldn't be Imogen herself, he knew she'd never truly forgive him for what he did and he'd accepted that when they'd run into each other again.

The walk from the car to the doorstep wasn't long enough for him to calm his nerves, they had settled a little when Imogen had taken his hand in hers but his heart still fluttered as his hand reached up towards the doorbell. Before he could press it the door swung open to reveal Molly standing in front of the two of them, she was smiling broadly as she looked from him to Imogen.

"Hi, again. It's nice to meet you properly without football to distract anyone." She gave Charlie a meaningful look that meant she wanted to know everything about their relationship and everything about Imogen as well. He stepped through the threshold and gave her a quick hug whispering behave in her ear so only she could hear, when he pulled back she had a face portraying pure innocence but her smile flickered with a touch of evil. Maybe I should warn Imogen about my family, they can be a little eager. Molly was now giving Imogen a hug like they were old friends, though they hardly knew each.

He heard his mother banging pots around in the kitchen and aroma of roast chicken and rosemary made his mouth water in anticipation. Marie Ramsey was an amazing cook, she could have done it professionally but chose to look after children instead as a primary school teacher; she'd been there since her own three children had gone to the school. When he thought about, Charlie had to admit she had been a big influence on him becoming a teacher himself.

In the living room Harry and Adam were having some sort of animated conversation, they both looked up and smiled as he walked in, the latter rolling his eyes obviously not sharing his partner's opinion. Catherine his elder sister by three years stood up and walked across to him, well waddled was more like it. Her stomach protruded roundly out of her body carrying her first child and his first niece or nephew; when she'd told him, he'd been so excited for her and Harry.

The two of them had met at Oxford University, he was studying medicine and she was reading law; both said is was love at first sight and they'd been married for nine years now.

"Hi Kit, how are you? How's my future niece or nephew?" She pulled him into a tight, awkward hug, trying to angle the bump sideways so she could reach him and kiss his cheek.