Silver Linings (Andy Barber)

-6-

"So how was your evening last night?" Natalie asked Genevieve the next afternoon as they waited for their takeout coffee's. They'd met after Natalie had finished up with her last client for the day and was filling her in on the date from the evening before. 

Gen slowly rocked the pram back and forth as Cora stirred. "It was ok." She lied, not wanting to divulge in the fact she'd had a breakdown and 'DILFY bachelor' (As Natalie dubbed him) Andy had come over to save the day. Natalie knew the friendship they'd had after chewing Gen's ear off one evening until she finally caved and told her, but if she knew of them having dinner? Then she'd start hinting bigtime about getting her back onto the dating scene. Regardless of whether Gen had just given birth or not. 

"Did you do much?"

"Not really, just watched a bit of TV and had Cora decide to sick up over me."

"Sounds like a raving Thursday night." Natalie chuckled. "Well, Matt was a man who seems to love himself, so I won't be texting for a second date anytime soon." She rolled her eyes. "Maybe I'll ask your hot friend whether he wants to go out?"

Gen could feel a nerve in her eye twitch slightly and pursed her lips. "He's not dating for a while, so he told me."

Natalie's face fell. "Whhhhhy? He's a catch! He was in the grocery store the other day and I swear the whole aisle of women were looking at his ass  as he walked by, me included."

"I seriously can't believe we're talking about this." Gen rolled her eyes and took the coffee from Natalie as she passed it to her.

"Come oooon, aren't those hormones of yours in overdrive? Surely you've had a peek?"

"No, because he's my friend! I'm not gonna stare at his ass." Gen declared and saw Natalie's face before sighing. "He's right behind me isn't he?"

"Yep..." Natalie stifled a laugh as Gen sighed and turned around, seeing Andy looking rather amused. "Hey Andy..." her friend cooing and giving him a little wave.

"Ladies..." He smirked as he pressed his card to the reader. "Enjoying your afternoon?"

Natalie flicked her hair back over her shoulder and nodded. "Yep, even better when there's a good looking guy like yourself to stare at, ain't that right Gen? huh, huh..." she nudged Gen who looked rather pained.

"I'm not about to answer that, sooooo, you're off work early?" Gen turned the conversation to something different.

"Ah, finishing it off at home." Andy told her, brushing off what he'd just heard. He knew what Natalie was like and knew that Gen was dying inside. "It's a big one."

Natalie grinned. "Oh boy I bet it is – ow!" she shot a look to Gen as she discreetly stamped on her foot. "So I'm gonna go...over here..." and slipped off to a nearby table, leaving them both while Andy waited for his coffee.

"Told you what she's like." Gen eyed him. "Just for the record, I haven't been checking out your ass like my perverted friend clearly has."

He chuckled and looked into the pram where Cora was awake and gurgling. "I know you haven't – how's the little lady today? Happier?" She looked fine to him. Cora had been no trouble when he'd watched her last night. In fact he'd quite enjoyed taking care of a baby again. It'd been years since he'd held one. 

"For now." Gen answered his question.

"Andy?" The barista now looked around and then passed his drink to him as he made himself known.

"Thanks." He nodded and turned back to Gen. "I gotta get back home and work on the case but if you're around this weekend then do you fancy a walk in the park or something?"

Gen smiled. "I'd like that, and I'm pretty sure that it'll keep Cora quiet too." Anything to get out of the suffocation that her home could become sometimes. Especially being alone. 

"Ok, I'll shoot you a message."

She watched him go and looked over seeing Natalie fanning herself dramatically while. "My god smoulder..."

Gen groaned, "That was so embarrassing – thanks a lot."

"What! I'm sure he was flattered." Natalie stated, "So what did you guys talk about?"

"We were making plans to hook up and have the hottest night of sex ever." Gen told her straight faced, seeing her friends change. "I'm kidding, of course I didn't arrange that."

Natalie laughed. "Oh my god, the day you actually randomly hook up with a guy – maybe even him? I'll shake your hand." And held the door open as Gen steered the pram out. "So what's the deal with him anyway?"

Gen played dumb, "Who?"

"DILF Andy."

"Ok for a start, stop calling him a DILF, and secondly? What do you mean 'what's the deal'?"

Natalie sipped her drink, "Why'd he decide to come back? Why is he single? The list can go on."

Gen fell quiet. "It's not for me to discuss. That's his business." She wasn't a gossip, and she most certainly wasn't going to tell Natalie about what had happened with Jacob. "But he's been through some things. Hence why you shouldn't be hassling him for a date or anything."

Natalie sighed. "Fine okay." Both of them coming to a stop at the gate that led up to Gen's home. "And what about you? You gonna be ok? Because if I'm honest you look a little stressed."

"I'll be fine. You know me" Gen shrugged lightly. "I always pick myself back up – why should this time be any different?" Even as she said it, it didn't sound very convincing.

"I'm just worried for you that's all..."

"Like I said, I'll be fine. Anyway don't you have a date to get ready for?"

Natalie almost choked and looked at her watch, "Shit, yes...Evan! I better get home and hit the shower." She quickly hugged her friend. "If you need me I'll be here ok? Date or no date."

"Just go be hot and get some guy to fall in love with you." Gen smiled weakly.

Natalie deserved to have guys showering her with affection and dates anyway. She was a catch and Gen hoped that perhaps something would lead to more for her.

She couldn't remember the last time she went on a date or even had a man make her feel special. After they'd got married Jack had never really made as much of an effort with that kind of thing anymore. It was as though the ring was on the finger and that was it. All intimacy gone in exchange for married life.

That didn't matter anymore. She was destined to be forever alone. Dating men with a young child wasn't ideal and many would probably run as soon as she'd tell them about Cora. Gen had accepted that it was just her and her daughter. Perhaps it was for the best. She'd just need to play the role of both mom and dad.

"Go on! Go!" She laughed as Natalie seemed reluctant to leave.

"I'll call you tomorrow!"

"You'd better."

Gen made her way inside and got Cora out of the pram, settling down in the nursery to feed her, while scrolling through the pictures on her phone. The ones of her and Jack still on there during happier times. Her thumb hovered above the delete button before finally pressing it, deleting the ones she'd selected. There were still lots more, but for now – erasing that part of her life felt good. 

She'd finish the job later on so she could finally go to bed with a clear mind.