In spite of, or because of the accident, Tara had been in two minds about moving South to be with Dan. She hoped to finish her MBA completely including the thesis, so that she would be free for a new life but decided to stay up North for a while. After the accident, she’d so wanted to hug him again, but at first it was too painful, the burns and blisters on her skin, her mouth. And then there were the nights, reliving all that had happened, cold sweats, struggling for breath, her first inhaler.
So she let him go. He’d been in London for three months before they met mid-way near Rugby by a canal, a special place they knew…to rekindle their passion, or at least to see if they could. They drove there separately. To reach the Admiral Nelson they had to take Dark Lane, arriving beside the Grand Union canal, lock number 3, Summer Breeze playing over the PA that autumnal lunchtime.
He held her, held her close, close enough to be the most important part of her life again.
‘So good to see you,’ he said, ‘so very good.’
‘You too,’ she whispered.
‘In that sexy way of yours,’ he thought.
Sitting down over lunch, he regaled her with tales from the acting course and improv classes; nights out at local pubs, the names of friends he’d made, how they were all looking forward to meeting her.
‘I’ve been thinking, Dan,’ she said, ‘it’s going to be a while, a while longer than I’d thought. I need to try a management role up here first, for a company that’s nationwide. Sylvia, says there may be an opening, and also that working here would be good for any possible transfer within the company in a different region, like London and the Home Counties.’
This wasn’t what Dan had in mind, he thought she’d been keener to join him, at least she’d given him that impression.
‘You know I mentioned the millennium?’
‘Uha’
‘Well I’ve been writing to organisations, charities, NGOs, to see whether or not they might get on board with a project to celebrate the thousand year threshold in a more profound way, than most people seem to be expecting to. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Mile High Club and their challenge to be the first to orgasm at thirty-thousand feet on the first of January 2000.’
‘Sounds fun!’
‘But it misses the point. Why does no one see this as important. It’s important to spirit, to the greater world order, to global psychic change.’
‘Dan. Dear sweet Dan. That’s precisely the reason why I want to hold back just now. I can’t have all of this hanging round my neck, it’s not good for my mental health.’
Dan felt a lump in his throat, as if he were to start welling up.
‘Well that’s the last thing I want to do, adversely affect your mental health, when I’ve done so much to hurt you already.’
‘That wasn’t your fault. We’ve been through this. It was my mistake. Not yours.’
The low sun caught the surface of the canal, reflecting on the ceiling of the pub restaurant, as if they were on a ship.
The music playing took an ironic twist: Bye Bye Baby by the Bay City Rollers. But he didn’t want to let her go.