me time
When Rose finds herself back on the singles’ market, her best friend arranges a blind date with the local lothario. An exclusive story by ROWAN COLEMAN, best-selling author of The Accidental Mother and The Accidental Wife
S
hoving Rose out of the front door, Angie’s final words,“Whatever you do, don’t look desperate,” were still ringing in her ears as the door slammed shut behind her.
“But I…” Rose turned round to find only the freshly
painted red front door staring back at her. That had been one of the first things she had done after Simon left her. She’d painted the front door the colour he hated. Bright, bold red. Rose had hoped it would signify a new beginning for her, a new, bright, bold life. But one year on since the divorce and it was Simon living the high life with his younger second wife. Rose was still crying herself to sleep at night. “Perhaps this will be the
start of my big, bright, bold life,” Rose told herself as she headed down the garden path, the very same one that Simon had led her up after they were married. After all, a person had to be pretty bold to go on her first ever blind date at the age of 42. “His name’s Kevin,” Angie had told her earlier that
Unluckylovine?
she had especially liked being married to Simon. She liked their house, cosy nights in and her pug Brutus
day, leaning over the reception desk that Rose sat behind, waggling her rear in the general direction of Martin from accounts in the hope that it would mesmerise him. “Don’t get too excited, he’s not really
128 OCTOBER 2011 |
WWW.CANDIS.CO.UK being married, and rather liked Rose
all that, but he’s single and over 40 – so that makes him the world’s most eligible bachelor, frankly.” “You’re not exactly selling this to me,” Rose said. Angie had been her greatest supporter from the moment Simon had announced he’d fallen in love with the checkout girl at the 24-hour garage down the road. Angie had been there, handing her tissues, large glasses of wine and dishing out pep talks on demand. “Look at me,” Angie would say. “I’ve been divorced four years – never had so much fun!” It was different for Angie
though, Rose would think. Angie had more front than Blackpool, both literally and metaphorically. Nothing ever seemed to faze her as she careered, quite happily, from one brief encounter to another.
The trouble was Rose rather liked being married, and she had especially liked
being married to Simon. She liked their house, cosy nights in and her pug Brutus that Simon had bought her three years ago when it became clear children weren’t an option. Not for her anyway. Simon and the checkout garage girl already had one on the way. Still, even a year on she would roll over in bed and expect to find him lying there on his back, snoring
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