The Locksmith by Linda Calvey (reading in the dark .TXT) 📕

a crisp white loose shirt and designer jeans. He had a muscular physique, tanned skin, dark blonde hair that he pushed off his face, and a smile that sent a shiver down her spine.

‘I was sayin’ that I’ve just told my brother, Alfie ’ere, that I’ve met the girl I’m goin’ to marry but I can see I’ve been beaten to it,’ he grinned again.

Ruby smiled warily but shook her head. He might be attractive but he was a bit too sure of himself. Too cocky, she thought. A thought that must’ve shown on her face.

‘Too much?’ the man said, and she nodded.

The stranger looked down at her brother. ‘I bet your mummy adores you, little man,’ he cooed.

Ruby watched him intently. He seemed genuinely interested in George, though she knew that wouldn’t last if he was a player like most of the men she’d grown up around.

‘Like children, do ya?’ she said rather caustically.

The man, whom she noticed was wearing a very expensive Rolex, cocked an eyebrow. ‘I do, as it ’appens. I practically brought up my twin brother.’

The remark made the other man laugh. ‘My bruvver ’ere thinks he’s Mother-bloody-Teresa but I gave him hell, that I will admit.’ He looked identical to his brother except his face was somehow harder, more angular.

‘I’m Archie, and this is my brother, Alfie. Please excuse my manners, I’ve been hangin’ around with my twin for too long. Can I ask your name?’ the handsome stranger said in a softer voice. ‘Do you mind if we join you?’

Ruby hesitated. Her first reaction was to say no and carry on with her lunch but something stopped her. He might be a bit cocky but he seemed nice as well, and he was, admittedly, very attractive.

‘I’m Ruby,’ she said.

‘I’m George,’ her brother chipped in, making them all smile.

‘All right, I suppose we can make room for ya both.’

‘Thank you,’ Archie said, and his manner seemed to change completely. The cockiness had vanished, and he seemed rather serious, sincere, even.

‘So, this is your little one? He’s a gorgeous boy.’

Ruby smiled. ‘I think so, but no, he’s not my child, he’s my little brother. My parents died leaving me and my older brother to bring him up. I’m as good as his mum. I love him like one, anyway.’

Archie nodded as if he understood. He leaned in as Alfie ordered drinks. ‘I know how that feels. Our mum died when we was young. Our dad brought us up, but I always say it was me that done it.’

Alfie grinned, ‘Bruv, you’re probably right. Didn’t do such a good job though, did ya,’ he laughed.

There was an awkward silence as Ruby digested this news. ‘I’m sorry to ’ear that, I really am. Life can’t ’ave been easy,’ she said.

‘We didn’t go short for nuthin’. We had all the love in the world from Dad,’ Archie said. ‘Doesn’t matter who the kid has love from, as long as it’s there.’

Ruby smiled, relaxing into their conversation a little, though she was still wary.

She watched as Archie began to entertain George, pulling faces which delighted him, and pulling coins from his ears.

‘My dad used to do that with me,’ Ruby said, stirring her coffee and taking a sip.

‘I bet you weren’t so easily fooled,’ smiled Archie, which made Ruby giggle and shake her head.

‘You’re right, I always knew it was a trick.’

The three of them carried on chatting as the waiters busied about with plates of paella and spaghetti bolognese for George. The little boy smeared the sauce all over his chubby face as he ate greedily, which made them all laugh.

After they’d finished eating and the plates had been cleared, Archie smiled and said, ‘Well, we’d best get goin’. It was really nice to meet ya and sorry for disturbin’ your lunch. I hope we see each other again soon.’ He grinned.

There was something very appealing about him, and it wasn’t just his looks. Ruby had noticed during their lunch that he had actually listened to her. He didn’t talk over her or interrupt her like the boys around Star Lane did, all puffed up with their own egos. He seemed different.

As he stood up to go, Ruby had the sudden feeling she didn’t want him to leave. She looked up and they exchanged a glance, his blue eyes meeting her green ones, and she felt a strange sense of warmth flood her body. She had the strangest feeling, as if she was safe at last.

It would’ve been natural to feel suspicious, threatened even, by the sudden appearance of this man ingratiating himself into her company, but Ruby just wasn’t. The longer she looked back at him, the more potent the spell he was weaving. She couldn’t explain why.

Eventually, she cleared her throat. ‘It was nice to meet ya . . . both. Thank you for the food and for entertaining my brother,’ she said as Archie picked up the cheque and waved off her attempts to pay.

Alfie had already left the table leaving the pair of them to it, and was smoking a cigarette on the beach.

‘Listen, let me take ya for lunch again. I’ve got a few other tricks I haven’t shown George and I know he’ll like them. What d’ya say, Ruby?’

She shivered. He said her name in a way that was almost tender.

She blushed, hoping he couldn’t read her thoughts, and for a moment couldn’t think what to say.

‘All right, but just lunch. I’m not lookin’ for a boyfriend.’ Her voice sounded weak even to her.

‘Understood, all above board, I promise ya.’

Ruby found that she still couldn’t look away from Archie as they exchanged numbers. His blue eyes seemed to strip her bare, leaving her torn between the desire to run away from him, and the opposite – the desire to get very much closer indeed.

The sound of the telephone echoing through the large villa woke Ruby up from her reverie. She was stretched out on a sun lounger while George played happily beside her, when