Kellie Hailes - The Little Unicorn Gift Shop - A heartwarming romance with a bit of sparkle in 2018!

‘“Sounds”? Are you two still in contact?’ Poppy picked up a napkin and wiped at a splodge of red gravy that had nestled in the groove of her mouth. ‘All gone?’

‘Not quite.’ Ben took the napkin and patted away another splodge that had landed on her chin, then passed the napkin back to Poppy. ‘You still eat like a starving animal.’

‘Habit of a lifetime.’ Poppy’s lips turned down in what looked like a frown, but in a blink of an eye it was gone, a smile in its place. ‘Anyway, back to Milly. I didn’t know you two still talked.’

‘It’s a recent thing. She called. Said she was going to be in the area. We’ve texted each other a bit.’ Ben gave a non-committal shrug. ‘Anyway, maybe I’m just not in the market for a pearl-clutching Meredith type of woman. Maybe I’d prefer a woman with a bit of fire in her belly. Someone fun, funny, not afraid to take a chance. Someone with a good heart. I don’t suppose you know anyone who fits that description?’

Poppy leaned forward, a gleam in her eyes. ‘Not off the top of my head, but maybe I could help you find her. We could load up some dating apps onto your phone. Go through the prospects together. It’d be great fun!’ Poppy looked around the shop. ‘Where’s your phone? Let’s put together a profile and get you out there.’ She leaned over to snatch up the phone lying at his side, groaning as Ben whipped it up before she could get her hands on it.

‘Let’s not, Poppy.’ Ben tucked the phone in his back pocket, well out of reach of Poppy’s grabby hands. ‘I know you’ll think me boring. Too traditional. But I like the idea of meeting a girl the old-fashioned way. Like, at a bar, or at the shops, or when I’m jogging in the park.’

‘You mean you want a romantic movie type meeting?’ Poppy stroked her chin and gazed into the distance. ‘Maybe I could go places with you and you could point out women that you like the look of and I could maybe throw you in front of them and make it looked like you tripped?’

Air-sucking frustration built in Ben’s chest. He had to shut this down. The last person he wanted to talk about love with was the only woman he’d ever fallen for. The one woman he’d had to work hard to get over. ‘You know, I could ask the same of you, Pops. You haven’t mentioned anyone, so I’m guessing there’s no man in your life?’

‘God, no.’ Poppy gagged. ‘No boyfriend. I don’t do boyfriends. At least, I don’t do the serious ones.’ Poppy visibly shuddered. ‘I’m always honest with any man who shows interest. I tell them I am in it for a fun time, not a long time. I tell them if I see a hint of their wanting more then I’m out.’

‘But why? What have you got against relationships?’ Ben set his fork down. Something was wrong. Off. He couldn’t believe that Poppy with her big, kind heart didn’t do relationships.

‘It’s quite simple. I don’t believe in them because I don’t believe in that kind of love.’ Poppy took a sip of her wine and set it down with a nonchalant shrug. ‘Stop looking so freaked out, it’s no big deal.’

‘No big deal? But you were just trying to get me dating. Marry me off. How can someone who doesn’t believe in love do that?’

‘I was just trying to inject some fun in your life, Ben. Not love. Besides, you’re the marrying type. The type who’d make it work even once what you thought was love died out. People do it all the time. They stay together for financial reasons. Or because they know no better. Or out of stubbornness. Not for love. Love is really just a bunch of hormones racing around your body that make you hook up with someone so that babies can be made and the human race gets to continue. Love’s really just a giant myth as far as I’m concerned. A fairy tale to keep you warm at night.’

Ben pushed his plate away, his appetite as existent as Poppy’s belief in happy-ever-afters. ‘How can you say it’s a myth? My mother and father have stuck it out through thick and thin for over thirty-five years. They’re proof that love exists.’

‘But that’s the thing. You just said it yourself. They’ve “stuck it out”. If love was real you wouldn’t have to stick it out. And it’s not like my parents are the best example. My father left before I was born. And my mother…’ Poppy paused as colour flooded her cheeks, and her eyes drifted to the window. The look in her juniper-green eyes was as dark as the night sky. ‘Well, she wasn’t the best role model.’

Ben wanted to ask why, but Poppy’s taut jaw told him she wasn’t about to elaborate. He checked the time on his watch. Nearly eleven. He had to be up in a few hours to get his morning swim and workout in. Needed that time to plan out his day. To figure out what had to be done, and the best way to do it. But he didn’t want to leave Poppy like this. All twisted and tortured by some aspect of her past that she clung to. That haunted her. He had to go, but before he did he wanted to see the sadness in Poppy’s eyes recede, to see them brighten once more.

‘You know, Pops, you may not believe in love, but I know you believe in friendship. And I probably should have said this when we decided… well, when we were kind of forced into business together. But I’m glad you’re back, Poppy. Really glad.’ Ben raised his cup. ‘To the rekindling of a beautiful relationship.’

Poppy’s jaw relaxed as she raised her cup. ‘To a beautiful friendship. One where I won’t have to worry about you going all lovey-dovey on me. The best kind.’ The shine returned to her eyes, as her ever-present inner light beat off the dark. ‘The only kind.’

‘Indeed. The only kind.’ Ben clinked his cup against Poppy’s and ignored the stab her words had brought to his gut. Indigestion. That was all it was. All it could possibly be.

The sight of towering boxes, threatening to topple over, sent an army of ants marching through Poppy’s stomach.

There was so much to unpack. So much to set up. And such little time to do it.

Although the way the tower was teetering, there was a chance one floor-shuddering step would see her die under a box avalanche.

Death by unicorn.

How ironic would it be if her demise was caused by that which was meant to be the start of the rest of her life?

‘What was I thinking getting myself into this? I must be mad.’

Poppy’s lips quirked in amusement at Ben’s self-chastisement. He mustn’t have heard her arrive minutes before.

Connect automatic door chime.

Another thing to do on a list that seemed to get longer the closer they got to opening their joint venture.

‘I heard that,’ she called in a sing-song lilt. Her quirked lips spread into a cheek-stretching smile as a curse met her ears.

The sound of brisk footsteps on wooden floorboards told her Ben was on his way to apologise.

Bless his cotton socks. He’d always been too nice for his own good.

‘Sorry, Poppy. Didn’t hear you come in.’

Poppy turned to see Ben leaning against the doorway that led to the kitchen, his hands shoved deep into rust-red chinos that were as perfectly pressed as his blue and white checked short-sleeved collared shirt. Poppy glanced down at his brown leather loafers. Not a scuff in sight. Her tummy did a little flip-flop. Ben looked good. Better than good. The way he was dressed, the way his hair was just so, he could’ve come straight from a fashion shoot.

‘I didn’t know you were here.’ His cheeks pinked up, no doubt embarrassed to have been caught saying something that could potentially hurt someone’s feelings.

Such a Ben thing to do. He’d always cared. About everything. And everyone. Too much, as far as Poppy was concerned. He’d taken his only-child status seriously. Studying hard. Using his manners. Pleasing his parents in every way possible.