Man: Wanted: Chapter Seven - Part Seven

Sangeeta was impressed by my modest culinary skills and we laughed and joked as we worked our way through the prawn cocktail starter and on to the steak in garlic butter I did for the main course with red onion, thick-cut chips, rocket and beetroot. We drank our way through the wine that she had brought and started on some I'd had in, letting the evening drift on in warmth and contentment.

We’d clicked immediately, that first night, but our manner of conversing was maturing beyond that. It was easy and comfortable and the ideas flowed freely. Sangeeta was by far the funniest woman I’d ever known and she liked me slightly risqué sense of humour. We fed off one another, taking it further and further together than we could have on our own.

But there was a slight melancholy to Sangeeta that I noticed from time to time in the slight lulls when I went to fetch more food or drink. I found find her trundling on some rocky path of thought when I returned to the room and when we were a bottle and a half down I broached it with her.

“You told me... things were going bad for you.” I filled her glass. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

The smile fell from her face and I wished I hadn’t raised it, but she said. “I guess. I could.”

“You don’t have to.”

“No. I should tell someone. It’s been scraping away at me since it happened.”

“What did happen?”

Sangeeta interlinked her fingers and looked down at them, knocking her thumbs back and forth. “The manager of the Tower Gates centre came to see me in the shop yesterday. He’s almost as big a tosser as my landlord. No, actually, he might be worse.”

“What did he want?”

“Just to tell me they’re upping the rent on my unit. It’s this recession. Everyone is so desperate they’re trying to bleed everyone else dry. Everyone’s trying to cut costs and increase income and they’re so busy trying to look after themselves that they don’t realise that it doesn’t make sense. It’s unsustainable.”

She shrugged. “But business hasn’t been that great for me. I don’t think I can meet the higher rent; in fact I know I can’t. I told him that much and asked him to make an exception, at least for now; but he was like a brick wall. He said he had a waiting list for my unit and he could set any price; it would be met by somebody.” She smiled wanly. “I told him to go and fuck himself.”

I chuckled despite myself.

“I know,” she said. “Not my finest hour or smartest move. But it did make me feel better for five full minutes after he left. But I haven’t had a single customer since then. Everything I’ve tried to achieve here and it doesn’t mean a thing. It’s all just going to fall to ruin.”

I put my hand on hers and squeezed.

“I may not bother reopening on Monday,” she said. “There doesn’t seem much point.”

“Well... things can turn around. It isn’t over until it’s over.” I considered her options. “You could invest in some marketing. It might seem counter-intuitive but putting money in can bring a lot more money out.”

“I don’t know...” said Sangeeta. “I’m really tired. With everything else that’s been going on – my father coming – I’m not sure I have the will anymore.”

I took her upper arm in my other hand, drawing her closer. She looked at me with eyes brimming over with sorrow and confusion, then I enfolded her in my arms and held her against my chest as she very quietly wept.

We remained that way for a long time, and then finally, Sangeeta sat back upright and said, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I replied. “That’s what I’m here for. Have shoulder, will cuddle.”

She giggled then wiped at her eye with the heel of her palm. “I bet I look terrible.”

“Are you kidding? You’ve never looked better.”

She beamed her lovely smile the rested her head on my chest again and I wrapped my arms loosely round her waist. I’d put some romantic music on and we stayed that way for a long time, just listening and enjoying the closeness.

We took out wine through to the lounge and snuggled up to one another on the settee, her once again leaning into me. We were both now very tipsy and we wanted nothing more than to lean into one another. For my part, I loved to feel so needed; to able to protect this woman and look after her.

Becoming Geoff had given me innumerable new ways to enjoy life but this one seemed the greatest by far; to just be a man keeping watch over a woman, to care for her and enjoy that perfect affectionate closeness.